Reminiscences of Eton

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author, 1831 - 152 pages

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Page 103 - And what is friendship but a name, A charm that lulls to sleep; A shade that follows wealth or fame, But leaves the wretch to weep?
Page 40 - Alas! regardless of their doom The little victims play ! No sense have they of ills to come Nor care beyond to-day: Yet see how all around 'em wait The ministers of human fate And black Misfortune's baleful train!
Page 103 - Alas ! the joys that fortune brings Are trifling, and decay ; And those who prize the paltry things, More trifling still than they.
Page 47 - I cannot consider the game of football as being at all gentlemanly. It is a game which the common people of Yorkshire are particularly partial to...
Page 70 - ... a favourite and healthy sport in the autumn and winter season, in the school-yard and cloisters ; and in the exercise of which some pretty hard blows arise...
Page 32 - ... master, that very day would have seen me kneeling as a culprit. The case was this, and a hard case it was : As I was sitting at the end of a form, the boy next to me said, " That fellow at the other end has been laughing at your red collar, send this piece of orange-peel at his head." head-master. Upon being questioned who had done it, and after having been nudged by the prompter of the act to say, " / did it, sir," at the same time looking at me, as much as to say (as well as to inform the master)...
Page 62 - Lucky fellow, lucky fellow." This was a general topic of conversation during the day; and though one of such frequent occurrence, nay almost every week during the hunting season, still was it always attended with delight, and the anticipation of something good to follow from it. It was amusing to hear the various remarks made by some of the boys who happened not to have been present at the time of the Royal Cavalcade passing, and who of course were anxious to have the reports of what had occurred.
Page 62 - Your master is very kind to you all, is not he ? Have you had any rebellions lately, Eh, Eh ? Naughty boys you know sometimes. Should not you like to have a holiday, if I hear a good character of you, Eh, Eh ? Well, well, we will see about it—But be good boys. Who is to have the Montem this year ?" " Such a one your Majesty."
Page 52 - Christopher made his appearance in the upper-school. For the time all construing ceased, and our headmaster greeted the modest Sir Christopher with language savouring of the greatest delight. He might have applied to him the words of Cicero to the conspirator Cataline (though not in the language of reproach, but of admiration), in te omnium convertuntur ocuti; the eyes of all were indeed upon him, but they were those of the highest pleasure.
Page 63 - Another perhaps wanted to have a drive to Virginia Water, a favourite excursion with the boys. Such and the like expectations of holiday happiness, were as often anticipated, and frequently realized, by the ride of England's monarch through the town of Eton. I believe few of our Melton Mowbray men would have liked...

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