SIXTH V. SCHOOL. con 4th day. The score being equal a good game was to be expected, though the School were weakened by the absence of Davies and Craufurd. The School kicked off from the town and charging up carried the ball down into the Sixth quarters, whence it was soon rescued by Peake, who ran in at the top, the ball being well passed to him by Mr. Bambridge and Peake soon Vassall; the place, however, failed. afterwards repeated the performance and verted the try into a goal, the Sixth thus winning by four goals and two tries to three goals and a try. Though the game was now virtually over, play continued for the rest of the hour, during which the fortune of the game was more equal, and towards the end a touch-down was obtained for the School by Stanton 2us. The only other noticeable piece of play was a fine dribble by Vassall. Of the forwards the most conspicuous were, for the School, the two Stantons and Bowden-Smith, and for the Sixth, Worship and Hodgson. Behind the squash Mr. Bambridge and Peake were by far the best, while Law and Ewart did their best for the School. HOUSE MATCH. THOMPSON'S v. GILMORE'S. FIRST DAY, TUESDAY, OCT. 15TH.-Charley kicked off for Thompson's from Lyne's end, and the ball not being returned, the first squash was formed near Gilmore's goal, where it remained for some minutes, in the course of which Duncan (pro Hatch) made an ineffectual drop at goal, and Gilmore's were obliged to touch the ball down. After the drop out, a series of squashes in the middle of the ground continued till half-time was called. For the rest of the were hour Thompson's played very closely and somewhat penned; but succeeded in preventing anything being got against them, the only remarkable feature being an excellent try at goal by Duncan who relieved the forwards several times by his brilliant running. 2nd day, Tuesday, Oct. 22nd.- Gilmore's kicked off. The ball was well returned, so the squash was formed near the trees. After some loose play Ewart got hold of the ball and by a good run evaded Gilmore's backs and obtained a touch-down nearly behind, from which a goal was successfully kicked by Wright 2us. After this Gilmore's played up much harder and the ball was kept in close proximity to Thompson's goal, who were compelled to touch down several times. A few minutes before for time Beale obtained a touch-down high up Gilmore's. However the place, which Platt tried, though well directed, fell short, and soon after time was called. Tuesday, 29th.-Owing to the slippery state of the On this ground it was almost impossible to run. day Gilmore's forwards showed themselves much the heavier in the squash, especially after half-time. During the first half-hour nothing occurred except several good runs by Brunton, who was collared excellently once or twice by Thompson 1us (back). About change the game became much faster; Gilmore's doing their utmost to get in, in which however they were unsuccessful. Thompson's were unable to get the ball away for long, in spite of good runs by Ewart and Thompson 3us (). good try at goal by Platt off a rolling ball, which only missed the post by a few inches, must be mentioned. The last quarter was spent in a series of squashes at the bottom of the ground, where by this time, it was almost impossible to stand. A Just before time Brunton had the ball kicked to him by one of Thompson's forwards and was getting dangerously near Thompson's goal when time was called. So Cotton House remained victorious by a goal to a try. For Gilmore's Windeler played excellently, as also Wright 1us, who was most useful in catching the ball when thrown in while Petrie lus and Impey showed signs of future excellence. Behind the squash Chase, Beale and Platt played well. For Thompson's, among the forwards Charley, Askwith, and Little did most work, while among the backs Ewart was "facile princeps," well supported by Fox 1us (back), Hatch (on the 2nd day), Wright 2us, who collared capitally throughout, but the dropping on both sides was very faulty. PRESHUTE v. UPCOTT'S. FIRST DAY, Tuesday, Oct. 23rd.-Law won the toss for Preshute and elected to play from Lyne's end. Soon after kick off, Law ran in and obtained a try right behind, which he converted into a goal. After this, in spite of all their efforts, Preshute were penned, and Peat obtained a try which was well but unsuccessfully tried by Bowden-Smith; after change Upcott's weight in the squash began to tell, and they kept the ball dangerously near the Preshute line. Their backs made several attempts to get in, till at last Birch got the ball and passed it on to Gunner, who obtained a try, which was kicked by Bowden-Smith. Preshute were again penned, and failed to make head against their opponents, till Law got away, but was however well collared by Gunner not far from Upcott's line. Preshute then kept the ball. well in their opponent's quarters till no game. Upcott's thus scored a goal and a touch-down to one goal. SECOND DAY, Tuesday, Oct. 30th.-This day there. was a decided change in the play of the Preshute forwards, who kept well together, and for the first twenty minutes penned their opponents. Lamb, who played very well and was ably seconded by Tracy, obtained a touchdown which was kicked by Law. Before change, Tracy's running was very brilliant, as several times he nearly succeeded in getting in. Afterwards after some good squashes in the middle of the ground, Preshute were again penned, and Birch obtained a try low down out of the squash, which Bowden-Smith tried, but failed to kick. After this nothing was obtained by either side. THIRD DAY, Saturday, Nov. 2nd.-Bowden-Smith kicked off, and Jones charging up rapidly, spoilt Womersley's drop, thus enabling Upcott's to keep the ball slightly in the Preshute quarters, neither side being able to make any head, in spite of their utmost efforts. Here for nearly twenty minutes followed a series of long and hard squashes giving the backs little or no work till change. Then Preshute carried the ball toward Upcott's goal and another series of long squashes ensued, till Waugh and Jones, dribbling well, brought the ball into dangerous proximity to the Preshute line. Gunner, throwing the ball out twice crookedly, bounded it in, and running hard, though well collared by Fenwick, managed to obtain a try, which Bowden-Smith failed to kick. Just before this Dods, who had been playing very well, was seriously injured and obliged to stop. Thus Preshute were victorious, after a very evenly contested game, by two goals to one and three touch-downs. For Upcott's Bowden-Smith, Waugh, Jones, and Davidson (forward) played well, while behind Craufurd, Gunner, and Dods were conspicuous. For Preshute, Law, Lamb, and Tracy (behind) were especially noticeable, and Bengough, Booth, Leverton, Law, and Elder in the squash. On the third day Fox who played-back for Tracy, distinguished himself especially for the exceedingly plucky manner in which he played throughout the whole game. The Rifle Corps. Practice was interrupted for some time at the beginning of the term by our supply of ammunition running short, and owing to some mistake of the parties who supply it at Portsmouth there was considerable delay before we could obtain more. At present our prospects for next year are by no means brilliant, there are but few who go to the Butts, and they will require a great deal of practice before they will become respectable shots. Surely some fellows will practise next term, when we may hope to have as good a range as any in the county, and when there will be no football to attract them; for until we have more to choose from we cannot hope to turn out a respectable VIII. The monthly cup for September was won by Finch with 55, a very good score considering that it was the first practice of the term; 31 of the 55 he made at 500yds. The monthly cup for October, shot for at 300yds. and 600yds. was won by Dawson, with the average score of 40, but the weather was against good shooting as it rained almost incessantly the whole time. The corps was inspected by Capt. and Adjutant Loundes, on Friday, 25th of October. The attendance was good and the drill creditable considering that it was the second parade of the term. On Monday, 4th of November, he again inspected the Corps; this time the recruits fell in with the company, and being in undress gave a somewhat motley appearance to the ranks. The drill was very moderate, but would have been better had there been a larger attendance of old hands to steady it. Our performances would soon improve, were fellows to pay a little more attention to the word of command, and to gain a little more of that 'sharpness,' which is one of the chief benefits derived from the Corps.. ART SOCIETY. On Tuesday, Oct. 22nd, a meeting of this Society was held when the drawings in illustration of the words "Deserted" and "Return" were exhibited. There were not very many, but what there were, were of a superior order to many which are exhibited. Particularly interesting was a series of water colour sketches in Norway, by Mrs. Bell, two of which she was kind enough to present to the Society. D'Urban gave us another specimen of his powers in a large water-colour picture of a dying soldier, which appeared a few months ago in the Graphic: of this picture also the Society are the happy possessors. After the picture had been examined, the President gave us a most interesting account of his tour in Brittany during the holidays, and illustrated it all through not only by photographs, but also by the pages of his own sketch book, where he had admirably depicted specimens of peasants, and other natives, besides sketches of various places of interest, and peculiarities in architecture, which happened to meet his eye. He had only time to give us half his tour in one evening, so we may look forward to another interesting sequel at a not far distant meeting. The subjects to be illustrated by the next meeting (Tuesday, Nov. 5th) were then given out: the words "Light" and "Hunger" being chosen. The attendance was rather poor, as far as the School was concerned, but this was partly owing to the fact that a vigorous debate was being carried on very audibly in the next room. The meeting was honoured with the presence of the Master, and Mrs. Bell, besides several members of the Common Room. Natural History Society. A special meeting of the Society was held in the Museum on Thursday, the 24th, when G. H. Dawson, Esq., O.M., gave an interesting discourse on "Field Sports, their morality, and their connection with the study of Natural History;" at the conclusion a few remarks were made by the President, and the Hon. Secretary. There were 43 members of the school present, and two visitors. At the usual fortnightly meeting of the Society, on Thursday, the 31st, the President announced the donation of the report of the Watford Society, and of the tenth volume of the transactions of the New Zealand institute, presented by the New Zealand Government: he also commented on a very early specimen of the holly in flower, found by E. G. Waddilove, and on the fact that the Rev. J. Sowerby had found 300 plants in flower during the month around Marlborough. Some specimens of the fungus, ("catur sclero dermia ") found by Clayton, were also exhibited. H. M. Elder then read a paper on the newly discovered metal "gallium," which showed an exceedingly careful preparation, but seemed somewhat too deeply scientific for the majority of the audience. The paper was followed by some interesting remarks from T. O. Harding, Esq., after which G. F. Rodwell, Esq., gave a short explanation of some instruments, the work of the author of the paper, in connection with the Stanton Prize.-There were present 45 members of the school, and 5 visitors. At the next meeting, Thursday, 14th, G. F. Rodwell, Esq., has promised to give a paper on his recent tour in Iceland. Printed by PERKINS & SON, at their General Printing Offices, Waterloo House, Marlborough, RICHARD BENTLEY. NOVEMBER 20TH, 1878. THERE are probably not many readers of the Marlburian-certainly not many among present members of the school-who know more of Bentley than is contained in a note to Pope's lines, "Not that I'd lop all beauties from his book Like slashing Bentley with his desperate hook." Or perhaps they are accustomed to hear of Bentley as editor of Horace as well as of our great modern classic, and thus to picture the great critic to themselves as, "The mighty scholiast, whose unwearied pains Made Horace dull, and humbled Milton's strains." Some may have come across Bentley in Macaulay's Essay on Sir William Temple, and thus added to their stock of information about him the fact that he wrote a celebrated monograph upon the "Letters of Phalaris." Were Bentley merely a scholar and critic, it would scarcely be a matter of regret that his biography has passed into such neglect. The life of a great statesman will be found to reflect as in a mirror the thoughts and the hopes, the trials and successes, of the age in which he played his part. The life of an author, if he be one who has moved the hearts of his generation, will be coloured by the feelings which he shared with the multitude around him, and through which alone he was able to reach. PRICE 3d. their sympathies, to awake and stimulate their enthusiasm, or, it may be, to record their sense of failure. But the biography of the mere scholar will not take its tone from his surroundings; it may possess a personal and an antiquarian interest, but that will be all; and its audience, so to speak, will be limited in proportion as the interest is narrow. A scholar lives on only in the work he did while living; the few stones, which he added to the great building of knowledge, are taken as a foundation by later builders; before long they lose their individuality, and become merged in a general view of the whole. But Bentley's life possesses a value apart from the interest he excited as scholar and critic. If for no other purpose, at least it serves to illustrate the different tone in which controversies, whether political or literary, are conducted in our day from that which prevailed in the days of Bentley and Boyle. Readers of Macaulay know that on the occasion of a stupid controversy, on the question, Whether ancient or modern learning were the more valuable, Sir William Temple undertook to defend the ancients against the French, to maintain the cause of Cicero as against Balzac, and to put Eschylus once more upon the pedestal usurped by Corneille. Sir William Temple was especially at great pains to point out the super were iority of Æsop's Fables to any modern imitations, and the peculiar excellence in their own line of the letters of Phalaris. It was no small shock to the nerves of Boyle and other Oxford admirers of Sir William, when they heard that the King's Librarian, Bentley, declared that these two particular works spurious. They were, as he elegantly phrased it, in his "Dissertations," "the miserable forgeries of a dreaming pedant with his elbow on his desk." Such insolence was not to be tolerated; the audacious librarian must be put down, and that none the less because he belonged to the Whig party. Boyle's answer was couched in an ironical form, pretending to deal with Bentley as Bentley had dealt with Phalaris: "The Sophist, whoever he was, that wrote these loose Dissertations in the name and character of Dr. Bentley, had not so bad a hand at personating, but that some may believe it is the librarian himself who talks so big; and may not discover the ass under the skin of that lion in criticism and philology......Had all other ways failed us of detecting this impostor, yet his very speech had betrayed him, for it is that neither of a scholar nor an Englishman; neither Greek, Latin, nor English, but a medley of all three; he had forgot that the scene of these writings was London, where the English tongue was generally spoken and written." But Swift, in his "Battle of the Books," scorned innuendo: "There issued forth, from a squadron of heavy armed foot, a captain, whose name was Bentley, the most deformed of all the moderns; tall, but without shape or comeliness; large, but without strength or proportion. His armour was patched up of a thousand incoherent pieces, and the sound of it, as he marched, was loud and dry, like that made by the fall of a sheet of lead, which an etesian wind blows suddenly down from the roof of some steeple." Bentley, however, gave as good as he took, and the subsequent publication of his "Dissertations on the Epistles of Phalaris" turned the laugh completely on his side. It was not long after that he was appointed Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, and his violent and over-bearing temper soon embroiled him with the Fellows of the College. When a younger man, some one remarked to his former patron, Stillingfleet, "That chaplain of yours is an extraordinary man." "Yes," was Stillingfleet's reply, "had he but the gift of humility, he would be the most extraordinary man in Europe." His life became one long-continued lawsuit. Here are some of the charges the Fellows brought against him :— "Why have you, for many years past, wasted the College bread, ale, beer, coals, wood, turf, sedge, charcoal, linen, pewter, corn, flour, brawn, and bran ?" "When by boasting of your great interest, and that you were the genius of the age, and what great things you would do for the College in general and for every member of it in particular, and promising for the future to live peaceably with them, you had prevailed on the Fellows to allow you several hundred pounds for your lodge more than they first intended, to the wonder of the whole University, why did you, the very next thing, require them to build you a new staircase to your lodge ?" While the dispute was still going on, there was a royal visit to Cambridge; and the story is told that while Bentley was waiting in great state at the front gate of Trinity, the Vice-Chancellor, to revenge himself for some insult Bentley had passed upon him, took the King round to a back gate. In one of his letters about this time, he writes that bis enemies had better "have patience till my trial is over, for trial in my case is the same as victory;" and then they should feel the weight of his arm. But enough has been quoted to prove that in Bentley's case, and in his adversaries' too, didicisse fideliter artes had not softened his manners. Indeed there perhaps was never so conspicuous an instance of a man, possessed of such vast learning, and influenced so little by the spirit of what he read. A storehouse of literary knowledge, he had little or no literary taste, and so little moderation of judgment that a life which might have produced great works was wasted in petty and humiliating disputes. THE ARROW AND THE MITRE. Ho! ye that love to listen To stirring tales of war, Now draw ye round your cheerful hearths, But yearneth for the fight, With stately stride and slow, From all the wond'ring foe. |