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THE soil of a public school is often uncongenial to the growth of minds gifted with peculiar and delicate sensibilities; and there are some natures wholly unfitted for its formality and restraint, as possessing an individuality which recoils from prescribed routine, and needs room for free development. It is refreshing to turn to the record of a boyhood left free to form its tastes under the freshening and purifying influence of Nature's works, and draw inspiration from a love for the phenomena of lake and mountain scenery. Few poets were ever so favoured in their education and surroundings as Wordsworth, the poet "bred up mid nature's luxuries." An intense lover of natural scenery from his earliest years, when, as he lay in his nurse's arms, the Derwent

"Made ceaseless music that composed my thoughts
To more than infant softness,"

he had ample scope to gratify the bent of his genius at school. Our interest in his early life is increased by the discursive account which he has left us of the scenes of his youth and the growth of his poetical opinions. The "Prelude to the Excursion" of

PRICE 3d.

Wordsworth corresponds in some measure to the Each is "Biographia Literaria" of Coleridge. characteristic of its author: Coleridge sets down his opinions in a weighty, but rambling and imperfect philosophical treatise; Wordsworth in an equally thoughtful, but systematic metrical dissertation.

The Prelude is not an inviting poem to the general reader. One shrinks before some eight thousand lines of blank verse, abounding in passages like the following:

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"That universal power

And fitness in the latent qualities

And essences of things, by which the mind Is moved with feelings of delight, to me Came strengthened with a superadded soul." But toil is rewarded by an occasional piece of vivid description or sublime thought.

The Prelude contains many instances of a peculiar trait of Wordsworth's genius. His theory was that to the poet all things are poetical; that the humblest and lowest things can awaken poetic thoughts, if only they be approached in a poetic spirit. Much of his poetry therefore consists in an endeavour to

analyse the sensations produced on his own mind by objects which to the ordinary spectator appear commonplace or uninteresting. This earnest

determination to find
68 sermons in stones," to
draw from the most trivial circumstance matter
for profound moral philosophizing, and study
the inner and deeper side of all character and
incident, often leads him into the error of treating a
commonplace occurrence with a seriousness which
it scarcely deserves; and the contrast between the
smallness of the stone and the weight of the sermon
produces a startlingly grotesque effect. Coleridge
observes that such disproportion of thought to
occasion is a fault of which only a man of genius is
capable, and that it is opposed to an error which
Wordsworth never committed-that of treating a
great subject in a shallow and superficial tone.
His aversion for the latter fault made him abjure all
jesting in his poetry. He never is intentionally
comic; but the excessive humility of subject
mentioned above gives some of his poems a touch of
the ridiculous. For instance, the poet thus de-
scribes his meeting with an old man standing
motionless beside a pool.

"At length, himself unsettling, he the pond
Stirred with his staff, and fixedly did look
Upon the muddy water, which he conned

As if he been reading in a book;

And now a stranger's privilege I took;
And drawing to his side, to him did say,
"This morning gives us promise of a glorious day."

A gentle answer did the old man make,

In courteous speech which forth he slowly drew;
And him with further words I thus bespake,
"What occupation do you there pursue?
This is a lonesome place for one like you."
Ere he replied, a flash of mild surprise

Broke from the sable orbs of his yet vivid eyes.

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The old man still stood talking by my side;
But now his voice to me was like a stream
Scarce heard; nor word from word could I divide;
And the whole body of the man did seem
Like one whom I had met with in a dream;
Or like a man from some far region sent,
To give me human strength, by apt admonishment.
My former thoughts returned: the fear that kills;
And hope that is unwilling to be fed ;
Cold, pain, and labour, and all fleshly ills;
And mighty poets in their misery dead.

Perplexed, and longing to be comforted,
My question eagerly did I renew,

"How is it that you live, and what is it you do?"
He with a smile did then his words repeat,
And said, that gathering leeches far and wide
He travelled; stirring thus about his feet
The waters of the pools where they abide.
"Once I could meet with them on every side,
But they have dwindled long by slow decay,
Yet still I persevere, and find them where I may."

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A casual meeting with an old soldier gives Wordsworth occasion for a hundred lines of description and philosophizing in the following style :

"Long were his arms, pallid his hands; his mouth
Looked ghastly in the moonlight; from behind
A milestone propped him; I could also ken
That he was clothed in military garb,

Though faded, yet entire."

"In his very dress appeared

A desolation, a simplicity,

To which the trappings of a gaudy world
Made a strange background."

After this somewhat lengthy digression, it is time to return to the description of Wordsworth's boyish pursuits as given in the Prelude. When only five years old, he was passionately fond of bathing; his delight was to

"Make one long bathing of a summer's day; Bask in the sun, and plunge, and bask again." But he had "sports of wider range," when he was sent to school at Hawkshead. There was an air of rustic simplicity about the school arrangements. The boys boarded with the old women in the cottages round, and Wordsworth describes his home with loving accuracy; the stone table under the dark pine in the garden, and the sunny seat round it, where he "brewed" and worked; the brook that flowed close by, in "channel paved by man's officious care;" the little bed where he lay awake to watch the moon shining through the ash branches, and glimmering as the tree swayed to and fro in the breeze; the rough terrier whose nature was to hunt the badger and unearth the fox;" but which the young poet afterwards took into a "gentler service," that of accompanying him as he walked up and down in the throes of verse-making. When "some lovely Image in the song rose up Full-formed, like Venus rising from the sea," he would dart forward, and "let loose my hand upon his back with stormy joy and at evening, as he walked muttering to himself,

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the same sagacious animal "trotted on before: such was his custom," to keep a look out for passengers, and run back, if he saw any, to give his master "admonishment," that he might have time to "hush his voice, compose his gait." Last of all the Dame, "equipped in monumental trim."

"I saw her read

Her Bible on hot Sunday afternoons,

And loved the book, when she had dropped asleep, And made of it a pillow for her head." Out-door sports they had in plenty; not indeed cricket or fives, but setting springes for woodcocks and "plying an anxious visitation," of them by night; climbing for raven's eggs, rowing on Windermere, fishing, nutting, and skating.

"All shod with steel

We hissed along the polished ice, in games Confederate," or flying the kite, which

"Pulled at her rein like an impetuous courser." On summer evenings they would play round an old grey rock in the market-place till night-fall: and in frosty winter gather round the warm peatfire, to play at "noughts and crosses," or even loo and whist. Returning after the holidays with replenished purses, they used to hire horses from the "courteous innkeeper," and arrange a picnic at Furness Abbey or some old Druidical remain, galloping home along the steep hill-side, or "beating with thundering hoofs the level sand;" or they would make an expedition to an inn on the shore of Windermere, "a splendid place," containing

"Decanters, glasses, and the blood-red wine," and here play at bowls in a garden sloping down to the lake, and eat strawberries and cream, returning in the cool of the evening over the lake. Wordsworth might well say: "Fair seed-time had my soul; " and we cannot wonder that he chafed under the more vigorous régime of Cambridge.

Meanwhile Wordsworth was not living a merely animal existence. Physical enjoyment served to link his affections more closely to the scenes of his boyish pursuits. He began to love the outward face of nature for its beauty, and at times also he felt the more mysterious influences of the "Visions of the hills and Souls of lonely places." "Gleams like the flashing of a shield" came to him, when he seemed to be in the presence of powers endowed with human feeling and human passions; and this sympathy between nature and man, the "Soul of nature," he determined to express in his poetry.

THE BEAU IDEAL.

Wide is the world which human follies fill,
But human folly, lo! is wider still:
At every stage of life, in every street,
Nay, e'en at church, we human follies meet;
From out whose range man hath not power to fly,
-His grovelling nature scorns to soar so high:
And though the farce of life be ended soon,
Full half the cast plays always Pantaloor.
Perchance unconscious of derisive sneers,
Or,-for 'tis sometimes hard to laugh,-of tears
Drawn by the sad sight of degraded power,
Our mimic bantam struts his little hour.
He rises on his arméd heels, he crows,
He flaps his wings, and points his dainty toes :
Till sudden to his airs there comes a check,
And Molly wrings his blustering lordship's neck.
But now, behold a new protection stand!
Plebeian Molly! hold thy reckless hand!
Nor dare, presumptuous, to attack the throat
That sheath'd in mail now towers above the coat:
For now our bantam stalks in wondrous guise,
Stiff pyramids around his gullet rise;
Perched on the top of which, his head of pride
Slowly revolves erect from side to side;
Erect perforce, since if it downward bends
It comes in contact with the collar ends,
Which, bayonet-like, stand ready for the foe,
Nor suffer genteel chins to stoop so low.
Yet still the hero undergoes the smart,
And keeps his head up with a buoyant heart.
To him what matters pain, or powers of sight,
That cannot turn with ease to left or right;
Or that his head, its lofty place to show,
Disclaims all kinship with himself below?
Nay, all such trivial drawbacks he defies,
And thousands more, to win the glorious prize.

For, as he walks, admiring thousands stare,

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ECCLESIASTICAL APPOINTMENTS, &c.

Rev. William Hamon Lefroy, Rector of East Horndon.
Rev. Cecil Henry Legard, Rector of Healing.

Rev. Harry Alsager Sheringham, Perpetual Curate of St. Peter, Great Winchester-street, London.

John Bayfield Clark, to the Curacy of All Hallows, East India Docks, London.

Frederick de Paravicini, to the Curacy of Wigston, Leicester.

Henry Tanner King, to the Curacy of St. Thomas, Winchester.

Christopher Francis Harrison, University College, Oxford, one of H.M's Inspectors of Schools.

ORDINATIONS.

Deacons-John Bayfield Clark, C.C.C. Cambridge.

Frederick de Paravicini, King's College, London. Henry Tanner King, Pembroke College, Oxford. Priests-William Almack, St. John's College, Cambridge.

Arthur Henry Wright, New College, Oxford.

William Henry Churchill, Jesus College, Cambridge
Percy Lempriere Hesketh, Trinity College,
Cambridge.

Frank Field Wayet, Salisbury Theological College.
ARMY.
28th Foot, Capt. Thomas Arthur Hill Lowe, from the 34th
Foot to be Capt.

Occasional Notes.

THE deferred half-holiday in honour of Her Majesty's birthday was given on Monday, and was signalized by royal weather.

On Friday, June 4th, a good many members of the School attended an open rehearsal at the Marlborough Choral Society's at the Town Hall. Sterndale Bennett's" May Queen" was part of the programme, and we congratulate the Choral Society on the complete success they achieved.

THE REV. T. A. Preston is sending up statistics of the pulling powers of the school, as tested by the dynamometer.

The Rev. Handley Carr Glyn Moule, Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, has been appointed Examining Chaplain to the Bishop of Liverpool. T. O. Harding, Esq., Lincoln's Inn, was called to the Bar last Wednesday.

Correspondence.

To the Editor of the Marlburian.

SIR,-With reference to a letter in your last number, signed "" Spectator,"I should like to suggest a few comments if possible through the medium of your columns.

In the first place your correspondent objects to 'throwing the hammer' on the score of its being tedious, and then goes on to propose two substitutes for it, which I think would be infinitely more so, namely, a two-mile walking race round the XI., or a steeplechase. And here I may as well explain that the reasons which were "doubtless weighty at the time" for superseding the latter, and which can be no less weighty now, were mainly the objections offered by the farmers and landowners over whose property it used to be run. Now could anything be more tedious than watching a two-mile walking race at a public school's pace? I am sure that if few practise for "throwing the hammer," still fewer would do so for the walking race. If "Spectator's" sentiments are those of the majority of the school, why don't fellows practise more and make the competition harder and more interesting? And after all no one is obliged to watch it if they are not inclined. It seems hardly fair for "Spectator" to wish that "throwing the hammer" should be done away with because the same fellow very often gets both that and "putting the weight," considering that the latter has only had a place in our Sports since 1876. True, in two cases out of the three, your corres. pondent's statement has been verified, but surely that is not saying much? Again, I think many will agree with me in denying that 'putting the weight' and 'throwing the hammer' go to the strongest fellow in the school. Now I maintain that success in either, and more especially the latter, depends more on the knack, which is only to be acquired by constant and persevering practice, than on sheer strength.

But if "throwing the hammer" is to be abolished at all, though I can see no reason why it should be after having existed for so long, and having always had a place in the Universities' and most athletic clubs' sports, would it not be better to have a pole jump, like most other public schools, or a strangers' race, which might be restricted, not entirely to OM.'s, but perhaps to Universities and Public Schools, in order to exclude professional runners? The distance might be altered each year to give both 'sprinters,' and 'long distance' men a chance, and I am sure it would offer a great inducement to O.M.'s and others to come down, if the prize were one worth coming down for.

Lest I should be accused of plagiarism I may mention that these last propositions have been made before, but will not suffer by repetition.

And now, Sir, begging to apologise for taking up so much of your valuable time and space,

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To the Editor of the Marlburian. DEAR SIB,-I should like to call attention to a small matter, which could be easily remedied, but which at present causes great inconvenience, if not pain, to fellows taking headers off the big spring-board near the shed: the matting at the end has entirely worn off, leaving several nails. Hoping this will speedily be remedied, I remain, yours truly,

Υδατόφιλος.

To the Editor of the Marlburian. DEAR SIR,-X.Y.Z. has written against the Debating Society. I fail to agree with him on most points. Thus :He asserts two, or at least three years ago, this society was of the most exclusive and respectable nature; it was only then entered by fellows of some literary capacities! and yet about that time, I know from having been a member then, that many entered without pretension to literary capacities; the rules on that point have not been altered. Any one was as free then, as now, 'to put up his name,' and was almost sure 'unanimously to be elected.' During the last 4 years there have only been two cases of black-balling, both easily accounted for.

X.Y.Z. proceeds to ask whether it is fair (on the minority ?) that a considerable proportion of this society should consist of a class,' which he sarcastically censures,-for 'grouping en masse,' when perforce they must do so when there is no room to form en ligne'; for 'making most disagreeable noises,' though any member, who considers that epithet just, can call a defaulter to order, and though, quite lately, the president hushed the society from showing their dislike to a speaker; for criticising speakers,' thongh one great object of the society is, I should fancy, the development of the power of criticism; and for 'unnecessary thumping,' though thumping can hardly be hindered even in most model societies, and, if unnecessary, is at once stopped, as might be proved from a recent debate. Then X.Y.Z. considers that the exis tence of members, who have predetermined their votes, paralyzes all attempts at debate; yet the society has existed for a long time, and during that time almost all members have come with preconceived opinions. It always has been so, and probably always will be so. The debates are not yet paralyzed, but judging by numbers at recent meetings are more popular than ever. Members will vote as they have determined. A master famed for his close attendance at Debate, said he considered it a solutely hopeless to prevent this 'fact,' but he likewise said that he had never known a time when the speaking was so good. In every assembly many always will follow the example of that estimable personage, who boasts in a not unknown ditty

"I always voted at my party's call,

And never thought of thinking for myself at all" And many probably form answers to arguments in their own minds.

I do not agree either that defeat may always be expected "through a mass of indifferent fellows who pay no attention

to argument." I believe that most fellows who came to hear a recent debate on Ghosts, would before have scouted the idea that there could be such creatures. Yet the talk was certainly on behalf of the ghosts, and the ghosts carried the day-voted for, if not believed in.

Then X Y.Z. suggests that these intruders' go to learn to speak, but if they do, 'conceal the intention' with great care. Really! and yet an extraordinary number of new speakers have learnt to speak the past year, and debates have seldom failed through lack of speeches-witness the adjournment of three lately.

But putting X.Y.Z. aside, I must emphatically assert that there are more new speakers, better speeches, more members and visitors than formerly. This hardly supports the theory that debate is 'paralyzed'. The Debating Society has risen with the extraordinary rise of all the school institutions, during the past year, though the stirring events in the country may have contributed to the popularity of the last few meetings. It would be extremely harmful, should a harsh stop be placed on the society, directly it began to become really popular, and directly good speeches, to produce which it is specially intended, begin to appear? On the contrary, it would be well if it could become popular throughout the school and thus spread information on politics and other great questions, for evidently interest is felt in such subjects. Is it to be cut down at once to the higher forms, because a little noise has been made? The Sixth have plenty of opportunity for taking to 'fellows of some literary capacity (!) in their own meetings. And the restriction would imply that the noise was caused by fellows in lower forms-most unjustly I think. I particularly noticed at a recent debate

that a whole row of Fourth Form fellows were the most quiet in the room, whereas often some prominent member of literary capacity' first starts cries of No! No! or a hiss. True that in political debates the Liberals bear off the palm in 'exuberance of verbosity,' the Conservatives in shouting, but still the Liberals have a fair number to applaud them.

Occasionally I will allow the society makes a mistake. 'Accidents will happen even in the best regulated families.' I have heard considerable indignation expressed because the society once replied 'Yes' when it should have said 'No' ! but that unlucky 'Yes' was uttered on provocation. The speaker "riled" the society. He persisted in asking a rhetori. cal question in various forms quite ten times, and the society with that innocent delight in a mild 'score' common to all Marlburians, replied him 'Yes'! So he pitied them, and they But such mistakes seldom were content to be pitied. happen, and though there may be a tendency to degenerate into personalities and noise, yet for the present it is quite sufficient to watch over that tendency if it exists and repress it should it become strong, without making a revolution in the society and calling in radical legislation for an almost imaginary conception.

I remain, sir, yours obediently,

G.R.A.

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