missed him 16 out of the 63 stood to his credit. Hope of winning had changed into soberer satisfaction at having not lost the match.

We cannot be said to have underrated our opponents, for we knew little about them. We gathered from talk on the ground that they had vastly improved in some respects quite recently, and our own eyes told us that they have now plenty of dashing confident batting, while their fielding is firstrate. Their bowling was probably at its best when we saw it, and on another day might have met severe punishment. No fault could be found with the management of our field. Possibly, however, at one time the changes were a little too rapid-an error, if it was one, on the right side; and at one time Sheppard and Padwick might possibly have been tried. Much of our batting in the first innings was tame in the extreme. Setting off, however, the two runs-out against Heath's accident, we had decidedly the worst of the luck, and Cheltenham the best of the wicket. Their runs were mostly made when the ground was true and easy. On the second day, as Sale's feat also showed, it helped the bowlers. We think we are not saying too much when we say that the turning point of the match was the turning of the penny before it began. Our fielding, except at the wicket and one or two not inexcusable slips, was very good, Padwick and Keeling evoking repeated applause in the first innings. To Firth and Meyrick-Jones we owe it that we did not lose the match. Sheppard's "not out, 10," too, was a figure to be thankful for under the circumstances, and may be allowed to stall off criticism of his inscrutable suicide the day before. We have reserved for Cheales a special word of praise. He offered the stubbornest resistance to good balls, and was seldom lenient to loose ones, and two better displays are rarely witnessed in a school match.

On the whole, we consider that to have pulled the match out of the fire as we did, was as creditable almost as victory in other circumstances, and is of good omen for Lords. Had the chances at the wicket been taken, the draw might have been in our favour. As it is, we ungrudgingly admit it was in favour of a very good all round eleven, and the admission will not sour our recollection of the utmost hospitality and a thoroughly well-contested match.

It is impossible to make a silk purse out of a sow's No born wicket-keeper or bowler has appeared this year, and none has been moulded like clay in the

ear.

hand of the professional. The first is our most serious deficiency, and, if no other expedient suggests itself, it might be better to abstract even a good man from the field, if only he could make sure of whipping off the balls really smartly when the ball is thrown in. Again, though to multiply bowlers may be good policy, it will be carried to excess if a good batsman is lost to the eleven for the sake of getting one more untrustworthy change. We should be very sorry to have the responsibility of selecting the last man on our shoulders, and we do not believe the captain has ever had a more difficult task, but, when all is said, we have no reason to despair of winding up the season with a victory.

To an ordinary public school-boy, whose knowledge of letter writing is confined to the dashing off, with some reluctance, of a glowing weekly effusion to delight his relations, it may appear strange, that letter-writing is a well established branch of literature, requiring qualities to ensure success, less splendid than that of poetry, yet more natural and sometimes more attractive. A vivid imagination will go a long way to a poem, but will give a letter writer no fame for success in this department. Rather the qualities required are homeliness and simplicity, and a diction differing from that of ordinary life in its purity. To describe the state of things around him, a good letter writer must thus be qualified; while to describe the world and his own views he must have besides this purity of diction honesty and candour.

Cowper is allowed to be our best letter writer; better than Byron, though the latter has many supporters to his claim to supremacy. Better than Gray or Walpole, as anything spontaneous and natural surpasses laboured and cooked productions. Cowper never thought of publishing his letters. Walpole evidently thought more of that, than of his treatment of subjects. The result is, that Walpole is not at home, he is like one whose actions are being watched by a critical eye, and that the eye of popular esteem. Cowper's letters are by themselves celebrated as pieces of good writing; they are besides an uncoloured and trustworthy autobiography of a life, where there was but little to conceal and much that deserved to be known.

But the circumstances of Cowper's life are too well known to be here treated. They leave a deep mark on his letters. The dreary evangelism of Mr. Newton produces from Cowper some of the most gloomy sentiments that have been heard since the days of Jeremiah. The winter was approaching, and speaking of January, his deadly enemy among the months, Cowper says: The weather is an exact emblem of my mind in its present state. A thick fog envelopes everything and at the same time it freezes intensely. Nature revives again, but a soul once slain lives no more.' It cannot be denied that

the influence of the pious minister, who inspired the Olney Hymns, was as evil in its result, as it was good in its intention.

But life at Olney with the Unwins cast out the demon partially, and we see another side to Cowper's life in his letters to his cousin Lady Hesketh. There is in them a marvellous light-hearted gaiety and merriment, which we could hardly deem compatible with the above sentence. He is writing to Lady Hesketh upon her approaching visit and he says:

'I will tell you what you will find at your first entrance. Imprimis, as soon as you enter the vesti bule, if you cast a look on either side of you, you will see on the right hand a box of my making. It is the box in which have been lodged all my hares, and in which lodges puss at present: but he, poor fellow, is worn out with age, and promises to die before you can see him. On the right hand stands a cupboard, the work of the same author; it was once a dove cage, but I transformed it. Opposite you stands a table, which I also made; but a merciless servant having scrubbed it until it became paralytic, it serves no purpose now but of ornament, and all my clean shoes stand under it. On the left hand, at the further end of this superb vestibule, you will find the door of the parlour, into which I will conduct you, and where I will introduce you to Mrs. Unwin, unless we should meet her before, where we shall be as happy as the day is long.'

Aware that we are only mutilating by selections we will refer our readers to the small volume of selections just published.

What we see in the above is that Cowper succeeds in investing trivial subjects in good and pure English, with excellent taste and humour, and steers between tumidity and inanity.

But lest we imagine that Cowper could only de scribe Olney life, we hasten to remind our readers that until recently all selections from his letters have included his more sententious writing. The recent editors are not of the same taste: Southey does not appear to have had all his letters. But as his moral satires are inferior to his short poems, so it may be said his graver and more sententious pieces are less pleasing than the spontaneous effusions

THE Cheltenham match ended better than it began. A score of 237 against us in the first innings did not promise well, and things looked still more gloomy when, on a wet wicket, our eleven only made 125. The second innings was an improvement, but, luckily for us, the rain stopped the game when Cheltenham only wanted 33 runs with seven wickets to fall.

THE game was played on Friday and Saturday, the 11th and 12th of July. Our victory last year, it will be remembered, put us one ahead of Cheltenham, and the score therefore remains as it did before.

THE match against the O.M.'s, on Friday and Saturday, July the 4th and 5th, likewise ended in a draw. We made 208 and 24 for two wickets against the 327 of the Old Marlburians. The eleven have so far amassed four draws this season.

THE building operations have gone on briskly during the last fortnight. The old chapel has rapidly become a wreck. Meanwhile the Upper School has been fitted up, and has been regularly used during the past week.

THE face of the Upper School has been completely altered. The seats of the chapel have been bodily

moved in; the altar has been accommodated at the south end; and a small organ has been erected near the north door. But for a few hangings, the walls and upper part of Upper School remain as they were, and a boarding has been erected along the east side.

THE iron building in court gave rise some time ago to an interesting episode. A dispute about the con. tract aroused the builders' wrath, and a party of 12 men started from London with intent to demolish the building. Two were forcibly ejected, and a state of siege was proclaimed; the gates were shut and watched, and guards paraded in the Masters' gardens, Ultimately the enemy submitted, and the iron building passed in safety the dangerous crisis.

THE Rifle Corps was easily beaten in their match against Clifton by 51 points, our eight scoring 375 points to our opponents' 426.

THE only festivities that survive the wreck of the arrangements for this year's prize day are a distribu. tion of prizes in the Bradleian in the afternoon of the day, and a supper for leaving fellows, prize winners and others, in the evening.

THE Second Eleven bat was won by A. G. Allen, with R. W. Ord and J. Chaine equal second. H. C. Bett was the winner of the Second Eleven ball, C. L. R. Petrie being second.

Two Old Marlburians have been kind enough to correct a mistake we made in our last number relative to the second largest score made by our eleven, B. H. M. Williams made 139 against Cheltenham in 1865, and H. R. Heatley made 137 (not out) against the same school in 1870. These were apparently the largest scores before the 171 of J. P. Cheales this year.

WE are requested to ask all Old Marlburians whom it may concern whether they have in their possession any of the cricket score-books of the following years :-April, 1850 to April, 1855, 1870, 1872, and any others of more recent date; if so, they are requested to send them to the captain of the eleven, in order to make the collection of score-books complete.

OUR representatives, J. J. Guest and P. E. Bucknall, at the Public School Competition in Gymnastics, did unexpectedly well; they secured the second and third places in the competition, Parker, of Wellington, being first. Nine schools competed this year, three more than in 1883.

WE draw attention to the circular and rules of the Marlborough Club, which have been sent to us for publication, and which will be found inserted in another column. We wish every success to the new club in the work which it has undertaken to perform.

WE beg to acknowledge, with thanks, the receipt of the following contemporaries :-Epsomian, Meteor (Rugby), Fettesian, Elizabethan (Westminster), Melburnian, Sydneian, Hora Scholastice (St. Paul's School), Our Magazine (North London Collegiate School), The Blue (Christ's Hospital), School Magazine (Uppingham), Cheltonian, Rossallian, Lorettonian, Haileyburian.

THE MARLBURIAN CLUB. We have received for publication the following circular from the secretary of the Marlburian Club: DEAR SIR, — At a Meeting of a few Old Marlburians in January last it was decided to establish a School Club, having for its object the keeping together of Old Marlburians, and generally furthering the interests and prosperity of the School - and which all Old Marlburians, as well as the past and present Members of the Common Room, should be at liberty to join.

For the purpose of carrying out the Scheme a Provisional Committee was formed, consisting of the following gentlemen, viz.:-The Rev. W. Almack, Mr. E. L. Bateman, Mr. J. A. Bourdillon, Mr. H. W. Bradford, Mr. E. H. Buckland, Mr. J. M. Chapman, Mr. A. LI. Davies, Mr. E. Hume, Mr. H. W. Lee, Mr. J. M. E. Lloyd, Mr. C. S. Medd, Mr. W. Morshead, Mr. E. C. Nepean, Mr. A. G. Steel, the Rev. J. S. Thomas, Mr. J. D. Vans-Agnew, and Mr. H. Vassall, with myself as Hon. Sec.; and Rules for the Club have been framed, a copy of which I enclose

you.

It had been felt by several Old Marlburians for some time that there were not sufficient opportunities for their meeting together, the Triennial Dinner and the Cricket and Football Clubs being the only means of their doing so-and it was hoped that a Club of this kind might effect that object.

It is not proposed to have any Club Rooms, indeed the subscription of 10s. 6d. a year, which is purposely fixed at that sum so that every one may join, would of course not permit it; but it is proposed that the Members of the Club should meet and dine together at their own expense once or twice a

year, as it is probably only on such occasions that the different generations of Old Marlburians have an opportunity of making one another's acquaintance.

The funds would be devoted partly to assisting in the support of the School institutions, and other objects in which Old Marlburians have an interest, and partly in rendering pecuniary assistance to any old Schoolfellows who may unfortunately be com pelled to ask it.

Any further information can be obtained by apply ing to me or to any one of the Provisional Committee. It may not be generally known that Westminster School has had such a Club in existence for 20 years which now numbers 360 Members. Merchant Taylors' School Club has been in existence not more than three years but it already numbers 215 members, and within the last month King's College School has started a similar Association, while there are possibly other School Clubs in existence as well.

I hope you also will consent to join the Club, in which case I shall be obliged by your filling up and returning to me the accompanying slip. Yours truly,

SAMUEL T. FISHER,

4, Park Prospect, Westminster, July 16th, 1884.

Hon. Sec.

power to devote such part of the funds of the Club as they may from time to time think fit to benevolent purposes.

7. The Committee shall hold meetings at least once a quarter to transact the business of the Club. Three Members shall form a quorum.

8. It shall be the duty of the Secretary to receive and pay all moneys on behalf of the Club, to prepare an annual account of the finances, which shall form part of the Report mentioned in Rule 20, and shall be audited by such Member of the Club not on the Committee as the Committee shall appoint. It shall also be the duty of the Secretary to make and keep proper Minutes of all proceedings of the Club, and of the Committee, and to send out all Notices required by these Rules.

9. In the case of a vacancy occurring in the Secretaryship, or among the Committee, any Member of the Club may be appointed by the Committee to fill up such vacancy till the next Annual General Meeting; and in case of the temporary absence of the Secretary the Committee may appoint one of its Members to perform his duties for the time.

10. Every candidate for election must be proposed by one Member of the Club and seconded by another; and the election of a candidate shall be subject to the condition of his paying his first year's subscription within two months after the date of his election, which payment shall be considered as distinctly implying his acceptance of the Rules of the Club.

11. Seven days notice of all Committee Meeting shall be sent to every Member of the Committee, and the names and addresses of the candidates for election (if any), together, with the names of their proposers and seconders, shall be included in such notice.

12. There shall be sent to every elected candidate, within seven days after his election, a notice thereof, together with a copy of these Rules, and a request for the payment of his subscription for the current year.

annum.

13. Each Member of the Club shall, from time to time, communicate his address to the Secretary, and all notices delivered or sent by post to such address shall be sufficient. 14. The subscription to the Club shall be 10s. 6d. per The current or financial year shall be taken to commence on every 1st of June, and terminate on every 31st May, and the subscriptions shall be payable on every 1st of June for the year commencing on that day. Members absent from the United Kingdom for more than six months in any current year shall not be liable for their subscriptions for that year, and no notices need be sent to such Members. Members elected after the 1st January shall not be liable for the subscription for the then current year.

15. Any Member may, on his election, or, if not in arrear, at any other time, compound for all future subscriptions by the payment of £3 3s.

16. If any Member shall not have paid his subscription by the 1st of May following the day on which it becomes due, the Secretary shall send him a written application for the same; and, if it be not thereupon paid, shall bring his name

before the next Committee Meeting; and the Committee shall (unless they see good reason to the contrary) erase the name of such Member from the Club, and cause a notice of the reason for that course to be sent to him. It shall, however, be competent to the Committee to restore his name upon a satisfactory explanation being given, and the subscription paid. The names of any Members so erased, and not subsequently restored, shall be announced at the next General Meeting.

17. All money belonging to the Club, and not invested,` shall be in the hands of the Secretary, who shall keep an account, in the name of the Club, at Messrs. Martin and Co.'s, at No. 68, Lombard Street. Investments shall be made at the discretion of the Committee, and shall stand in the names of three Members of the Club as Trustees.

18. The President or the Committee may, and upon the written requisition of any ten Members of the Club shall, summon a Special General Meeting as occasion may require, on sending to all members seven days notice thereof, specifying the Resolutions intended to be moved; and the business at such Meeting must be confined to such Resolutions.

19. At all General Meetings the Chair shall be taken by the President, or in his absence by a Chairman chosen for the occasion, and seven shall form a quorum. In the event of the votes of the Meeting being equally divided on any question, the President or Chairman shall be entitled to a casting vote, in addition to his own.

20. The Committee shall draw up and present to every Annual General Meeting a Report of the transactions, and of the general concerns of the Club for the past year; and such Report shall be printed, and a copy sent with each of the Notices summoning such Meeting.

21. Except in the year when the Old Marlburian Triennial Dinner takes place, an Annual Dinner of the Club, of which at least ten days notice shall be given to every Member, shall be held at such time and place as may be fixed by the Committee. Occasional Dinners may also be held from time to time at the discretion of the Committee. such dinners of the Club any "Old Marlburian," who is not a Member, may be invited to dine as a guest.

At any

22. If the conduct of any Member shall, in the opinion of the Committee, be injurious to the Club, the Committee shall recommend such Member to resign, and, if the Member so recommended do not resign within one month from the date of such recommendation, he shall be liable to expulsion by the Committee, who shall be specially summoned for the purpose of considering the circumstances. Two-thirds of those present must concur in any resolution to that effect, and such resolution shall be subject to an appeal at the next General Meeting. Any Member who shall cease to belong to the Club shall have no claim upon, nor be entitled to participate in, any of the effects or property belonging to the Club.

23. These Rules may be altered at any General Meeting by resolution, of which Notice shall be given, as provided by Rule 18.