Journal of a Westminster School Boy

. Wood showed me the Epilogue and we with some difficulty made out some of the more abstruse jokes. Some of the Epilogue is very good though some of the jokes are very ‘small beer’. ‘D─üvus sum non Davis’ is understandable only to a very small portion of the audience. H. J. Davis was a very nice Home-boarderite and when we were in Fox’s together I liked him very much. Then he got into College, was taken up by people who should have known better, spoilt, became too big for his shoes and conceited absurdly about his not first-class boxing and left without taking his election to spend his money on fancy waistcoats and cr├¬pe de Chine ties chosen with not remarkably good taste!

I am sorry to hear this morning that the Archbishop [of Canterbury] is unable to come [to the Latin Play] this year owning to illness. I am beginning to realise how arduous the Captain’s business is this time of year, Wood was answering and opening some of the letters up Library this morning. This sort of thing ‘Mr So-and-So presents his compliments to the Captain and King’s Scholars of Westminster School and would like two gentlemen’s and two ladies’ tickets for the third night’. People don’t seem to realize how difficult it is to get ladies tickets and are annoyed in consequence if they don’t get them. What are you to do to this sort of thing ‘Dear Sir, thirty-four years ago I acted Pamphilus in the Play, I have never asked you for a ladies’ ticket from that day until now when I should be so much obliged if you would send me one etc.’ It seems so brutal to refuse.

Lord Macnaughton and Mr Justice Bigham and Parker have accepted for the play, the Marquis of Aylesbury has refused it; such is the Play news this morning. We racked our brains over newspapers this morning. I gather all the big newspapers and journals are asked except Vanity Fair and Truth. We decided to ask the ‘Figaro’ and the ‘Matin’ and so have a French account!

Low and Barrington-Ward went up to Oxford today and I am afraid that I can’t honestly say I wish them success except as my personal friends. I consider it would be most undesirable precedent for the Captain of the School not to go to the House [i.e. Christ Church College].

Ward and myself attacked John Sargeaunt on the subject of the Old Lecture Room, whether it couldn’t be turned into a museum; he said (as I knew he would) that he would talk to Gow.