Friday November 27th

I was too disgustingly slack to write any more last night and not much seems to have happened today. I am much delighted with Augustine Birrell as a writer (not as a Cabinet Minister!!). He has a most quaint and pleasing way of putting things. Such remarks as this, when he was talking about the how Pope polished his work ‘unlike’ he says I quote from memory ‘authors of the present day who are continually emptying the slops of their minds over people’s heads without so much as a ‘heads below’!!

Barrington-Ward tells me that the German, Chinese and Austrian Ambassadors (and The Speaker) regret that they are unable to come to the Play (perhaps, thinking of the Epilogue, the former is as well!). Lord Crewe hopes to be able to come and the Italian Ambassador is delighted, ‘may he bring a friend Mr Somebody, who like himself is deeply interested in Literary history and in your historic play?’ Sir John Fisher is also coming besides other Knights and Baronets. I suggested Lord Lansdowne might come if he were asked, as his Father and Grandfather were at Westminster, Ward said he would send him a special invitation as ex-ministers are not asked officially…

It was a most unfortunate toss for Hobson on Monday about taking Prep because there was a play rehearsal this evening and Father didn’t come down until about 5 minutes to nine! I sitting snug in Inner all the time. I wrote 7 postcards and two letters this evening, one to ÔÇ£The AdmiralÔÇØ asking him to the play and one to one Jesson, a son of Thomas Jesson who was up Grants 1823-8. This is but a poor comparison to B-Ward who had 64 letters this morning.

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Thursday November 26th

I have been somewhat distraught all day at having lost the notes I took in John Sargeaunt’s last Friday before I had copied them in. I suppose that they will turn up some time. I am somewhat comforted by hearing that College and Ashburnham are well ahead of me in tannings; the former having had 24 (!) and the latter 13 or 14.

I basely deserted Deb Soc this evening for the first time this term and went up to Sandows, but only to arrange for a lesson and went on to Carlos Place and I saw Cousin Evelyn who is staying there. Got back just in time for tea and took Prep, writing up the Grantite [Review] during it.

We had great amusement tonight I was filling in the house ledger and went around asking Chiswickites their claims to fame.

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Wednesday November 25th

Had breakfast with the family this morning.

The little Rawson (Baby Rawson) returned to School yesterday after a fortnight’s sojourn on an ‘astral plane’. He has been away for what Mrs Rawson writes ‘may best be described as confirmation’ but I do not gather that there is any ceremony, only meditation! I resisted the obvious question ‘Are you better?’

There was a masters’ rehearsal of the second half of the Play last night, but I gather it was not very good, very rough, Barrington-Ward tells me however that afterwards they took it in hand and rehearsed it again until midnight and got it much better. Ward is much annoyed with old Gow ‘whenever’ as he says ‘I make a dramatic pause, Old Gow says ÔÇ£get along ne quidem etc etcÔÇØ’!!!!

Talking of ‘Gowisms’ Low tells me that at Commem Gow said to Nichols ‘What are you doing now?’

‘I-I-I am wr-wr-wr-iting p-p-p-oetry’ says Nichols.

‘Oh! Are yer, what are yer doing for yer living?’ Poor, poor Poet — what a shock!!…

At last I have got the Father up to be photographed, we went to Jacolette’s this afternoon. Father was ‘took’ first in various unnatural attitudes, at least they looked so, intense woe depicted on his face! I followed and my handsome physiognomy (why did I try such a word!) was portrayed to what the man considered the best advantages. the result I expect will be a supercilious and haughty, not to say sill and conceited look on my pale and haggard countenance. However ‘time alone’ will show the results. At any rate I can give them away to my unfortunate friends. A photograph of Chappie I was given on Sunday is, I think, very good except they ought to have made him shut his mouth.

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Tuesday November 24th

The House has been unwontedly quiet and good the last two days owing to the absence of both Graham (who has been away some time) and Whitmore. Whitmore seems to have taken to his bed with a high temperature and sore throat.

This afternoon walked up with Father to Webb-Miles and chose a new tweed suit which I think will be rather nice.

We had rather a good reading of Richard II, Reed, the master, came up and took Bolingbroke (whom by-the-bye John Sargeaunt calls Bullingbroke), I was Richard, Low: John of Gaunt, and of the others Ham was good as the Duke of York and perhaps Mellor as the Queen. I always get so sat upon, I hardly venture now to say that Richard II is one of my favourite plays. I am quite aware of its imperfections, the horrid trick of rhymed couplets and the crudeness of some of the work, but the character of Richard appeals to me and his speeches especially towards the end are magnificent. I don’t know why but the play fascinates me. I know many parts of it almost by heart and most of Richard’s speeches I have learnt for pleasure.

Everybody was in their Dormitories, I am glad to say, when I went round at 9.25

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Monday November 23rd

. We had a ‘Play’ today which was pleasant and unexpected. This afternoon Low and myself started off for a lengthy perambulation. Starting by going over Westminster Bridge we went in search of the book-barrows of which we had both heard, we found them but they did not come up to our expectations.

From there we crossed Waterloo Bridge. I had to pause a minute. I am always getting new surprises of the beauty of London but even I, I don’t think, have seen Westminster with its towers looking more beautiful than it did this afternoon at 3.30 from Waterloo Bridge with a sort of orange-red haze handing over it and the sun reflected on the river where on barge was slowly wending its way, with the figure of the man straining at his oar sharply outline against the golden-brown of the sun on the water.

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Saturday November 21st

I read my paper before the Natural History Society this afternoon. It came out rather shorter than I had intended but I think people seemed interested although my little jokes were appreciated only in the moderate way most lecturers pleasantries are accepted!…

We had what I may almost call our usual tea party after the match this week in Ashburnham. I started conversation on a most dangerous subject, the actual date of Ashburnham House, thence of course we got onto Lord John Thynne and his enormities. ‘Why does John Sargeaunt so dislike him?’ asks Troutbeck. I said that he hated the school and all to do with it. ‘He was the type of Canon’ adds Barrington-Ward cheerfully, ‘of which [I saw it coming, I knew it, buy was too paralyzed to avert it] the present Sub-Dean is now the only survivor isn’t he?’ turning to me. Pleasant for me, sitting next to Troutbeck, his great nephew! I hastily murmured something and steered into safer waters but I don’t think anyone else noticed the slight fauxpas!…

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Friday November 20th

Yet another execution, it is really getting fearful. I who wished to rule my house kindly have been forced into having more executions in one term than I ever contemplated. Tonight makes the tenth this term and I am only comforted by hearing that College has had about 17(!) and Ashburnham about the same as myself.

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Thursday November 19th

Perhaps one of the greatest privileges which my position in the School has brought me is the necessarily close connection and I am proud to say, friendship of Barrington-Ward and Low. I am quite sure that in many ways Barrington-Ward things of us as the 3 top people in the School, ‘three school dignitaries’ as he once termed us. Rigaud’s are nowhere. Indeed I do not remember any house more ignored, in the sense that no one seems to know or care much about it, than it is this term. Partly I think because Clarke, the Head of the House, is dull, very dull.

Another thing that pleases me is that by tacit consent I am always consulted on any point in School history which arises. As far as I can make out my article in the Globe is to be the Leader in the next Elizabethan.

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Wednesday November 18th

I have been cursing and swearing tonight owing to having to have 3 executions, Hobson, Mason and Radford, who were out of their places when Hobson F. came in to take Prep. I tried to get them off by thinking out every way of letting them off, but they only had such utterly feeble excuses as, they didn’t know the quarter had gone, somebody had said it was only 10 past etc, which were really too thin. I felt I should not be justified in letting them off and it might set a most undesirable precedent so determined to convict on the same grounds as the Judge and the Sheep stealer: ‘I condemn you to death not for stealing sheep but that sheep may not be stolen’.

I executed Hobson and Mason but not very hard, Hobson however rather smote Radford.

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