occupied in devising expedients how to avert this dreadful denunciation,
which was to deprive us of our usual holidays. At length it was declared
that all expedients were in vain; and that, unless some one would
undertake to bear the brunt, and sacrifice himself for the _common good_,
they must all submit to be incarcerated within the walls of the school the
whole half-year, without any recreation whatever. One of the largest boys
said, if any one would volunteer to do this, the others would not only,
with gratitude, subscribe the sum required to pay for mending the window,
but would also subscribe a handsome sum, as a reward for him who would
undertake to receive the punishment.
After this speech, silence reigned around for a time; but all eyes were
soon fixed upon me, with a sort of anxious supplicating hope. I stepped
forward with a determined air. I was hailed with a general cheer, and I
soon realized their hopes, by boldly saying, that I would take the
flogging, although it must and would no doubt be a very severe one;
provided that they would subscribe to pay for mending the window, but that
I scorned to receive any thing more for myself than the reward of their
good opinion, and the consciousness of having made a generous sacrifice of
myself, in order to relieve the whole of my school fellows from a dilemma
which was in no other way to be overcome. I was cheered and caressed, and
was led back to the school, a sort of willing captive, and surrendered up
to the vengeance of the master, as the culprit who had been guilty of a
crime very little short of, and bordering upon, sacrilege. Two or three of
the boys came forward, and stated that they had been eye witnesses of the
transaction, and had seen me break the window, by throwing repeatedly at
it with a hatful of stones. Although Griffith knew this to be a falsehood,
as it was ascertained that it was done at one smash, by all the boys, yet,
he received the communication with a savage delight; and, having put on
one of his usual _smiles, a "ghastly grin_," he ordered me to prepare for
the punishment due to my temerity. The very boy who had proposed the
measure was selected to take me on his back, to hold me while I received
the flogging, which was inflicted with such savage cruelty, and extended
to such a length of time, that with some difficulty I was, by being led
into the air, prevented from fainting. Now the result! after coming out of
the school I was, I own, extolled by some, and caressed by others; but
many laughed at my folly behind my back, some even taunted me at times
with having broken the church windows; but, from first to last, they never
subscribed _one penny_ towards paying for the window, and I was left to do
it myself, which was accomplished by my week's allowance being stopped for
the whole half-year, and the remainder was placed to my account, and sent
home to my father, in the following item--"for breaking church windows 4s.
6d." And, to this very day, I bear the character in the town of Andover of
being the person who, when a boy at school, broke the church windows.
This act of ingratitude was enough to have broken the public spirit of
almost any one but myself. I have, from that day to this, been in the
constant habit of making personal and pecuniary sacrifices for the _common
good_; but human nature, as taken in the mass, was faithfully imaged, even
in a school; and I can safely say, that the only reward which I have ever
received, from that day to this, for all my public services, devotion, and
sacrifices, consists in the substantial reflection that I have never had
any selfish, sinister motives, but that I have always been actuated by the
most disinterested philanthropy, and inflexible love of country. How many
good men have I seen even in my own time, stand forward the zealous
advocates of the people's rights, who have flitted upon the public stage
but a very short period, and we have heard no more of them! what is the
cause of this dereliction? The inference generally is, that all mankind
are alike; none are to be trusted. But the fact is this, many really
disinterested, truly patriotic men have been driven from off the field by
the infamous slanders of the corrupt daily press. Many of them were men
who would have faced a cannon's mouth, or would have suffered the most
horrid punishment, even the torture, rather than have deserted the public
cause; but they were incapable of bearing up against the malignant
slanders, base assertions, and foul attacks of the public press.
There are also many who have come before the public with very patriotic
feelings, and who have at the same time calculated upon receiving a public
reward; at any rate, they have expected to be saved harmless in their
pockets; that the expence of any public exertion would at least be repaid
by those who surrounded them, and who cheered and applauded their every
exertion.--But, no! so sure as a man entertains any notion or expectation
of this sort, so sure is he to meet with cruel disappointment, the very
first time he places himself in a situation to try the experiment. Thus,
otherwise a very good man, he feels at once disgusted with public
ingratitude, and not having calculated upon such conduct, and not perhaps
ever having tried the experiment, _as I did_ while at school, he retires
with scorn and indignation from public life, or he turns over to some new
faction in place or power, who have both the means and inclination to
reward him for his apostacy.
To proceed with the narrative, Griffith did every thing he could to
prevent my getting on in my studies; but I always contrived to say my
lesson, even to him, so as to escape punishment; and, out of all the
floggings I got at this school, I was never once punished for not learning
my task. Indeed, when I had to say my lesson to Mr. Stevens, I did it with
ease, and frequently left off at the head of the class, having worked my
way up during _his_ examination. In fact, when I said my lesson to Mr.
Stevens, I _generally_ left off at the head or top of the class; but when
I said it to Griffith, I was sure _always_ to finish at the _bottom_.
After having endured this sort of discipline nearly two years and a half,
Griffith, one evening, came into the school, after having had _bad sport
in shooting_, as if to wreak that vengeance upon the boys which the
partridges had escaped. He walked up the school, throwing his eyes to the
right and to the left, to seek for some proper objects; at length he fixed
upon a boy of the name of Ludlow, and, having ordered him to prepare for a
flogging, Ludlow expostulated, and demanded to know what he had done to
justify the punishment? Griffith hesitated, and assigned some trifling
reason, frivolous even had it not been unfounded; but he persisted, and
gave Ludlow the flogging. As usual he called me up, and upon his ordering
me to prepare, I followed the example of Ludlow, and demanded the reason;
he gave me a box on the ear, and told me he would inform me after I had
received the flogging. When he had given me this chastisement, as usual
very severely, he said, "Now, sir, this is for what you did yesterday, and
I will flog you to-morrow for what you did the day before," (mentioning at
the same time some trivial circumstance,) "unless you should do something
in the meanwhile to deserve it." Thus he taught me to look forward to a
flogging every day for five or six days to come! This was a little too
bad; to live in anticipation, nay of a certainty, of being flogged every
day for the next week; and I consequently determined to embrace the first
opportunity of taking French leave. I communicated my intention to Ludlow,
who slept in the same room, and he, feeling indignant at the injustice
done him, determined to accompany me.
The next day, being a half holiday, I was to be confined at home to learn
some lines, instead of going out to walk with the rest of the boys; and
Ludlow having agreed to sham illness in the morning, we hoped that we
should by that means be left at home together by ourselves, and if a fair
opportunity offered, we resolved that we would be off. Every thing turned
out as we had anticipated. Ludlow was very ill, and Mrs. Griffith, who was
a very humane, kind-hearted woman, made him lie in bed, where he was
nursed with tea and toast, and other nice things that were necessary for a
sick person. About three o'clock all the other boys went out with the
usher, to take their after noon's walk. I was left at home, and ordered to
remain in the school, to learn a very hard task out of some book, or to
take a flogging in the morning. I went immediately up stairs to inform my
companion that the coast was clear; he jumped out of bed, and put on his
cloaths, and in a few minutes we walked down stairs, out of the back door,
across the church yard; and in less than a quarter of an hour we were on
our road to Weyhill, leaving Mrs. Griffith to take her patient's physic
herself, and any one that chose, to learn the lines that the Parson had
set me.
As we passed along we saw our master and his friend shooting in a field
adjoining the road. We began to quake for fear, but he was too busily
engaged with his sport to notice us; and, creeping along under the hedge,
we passed on unnoticed. Ludlow's parents lived at Devizes, a distance of
twenty-seven miles from Andover; Enford, the residence of my father, was a
little more than fifteen miles on the same road. We lost no time, and,
having kept on a good pace, we arrived at Enford soon after six o'clock.
This was some time in October, and it was quite dark before we got within
sight of the house. We had agreed that Ludlow should sleep with me, and
proceed on to his own house the next morning. When we reached the door my
heart began to sink within me, and I was actually afraid to enter; for now
I began to dread the anger of my father, which was much more terrible to
me than the tyranny of Griffith. At length one of the servants, James
Jukes, came by, and I begged him to go in and inform my father of my being
come home. He told me that my father was from home, but he hastened in,
for the purpose of informing my mother. This, however, was not necessary,
for we followed him, and stood before my mother, who gave a shriek of
astonishment. We told her the story, but she instantly dispatched the
servant for my father, who was gone to visit a neighbour. Ludlow was very
brave upon this occasion. Before my father arrived, my mother had given us
a supper of Apple pie; and, as we were very tired, and as I wished to
avoid the presence of my father as long as I could, we requested to go to
bed; but my mother would not admit of this till he was come home.
At length, the well known knock at the door announced his approach--I
never before felt such a sensation of fear as I did at this moment. He
came in, and having sternly surveyed us, after a short pause, he said,
"Pray gentlemen, what wind brought you here?" I was speechless; but Ludlow
boldly replied, "the severity of our Master, Sir." "Well," he rejoined,
"and my severity shall flog you back again to-morrow," upon which we were
immediately packed off to bed, which my Mother had taken care to provide
for us.
As soon as we were alone in the bed room, Ludlow began to complain of the
injustice of my Father; adding, that he had no right to take him back,
that he might do what he pleased as to his son, but he should not take
_him_ back. I told him this was very brave talking, but that he knew
nothing of my Father if he expected to escape, either by blustering or
reasoning. If, however, he was determined to proceed home, I would do any
thing in my power to get him out of the house very early in the
morning.--This was at once agreed upon, to be attempted at all events. We
lay awake till day break, when he got up. Having put on his cloaths, we
crept down stairs very quietly, and I unlocked the door, and having shaken
him by the hand, and wished him better success than I was likely to meet
with, he departed for Devizes. I returned to bed, and being called up in
the morning, my Father, when he entered the breakfast room, demanded why
Ludlow did not get up. I told him the truth, that he had been gone for
four hours, and must by that time have reached his own home. My Father
made no reply, but with a very stern look he left the room, as I
afterwards understood from my Mother, to attend a court-leet at Updavon,
where he had engaged to meet his friend and landlord Mr. Wyndham. He
informed that gentlemen of the circumstance of my having run away from
school, and added, that he intended to take me back early in the morning,
a step in the propriety of which Mr. Wyndham heartily concurred--However,
in the course of the day, a messenger came with a letter from Griffith to
my Father, which was delivered to him in the presence of his landlord. The
letter was couched in the most coarse and unfeeling language; he charged
my Father with being the author and instigator of all my faults, and
accused him of having not only encouraged me in disobeying his orders, but
also of conniving at my running away from the school.--This was a most
fortunate circumstance for me, and the only thing that could have saved me
from being taken back again. Mr. Wyndham told my Father that nothing on
earth ought to prevail upon him to place his son again under the care of
such a monster; and they now both became just as determinedly hostile to
my return as they had previously been agreed that I ought to go back.
In the course of a few days, my Father rode over to Andover, and sent for
Griffith down to the Star Inn, to pay him his bill. Having expostulated
with him upon his conduct to me, and his still more unfeeling conduct if
possible to himself; Griffith chose to bluster and bully, upon which my
father coolly turned him out of the room, telling him that his gown alone
saved him from the chastisement that he merited; a privilege which the
parson did not choose to waive. He, therefore sneaked off, in order to
save himself from being either kicked or horse-whipped. Ludlow was taken
back to the School by his Father, and having subsequently formed
connections, he got into business, and has lived in the own of Andover
ever since. Within two years of this time Griffith's school dwindled down
to nothing, and soon afterwards, execrated by every boy that had ever been
under his care, he returned to Wales, from whence he came.
In detailing these occurrences of my boyhood, I have been thus particular
for two purposes; first, to shew the reader the tyranny I had to encounter
before I was yet thirteen years of age, and the effect it produced upon my
mind, as well as the determined manner in which I resisted oppression,
even at that time; and, secondly, with the hope that it will be a warning
to all those who may read these memoirs, to avoid sending their children
to be flogged out of every good quality, and rendered miserable, without
the least chance of improvement, by one of these petty tyrants. The
greatest care and circumspection should be exercised by parents, for they
have a sacred duty to perform, in the selection of those with whom they
intrust the care and education of their children. As to this school, it
was a stain upon and a disgrace to the character of English education: in
Scotland such a school would not have existed a month, and the master
would have been indicted.
I was next placed under the care of the Rev. James Evans, who kept a very
respectable school in Castle Street, at Salisbury. This gentleman was also
a Welshman; and, as I had taken a great antipathy to Reverend Welshmen, I
felt rather uncomfortable when I ascertained that he came from the land of
goats. My fears, however, were groundless; he was a gentleman in every
respect the reverse of him of whom I have so recently spoken. To be sure
he was pedantic enough, having been all his life a school-master; but he
was a humane, kind-hearted man, and his strictness was assumed, for the
purpose of maintaining by discipline a due subordination in the school.
His lady, Mrs. Evans, was also a combination of good qualities, and I
believe there never was a more happy couple. She delighted to make every
body happy about her. As for myself, the good disposition that I took with
me to Andover, was in a great measure flogged out of me there; I was
become impatient of controul, and had imbibed an ungovernable spirit,
which led me into difficulties and disappointments, that I should
otherwise have avoided. I have often lamented the trouble that I gave this
worthy man, as well as his lady, and many years back thought it my duty to
take an occasion of expressing the sorrow I felt for any uneasiness that I
had caused them during my stay there.
The life which I led here was a life, of pleasure compared to that which I
led at the place I had quitted, and although it was impossible for me to
recover that which I lost at Andover, either in disposition or in
learning, yet I acquired ten times more real knowledge of books in one
year at this school, under Mr. Evans, than I did at Andover in the two
years and a half that I existed there. I remained nearly three years at
Salisbury, at the end of which time I was become a pretty good latin
scholar, and could construe Virgil and Horace with considerable ease to
myself. I was an excellent penman, and a pretty good mathematician, as
well as a complete master of mensuration. I had for many years been a
pupil of the celebrated Mr. Goodall, and as I was acknowledged by him to
have arrived at a great degree of perfection in elegantly "tripping it on
the light fantastic toe," he frequently took me to exhibit at his balls,
both in Salisbury and other places. I was, in good truth, excessively fond
of dancing, and I was not a little proud, at one of the race balls, to be
selected by Mr. Goodall, who was master of the ceremonies, to stand one of
the first three couple with the Prince of Wales, (my partner Miss S.
Mahon) to enable his royal Highness to accomplish the figure of _Maney
Musk_, for the first time introduced at Salisbury, by his Royal Highness.
I will relate only one particular occurrence which I had to encounter at
this school, and which, but for a mere accident, would have fixed upon my
character an indelible stain; and I am especially induced to notice it by
the circumstance of its having been grossly misrepresented by the venal
part of the public press. I believe it appeared either in one or both of
those sinks of corruption, those stews of falsehood, those unblushing
vehicles of calumny and lies, the Morning Post and the Courier, viz.
"_that Hunt, when a boy, was turned out of a school for robbing one of his
schoolfellows_." Although I believe there is not one disinterested
intelligent person in a thousand, who reads those papers, that ever gives
the least credit to any of those atrocious falsehoods with which their
columns are constantly filled, yet the baseness and cowardice of their
intentions are not the less disgraceful on that account. To proceed, my
bedfellow, whose name was Scott, when he arose one morning, discovered
that, during the night, his Breeches had been removed from under his
pillow, and his purse, which contained a guinea and two or three
shillings, had been taken out of the pocket, ransacked of its contents,
and then replaced under the pillow. Scott missed the money as he was
getting up, and, having mentioned the thing, all the boys collected round
him to hear his account of the story. There were also some boys who came
out of another room up stairs, and amongst them a boy of the name of Best,
who, after having heard what Scott had to say, at once declared that it
was impossible for any one but the boy who had slept with him in the same
bed to have stolen the money. I instantly fired up, and endeavoured to
knock down the scoundrel, who had by implication charged me with the
theft. A battle ensued, in which Best got the worst of it, and amongst
other things a black eye; which being perceived by Mr. Evans, when we got
into the school, I was punished with an imposition for having given it to
him; notwithstanding I informed the master that it arose in consequence of
his having falsely charged me with a theft. Upon this an investigation
took place. Scott proved that he had the money when he went to bed; I also
spoke to the knowledge of that fact; all which Best urged as a presumptive
proof of my guilt. Appearances were against me, and my having so suddenly
attacked Best for the insinuation, rather increased than diminished those
appearances.
After breakfast Mr. Evans called me into his parlour, where there was no
one but himself and Mrs. Evans, and addressed me in a very solemn manner,
trusting, he said, that I would instantly confess to him that _I had
played some trick with the money_, and restore it to him; in which case,
he would endeavour to hush the matter up as well as he could. I stood
gasping with astonishment, without being able to give an immediate answer;
not before believing that he had any suspicion of me. He proceeded as
follows, "it is no use for you to deny it, Master Hunt, as I know those
who will prove that they saw you take the money." My surprise was now
turned to indignation. I protested vehemently against the truth of his
assertion, and dared him to the proof. I denied, in the most solemn
manner, that I knew any thing of the money, and demanded, with more than
common earnestness, that he would bring forth my accusers, that I might
meet them face to face.
Mrs. Evans now came forward, and earnestly entreated her husband, in
common justice, if there was any person who had seen me, or if he had any
proof that I took the money, or knew any thing of it, that he would bring
them forward; and, if he had not, that he would at least, admit that he
had no ground for saying what he had said. Mr. Evans felt the force of her
observation, and seeing that I denied the fact so unequivocally, he said
that he had no proof of the fact, that he had gone too far, that as
circumstances appeared strong against me at first, and it appeared that I
was embarrassed, he thought it best to charge me boldly with it, to induce
me to confess at once. Mrs. Evans, who was a good creature, and a sincere
lover of justice, possessing too a great deal of discrimination, inveighed
in very strong terms against charging a boy with theft, and casting
aspersions upon his character, without any foundation or proof whatever.
She added, that I had been at the school nearly three[5] years, without
ever having created any suspicion of my honesty, or without doing the
slightest act upon which they could ground such a charge:--that she had
frequently trusted me with money to execute errands and commissions for
her, that I had always done it with the strictest regularity, and the most
scrupulous regard to honesty; and, raising her voice, she said she would
herself be bound for my innocence upon this occasion; adding, with great
warmth, there was not an honester lad in the school, and that some of
those who threw out dark hints of suspicion against Master Hunt, were much
more likely, from their general character, to have robbed Scott than he
was.
In consequence of this tone being taken by my kind friend, whose memory I
have always held, and ever shall hold, in the highest veneration, Mr.
Evans slightly apologized for having asserted that he had proof of my
guilt; saying in excuse that it was his duty to do every thing in his
power to unravel the mystery. "You may go Master Hunt," said Mrs. Evans;
and in the kindest possible manner she endeavoured to console me for the
injustice I had suffered, by telling me that the thief would certainly be
found out, and then those that had accused me would be ashamed of
themselves.
As I walked out of the parlour up the play ground, many of my school
fellows approached, to know the result of such a long conference--"Well,
Hunt, is there any thing made out likely to clear up this affair?" all of
them anxious to see me fairly acquitted of the charge. I exclaimed in a
loud voice, "what a d----d liar that _Taffy Evans_ is--He first declared
that some one had seen me take the money, and afterwards confessed it was
no such thing." Mr. Evans, who had followed me out of the parlour, and
had, unperceived by me, walked up his garden, which was only separated
from the play ground by some pales and a slight low yew hedge, heard this
as plain as any of the boys, In a very emphatic tone, and close to my
elbow, he, to my utter confusion, said, "really Master Hunt! Pray, sir, go
to your room, and we will settle that account as soon as we go into
school," which was in a few minutes after.