THE JUNIOR IN CHAMBERS.
Choosing Chambers—Furniture of Chambers—Junior’s
Duties—Toy-time—Mess—Sound Sleepers—Sitting up—The
Scheme—Toefitying—Spree Mess—Theatricals.
In the centre quadrangle (_vide_ Plan) are situated the seven Chambers
in which the College boys sleep. They are on the ground-floor, and are
called, after their respective numbers, “First,” “Second,” “Third,” &c.
The number of beds varied in each, the largest (Seventh, which used to
be the school before the present was built, about two centuries ago)
containing thirteen, the smallest (Fifth) eight.
I will suppose our Fag to have been located in Fourth, and, for the
benefit of the uninitiated reader, I will endeavour to sketch this
somewhat remarkable apartment. There are nine beds made of massive
timber, coeval with the College, with a solid wooden canopy and
sides, extending a quarter of the way down the bed. This canopy was
generally papered inside with coloured prints, and wherein was fixed a
“Reading-shelf” for books, and candlestick. The beds were comfortable,
and I have never enjoyed sleep more than I have in those quaint old
receptacles. By the side of each was a chest of about three feet long,
in which clothes were kept, and it also served as a seat whereon to
sit at “Toys.” This was a kind of bureau, the upper part of which was
fitted with shelves for books, where might be found also tea and other
groceries, crockery, and odds and ends innumerable; the lower part opened
and formed a desk. If a search was to be made under our Junior’s bed,
one would have found two candle-boxes, one for rushlights, and the other
for “Tollys,” as the moulded article was generally named, three or
four tin coffee-pots, two large tin boilers for water, (called “Toe-pan
boilers,”) a large earthenware bath, (the “Toe-pan,”) a huge jug of
beer, (the “Nipperkin,”) and lots of candlesticks. Behind the door was
a pile of faggots; in the centre of the room was fixed a strong wooden
“post” or pillar, and alongside of it a form, on which were placed three
or four “Washing-drawers,” (_i.e._, oaken dressing-cases.) Opposite the
window yawned the great fireplace, with its dogs, on which rested the
faggots and bars for the reception of the array of boilers. Above it was
a rushlight, (fixed in a circular iron pan fastened to a staple in the
wall; it was called “The Functior;”) and on each side of it a strong
four-legged table, (or “Washing-stool,”) at which sat the two Præfects.
Around the walls above the beds were inserted, on slabs of slate or
stone, the names of former heroes who had passed safely through the
trials of a College Junior, and there many a boy could see the names of
his ancestors looking down on him, and silently bidding him be of good
heart.
When viewed in the daytime, and devoid of its occupants, the _tout
ensemble_ is somewhat dreary; but when the boys are there, and the fire
blazing, a great change comes over the scene, and whether prejudice or
what, I will not pretend to say; but I can call to mind no scene so cosy
and cheerful, especially when, having turned into bed after a hard day’s
work, I used drowsily to watch the darting flames till I gradually sunk
into dreams of quiet home, or of a paradise of everlasting cricket and
football, where there was no “Watching out” or “Kicking in.”
Chambers were chosen at the beginning of each half year by the Præfects,
in order—the Præfect of hall always being, in Sixth, _ex officio_. Every
chamber had two Præfects, and to four three were allotted. There was also
a Candlekeeper to each chamber, who made their selection in rotation;
the other boys were chosen by the Præfects. Each of the Præfects and the
Candlekeepers had a Fag for his “Valet,” whose duty it was to prepare
his tea or coffee in the evening, get him water of a morning, carry his
washing things and books through to school after morning Chapel, and back
again in the evening. The second Junior in Chamber had the charge of the
crockery, and was bound to produce a pint-cup at any period of the day if
one was demanded by a Præfect.
The Junior in Chamber had a hard time of it; for, in addition to being
the Candlekeeper’s Valet, he had to get up in the morning when “Rat
Williams” came and rattled at the door, call the other boys, light the
fire, clean candlesticks, get in his Master’s water, clean his basin when
it so required, (a tedious and disagreeable process, done by rubbing
it with earth picked up from between the flints of Quad,) and wash
himself,—this last was not a luxurious occupation at six o’clock on a
cold winter’s morning, inasmuch as he had to go out in the dark, rain,
snow, or frost, and perform his ablutions in the open air at “Conduit,”
which was the name given to half a dozen brass cocks fixed in the west
wall of Chamber Quad, and the water in which not seldom required thawing
with fire before it could be persuaded to flow. While endeavouring to
get through his multifarious duties, he had to keep a sharp ear on the
performance of the Chapel bell, and to call out accordingly, “First
peal!” “Second peal!” and “Bells down!” Then the advent of the Head
or Second Master had to be duly announced by shouting, “Willerly or
Ridsworth going in,” as the case might be; and lastly, when they had gone
in, to give the final call, “Willerly or Ridsworth in.” Then there was
a rush into Chapel, where names were called, and all too late to answer
“Sum” got an imposition of thirty lines. Before going into Chapel, the
Doctor used generally to walk up and down “Sands,” (_i.e._, the flags
on the south side of Quad, under the Chapel windows;) this was to give
an opportunity to those who wished to “go Continent,” (_i.e._, go to
hospital,) to send for permission, and, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, to the
Prefect of hall to ask for a “Remedy.”
[Illustration: THE OLD CONDUIT—WASHING IN COURT.]
After Chapel, all the boys (the Valets laden with their Masters’ goods
and chattels) left Chambers for school quad. After this, till about
half-past six P.M., Chambers remained deserted. From seven till eight
P.M., the boys had to sit at their toys, to learn their lessons, and do
their “Vulguses;” quiet was kept, and sometimes one of the Masters looked
round. During this period of “Toy-time,” as it was called, the Præfects
sat at their washing-stools on each side of the fire; and when from time
to time a fresh faggot was put on, and the warmth became oppressive, a
Junior was sometimes summoned to stand between their majesties and the
blaze. The living screen was obliged to keep continually revolving, and
to pull out his trousers from the more fully developed parts of his
person, or he ran a risk of being scorched. Fortunately the fierceness of
the blaze soon subsided, when the screen was permitted to withdraw.
Toy-time over, the Valets set to work to make their Masters’ coffee or
tea, (“Mess.”) We used to make the former very good, our plan being
to let it simmer for a long time, but on no account to boil over. In
Belgium and France, however, where it is still better, I find they never
boil the coffee, but simply pour scalding water over it.
In summer, the Præfects’ washing-stools were often set out in Quad, under
the shadow of the Chapel buttresses, and the repast would consist of
“Made beer,” (College swipes bottled with rice, a few raisins, sugar, and
nutmeg to make it “up,”) bread, cheese, salad, lobsters, &c.
The Juniors got their tea (“Sus”) anyhow,—generally in bed,—and swigged
it out of a pint-cup; and how delicious it was! Not unfrequently it was
accompanied by a “Thoker,”—_i.e._, the evening ration of bread soaked
slightly in water, and then put down to bake near the hot ashes.
Evening Chapel took place at nine, immediately after which the Inferiors
had to go to bed; the Præfects were allowed to sit up till ten. How sweet
was sleep in those days, and so sound, that on one occasion, when called
in the morning, I found myself unable to move; on struggling to rise,
I got the point of a stick in my eye, and gradually became aware that
all the faggots in chamber had been piled on the bed during my slumber,
without disturbing me in the least. On another occasion, (in which I was
an active instead of a passive agent,) we corded up a boy, mattress,
bedclothes, and all, so tight that he could not stir, (during which
operation he slept soundly,) and was finally cut out by the bedmaker
after Chapel. Again; one night I was sitting up in bed reading, and was
very much disturbed by the obdurate snoring of another boy at the end of
the room. Being unable to make him desist, and wishing to go to sleep,
I put out my candle by throwing it at him; it struck the wall above his
head, upon which he gave a grunt and a start, ceased snoring, and we all
went to sleep. The next morning when he woke, he found the wick of the
candle lying like a worm on his pillow, the whole of the grease having
soaked into his hair.
Almost all the Fag’s lessons were learnt in Chambers at Toy-time, or
sitting up at night, as, during two-thirds of the time in school, they
were repeating their lessons, and the Fagging during the rest of the day
was continuous. There was a curious kind of understanding between the
Masters and boys about sitting up at night. Two or three days a-week,
one of the Masters used to make the round of the Chambers about eleven
o’clock. As he passed each window, he could quite easily, and generally
did, look in. In all probability he would see the Præfects at their
washing-stools hard at work, and two-thirds of the other boys sitting
up in bed reading, writing, or learning lines by heart,—the former with
two, and the latter with one candle each. On opening the door with his
Master-key, (which was not generally done with extreme rapidity,) what a
different scene would present itself to his eyes,—a room dimly lighted by
a rushlight, with eight or nine boys in bed, apparently fast asleep, and
snoring particularly loud. At the first rattle of the key, the Præfects,
having their beds previously turned down, extinguished the candles,
shut up their books, and dashed into bed, boots, clothes, and all,—a
proceeding that long practice had rendered quite easy. Those in bed,
with a sweep of the arm, drew under the clothes candlestick, ink, paper,
hooks, and all. Sometimes a Præfect was not quick enough, or a Junior had
gone to sleep with his candle alight, in both of which cases the former
got the punishment, the Inferior settling his part of the reckoning with
the Præfect afterwards.
There was more sitting up at night in the summer half year than in
the winter, as at that time Præfects were busy preparing for Election
Chamber, and Inferiors for “Standing up,” (_v.i._) At that time, we used
not only to borrow from the night, but the morning also; and we had a
method of calling ourselves which was rather ingenious. It was called
“The Scheme,” and was arranged as follows:—The Functior was known to
burn at a certain rate—say an inch an hour—if it was lighted at nine
o’clock, and we wanted to rise at four, seven inches only were allowed
to protrude above the socket, (the rest being cut off,) around which a
quantity of paper was arranged, and a string tied, which was carried
through a hole in the top of a Junior’s bed; to the end of this string a
parcel of books, or a pint-cup of water, was fastened, (if the latter,
it was called “a Water Scheme,” and another string connected the bottom
of the cup with the canopy of the bed.) When the candle burnt down, it
ignited the paper and burnt the string, causing the books (or water) to
fall, which roused the subincumbent sleeper, who proceeded to wake the
rest. One Scheme was sufficient to wake the whole school if required;
for in every other Chamber that contained any boys who wished to rise
early, a victim was selected whose toe was secured in a noose of string,
the other end of which was tied to the window-bar; so that the original
schemer, by walking round Quad and tugging at the different strings,
could soon rouse them all. This led to a very amusing incident on a
certain occasion. One of the Masters who had lately arrived (and who,
not having been educated at Winchester, was not up to the ways of the
place) was going round Chambers with a friend, an old Wykehamist, who
had been dining with him. While Mr ⸺ went into Third, his friend remained
outside. Suddenly catching sight of a string tied to a bar of the window,
and knowing well what was at the other end, he took a steady pull at it
just as the Master had got to the middle of Chamber; the consequence was,
that the unfortunate fish at the other end, who, by the by, was a severe
stammerer, dashed out of bed, and, with a shattered howl, plunged past
the astonished Master with one foot in the air, till he brought his toe
up to the window-sill.
This little scene brings to my mind the demoniacal diversion of
“Toefitying.” Occasionally some wicked boy would arise in the night, and,
gently removing the bedclothes from the feet of an unsuspecting sleeper,
endeavour to noose one of his toes with string, when, if successful, the
consequence would be similar to that above described.
[Illustration: TOEFITYING, AND THE SCHEME.]
Before the end of my first half year, I became a difficult subject,
though, as above mentioned, a hard sleeper; yet if anybody laid the
gentlest finger on the bedclothes near my feet, to spring up, seize
the nearest missile, and launch it at the intruder, was the work of an
instant. An ingenuity, worthy of being devoted to better purposes, was
displayed by Bolter in elaborating this foolish practical joke. He fixed
a fishing-reel, with its line, to the leg of his washing-stool; and
having passed the end of the line through a staple fastened to the post
in the centre of the room, he then tied to it other lines equal in number
to the boys in Chamber. Having secured each line to the toe of a boy, he
then proceeded to wind up the reel briskly, the effect being that, in a
twinkling, he had all the boys standing in a bouquet round the post with
one leg extended. This little incident has been depicted by our artist in
the plate entitled “Toefitying.”
On rare occasions, the boys used to get up at night and have supper.
Once (this was before my time) a feast was going on, when, on an alarm
being given that a Master was coming round, one of the boys seized a hot
roasted duck and crammed it into the sleeve of his gown, just before the
Master entered. There being a strong flavour of cooking, he inquired the
cause; on which the boy suggested that the same perfume would probably
be found in the adjoining Chamber, as the windows of both were near the
Warden’s kitchen. “Come with me, and we will try,” said the Master. So
they adjourned to the next Chamber, the boy taking good care to keep his
sleeve, in which was the duck, in close proximity to his conductor, who,
after sniffing about, found, to his surprise, that there really was a
similar flavour there also, which clearly, in that case, could not have
proceeded from any cooking in the room, as there was no fire; and so the
original destiny of the duck was ultimately accomplished.
At the end of the half year, we used to have large entertainments, called
“Spree Messes,” between Toy-time and Chapel, consisting of tea, coffee,
muffins, cakes, &c., the funds for which were generally provided by fines
inflicted during Toy-time for talking loud, slamming the door, coming in
without whistling, (to show that it was not a Master entering,) improper
language, &c. &c. Sometimes a Spree Mess was given by the boys about to
leave at the end of that half. My muffin-consuming power, though still
vigorous, has never been properly developed since the last of these
entertainments at which I assisted, when Rasper, Sower, and myself, were
the joint entertainers.
We brought one half year to a grand conclusion with theatricals in
Seventh. Our preparations we had to make on the sly, as we thought it
probable that, if the authorities were to hear of our proceedings, they
would put a stop to them altogether; however, whether they knew of it or
not, they never interfered, and it came off with great _éclat_. After
considerable debate, the pieces selected were “The Children in the
Wood,” and “Alfred.” We formed our stage by removing all the bedding
from the beds on one side of Chamber, and laying the bed-boards[4] on
them for a floor. A cord was fastened across the room a few feet from
the wall, from which lengths of paper-hangings were suspended to give
it some appearance of a room, and (the toys being removed) to give room
for the actors to pass from one side to the other without being seen by
the audience; in front of all a green drop, or rather draw-curtain, was
suspended.
[Illustration: THE PLAY IN SEVENTH.]
I have but a vague recollection of the plot of the first piece; but I
remember that the _prima donna_ was nearly six feet high. Her figure was
not quite so well suited to the part as her head, and she was obliged to
wear an ample shawl to conceal some little irregularities in her costume
behind. I was a ruffian myself, and, after a sanguinary combat, was slain
by somebody who objected to my cutting the throats of the children. It
were as well the ruffian was killed, as I had to appear as a drunken
servant in the second act; and I fancy that I cut rather a distinguished
appearance in a pair of Mr Oades’s (the butcher) top-boots, which he
kindly lent me for this particular occasion. The scene was supposed to
be a wood; and to convey this idea to the audience, two faggots were
put upon the stage. In this scene I was, in my turn, attacked by two
ruffians, and, snatching a stick from a faggot, proceeded to defend
myself. Somehow or other we all got entangled in my extempore weapon; and
a bed-board giving way in the heat of the struggle, we all disappeared
from the sight of the astonished audience. Just at this moment, in rushed
the gentleman who had killed me in the first act, but whose duty it was
now to defend me with the heroic cry, “What! two to one!” and there is
no knowing what he might not have done if there had been any one for him
to operate on; as it was, he had the stage to himself, and the curtain
was drawn amid roars of laughter. How it all ended, I forget exactly; but
it was no tragedy, and the children ultimately came in for ten thousand
a-year, or were found to be heirs to a dukedom, or something pleasant of
that kind.
The after piece, “Alfred,” was performed in the front of the great
fireplace, where the king could toast his cakes conveniently. He was
wrapped up in a surplice; but underneath he was very gorgeously got up,
in a gold helmet, striped Jersey, tight drawers, and Wellington boots,
with a large silk banner pinned on to his royal shoulders.
If our acting was indifferent, and the scenery and decorations absurd,
they, at any rate, had the desired effect of amusing the audience, to
judge by the tremendous applause that greeted the conclusion. Three
times was the fair and blushing Podina led across the stage, trembling
with modesty and excitement, to receive the enthusiastic applause
of the enraptured spectators. However, I believe the actors had the
best fun after all. Since then, I have assisted at getting up similar
entertainments, but have never enjoyed anything of the kind nearly so
much as this our first and, I believe, the last attempt at theatricals at
Winchester.[5]
[Illustration]