CHAPTER IV.

THE diary proceeds :

"Sept. 3. Was put into 's study. which is more pleasant; also put into another bedroom, which has been generally used for the sick, and is the best bedroom in the house, with none else in it at present." After briefly alluding to the unkindness of some of his companions, he adds, "But God is my Friend, and as he has hitherto sustained me, I know he will not desert me."

"Sept. 4. Entreated help and deliverance of God; after went to Mr.

M——, to ask his advice and protec tion, which he gave me.”

"Sept. 6. Read the 1st and 2nd chapters of I. Kings, preparatory to being examined in them this evening. Dr. Tait gave us a most beautiful sermon on Rev. xiv. 13, in which he alluded to

[the master whose death was mentioned above], and at times was too much overcome with emotion to speak. Read 'Nicholls' Help' till prayers, and then went to bed. 'O God! I entreat thee deliver me; enable me to sustain all that thou shalt be pleased to lay upon me; but if it be not against thy will, oh! raise me up some friend who may join with me in serving thee, and under thee may be the means of protecting me, for Christ's sake.'

"Sept. 11. Walked round the garden with Mr. M., and received some excellent advice from him."

On the same day John thus writes to his grandfather:

66

'In your last letter you asked me to give you an account of the manner in which I spend the day; and as I now have a little leisure time, I will endeavour to comply with your request, though at the same time you will remember that I myself am not yet thoroughly acquainted with the various duties which a schoolboy here has to perform; but I will give you, to the best of my knowledge, an outline of the usual routine of business here. On Monday morning, the servant comes into the room, and rouses us with the cry of 'A quarter-past six!' and then we are expected to get up. At ten minutes to seven, the servant rings the house-bell, which tells us that it is time to go down to the Great School; and at the same time the bell of the Great School begins to summon us, and con

tinues till the clock strikes seven, and then immediately the door is shut, and no one allowed to come in; then the master whose turn it is, reads prayers, whilst Dr. Tait acts as clerk, and says 'Amen' at the end of each. The boys are then called over, form by form, and as they are called over, they go out. Those who are absent, have a mark against their names, and will probably have some punishment. The boys then walk up and down in the cloisters, learning their lessons, until their several masters go into their respective rooms; for each form is heard in a separate room, by one particular master. The lesson usually lasts till eight A.M., when we are numbered, and then go home for breakfast. We then learn second lesson, which is usually some construing lesson—either Virgil, Cicero, or Homer. At a quarter-past ten we go down to

second lesson, and generally finish by half-past eleven; at a quarter to twelve we generally write, and at half-past one have dinner. From that time till four we have to learn the third lesson, which is also generally a construing lesson; and on Wednesday it is Michelet's' History of France.' We generally finish our third lesson by five; and at half-past five we go in to the fourth lesson, which is generally a continuation of the third, and only lasts till six, from which time we are at liberty till half-past seven. On half-holidays there are several other extra occupations, about which I do not as yet know much, such as drawing, drilling, &c. In my form we are doing at present, Virgil, Cicero, Homer, Michelet's France, Latin verse, and Latin prose. I have found a boy whom I like very much, but he is neither in my house nor form, so that I cannot see much of him."