Page:Early Reminiscences.djvu/127

Rh are removed, as in the feast of nothingness provided by Timon of Athens, they lap up the slop with eagerness and gratitude.

Ideas no more cut into common minds than do skates into ice, the utmost they can do is to scratch them superficially.

The inducement to my father to go to Warwick was that a friend made at Vevey was settled there, named Mackenzie. There was another family we had known abroad settled there, the parents strong Calvinists. I cannot express the loathing I had for the children on account of their obscene talk.

The winter of 1845–6 saw me ill with congestion of the lungs, in town; when I was somewhat better, I was removed to Warwick. My leaving was much like that of Paul Dombey from Dr. Blimber's. Mr. Hayes was very kind to me, and whilst recovering I was had down from our attic bed-chamber to his drawing-room. He made me a present of R. Wilson Evans' Tales of the Ancient British Church, and that was my introduction to take interest in, and later to the study of, the old Church in pre-Augustinian days and in Wales.

When fully recovered, I was sent to the Grammar School as a day scholar. The head master was named Hill, and his wife was a Southey. I forget the exact relationship to the poet. My mother wrote: "Sabine has been much enjoying his lessons with his young Worcester College tutor. They have made great friends by this, and he asks Sabine constantly to take long country walks with him, which is a kind of compliment to Sabine's companionable powers. An amusing, entertaining boy he certainly is, though a funny one in many ways. Strange to say, he is far more communicative to others than at home. If we want to hear anything he has done, read, or been about, we must pump very hard indeed to squeeze out any information. He is very affectionate to me, dear child, so I hope to make him a friend, and induce openness by every means in my power."

The great delight of the inhabitants of Warwick was the annual horse-racing week. There was no acknowledged holiday at the school; but as none of the day-boys occupied their accustomed forms, and were to be found on the race-course, Mr. Hill was constrained to shut up school and even let loose the boarders. I think that I actually saw him myself on the Grand Stand, but without a betting-book in his hand.