holy reverence for the saint's name and church degenerated in these later days into a puerile superstition. The second church became a fashionable resort of pilgrims from all quarters, and the shrine of St. Piran a source of revenue for the corrupt priesthood; till the time at length arrived which was to sweep away this and a thousand other such existing abuses.

(To le continued).

We would at the outset attempt to exonerate ourselves from the charge of heresy by remind. ing our readers that the service of our Church for the 5th of November, rests not upon any act of the Parliament or Convocation of England, (though an act was passed in the third year of James the 1st., enjoining some observance of the day,) but upon the narrower basis of a decree of the Privy Council, issued anew at the beginning of every reign. So also do the services appointed to commemorate the accession of the Sovereign, the Restoration of the Royal Family, and the death of King Charles the Martyr-a martyr, by the bye, not for the people, not for the Church, but for the ruined cause of despotism. This distinction then of authority is one of the many differences between this and the other portions of our Liturgy which rest on Acts of Parliament. We are not now speaking of this day as the day on which William the 3rd landed in England: it is perhaps right to commemorate the day on which he came over in answer to the call of the nation for on the ground of his being the chosen one of the mass of the people only, and on none other, can he be held a rightful king. We speak of the 5th of November now only as the day on which the plans of Guy Fawkes and his associates were frustrated. We think that the Protestant part of England has as much cause to wish to get rid of that day as the Romanists can have; and that we have as good reason to blush at the cruel penal laws, enacted in the time of Elizabeth, that goaded them on to treason, as they have need to be ashamed at their bloody plan of retribution. The wonder to us is, not that these men conspired, but that they were not joined by more. We think too that the conspiracy of Titus Oates will, for shameless guilt, far outstare the crime of Guy Fawkes, even if we pass over the fact

The

that the one was the desperate struggle of a few oppressed men, and the other was the bullying villany of a triumphant party, which some of the highest in the land stooped to patronize. We do not feel a want of any Church service to commemorate the day, but we do feel regret that the Church service appointed to be used should be such as it is. It is, we think, very unlike the rest of our Liturgy, nay more, it is very unchristian. It seems to us to be but the memorial of a party triumph, of the triumph of a party who seem anxious to add a sting to every blow; for while in one prayer they beg for an increase of " brotherly love and charity," in another they wittily indulge in alliterative attacks 66 on all such workers of iniquity as turn Religion into Rebellion and Faith into Faction," a sarcasm evidently too good to be dismissed in a hurry, and which we accordingly find enlisted as a veteran against a very different class of religionists, in the service for the Restoration of the Royal Family. whole service seems to us to be written very much in the same spirit that prompted a certain Dr. Jane, on coming out of a convocation held in the reign of Charles the 2nd, in which the prayer of the Nonconformists that the apocrypha should not be read in churches was rejected, to throw his cap into the air and to exclaim "Hurrah! for Bel and the Dragon." To turn to a far humbler part of the subject; looking upon the annual burning of Guy Fawkes as the popular demonstration of the same feeling of which the Church of England service is, as it were, the scientific exponent, we feel inclined to lift up our voice even against such magnificent bonfires and Guys (and in good truth we never saw better) as some gentlemen in the town very kindly exerted themselves to get up for the pleasure of the public. We think such pleasure is dearly bought at the expense of fostering hostile feelings against those who, however deeply they may have erred, still are our fellow-countrymen and fellow-christians; especially at a time when there are dissensions within more to be feared than enemies without. We have burnt Guys for 200 years, we have taken and given black eyes and broken heads for the doubtful honour of bearing the first torch to the faggots, and the sooner we leave off a custom so well de

vised to keep alive all the rancour of religious disputes by hurting the feelings of those who differ from us, as well as by inflaming our own prejudices, the better neighbours, men, and christians, shall we be.

The annual contest, a trial of skill between the 33 best cricketers and the rest of the school, was brought to a conclusion on Saturday. On the first day numbers carried all before them, and although the cricketers made several brilliant charges, they certainly had the worst of it; and on the second day a goal was very well kicked for the school by M'Carthy ma. (the first difficult goal we remember to have seen kicked this season.) On the third day a brisk wind sprang up in favour of the School, the effects of which, however, were a good deal neutralised by the able assistance of Mr. Parker, who, with two more old Rugbæans, came down from Oxford to join in the match.

The fourth day was much the most interesting; on that day the fortune of the game changed; Blackett, who, up to this time, had been playing rather lazily, succeeded in breaking through with the ball and touching it down close to the goal in spite of all opposition. A most exciting try at goal ensued: the wind was rather high and blowing across the close; and consequently the ball was placed so as to allow for the wind; there was, however, a lull just as Phillips kicked, and the ball was going direct to the post on that side from which the wird had been blowing; even then there was time for a gust, which, however would not come, and the ball hit the post, and bounded back amidst the cheers of the school. soon, however, the cricketers turn to cheer, for Bright caught the ball as it came out of a scrummage, near the goal, and close to the ground, and Harman kicked a goal in fine style.

It was

On Saturday, owing to some unknown cause, the ranks of the School were so thinned that they could make no head at all against their opponents, and in about half-an-hour a second goal was kicked very well by Clifford for the cricketers, who thus won the game.

The only uncomplimentary remark to be made on the play is, that the practice of standing off side is now carried to such a great ex

tent as almost to change the entire nature of the game; it arises partly from the misunderstanding of a rule made last year which it is hoped will be altered at the next big side levee.

W. W. Follett Bright, Esq., of Trinity College, Cambridge, an old Rugbæan, sent to the Head of the School, some three weeks ago, £5, which he hopes to continue annually, for a He prize for leaping and short running races. expressed a wish that the Head of the School, the Head of Mr. Arnold's, and the Keeper of the Big Side Hare and Hounds Books, (this year Mr. Lushington, Mr. Wynch, and Mr. Blake,) should arrange matters and be umpires; providing that in case any of these should be competitors, the next to him in each case should be appointed umpire. In accordance

with this proviso, Mr. Scott this year took the place of Mr. Wynch, and Mr. Troutbeck the place of Mr. Blake, as Mr. Smythe, the 2nd in the School Hare and Hounds also was a competitor, These gentlemen settled that there should be two prizes, each of the value of £2 10s., one for the best leaper and the other for the best runner in a short flat race. The 6th also gave a second prize, value £1, in each. In leaping 1 foot or inch in height, to count as 4 feet or inches in breadth, The foot races to be run in couples; and in plain shoes, unless the competitors in any single race come to any private agreement to the contrary. Accordingly, on Monday, the foot race, from goal post to goal post and back, a distance of 252 yards, and the height leaping, came off after calling over. Lots were drawn for the pairing, which, with the time and result, we give below:

third was the closest race of all, In the fourth Burland won easily. In the 5th M'Carthy was decidedly the better man; and so was Blackett in the sixth. Marriott and Blackett then gave up, and the four other victors ran abreast, coming in, in the following order :

Ist-Marshall-35 sec.

2nd-Burland.

3rd-M'Carthy ma.

4th-Blake.

We have only to remark that the shortest time was that of Burland in his first race (with M'Carthy mi.) and had he not been violently unwell between the first and second race, or even had he been paired with Marshall in the 1st heat, we think the result might have been different.

After the races, leaping was commenced at 3 feet 10 inches, a height just low enough to take off any stiffness. Onslow was the first of the nine to give up at 4 feet 1 inch, and was shortly followed by M'Carthy mi. at 4 feet 3 inches, and by Sandford, Baker, and Barnard, at 4 feet 4 inches; Wynch and Wimberley persevered till 4 feet 5 inches. The prize now lay between Marshall and Blackett, both of whom had distinguished and perhaps tired themselves in the races; now too the height and previous exertion began to tell; and Blackett failed to clear 4 feet 7 in each of his three tries, (the full number agreed upon) while Marshall, after two failures, managed to succeed in his third attempt, thus winning the prize.

However, to try his powers to the full, he continued to leap, and Blackett, though hors de combat, also went on-but only for love: they both cleared 4ft 8in., and then Blackett cleared 4ft. 9in., an example too good for Marshall to follow.

We defer all remarks on the leaping, till the trials in breadth are decided.

The Trustees met on Wednesday last, to elect a new member of their body, in the room of Lord Leigh. H. C. Wise, Esq., of Woodcote, near Leamington was unanimously elected.

On Tuesday we had a visit from Mr. Macready, who had kindly undertaken to read Hamlet, for the benefit of the funds for purchasing Shakespere's House. This Gentleman is an old Rugbæan, his visit therefore was peculiarly appropriate, and acceptable, as showing his lasting affection for his old School. The great School where the reading took place was completely filled. Mr. Macready, on his arrival, was greeted with continued applause,and after saying a few words to the School and reminding them that he was an old Rugbæan, he proceeded with the play; during which he received that most gratifying of all applause, silence and attention, but at the end the approbation was loud and long. Mr. Macready, from want of time, was compelled to confine himself to those scenes and passages which principally bring out and exemplify the character of Hamlet.

We have to add another to the long list of robberies which have met our eyes in the public prints. On Tuesday night, a daring robbery was committed on the premises of the Rev. C. T. Arnold. The studies and yard were entered and every desk ransacked; the robbers, however, did not get very much in money; some chains and seals, however, were taken. Not the slightest light has yet been thrown upon the perpetrators of this outrage, nor even have the means of ingress been discovered.

*

Owing to the great number of contributions sent in at first, we have not looked at any that were put into the box after Wednesday night, the 6th. We are much obliged to those who have helped us, and not least so to the gentleman who slipped a half-crown into our box; we duly appreciate other contributions in the shape of notices of bye gone concerts, pieces of whitey-brown, and empty note-books, which last we imagine the givers to have considered typical of their own heads.

CROSSLEY AND BILLINGTON, Printers,

MARKET PLACE, RUGBY.

No. II.]

For

MORE PROSE." Money makes the mare to go" is a very old proverb, and one which we believe to hold good of all steeds, whether gentlemen or ladies; we have decidedly found it true as regards our own Pegasus, who most gratefully acknowledges the support he received on his first appearance. But we must also state our belief that no horse can go without legs, and to this plight was our Pegasus nearly reduced in the present number. though poems come troopingly into our contribution box, of prose, which we look upon as a far better locomotive than verse, and able to supply our literary quadruped with far stouter understandings, we have received but two pieces. We thank our friends sincerely for their poems, but we should be very glad to find, on opening our box, a richer mine of prose. We can assure the public that we are not dainty or delicate in our tastes, and that there is hardly any style of English to which, as a style, we should object. We are perfectly open to receive contributions cast in the mould of Hooker or Bacon, stately long-winded periods; we are also quite inclined to patronize lively disconnected sentences in the style of Macaulay; or, if our friends prefer, elaborate antitheses after the manner of Gibbon; least of all would we say "No" to Arnold's pure and vigorous English, or to the simple harmony of Addison. We even think we could tolerate abrupt and affected imitations of Mr. Carlyle, if our friends, in imitating his style, would but catch a little of his wisdom. In conclusion we again assert that we pride ourselves on being profoundly catholic in our tastes on all matters of style; and exhort our friends to write, assuring them that an author's pen, like a child's leg, is improved by exercise.

[TWOPENCE.

sense. In a song of Tennyson's Princess, this line occurs

66

Thy soldier in the battle stands,"

This is said of a soldier fighting for his wife and child, home and country; but I believe it is capable of a wider meaning than this. Are we not all in some sense soldiers? Have we not all to struggle against foes without and traitors within our camp? Are we not all engaged in the battle of life; a simile now I fear almost trite. In one part of the field is the combat now thickening round the altar. All must join in this struggle of life; and school time is the day of preparation.

It is a beautiful and apt circumstance that Christian, in the tale, was armed from head to foot, by prudence, piety, and charity. I need not now point out the meaning I would give to the words thy soldier. But

The name that in my thoughts becomes me best." One feels a kind of awe in approaching Shakspeare, even in his most playful moods; we feel that he is so terribly in earnest. However, in the comedy of the Twelfth Night, we find in a letter to Malvolio, a trout that was

66

to be caught with tickling," thus"Some are born great; some achieve greatness; and some have greatness thrust upon them." The greatness immediately intended was the hand of his lady, to which Malvolio the steward aspired. But I delight in thinking that Shakspeare, while he suited the words to the exquisite humour of the passage and the subject, yet gave them a mould which might not exclude their deeper meaning. Shakspeare knew that greatness was the longing of half mankind. The greatness which I understand

* King Henry V., act. 3, sc. 3.

here is, that original power or temper of mind, which, when directed into a proper channel, makes its possessor a great general, or statesman, or lawyer, or poet. It is more than knowledge; for knowledge gives power; but greatness achieves power, and then uses it; it therefore supposes wisdom.

Some are born great; they have within them by nature the power of turning whatever they touch into gold; and they send it out again into the world, stamped with their own character, and glowing with fresh lustre. They themselves are centres of light. Some achieve greatness; work out this power for themselves. And how? By no royal road, as I think, but by the old rule of Γνώθι σεαυτὸν : not indeed the dry doctrine of Paganism, but the new and Christian one know thyself," of which it may indeed be said E coelo descendit, that it came down from heaven; for it supposes, nay requires, morality.

66

A passage from Coleridge may illustrate my meaning. "Talent, lying in the understanding is often inherited; genius, being the action. of reason and imagination, rarely or never.' Coleridge himself, in his Table Talk, is an exact example of my meaning, when I say a man of greatness; for it is that very work and not his other great books or wisdom, that "marks him" says Dr. Arnold, 66 as a very great man indeed, whose equal I know not where to find in England."

One more instance and I have done. In the first part of Henry VI., Talbot, one of the greatest captains of the age, pointing to his guard of soldiers, issuing from their concealment, says to the Countess of Auvergne, who had tried to entrap him in her castle;

"How say you madam, are you now persuaded That Talbot is but shadow of himself."

The proper self does not lie in the body, but the character, the inner man, if I may be so bold. Illustration will explain it best. It is this, I take it, which Richard of Gloster regarded, when he said.

"I am myself alone." Tennyson, when he exclaimed, Yet after all

What know we of the secret of a man?

*Table Talk, p. 75, 2nd edit.
Life, p. 347, 6th edit.

And Hamlet, in the famous passage, too long to quote, beginning

Was't Hamlet wronged Laertes? &c., &c.

The inner man lets itself be seen in the face'; the face is the figure and shadow of the mind. But if the character be debased, and almost annihilated? what then? It can print no stamp on the features; but these are moulded by passion or circumstance, which have then become a second self. Now is this right, is it noble? Shall we allow our proper self to be displaced by these, which, with all its imperfections, has yet given to it some seeds of generosity. Does it not stir itself and assert its dignity? Without this agreement of the outer with the inner man, faithfully preserved, the inner man is worthless; and the outer remains indeed, but it is

"But the smallest part

And least proportion of humanity." While if the union is preserved, if its conditions are carried out, then indeed

"Were the whole frame here,

It is of such a spacious lofty pitch,

This roof were not sufficient to contain it."

I have attempted to explain what I believe to be one of the noblest prerogatives of poetry. If I have been long; or if I have been obscure, my excuse is this, that I have thought it worth while to run the risk of that opinion with many, if perhaps I might direct the attention of some few others to look for an exceeding pleasure at

I write to ask your advice under the following circumstances:-There is a fellow called Leathers in our house, who sets up for a sporting man, and the more fully to support the character, he is always disturbing me with some sporting news which I would far rather not hear. Last night as I was working at my Latin verses, he came running up to me with the news, that Jimcrack had won the Brixham handicap; that the Maid-of-all-Work was scratched for the Billy stakes, and had I not