E-text prepared by Jeannie Howse, Irma Spehar, Jason Isbell, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team (http://www.pgdp.net/) from page images generously made available by Internet Archive (http://www.archive.org/index.php) Note: Images of the original pages are available through Internet Archive. See http://ia301238.us.archive.org/1/items/The_Confessions_Of_An_Etonian/ +--------------------------------------------------------------+ | Transcriber's note: | | | | Inconsistent hyphenation and unusual spelling in the | | original document have been preserved. | | | | A number of obvious typographical errors have been corrected | | in this text. For a complete list, please see the end of | | this document. | | | +--------------------------------------------------------------+ THE CONFESSIONS OF AN ETONIAN. by I. E. M. London Saunders and Otley, Conduit Street. 1846. "To preserve the past is half of immortality." D'ISRAELI THE ELDER. PREFACE. The author is anxious to request any person who may meet with this trifling volume to bear in mind that it contains the memoir of an unworthy member of the place to which it alludes--that many years have now elapsed since he quitted the spot where its regulations with regard to education have been as much altered as improved. For Eton! "my heart is thine though my shadow falls on a distant land." But should these pages influence the judgment of any mistaken but well-meaning parent, as to his son's future destination, the writer will hope that he has not exposed himself in vain. THE CONFESSIONS OF AN ETONIAN. BOOK THE FIRST. CHAPTER I. "Here's Harry crying!" And on the instant, my brother awoke the elder ones to witness and enjoy the astounding truth. "What makes you think that?" I replied, in as resolute a tone as a throat choking with anguish would admit of. "Why, you're crying now," added another brother; "I see the tears shining in the moonlight."