Life of John Coleridge Patteson : Missionary Bishop of the Melanesian IslandsYonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
Religion
Life of John Coleridge Patteson : Missionary Bishop of the Melanesian Islands
Yonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
Missions -- Melanesia; Patteson, John Coleridge, 1827-1871
The sprain prevented his playing in the matches at Lord's that summer,
though he was well enough to be reckoned on as a substitute in case any
of the actual players had been disabled. Possibly his accident was good
for his studies, for this was a year of much progress and success; and
though only seventeen, he had two offers of tutorship for the holidays,
from Mr. Dugdale and the Marchioness of Bath. The question where his
university life was to be spent began to come forward. Studentships at
Christchurch were then in the gift of the Canons, and a nomination would
have been given him by Dr. Pusey if he had not been too young to begin
to reside, so that it was thought better that he should wait and go up
for the Balliol scholarship in the autumn.
In the October of 1844 he describes to his eldest sister the reception
of King Louis Philippe at Eton, accompanied by the Queen, Prince Albert,
and the Duke of Wellington:
'The King wore a white great coat, and looked a regular jolly old
fellow. He has white frizzle hair and large white whiskers. The former,
I suspect, is a wig. The cheering was tremendous, but behind the royal
carriage the cheers were always redoubled where the old Duke, the
especial favourite hero, rode. When they got off their horses in the
schoolyard, the Duke being by some mistake behindhand, was regularly
hustled in the crowd, with no attendant near him.
'I was the first to perceive him, and springing forward, pushed back the
fellows on each side, who did not know whom they were tumbling against,
and, taking off my hat, cheered with might and main. The crowd hearing
the cheer, turned round, and then there was the most glorious sight I
ever saw. The whole school encircled the Duke, who stood entirely alone
in the middle for a minute or two, and I rather think we did cheer him.
At last, giving about one touch to his hat, he began to move on, saying,
"Get on, boys, get on." I never saw such enthusiasm here; the masters
rushed into the crowd round him, waving their caps, and shouting like
any of us. As for myself, I was half-mad and roared myself hoarse in
about five minutes. The King and Prince kept their hats off the whole
time, incessantly bowing, and the King speaking. He walked arm-in-arm
with the Queen, who looked well and very much pleased. The Duke walked
with that Grand Duchess whose name you may see in the papers, for I
can't spell it.'
Very characteristic this both of Eton's enthusiasm for the hero, and of
the hero's undemonstrative way of receiving it, which must have somewhat
surprised his foreign companions.
A week or two later, in November 1844, came the competition for the
Balliol scholarship, but Coley was not successful. On the Saturday he
writes:--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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