On the dark afternoons in the short half, for about an hour before hall time, (six o’clock,) the boys used to assemble round the fire, the Juniors sitting on the stone steps, and the Præfects on scobs ranged in a semicircle in front; two large vessels of egg-flip were placed in the middle, from which the contents were scooped out with pint cups, and we used to sing lustily, if not well. I trust that the _repertoire_ of songs has been changed since those days; indeed, before I left all the more objectionable ones were expunged. We always began with “When good King Arthur reigned,” and then followed promiscuously “The Bay of Biscay,” “The Workhouse Boy,” “John Barleycorn,” “Three Jolly Postboys,” “Betsy Baker,” “Captain Bold,” “The Overseer,” “I Loves a Drop of Good Beer,” “Fox went Out one Moonshiny Night,” “Tally ho! Hark away,” &c. [Illustration: EGG-FLIP NIGHT.] Amongst two hundred boys quarrels would occasionally arise, which were generally adjusted, when the principals were at all equally matched, by an appeal to that old British weapon—the Fist. Fights were by no means exceedingly frequent, and when they did come off, were conducted with all due solemnity. School on a Lockback day was a very favourite arena, and differences were also settled on Hills and on “Sicily,” (a triangular piece of grass just at the entrance into Meads,) where I have also seen a main of cocks fought. I will not give an account of an ideal fight, as everybody has already read the particulars of that one so graphically written by my excellent friend Tom Brown, with whose sentiments on the subject in general I cordially concur, and I strongly recommend my readers to take down their copy of the book from its shelf at this moment, and reperuse that portion of it. To the best of my recollection, I was only once engaged in a _bonâ fide_ set-to of the kind in question; but I flatter myself that this was a very remarkable contest, being well remembered for some little time by the fortunate spectators. We commenced operations immediately after morning chapel, and did not lay down our arms till the hiss was given for morning school; we were then squaring-up for the forty-ninth round. I got my head considerably punched in the first few rounds, during which indeed it was seldom out of Chancery, but I improved as we got on, and felt quite sorry when we were obliged to give up; neither of us, however, had afterwards the slightest anxiety to renew the engagement, and we always continued the best of friends, having, from practical experience, learnt mutual respect for each other; and whenever in after life I have had the pleasure of meeting my old antagonist, we have never failed in conversation to fight our battle over again.