Fives we used to play against the back of school, which formed a spacious “Ball Court.” The bat used is, I believe, peculiar to Winchester; it was about two feet and a half in length, the part with which the ball was struck expanding to about the size of a small lady’s hand, and immediately above it the wood was planed thin, thus forming a powerful spring. With this instrument the ball could be driven with great force; and I have known it used for other purposes, for which it was very effectual, though not very agreeable to one of the parties in that game. One boy, I remember, kept a bat which he consecrated solely to this amusement, and to the back of it he had nailed a donkey-shoe, which gave great weight to his arguments. The balls used were small, about the size of a large grape-shot, and cost sixpence a piece, which made the game an expensive one; as, if the ball passed to the right or to the left of the school wall against which we played, it vanished altogether from our ken,—if it went to the left it went into Long-meads or Commoners, and if to the right into Cloisters. We could, however, generally purchase back at half-price from Long John about one quarter of those lost. Long John was the College mason, who was always wandering about with a satellite looking for something to do, but beyond occasionally scratching a brick, I scarcely ever saw him doing anything like work. If asked what he was doing, he always said, “Nothin’, sir;” at which occupation the satellite was a most efficient coadjutor. The Winchester “Bat-fives” was amusing enough when played in a promiscuous way, but not, I think, a really good game, as it was too difficult. I have scarcely ever seen even the best players return the ball more than three or four times. The Fag’s share of the game was to stand round the edge of the court and pick up the balls as they rolled off; it was not nearly such hard work as watching-out at cricket, or kicking-in at football, and the work being easy it did not entail so much punishment; but it was far from pleasant, owing to the blinding glare from the white concrete of which the floor was made. Mr Ridding, formerly second Master, has most liberally built some excellent racket courts, in what used to be “Long Meads,” but is now thrown into “Meads,” to the great advantage of the boys.