The Comic Almanack, Volume 1: An Ephemeris in Jest and Earnest, Containing Merry Tales, Humerous Poetry, Quips, and OdditiesThackeray, William Makepeace
Philosophy
The Comic Almanack, Volume 1: An Ephemeris in Jest and Earnest, Containing Merry Tales, Humerous Poetry, Quips, and Oddities
Thackeray, William Makepeace
Almanacs, English -- England -- London; English wit and humor
Coddler's, in fact, was the tip-top school near London; he had been
tutor to the Duke of Buckminster, who had set him up in the school, and,
as I tell you, all the peerage and respectable commoners came to it. You
read in the bill (the snopsis, I think Coddler called it), after the
account of the charges for board, masters, extras, &c.: "Every young
nobleman (or gentleman) is expected to bring a knife and fork, spoon,
and goblet, of silver (to prevent breakage), which will not be returned;
a dressing-gown and slippers; toilet-box, pomatum, curling-irons, &c.
&c. The pupil must, on NO ACCOUNT, be allowed to have more than ten
guineas of pocket-money, unless his parents particularly desire it, or
he be above fifteen years of age. _Wine_ will be an extra charge; as are
warm, vapour, and _douche_ baths; _carriage exercise_ will be provided
at the rate of fifteen guineas per quarter. It is _earnestly requested_
that no young nobleman (or gentleman) be allowed to smoke. In a place
devoted to _the cultivation of polite literature_, such an ignoble
enjoyment were profane
"CLEMENT CODDLER, M.A.,
"Chaplain and late tutor to his Grace the
Duke of Buckminster.
"Mount Parnassus, Richmond, Surrey."
To this establishment our Tug was sent. "Recollect, my dear," said his
mamma, "that you are a Tuggeridge by birth, and that I expect you to
beat all the boys in the school, especially that Wellington Mac Turk,
who though he is a lord's son, is nothing to you, who are the heir of
Tuggeridgeville."
Tug was a smart young fellow enough, and could cut and curl as well as
any young chap of his age; he was not a bad hand at a wig either, and
could shave, too, very prettily; but that was in the old time, when we
were not great people: when he came to be a gentleman, he had to learn
Latin and Greek, and had a deal of lost time to make up for on going to
school.
However we had no fear; for the Reverend Mr. Coddler used to send
monthly accounts of his pupils' progress, and if Tug was not a wonder of
the world, I don't know who was. It was
General behaviour excellent
English very good
French très bien
Latin optimé.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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