The Real Shelley. New Views of the Poet's Life. Vol. 1 (of 2)Jeaffreson, John Cordy
History
The Real Shelley. New Views of the Poet's Life. Vol. 1 (of 2)
Jeaffreson, John Cordy
Poets, English -- 19th century -- Biography; Shelley, Percy Bysshe, 1792-1822
With this anecdote of Latin verses, given in to the Doctor of the
Brentford school, may be coupled a story, which the late Mr. Gellibrand
used to tell, somewhat to the discredit of little Bysshe. Just about
Shelley's age, though placed in a lower form of the school than Shelley's,
Gellibrand was trying to put together a nonsense Latin verse in the way of
scholastic duty, when Bysshe said, 'Give me your slate, and I will do it
for you and you can go.' Trusting his friend, Gellibrand surrendered his
slate and went off to play. The verses Shelley wrote on the slate ran,--
'Hos ego versiculos scripsi,
Sed non ego feci.'
On being 'given in,' by a boy who could not make a nonsense 'line' without
racking his brain, these verses may well have attracted the master's
attention. To the question, 'Did you write this?' Gellibrand of course
answered 'Yes.' Of course, also, the matter was inquired into further; the
result being that Gellibrand received a whipping, for which he paid
Shelley out with a 'pummelling.'
Though heavy, the blows he received for the Jam-jam verses were by no
means the sharpest and most penetrating that came from time to time to
little Bysshe Shelley from the same hand. Eighty years since our boys were
taken from the nursery and confided to the schoolmaster, in the same way
that pups of choicest breed were given over to the very slender mercy of
the under-gamekeeper. In either case it was known what was in store for
the young and helpless creatures. It was needful for these young things to
be licked into shape and form and good behaviour,--for the small boys to
be whipt into bigger boys, and then into serviceable men; and for the
young dogs to be whipt into good sporting dogs. Relying on the wisdom of
his ancestors, the English gentleman believed in the Coptic proverb, which
declares that 'the stick came down from heaven,' To train boys and dogs
the stick was needful. Whilst the tender-hearted father hoped silently
that much of the stick would not be needed, the father of no more than
average humanity was jubilant about the stick, confident that youngsters
needed it, jocular about its power to do them good. Like George the Third,
who told his sons' tutors to whip them when they wanted it (but for this
order, how badly George the Fourth might have turned out!). Mr. Timothy
Shelley, M.P. for New Shoreham, sent little Bysshe to Sion House, with the
understanding that he would be whipt, and well whipt too, when he wanted
it. Mrs. Shelley knew what was in store for the little fellow, when she
put the plum-cake into his box and hoped he would enjoy it. The
foreknowledge did not make the lady sorrowful. Was it not written, that to
spare the rod was to spoil the child? It is hard on schoolmasters that
they should be required to bear the odium of an educational method, so
universally approved two generations since, and sanctioned by the highest
authority.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account