Next day there was a complaint against him for fishing out of bounds. 'Mr. X. (the butcher) gave me leave,' said he, quietly. There were seven boys in the school of the name of Hill. The boys wanted a half-holiday, and came to Landor. 'Write 'to old James for one,' said they. Landor consented, and wrote a copy of verses, wherein he compared Rugby to Rome, because it was built on Seven Hills. 'Ah,' said the Doctor, 'I don't ask you who wrote this, for 'there is only one of you with the brains to do it. Half-holi'day? Yes.' One day in full school Master Landor had an apple of singular size and beauty. He had his Livy in one hand and this apple in the other, and read and read, and munched and munched, till the sound struck the Doctor. He espied the delinquent, and ordered him to bring that apple to him. He put it on his desk coram populo; and then, half relenting, said, 'There, sir. Now, if you want that again, you had better go ' and sit down and make me a short line on the occasion.' 'O, I can do that and stand here,' says Master Landor. 'Do it, then.' The boy thought a minute, and soon obliged him with a pentameter: 'Esuriens doctor dulcia poma rapit.' 'Hum? says Doctor James. mean by E-su-riens doctor?' 'The gor-man-dising doctor.' 'And pray, sir, what do you 'Take it, sir: you are too hard for me; you are too hard for 'me,' said the Doctor, delighted with his pupil. This Doctor James was an enthusiast. My father told me he heard a class construing a fine passage of Lucretius to him, and no doubt making mincemeat of the author; for presently the Doctor roared out, 'Ye don't taste him, sir; ye don't taste him!' and instantly construed the passage finely, and, in his ardour, went on beyond the limits of the lesson. Observing which too late, he turned the whole school out into the playground. 'along,' said he; 'I have rescued one Poet out of your jaws.' Get |