were sent in great profusion: no charge was made for ladies' tickets, but every gentleman paid a guinea on admission. The entertainment was a very splendid one; and the steward, on paying his bill, (which he always did in the course of the week,) generally found himself out of pocket; but if upon any occasion there was a surplus, it was given to the Hospital. On Commencement Sunday, the college walks were crowded. Every Doctor in the University wore his scarlet robes during the whole day. All the noblemen appeared in their splendid robes, not only at St. Mary's and in the college halls, but also in the public walks. Their robes (which are now uniformly purple) at that time were of various colours, according to the tastes of the wearers,-purple, white, green, and rose-colour, were to be seen at the same time. The people from the neighbouring villages then never ventured to pass the rails which separate the walks from the high road. The evening of Commencement Tuesday, if not the most numerous, was always the most splendid assemblage at Pot Fair, when the merits of the steward and the events of the ball formed the chief subjects of conversation.

When the Term ended, the University was far from being deserted. No college was entirely without resident members during the long vacation. At

* Lord Chartley wore rose-colour.

King's and Trinity, a certain number of the Scholars were obliged to reside during the summer; and many Fellows of colleges never slept out of the University for a great number of years together. The last of this class was Mr. Burrell, the Bursar of Catharine Hall, who used to take his daily walk in what is called "The Grove," and who never travelled further than the Senate House, except once, during the long vacation, when the Master of the college prevailed upon him to walk half-way to Grantchester.

I passed my first long vacation very unprofitably, my time being chiefly occupied in fishing, shooting, and occasional visiting. I returned to college towards the end of September, and, by the advice of Hartley, I left my gun in the country. I applied very closely to study, and availed myself most fully of the assistance so kindly and so cordially pressed upon me by my friend. He and I, with Mr. Adam Wall, the Senior Fellow, were the only residents till the middle of October, when the election of college officers took place, which brought up several of the Fellows. I had thus six clear weeks for reading, as lectures did not commence until after the division of Term. As soon as Parkinson came, he asked me to breakfast, when rather a long examination took place, with which he was not dissatisfied. During the summer, three or four persons had migrated from

other colleges, so that there were six or seven undergraduates of my year; but as the new comers were decidedly non-reading men, Parkinson resolved that they should attend lectures with the year below them: he at the same time recommended that I should continue to profit by Hartley's kindness, and come to him once a-week to be examined. I left him with a full determination of following his advice; but the frost set in early, and, on the arrival of information that an unusually large flight of snipes had settled in Bottisham and Wilbraham Fens, I applied to Henshaw for a gun, and, in company with some fellows as idle as myself, set off in quest of them. The Term, however, was not wholly passed in these pursuits; and though I did not call on Hartley so frequently as he wished, I never failed to call on Parkinson at the time appointed, and he was tolerably well satisfied with my progress. On Christmasday, our family party assembled as usual at the Vicarage; but the absence of the good old woman who had nursed us all was so severely felt that the day passed off heavily, and affected even my father, whose spirits were of the most buoyant kind.

CHAPTER II.

[1786.]

I RETURNED to college very early in January, and consequently had several weeks for reading before the University filled. I applied myself very closely, and with the assistance of Hartley made considerable progress; so that when Parkinson summoned me, I waited upon him with a well-founded confidence that I should pass the examination to our mutual satisfaction. Hartley was delighted with my account of the interview, and laid down a course of reading which, though I was fully sensible of its advantages, I had not resolution to adhere to. Unfortunately there were several persons in college of the year below me, who were most agreeable, companionable men, but all of them remarkably idle. Basil Montagu, Bob Porteus, (nephew of the Bishop of London,) George Leapingwell, (the father of my colleague,)* Tom Bullen, and Joe Tayler, were my chief associates in college; and if my only object in coming to the University had been to pass my * George Leapingwell, Esq. LL.D.

time agreeably, I could not have made a better selection. But I had seasons of bitter reflection; the idea would intrude itself that I had been sent to college for a very different purpose; and after having passed a very delightful day, I was kept awake a great part of the night by vexation and remorse. How much more real happiness had I enjoyed, when Hartley and myself were almost the only persons in college, than I did after the arrival of my gay companions, which I had anticipated with so much pleasure!

But the most mischievous person in the Society was a Bachelor of Arts named Tunstal. He was the nephew of Dr. Shepherd, the Plumian Professor, and had taken his degree in 1784, when he was senior medallist, George Gordon (afterwards Dean of Lincoln) being the junior. He was just come to reside in college, having been since his degree private tutor in three or four different families, all of which he had left with disgrace. Had his industry and good conduct borne any proportion to his talents, he would have been one of the most distinguished men in the University; but he was the idlest of the idle, and so low a profligate, that even in those days, when the standard of morals was not very high, he was shunned by all the men of his own standing. Deprived of the society of his equals, he was constantly scheming to