he gave of the Party at the Pelican. You may give him a hint that it will be highly dangerous for him to show himself in this country for some time, as many of the good folks are highly enraged at being what they call caricatured in print; and that, too, by such a stripling. It is quite impossible for him to dream of going to Mr. Hudson's entertainment any more, whether at the Pelican or elsewhere. I have before mentioned that your cares will not be single. My nephews are two in number-the eldest (Samuel) rather what we used to call a sap, and of a very quiet disposition; the younger (Henry), perhaps equally clever, but more lively, which latter quality agrees, I think, very well with an Eton education. My representations had a principal part in determining their father in sending them to Eton; consequently I am the more desirous that nothing. should go amiss, as I should be involved in no slight share of the blame. However, I shall be the more satisfied if I ean gain for them such an efficient protector; and I assure you, my dear Mat, that any attention that you may pay to the young Rashleighs, will be equally felt and acknowledged by your most faithful friend,

MARMADUKE BRADSHAW.

P.S. I have enclosed you three or four Letters, which may serve in some measure to elucidate their characters; and should these serve to beguile an idle moment, I may be tempted to transmit to you some future depredations from

THE RASHLEIGH LETTER-BAG.

I.

Mr. Samuel Rashleigh to Lady Caroline Rashleigh. Eton Coll. March 27, 1821,

MY DEAR MAMMA,

No doubt our good Peter has long since informed you how safely he landed his young masters at Eton; and

the journey had nothing at all uncommon in it, so that I shall leave Henry to give you an account, in the next letter, of all the stage coaches that he saw. My thoughts were pretty busy the whole of the way, for though I did not much fancy, as was very natural, the prospects of going to school, yet my uncle Bradshaw had represented Eton as so entirely different from all other places, and particularly from Mr. Plodwell's Academy, that my fears were very much abated, and at last my joy at leaving the latter-mentioned gentleman's institution quite got the better of them. We arrived here about five o'clock; and the space in front of the great school was quite filled with boys of all sizes-some, indeed, so big, that I was half afraid to look at them; and some so little, that I could not think what business they had at Eton: they looked as if they were just delivered from the nursery. Henry was delighted at seeing so many much smaller than himself, and fancied himself already a very considerable person. In a few minutes we were at Miss

's door, our destined Dame. I naturally enough expected to have seen, according to the name, a very respectable sort of housekeeper-something, perhaps, like old Catherine. You may guess, then, my astonishment, and perhaps you will be astonished too yourself, when I tell you that we were ushered into a room very elegantly furnished, by a footman in a gay livery, where we found Miss totally different, in every respect, from what we had imagined-that is to say, neither old nor homely, but, on the contrary, rather more gaily dressed than you are in general, and talking quite like a lady; which, indeed, I have no doubt that she is. First of all, she offered us some dinner; but you know how unnecessary that was, for coming to school most effectually takes away one's appetite. She read Papa's letter, and sent the one which he had written to Mr. or, as I now call him, my Tutor, together with a message, desiring to know when he could see us.

He ap

pointed a time the next morning, and we expected it rather in dread, although my Dame took every care to persuade us that there was nothing in the world to fear. Henry and I have a double-bedded room, whither, I can assure you, we were not at all sorry to go after all our fatigues. The whole of the apartment looked rather strange at first, for the floor is sanded all over, and the beds have no curtains at all, but are shut up in the day-time, which is much better, as they take up but very little space, and we use the room in the day-time to sit in. My Dame (you will henceforth know Miss

by no other name) very goodnaturedly sent a boy to conduct us to our Tutor's at the proper hour. He seemed to be a very nice sort of man-asked us a few questions, and after he had put on his cap and gown, took us straight to Dr. Keate's chambers. There we were entered--a process which solely consisted in writing our names in a book, and which entitles us to the name of Etonians. After this we returned to Mr.

and he proceeded to examine us, according to the books which we had read, and our respective ages. I shall not trouble you any further than just to inform you of what I am afraid you will hardly understand, that I am placed in the upper remove of the remove, and my brother in the middle remove of the fourth, form. This information will do, if any body asks you; and, indeed, until I see you myself, I cannot possibly explain it further..

The next day, at eleven o'clock, I was to take my place in school. You may imagine my dismay, when I was fairly launched from my Dame's house with my books under my arm, and when I saw not only the space which I mentioned before quite filled with boys (they call it, absurdly enough, the Long Walk, though it is not a quarter so long as our avenue,) but also the inner Quadrangle, and the Portico under the school, equally crowded. I had some vain hopes that I might

perhaps entirely escape notice among such a multitude and such a confusion; but I had not got very far before I was assaulted by a variety of voices, inquiring in one breath, "You, sir! What is your name? Who is your Dame? Who is your Tutor ?" Some of them laughed at me, because I said in my answers Mr.

and Miss so that I was soon taught to drop these titles of distinction. Another advised me to get a more fashionable coat, and called me a Cawker, which appellation was then perfectly unintelligible; I have since heard that it means one who gapes and stares about him-a fault of which at that time I was very probably guilty. These questions at first I laughed at, and took in very good part; but at last they were so often repeated, that I was almost provoked to give no answer. This conduct would probably have got me a beating; but my patience was entirely exhausted, when the school doors, to my great relief, flew open, and we sat down to the lesson. Eton discipline differs so much from Mr. Plodwell's, that it would fill a whole letter to mark the distinctions, and I think this is a pretty long one for me at present. In the first place, we go into school about four times a-day, but are never there more than three quarters of an hour together; then, instead of a little paled-in piece of ground, there are fine large playing-fields, with very fine trees in them; the Thames runs on one side, and there is a wall on the other, against which they play at foot-ball in the season; indeed they say it is capital weather for it now, but it is not the fashionable game, so nobody dares to propose it. After the next Holidays every body begins cricket, but never before. There are plenty of boats on the river, which the boys row about in the summer; but I will tell you more about them when the time comes. bounds are marked by a stone on a bridge, but we may go beyond them as far as we like, provided only we return in time (for our names are called over,) and pro

The

vided too that we run away from the Masters and some of the upper boys directly we see them: this they call shirking, and, if we hide well, they never take any notice. All the terrible stories, which I heard about fagging turn out to be nothing at all. There is a certain young man in my Dame's house, to whom I am bound to come in the morning and evening: he is called my master, but he is a very lenient one, for he scarcely ever makes me do any thing, and has helped me very much in several matters. Henry is equally well off in this respect; he has found out that he can buy excellent marbles here, and is I believe at this moment engaged in a game, as happy as possible.

You may guess from what I have told you that I am pleased with my new situation. I hardly fancy myself a schoolboy. Papa's gout came very unluckily, for it made it rather awkward for me, having to introduce myself; however, that is all over now. Henry joins with me in wishes for his recovery, and in best love to you and my Sister.

I remain,

Your very affectionate Son, S. RASHLEIGH. P.S. I hope Smirk will be turned out to grass before we come home; I miss my riding very much here, and shall be sadly disappointed if I have no pony in the Holidays.

II.

Lady C. Rashleigh to Mr. S. Rashleigh.

MY DEAREST SAMUEL,

Stapylton Hall, Hants, April 2.

We were all delighted beyond measure with your letter, and with the picture you have drawn of your