ESSAY XXII. NARRATIVE CONTINUED. In addition to the unceasing persecution of the treasury-plunderer, who suffered no opportunity of tormenting me to escape, since the night in which he had so cruelly beaten me, although he had not the least idea that I was an eye-witness of his robbery, which I never divulged to a single soul, more out of regard to my own welfare than any love I bore him; I had also the misfortune of being junior in the second chamber, where slept, as præfect, the most remorseless wretch that ever I had the unhappiness to look upon. He is the only human being that I thoroughly detest, and, if ever I can lay my hands upon him, I mean to duck him in the first kennel that is to be met with. This fellow's name must not be lost, it is too notorious to rot in oblivion; he answers to the appellation of S, and, if not hanged, is, I believe, a chaplain in the navy. This especial animal, at the age of twenty-two, for he was of our founder's kin, ...... ......... and all such were permitted to stay, no matter how old they might be, till they went to .... to which place they inevitably succeeded in due course of time, could not, positively, read his alphabet accurately, and without tripping. He was in the habit of, almost constantly, waking me from my first sleep, and making me strip myself quite naked, in order to be lashed by a carter's whip, which he kept for the sole purpose of such employment, for I was not the only one on whom he was wont to animadvert in this manner. Whenever a very cold, or stormy, or snowy night occurred, he was sure to send me, without permitting me to put on even a slipper, or throw a surplice over my shoulders, across the quadrangle to get some water; and often the conduit was void of water, and I was obliged to remain two hours, shivering in the cold, with nothing but my shirt on, before I could obtain a quarter of a pint, so slow, and drop by drop, would the liquid creep into the cup. Then was I sure to be horse-whipped, and beaten, and kick * ed, because I had staid so long; and when I pleaded, as an excuse, that the conduit had not been filled, I was beaten for not bringing more water. Add to this, the wretch used to refine in his cruelty. If ever he saw me with any thing like the expression of joy in my countenance, he would call me to him, and, after spitting all down my face, a filthy custom, in which he much delighted and exercised himself, would order me to come to him at a certain hour, the next day, to be horse-whipped. This he did, that all the intervening time might be rendered wretched; because he well knew, that the terror and misery of expecting an evil, is much worse than the absolute endurance of the evil itself. To attempt to recount all the cruelties inflicted by this wretch, not only on me, but on others, would be an Herculean labour; suffice it that I mention one more, and then suffer the perpetrator on tortures and on racks to lie Fit garbage for the hell-hound infamy.' The second junior in our chamber was a tall, stout, handsome lad, who, with one blow, could have saved the hangman the trouble of giving S― a passport to the devil. This young gentleman did S-, almost daily, compel to stand with his head erect, like a recruit under the hands of a drill-serjeant, that he, S-, might try, whether, with a blow in the throat, he could knock him down; and I have often seen many blows given, and some minutes elapse, before the youth was laid prostrate by the petty tyrant of his small domain. I assure thee, and almost with tears I speak it, there is not one so young and so villainous this day living. I speak but brotherly of him; but should I anatomize him to thee as he is, I must blush and weep, and thou must look pale and wonder.' He is a devil, a born devil, on whose nature • Nurture can never stick; on whom pains Humanely taken, are all lost, quite lost; So loathed and abhorred is this name, that it almost compels me to exclaim, • Mischance and sorrow go along with thee! Heart's discontent, and sour affliction, Be play-fellows to keep thee company! ⚫ Gall, worse than gall, the daintiest that thou tast'st! Thy sweetest shade, a grove of cypress trees! The chiefest prospect, murdering basilisks! Thy softest touch, as smart as lizard's stings! Thy music, frightful as the serpent's hiss! And boding screech-owls make the concert full. Be thy vile portion !' "I cannot omit to mention two occurrences, which serve to convey some faint image of the lawless brutality, and ruffian violence, that these worthy academicians were wont to indulge in. A decent and respectable tradesman, in the city of complained to one of the masters, of some enormity which had been committed by a portion of the college-boys. This audacious proceeding was considered as a crime of lesemajesty, as high-treason against their high and mighty sovereignty, their unbounded |