Life of John Coleridge Patteson, Missionary Bishop the Melanesian Islands | Page 8

Royal festivity. Their tumultuous loyalty and audacity
appear in Coley's letter:--
'In college, stretching from Hexter's to Mother Spier's was a
magnificent representation of the Parthenon: there were three pillars,
and a great thing like this (a not over-successful sketch of a pediment),

with the Eton and Royal arms in the middle, and "Gratulatur Etona
Victoria et Alberto" It cost £150, and there were 5,000 lamps hung on it.
Throughout the whole day we all of us wore large white bridal favours
and white gloves. Towards evening the clods got on Long Walk Wall;
and as gentle means would not do, we were under the necessity of
knocking some over, when the rest soon jumped off. However, F--- and
myself declared we would go right into the quadrangle of the Castle, so
we went into the middle of the road and formed a line. Soon a rocket
(the signal that the Queen was at Slough) was let off, and then some
Life Guards came galloping along, and one of them ran almost over me,
and actually trod on F---'s toe, which put him into dreadful pain for
some time. Then came the Queen's carriage, and I thought college
would have tumbled down with the row. The cheering was really
tremendous. The whole 550 fellows all at once roared away. The Queen
and Consort nodding and bowing, smiling, &c. Then F--- and I made a
rush to get up behind the Queen's carriage, but a dragoon with his horse
almost knocked us over. So we ran by the side as well as we could, but
the crowd was so immensely thick, we could not get on as quick as the
Queen. We rushed along, knocking clean over all the clods we could,
and rushing against the rest, and finally F--- and myself were the only
Eton fellows that got into the quadrangle. As we got there, the Queen's
carriage was going away. You may fancy that we were rather hot,
running the whole way up to the Castle, besides the exertion of
knocking over the clods and knocking at doors as we passed; but I was
so happy.'
Such is bliss at twelve years old!
The first half-year of 1839 had brought Patteson into the Remove, that
large division of the school intermediate between the fourth and fifth
forms. The work was harder, and his diligence somewhat relaxed. In
fact, the Coley of this period and of a good while later had more heart
for play than work. Cricket, bathing, and boating were his delight; and
though his school-work was conscientiously accomplished, it did not
interest him; and when he imagined himself to have been working hard
and well, it was a thunderbolt to him to find, at the end of the half-year,
that a great deal more had been expected of him by his tutor. It shows

how candid and sweet his nature was, that, just as when he was a little
fellow at Ottery, his penitent letter should contain the rebuke he had
received, without resentment against anyone but himself:--
'Aunt has just called me down into the drawing-room and shown me
my character. I am stupefied at it; it is so shocking just when I most
wanted a good one on account of mamma's health. I am ashamed to say
that I can offer not the slightest excuse; my conduct on this occasion
has been very bad. I expect a severe reproof from you, and pray do not
send me any money, nor grant me the slightest [favour?]. Whilst .....,
who has very little ability (uncle says), is, by plodding on, getting
credit, I, who (my tutor says) have abilities, am wickedly neglecting
and offending both my heavenly and earthly Father by my bad use of
them. Aunt called me into the drawing-room, and very kindly showed
me the excessive foolishness of my conduct; but from this very
moment I am determined that I will not lose a moment, and we will see
what the next three weeks will produce.'
Poor little fellow! his language is so strong that it is almost a surprise to
find that he was reproaching himself for no more heinous fault than not
having worked up to the full extent of his powers! He kept his promise
of diligence, and never again incurred reproof, but was sent up for good
again in November. His career through the school was above the
average, though not attaining to what was expected from his
capabilities; but the development of his nature was slow, and therefore
perhaps ultimately the more complete, and as yet study for its own sake
did not interest him; indeed, his mind was singularly devoid of pleasure
in classical subjects, though so alert in other directions.
He was growing into the regular tastes of the