cess.

was

a

consent of opinions has brought Mr Clark, his most loyal apolinto readiness for such a pro- ogist, confesses that he was

Not a lofty ambition, often at fault. “There are two maybe, but useful, so long as ways," says he, "of doing most it lasts, and the writer of a things, and Whewell was unlucid synthesis need not feel lucky in nearly always choosing shame for his work. However, the wrong one.” No wonder, we do not know Whewell from then, if he were unpopular, and his writings. His ‘History of if on one occasion he marched the Inductive Sciences' from his college to the Senate long since forgotten, and his House with a prize-fighter on • Plurality of Worlds' would either side of him. But his have followed its companion fault was largely, as Mr Clark into oblivion had it not been points out, a fault of manner. for Sir F. Doyle's epigram, He browbeat rather from habit

than from conviction; and it “Though you through the regions of space should have travelled,

may be true, though it sounds And of nebular films the remotest un- monstrous paradox, that ravelled,

Whewell"

was in reality an You'll find, though you tread on the extremely humble-minded man, bounds of infinity,

diffident of himself, and sure of That God's greatest work is the Master of Trinity.”

his position only when he had

the approval of his conscience And that is what William for what he was doing.” HowWhewell was—Master of Trin- ever, whatever his character, he ity, and nothing else. He was was a great master, and as a a don in temperament, in learn- great master he will ever claim ing, in conduct. A very great the glory which the careless don, to be sure, but still a don. world denies him. His view of his own importance Far more polished and more was exaggerated, as his estima- august was Dr Thompson – tion of the universe was con- another Master of Trinity, who tracted. Within his own boun- is still fresh in the memory of daries, he was an imperious the present generation. In all autocrat; and he attempted, things he differed from Whewell by instinct rather than by de

in autocracy. They sign, to carry his autocracy were both born rulers, and it into the world. It is not was not their fault if the proastonishing, therefore, that he vince over which they ruled made many enemies, of whom a small one. But with Thackeray was the bitterest: autocracy the resemblance that stories should have been vanishes. Dr Thompson chilled told to his discredit is the pun- with an epigram, while Whewell ishment which he shares with crushed with a heavy bludgeon all those in authority. He would of contempt.

Moreover, Dr not permit an undergraduate to Thompson had the advantage sit down in his presence, said from a spectacular point of one; he is always insolent and view. No portrait of Whewell overbearing, said another. And can be compared to the alert, ,

save

was

a

were

ever

kindly, contemptuous figure of at least, there need be no retroDr Thompson as we remember gression, and the critics who put him. The ivory head of his the blame of our " certain ruin cane was of the same tone as

upon these seats of learning his sallow face, to which his should go back a few steps on silver hair was as a crown, and the path of history.

To comin every feature there was pare the Cambridge of to-day sense of learned, amiable superi- to the Cambridge of Gunning's ority. And behind that curious 'Reminiscences, ' which mask was as quick a wit as gathered under George III. and

flashed at folly. This the Regency, is to acknowledge Master was not rude, but ruth- that in all essentials modern less, and his jests are still the Cambridge is superior to its treasured heritage of Cam- predecessor. In one point only bridge.

do we admit a manifest inFor the rest of Mr Clark's feriority. When all the Heads scholars, Lord Houghton belongs of Houses were blackguards, rather to England than to his and all the fellows were drunk- . university, and though Henry ards, Cambridge gained in Bradshaw deserves a panegyric picturesqueness what it lost in every history of Cambridge, it in repute. Gunning frankly is Edward Henry Palmer who acknowledges that the uniof them all best served his col- versity in his day plumbed the lege and his country. Yet let

Yet let very depths of disgrace, and it not be thought that he was there is scarcely a single man not also a loyal pupil of Cam- who figures in his entertaining bridge. True, he died the death volumes that would be endured of a hero; true, also, he girded in our more modest days. But at the restraints of an academy; it would be absurd to suggest but he was still in sentiment an for one moment that Mr Clark's undergraduate, still in learning book can be set on the same a professor Whether Cam- shelf with Gunning's. A difbridge made the best of her ference of temperament explains treasure may be doubted, even much, and it is certain that the if we do not follow Sir Walter excellent Gunning would have Besant's condemnation of the uncovered some scandals even university's behaviour. At any in our reputable days. Yet rate, we cannot deprive Cam- the essential difference is a bridge of the distinction of difference of material. Gunhaving educated and encour- ning and Mr Clark are writing aged so fine a professor and so about entirely different races intrepid a man.

In Gunning's book Now, Dr Thompson, and there are stories which recall Henry Bradshaw, and Palmer Aubrey’s ‘Lives' in their mixbelong to the last decades of ture of truth and phantasy ; in the century, and we may ap- Mr Clark’s there is but a record plaud their achievements with- of honest endeavour and sound, out incurring the charge of if eccentric, character, It is fogeydom. In our universities, not from spite that Gunning

assures

us that in his time ages of scholarship have passed all the Seniors of Trinity were away, and are succeeded (maybe) addicted to rather squalid vices. by a too general intelligence. It is merely because he com- The old times were more enterbines with a love of truth a taining and less meritorious; sense of picturesqueness. We they would, of course, have shall never again see within the inflamed the ire of the jealous walls of Cambridge so eccen- Radical and given some colour tric a gentleman as Samuel

Samuel to the popular charges. For Peck, B.D., who gave the coun- all that, they still attract us ; try-folk the benefit of his legal and while we are glad to read advice, and then proclaimed— MrJ. W. Clark's amiable record, “A lawyer would have put you we pray that in some corner to expense : Sam Peck never of Cambridge there lurks a takes a fee, but he loves grati- Gunning who will preserve the tude; and he will accept a few eccentricities of the last desausages, a joint of pork, a cades. There remains (or did couple of fowls, a goose, or a remain) at least some curious turkey, or any article that your material different in its essence farm produces.” But the Rev. from Gunning's, yet not unSamuel Peck, despite his mean worthy a skilful attention. All gallantries, was an angel of we ask is a seeing eye and a virtue compared to the Rev. bold pen that will treat it James Backhouse, B.D., that without venom and without

of intrigue whose de- timidity. Then in twenty years nunciation by Porson not even

we may

have another book that Gunning is bold enough to shall earn an honourable place quote. All this is changed, by the side of Henry Gunning's with glory to our university, Reminiscences,' which remains

' yet not without a tinge of after half a century a unique regret to ourselves. The dark and matchless record.

man

THE WAR OPERATIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA.-IV.

BY A MILITARY CONTRIBUTOR.

men

It was

The column under Sir C. in single file only led to a flat Warren, which was to attempt table-land on which the Boers to turn the right of the Boer had commenced to dig a trench; forces investing Ladysmith, while in front there were sevmoved off on the 20th January eral lines of schansjes. The only to find itself face to face night was pitch dark, and our with an elevated plateau, its were not discovered till precipitous sides scored with they were within thirty yards watercourses, which stretched of the first schansje. The Boers for some miles north-west from fired one volley and fled prea point on the river's bank, mid- cipitately. The second line way between Trichard's and poured in a heavy fire, but Potgeiter's drifts, towards also fled at their approach. Acton Homes, thus completely The cheer with which our men barring the way to the open rushed into them was heard country lying south of Lady- by the troops in the camp smith. This ridge terminated below, and told them that the on the south in Spion Kop, an attack had succeeded. almost inaccessible mountain now four o'clock in the mornexcept where the nek joins it to ing; the mountain top was the main ridge ; its top a high shrouded with mist, but at plateau running to two sharp eight o'clock it lifted, and points overlooking and enfilad- immediately the Boers, who ing the Boer trenches on each had evidently been preparing, side. It was impossible to ex- opened a terrific cross-fire with aggerate the strategic import- shells and rifles from the lower ance of this hill; our guns there ground. For two hours the would render the Boer trenches men were under the heaviest before Potgeiter's drift unten- shell and Maxim-Nordenfeldts' able, and they had no second fire, the latter firing off twelve line of defence. So on the early shells in quick succession, each morning of the 24th inst. it a few inches above the was decided to make a night- other, with most deadly effect. attack on it. The nek was Three times they advanced strongly held by the Boers, who against the Boer position, and also occupied a spur on which each time had to retire. This they had constructed thirty- lasted till eleven o'clock, when five rifle-pits to bring a cross- our batteries found the Boer fire upon the advance. The guns, hitherto invisible, and only possible point for our at- almost immediately silenced tack was the south, with sheer them. The fight continued for precipices right and left; a the rest of the day, our men narrow footpath admitting men under a heavy fire pushing

one

own

gradually forward till late in waggons were trekking, their the evening.

laagers were breaking up; on General Lyttelton's brigade one side of all this confusion had marched out at dawn, and, were two or more divisions of covered by a heavy shell-fire, British, on the other 8000 more, had moved along the face of waiting, expecting to burst out the Boer position, sending a and join them -- a little more, battalion to climb Spion Kop only a little more, and the back about 5 A.M., when, after a of the Boer army was broken. sharp fight, they found them- Were there no generals to apselves unopposed on the sum- peal to ? Every one knew mit. The attack was made General Woodgate was shot; chiefly by the 2nd Cameronians, there was General Buller across 3rd Royal Rifles, 2nd Lan the river; there was General cashire Fusiliers, and 2nd Warren with his division down Middlesex, with Thorneycroft's below; there was General Clery Mounted Infantry.

somewhere; there was General The position was found to be Lyttelton; General Coke was too large for efficient defence, on the hill ; General Hart was water was deficient, and it was about,--surely out of these one terribly exposed to the enemy's could have been forthcoming. artillery, to which our Of that army of Staff that could hardly reply; so, after left their college to set things holding it all day and losing right in South Africa, were 40 per cent of the defenders, it none of them about? It is was decided by Major Thorney- not in the curriculum taught croft, who had succeeded to the at the college, though it is

, command when General Wood- an axiom of common - sense, gate was wounded, to withdraw that the “highly placed” staffduring the night, — a decision officer may, on occasion, turn that was carried out before day- "galloper,” and tell a general

" break on the 25th.

that he is wanted. Did it not Was such a decision neces- occur to one of these to over

Was it necessary for step the line of study? Are our guns to fire upon our own there no heads left in Natal? men ? Was it necessary to re

It would seem so. treat at all from the key of the the Boers have the monopoly. position, which our men had A correspondent tells uswon ?

Was it necessary to “Things had been done in huggerleave the momentous decision

mugger fashion, and the

gunners had on which hung the fate of no precise information imparted to Ladysmith-of the campaign

them as to the object and scope on the shoulders of a major

of the day's operation. They were of mounted infantry, a corps

quite unaware of the movement led

by General Lyttelton, which resulted in the nebulous condition that in the capture of the northern spur leaves the

uncertain of Spion Kop: the consequence was

that the Scottish Rifles and 3rd Rifles whether they are fish or fowl ?

suffered from their own shrapnel We heard that the Boers were

bursting over the reverse slopes. At galloping wildly about, their 6 P.M. both regulars and colonials had

66

sary ?

If there are,

men