And This Is The Evil Which The Country Is
Now Expiating With Its Blood And Treasure.
It has allowed its
knaves to stand in the high places; and now it finds that knavish
works have brought about evil results.
But of this I shall be
constrained to say something further hereafter.
We went into all the schools of the college, and made ourselves
fully aware that the amount of learning imparted was far above our
comprehension. It always occurs to me, in looking through the new
schools of the present day, that I ought to be thankful to persons
who know so much for condescending to speak to me at all in plain
English. I said a word to the gentleman who was with me about
horses, seeing a lot of lads going to their riding lesson. But he
was down upon me, and crushed me instantly beneath the weight of my
own ignorance. He walked me up to the image of a horse, which he
took to pieces, bit by bit, taking off skin, muscle, flesh, nerves,
and bones, till the animal was a heap of atoms, and assured me that
the anatomy of the horse throughout was one of the necessary
studies of the place. We afterward went to see the riding. The
horses themselves were poor enough. This was accounted for by the
fact that such of them as had been found fit for military service
had been taken for the use of the army.
There is a gallery in the college in which are hung sketches and
pictures by former students. I was greatly struck with the merit
of many of these. There were some copies from well-known works of
art of very high excellence, when the age is taken into account of
those by whom they were done. I don't know how far the art of
drawing, as taught generally, and with no special tendency to
military instruction, may be necessary for military training; but
if it be necessary I should imagine that more is done in that
direction at West Point than at Sandhurst. I found, however, that
much of that in the gallery, which was good, had been done by lads
who had not obtained their degree, and who had shown an aptitude
for drawing, but had not shown any aptitude for other pursuits
necessary to their intended career.
And then we were taken to the chapel, and there saw, displayed as
trophies, two of our own dear old English flags. I have seen many
a banner hung up in token of past victory, and many a flag taken on
the field of battle mouldering by degrees into dust on some
chapel's wall - but they have not been the flags of England. Till
this day I had never seen our own colors in any position but one of
self-assertion and independent power. From the tone used by the
gentleman who showed them to me, I could gather that he would have
passed them by, had he not foreseen that he could not do so without
my notice.
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