now eagerly rushing or
heedlessly sauntering along the pathway of revolution, as an ox goeth to
the slaughter or a fool to the correction of the stocks, what is it but
a symptom as infallible as it is appalling, that the day of our
greatness and stability is no more, and that the chill and damp of death
are already creeping over England's glory.' These dolorous spectres
haunted him incessantly, as they haunted so many who had not the
sovereign excuse of youth, and his rhetoric was perfectly sincere. He
felt bound to say that, as far as he could form an opinion, the ministry
most richly deserved impeachment. Its great innovations and its small
alike moved his indignation. When Brougham committed the enormity of
hearing causes on Good Friday, Gladstone repeats with deep complacency a
saying of Wetherell, that Brougham was the first judge who had done such
a thing since Pontius Pilate.

OXFORD ELECTIONEERING

The undergraduates took their part in the humours of the great election,
and Oxford turned out her chivalry gallantly to bring in the anti-reform
candidate for the county to the nomination. 'I mounted the mare to join
the anti-reform procession,' writes the impassioned student to his
father, 'and we looked as well as we could do, considering that we were
all covered with mud from head to foot. There was mob enough on both
sides, but I must do them justice to say they were for the most part
exceedingly good-humoured, and after we had dismounted, we went among
them and elbowed one another and bawled and bellowed with the most
perfect good temper. At the nomination in the town hall there was so
much row raised that not one of the candidates could be heard.' The
effect of these exercitations was a hoarseness and cold, which did not,
however, prevent the sufferer from taking his part in a mighty bonfire
in Peckwater. On another day:--

I went with Denison and another man named Jeffreys between eleven
and twelve. We began to talk to some men among Weyland's friends;
they crowded round, and began to holloa at us, and were making a
sort of ring round us preparatory to a desperate hustle, when lo!
up rushed a body of Norreys' men from St. Thomas's, broke their
ranks, raised a shout, and rescued us in great style. I shall ever
be grateful to the men of St. Thomas's. When we were talking,
Jeffreys said something which made one man holloa, 'Oh, his
father's