_ music at seven o'clock. I went. An
old Don--a very good-natured man but too fond of music--played bass,
and through his enthusiasm I was kept playing quartets on a heavy
tenor from seven to twelve. Oh, my poor eyes and head and back."[11]
When the news arrived of his success at Oriel he was practising
music. "The Provost's butler--to whom it fell by usage to take the
news to the fortunate candidate--made his way to Mr. Newman's lodgings
in Broad Street, and found him playing the violin. This in itself
disconcerted the messenger, who did not associate such an
accomplishment with a candidateship for the Oriel Common-Room, but his
perplexity was increased when on his delivering what may be considered
to have been his usual form of speech on such occasions, that 'he had,
he feared, disagreeable news to announce, viz., that Mr. Newman was
elected Fellow of Oriel, and that his immediate presence was required
there,' the person addressed merely answered, 'Very well,' and went on
fiddling. This led the man to ask whether, perhaps, he had not gone to
the wrong person, to which Mr. Newman replied that it was all right.
But, as may be imagined, no sooner had the man left than he flung down
his instrument and dashed downstairs."[12] And again, "With a
half-malicious intent of frightening them (his electors at Oriel), it
was told them that Mr. Newman had for years belonged to a club of
instrumental music, and had himself taken part in its public
performances, a diversion, innocent in itself, but scarcely in
keeping, or in sympathy with an intellectual Common-Room, or promising
a satisfactory career to a nascent Fellow of Oriel."[13] So thought
the _quidnuncs_; nevertheless, Mr. Newman "went on fiddling." His
pupil, F. Rogers (the late Lord Blachford), joined him herein, and
writes, January, 1834: "Your sermons ... and Beethoven are most
satisfactory. I wish I could hope to join you in the last in any
moderate time. However, I do expect you will take me to Rose Hill to
hear some of it again, if it were only to remind me of those evenings
I used to spend with you when at Iffley. I am afraid you will have
enough of my bass to satisfy you without Beethoven in the course of
next term." N.B.--"He was to be in Froude's room over my
head,--J.H.N."[14] Mr. Bowden also played the violoncello, and Newman
was further supported by one who was a musician, and a deal more
besides. "Mr. Blanco White," he writes, November, 1826, "plays the
violin,