o have given notes of their age, and
particularly of Leopric's Latin Missal, which I had a design of printing,
being countenanc'd thereto by Dr Hickes, Mr Dodwell, etc."

RECOLLECTIONS

"To entertain the lag-end of my life
With quiet hours."

--_Henry IV._, Pt. I.

I was born at Down on 16th August 1848: I was christened at Malvern--a
fact in which I had a certain unaccountable pride. But now my only
sensation is one of surprise at having been christened at all, and a wish
that I had received some other name. I was never called Francis, and I
disliked the usual abbreviation Frank, while Franky or Frankie seemed to
me intolerable. I also considered it a hardship to have but one
Christian name. Our parents began by giving two names to the elder
children; but their inventive capacity gave way and the younger ones had
each but one. It seemed, too, a singular fact that--as they afterwards
confessed--they gave names which they did not especially like. Our
godfathers and godmothers were usually uncles and aunts, but this tepid
relationship was deprived of any conceivable interest by the fact that
the uncles were usually represented by the parish clerk. This, of
course, we only knew by rumour, but we realised that they gave no
christening mugs--a line of conduct in which I now fully sympathise. My
brother Leonard did indeed receive a silver spoon from Mr Leonard Horner,
but I fancy that this came to him on false pretences.

I have no idea at what age we began to go to church, but I have a general
impression of unwillingly attending divine service for many boyish years.
We had a large pew, lined with green baize, close beneath the clergyman's
desk, and so near the clerk that we got the full flavour of his
tremendous amens. I have a recollection of entertaining myself with the
india-rubber threads out of my elastic-sided boots, and of gently
tweaking them when stretched as miniature harp-strings. The only other
diverting circumstance was the occurrence of book-fish (Lepisma?) in the
prayer books or among the baize cushions. I have not seen one for fifty
years, and I may be wrong in believing that they were like minute
sardines running on invisible wheels. In looking back on the service in
Down church, I am astonished at the undoubted fact that whereas the
congregation in general turned towards the altar in saying the Creed, we
faced the other wa