ed, as a reckless feat, when bathing, leapt stark naked across
the first lock; a performance which the slightest slip might have made
fatal.

Many are the anecdotes which could be here told of our adventures; as of
policemen or keepers eluded, or put off the scent, by various ruses, &c.,
&c., on our various marauding expeditions, but I will mention only two
more incidents.

From the same feelings of jealousy, doubtless, which produce the "Town
and Gown" antagonism at the University, there was much ill-feeling among
the lower class of boys in the town towards ourselves, and free fights
occasionally occurred between them and the hated "bull-dogs." At dusk
stones were thrown at us, which it was difficult to avoid in the then
badly lighted streets. Sudden sorties were made from alleys, to take us
unawares, and send us sprawling on the coggles. Especially in snowy
weather we were assailed with snowballs on our way from school to the
Doctor's house, and although we stood shoulder to shoulder and made a
spirited resistance, it not uncommonly occurred that these missiles were
(doubtless purposely) made to contain a piece of ice, or even a sharp
flint. In one of these skirmishes the writer himself was struck on the
temple, his eye only just escaping, by a snowball, which a comrade picked
up, on seeing that the wound was bleeding, and a fragment of glass was
found inside it; this, surely, an extreme illustration of the principle
that "all is lawful in war."

One great event, of yearly re-occurrence, was our bonfire with fireworks,
on the 5th of November. Pocket money was hoarded up several weeks
beforehand, to provide for the latter; some boys even made their own
squibs and crackers, and these were considerably larger and more
formidable than those which were bought. The scene was usually a field
on Langton Hill, which belonged to the school. Subscriptions were raised
to purchase 100 faggots, locally called "kids;" but here again our custom
would, in strictness, have been condemned, for, in addition to the
purchased fuel, for sometime beforehand, we had been searching the hedges
around, armed with axes, and so had got together probably as much to
which we had no right, as that which had been bought. The bonfire was
thus doubled in size, and made a blaze which, on the hill, would be seen
for many a mile. We had a whole holiday to give us time to pile up the
heap; and in the evening parents and many other friends crowded