before this. I hope all future contributors who are inclined to it will remember that it has been said quite often enough for them already, and that we readers are likely to be heartily sick of it by now. This, however, belongs properly to the prose articles, and was only suggested to me by the title of the last piece I noticed. I must go on to notice two or three more poems.-About the next piece I come to, "Hope and Despair," I think "the least said, the soonest mended," for I am free to confess it is quite beyond me, so I am not going to be such a fool as to discuss it. I leave that for my worst enemy-may he come to grief over it!

"E. C." and "G. B. V." seem both of them far gone in the tender passion. That is their business and not mine, so I'll waste no compassion on them. One thing I should be glad to know, if "G. B. V." would kindly inform me, where in the world am I to find a "myrtle bower," when I want such accommodation for myself and "the girl I love." I know that I never saw or heard of one except in such pieces as "To Annie.”- One would almost suppose, from the number of sentimental pieces in your Magazine, that Sherborne had become (what it certainly was not in my day-say what you will to the contrary, fair readeress) famous for its beauties, to inspire the K. S. S. Benedicts with such passion. For my own part, I don't mind confessing that I don't care a rap for sentimental poetry, nor indeed for any poetry but what is really good. I am glad you seem inclined to cut down the amount of poetry in your last. I can't help thinking that if you made it a rule not to admit more than a single piece in each number, you would increase the number of your readers, if you diminished the number of contributors. Let them go,—the writers of slip-slop poetry, or at least wait till they can produce a prose article worth reading. For you must remember that you have to consult the taste of your readers, who are probably far more numerous, as well as the convenience of a few writers who find it easier to produce a passable poem, as they think, than a readable piece of prose.

So much for the poetry; and a good deal too much, perhaps you think. Never mind, if you are not tired, I am not; so I will

talk of a few of the prose pieces if you will let me.

Don't begin to blush, for I am not going to be so impudent as to comment upon your "Preface," or upon "Au Revoir."-The author of "Valentines" I should certainly bring in guilty of mock-modesty : it is by far the best piece in your first number.—I wish "Cursor" had left some non- -Cursor to write an account of the School-races. I am very glad to hear of your having started them, and should like to know more about them than Cursor has vouchsafed to tell us. I hope you will not have such difficulty in reviving them as you seem to fear. What in the world possessed you, Mr. Editor, to admit such a piece of rubbish as "Virgil and his Writings"? If I were your master, I should be inclined to condemn you and the author to read it aloud, alternately, till you were both ashamed of it. Pray thank "Cæsarea" and "Viator" for their (or his) pleasant articles, "Sherbornian Abroad," and "Cherbourg A-hoy!"-they are decidedly refreshing and I wish C. or V. would write enough to leave no room for such things as the "Song of a Blind Man," or the "Song of a Hexameter. "Our first day of the Season," would be well enough in its place; but I think "M. W. H." must have exchanged the envelopes of it and another piece intended for your Magazine. It is scarcely likely to have much interest for many of

your schoolfellows. I am rustic enough to approve of "E. C.'s" “Urbis Delicia”; I only wish it was not quite so short.—I might almost say the same about "Our Barbers." Indeed I think it is a common fault with your prose contributors."Cæsar" has made the same mistake as "Famosus" in your next number his introduction takes up more than a quarter of the whole piece. That is the only fault I have to find with "Joe," which certainly comes in pleasantly enough "to add variety to the pages of the SHIRBURNIAN.”—You will laugh when I tell you I blushed on reading "A Hard-reading Man's Evening!" Poor would-be Platonist! I can quite sympathize with him.-"The Welsh Conventicle" is well described, and not without humour. I would not mind laying a small sum that it is not the author's first attempt at composition. I hope "F. M." will excuse me when I say, that I

Y

should think that he was not really so troubled at the good things set before him as he pretends to have been in "Farmhouse Hospitality," but that he himself was fond of the table, even if his host was not.—“Dulce Domum" is written in a free and easy school-boyish style, but I think that there is a little too much slang in it to please any but schoolboys.-"A Boiled Lobster," and " Change for a Penny" are much too short, and there is nothing striking enough in either of them to attract the attention of your readers.-If I don't soon "orationis vela contraho," I am afraid I shall have no chance of finding a corner in your next. One thing more before I say good-bye. Anybody who has seen the SHIRBURNIAN, and does not know K. S. S., would be inclined to form an unfavourable impression of the style of fellows there from the tone of the Magazine. And those who do know, as I do, what a really good set of fellows used to be there, are astonished at your not getting more decent stuff to fill your pages, and leave no room for the endless praise of beer and tobacco, idleness and slang, which it contains. Young authors can't understand the impression this causes upon strangers. Pray give some of them the hint, or use your scissors a little more freely. them send you some good manly papers upon school games and pursuits, and subjects of common interest. Let their heroes benot the fellows who smuggle contraband pistols, and play at Charles-in-the-Oak-but those who make the best averages, take the most wickets, kick the best goals, and are the champions in the Or if they are of the reading order, let them tell you what they think of the last good book they have read, and help the rest of us, who have less time and taste, to get at the pith through their means. But I must not go into all these details, or suggest fetters which may limit their freedom or power of writing. What I do mean to say is this, that I should like to see them taking a tone above instead of one below themselves-and in their writing, as well as in their own characters, aiming at a higher instead of a lower line.

races.

Yours very truly,

Let

JOHN SMITH.

DEAR MR. EDITOR,-Will you give an old boy the privilege of saying a few words respecting this Magazine, and forgive me if the criticism I have to make seems too severe ? Taking, as I do, a deep interest in the School and all its proceedings, I would fain see these pages exhibit a higher style of writing. I cannot bring myself to believe that they fairly represent the tone of thought and strength of intellect fostered in the old place. There seems a want of purpose-of earnestness—in the way it is taken up. I have no wish to offend any contributors by particular comments; but some of the articles are written in a careless, slangy style, as if the sole object were to cover so much paper with writing, and send a contribution, no matter what, to the SHIRBURNIAN. I have felt this all the more strongly since meeting accidentally, the other day, with a similar Magazine, published by the boys of another school, which does not contain above two-thirds of our numbers, and has not been established long enough to boast of more than two or three 'old boys'; yet, with all these disadvantages, its superiority—whether in regard to the subjects chosen, or the manner of treating them-was immense. All the correspondents write on a definite subject, and omit apologies for want of matter or ability. In size it very little exceeds our own, being published, however, only quarterly instead of monthly; but then, who would not choose quality before quantity? The chief difference, then, lies in the greater earnestness, as I said before, and thoughtfulness with which the subjects are treated in our contemporary; and my object in writing this is to stir up the present Sherbornians to more strenuous efforts. They are as good as other schoolboys, as good as Sherbornians of ten years ago, but they must show it. I am by no means, in principle, a "laudator temporis acti," yet I am sorely tempted to think there is a want of spirit now which animated them then. Let me urge upon their notice two inducements to write their best in future; one addressed to their patriotism, the other to their ambition.

First, then, by carelessness in this particular, a positive injury is done to the School. This Magazine is circulated beyond the limits of the quadrangle; it is read by many who feel an interest in the

School, and who will form from this their judgment of the character and education given by it. They know what a schoolboy's powers are, and would not expect the finished composition which age and practice alone can produce; but if they see second-rate productions admitted in number after number, what conclusion can they draw but that better cannot be commanded? That this would not be the true conclusion in our case, I feel sure; but then it must be shewn publicly to be faulty; and this is pre-eminently a problem to which the solvitur ambulando solution applies, as the truest and best. Again Is ambition the motive? Does any one of my readers intend to come before the world as an author? He must know that nothing but earnest, serious practice will serve his purpose; and here is an opportunity not to be lost for seeing himself in print, under circumstances in which he can do no harm by a mistake of inexperience or inadvertence, and where he himself will meet with no severe discouraging criticism. Here, above all, his aim must be to write with a purpose, and having fixed on his subject, to put down what he really thinks and feels, not what he thinks will approve itself to others—this is the secret of an author's success. There is a hollowness about a man of the latter stamp which nothing can disguise, and yet there is a great temptation to a young author to be influenced by such considerations, which generally would lead him to make himself out as wiser and more experienced than he really is. But write simply, straightforwardly, earnestly, and the fruits must be something worthy of the School and its Magazine.

I have so far carried my theory into practice, that I have written unreservedly my thoughts on this subject. Perhaps it may never have presented itself to any one in so serious a light, but I am persuaded that a little reflection will prove it to be the true one. So, with full confidence in the acquiescence of my Schoolfellows, and their good sense to repair the deficiency I have pointed out,

I remain,

Their sincerest

WELL-WISHER.