punish. Still, I don't believe in corporal punishment—it may be useful, but I assure you it is not often necessary at Harrow. I have heard of some curious little stories on this subject. Lord Lawrence admitted that he was flogged once every day except one, when he was flogged twice in one day. Here are two remarkable examples that the birch does not ruin a boy's love for the master who administers it.
"When Dr. South, as a boy, went to Westminster, Busby said, 'I see wits in that ugly little boy; my cane shall bring them out'; and it did. Yet when South was lying on his death-bed he expressed the wish to be buried next to Bushy. They lie beside each other at Westminster. It is said that Dr. Keate at Eton flogged every day, and on one occasion kept at it all night. Yet Mr. Gladstone told me that the most enthusiastic reception he was ever at was Keate's farewell dinner given by his old pupils.
"A certain well-known head master of Harrow used to say to a boy after he had birched him, 'I forgive you!' and he accompanied every stroke on the delinquent's body with such expressions as 'Now, be a man!' 'Be brave!' 'I'm so sorry!' And he meant it. The reason for his taking to birching the boys was an amusing one. He was humanity itself, and he got another master to do the thrashing. But the other master was even more humane than he, and in his pity for the boy laid across the form, would hit out so enthusiastically as only to birch the form and not the delinquent. Hence the head master held the birch afterwards.
Harrow School: The Entrance.
From a Photo. by Elliott & Fry.
"When this same head master was appointed," said Mr. Welldon, "he caused a servant, who had been with his predecessor, to go through the house and take an inventory. The fanlight over the door had a huge hole in it as though a stone had broken it. The servant did not include this in his list.
"'You missed this," said the worthy head, pointing to the broken fanlight.
"'Oh! that is always left with a hole in it, sir!' was the servant's significant reply.
