Year: 1873

example OF the truth that klnu
action is never thrown away.


The date was that of the civil
war between the Parliament and
King Charles 1. The two parties
had taken up arms, and were Wig
orously carrying on the conflict
The Kings army had been defeated
several times and those of his ad-
herents taken with arms in their
hands were led before judges ap-
pointed by Cromwell in every town,
to be condemned as rebels.


Sir Nicholas Newcastle was one
of those judges. He was of aus
tere manner, but without fanatic
ism; his devotion to tn new gov
ernment was well known and Crom-
well had a special esteem for him.
His weakly constitution did not al
low h IN t serve n ms for the
cause which he thought the just
one, but he was looked upon as the
M st active and able, we t. Q
most vigorously just magistrate in
the country.


One evening, Sir Nicholas was at
sup with mis- family and a + W
of his friends, when a band of sol
diers rrived with a royalist lr.son-
er, w ON they had succeede in
capturing. 1t was royal officer
who after the route of Charles
army had been vainly trying to
reach the coast, and there find
means of escape to France. Sir


Nicholas ordered his hands to be
unbound, and another table to be
placed near the Fireplace.


at is my birthday" said he, "and
/ wish to finish merrily the supper
| have begun. Give refreshments
to this cavalier and the guards
; At present ] would be his host--in
an hour / will ac as his Judge"
{ The soldiers thanked him, and
/: sat down at the table near thcil
prisoner. who did not appear to be
much affected by his position, and
! fell on to the provisions set before
him with as good an appetite al
any.


Sir Nicholas returned to his
place at the cad of the table, and
resumed the conversation that had
been interrupted by the arrival OF
the soldiers. y


"Well, | was telling you," he con,
tinued, 18th t at g age of fifteen
was so weak and puny, that every
one scorned my ieebleness and took
advantage of it to illuse me. First
had to endure tie bad treatment
: of step-mother, then that of my
school-fellows. Courage in boys is
only the consciousness of strength
G NV weakness made me o coward
9 and far from hardening me, the
: roughness and harshness to which
/ was ex, osed made me only more
shrinking and sensitive to pain
| lived in continual state of fear
: but, above all, l feared the mas
ter's cane. Twice / had suffered
this cruel punishment, and / had
preserved such an accurate remem-
branco of the pain, that the very
thought of q third infiiction made
me tremble all over. .5rr


81 was at Westminster School,
as / have already told you. The
forms were taught i'll large room
together, and were separated from
q another by q curtain, which we
were expressly forbidden to touch


One summer day drowsiness had
overcome me in the middle of q
French lesson ;, thena slight noise
startling me out of my nap, i only
saved myself from alling off my
scat, by catching at the curtain,
which was close beside me. Il
gave way at my grasp and to my
horror, / saw tn l had made a


tear in it big enough to sec the
next class through it. The two
masters turned round at the noise,
y and at once perceiving the damage
g that had been done. The blame
i appeared to lie between me and the
5 boy next the curtain on the other
!; side !; but my confusion soon point
/ ed mo out as tho culprit, and the
3 master ordered me to como out and


have dozen blows of the cane


l got up staggering like drunken
man / tried to speak, to ask par
don; but fear had glued my tongue
!. to my mouth, my knees trembled
!, under me, cold Precipitation broke
4 out on my face, The instrument
: of punishment was already raised