THE
PETERITE. Vot . . NII .
J1NUARY, iS93 .
No .
IO2.
SCHOOL LETTER. IJR thoughts naturally recur to the past, and the new term finds us as deeply imbued with Shakespeare and his way of looking at things as ever . It is not often that we presume to disagree with the great master of the drama, but one sentiment that found a home in many minds last term, strikes us as peculiarly inapt with the task of a School Letter before us . How anyone so sensible as Shakespeare can make a mortal say " I am for whole volumes in folio " we cannot understand. Maybe he never meant it for a School Correspondent— rather the would have allowed ours to be a case of " I'auca Verba . " Last term ' s football shall be our first theme . We secured the Cup again without any real opposition . The new League system, though diminishing the excitement naturally attending a Final," seemed an improvement on the old way, but there still remain difficulties which need providing against. Though two Durham matches were arranged for last term, as usual, we have not played yet . The first was abandoned through disease, the second through frost . Our victories in all numbered seven, our losses three . Nine matches are down to be played this term . We have lost, it is true, some good men, but Leonard will probably take a place in the three-quarter line, and there are several promising forwards in the znd XV, notably Romans and Williams, to fill vacancies in the front. " Love's Labour ' s Lost, " so fully described in following pages, was, as plays of former years, a complete success . The difficulty and anxiety of 1891 produced by the untimely attack of measles, was not, we are thankful to say, repeated . 2111 the company worked well,
Q
3 1 4 THEATRICALS. but without Mr. Yeld's indefatigable energy and resource could not have secured the genuine success they did . Qui meruit palmam fa-at. The crowded and distinguished andience of the second night testified to the lasting, and, we believe, ever increasing popularity of the School Play. By the way our " Pauca Verba " is a fraud, but we cannot close without seizing this opportunity of expressing our sense of the real loss the School is sustaining in Mr. Whittam leaving us for his new post at Ryde . No master we can safely say has in so short a time ever endeared himself more in any school in which he has been . Mr. Whittam, by the good natured interest and unobtrusive assistance he gave in the games, and in fact in all the interests of the School, deservedly won the affection of all with whom he came in contact . A presentation made by the Captain of the School on behalf of the Houses and Dayboys is but one of the many testimonies paid to him of the sincere esteem with which Mr . Whittam is regarded.
'I s HEATRICALS. NE more School play has been added to the long list . Yes, St. Peter's Dramatic Club has survived another year, and flourished too, if not surpassed itself. As usual the chief cause of our success was the untiring energy and perseverance of Mr. Veld . When we began there was anything but a bright prospect before us, confronted as we were by one of the hardest plays that has been performed on the School stage, and our actors being for the most part novices . To add to the difficulty the number of ladies required was somewhat large, and theirs are by no means the easiest parts to take . Our difficulties gradually disappeared, however, as time went on, and the performance was quite up to the average Again Captain Lindberg and A . C . Clarke have been kind enough to paint the scenery for us . The forest scene by the latter might have been the work of an R .A . The new Drop Scene we have long been in want of is now painted, and a lovelier picture can hardly be imagined . Further comment is unnecessary when the epilogue is at hand . We cannot help expressing our gratitude to Dr. Naylor for those songs so sweet, " and to Dr. Hingston for the loan of his plants, without which the stage would have looked very bare indeed . We are deeply indebted also to the
O
THEATRICALS .
315
ladies who were staying in the house . for their assistance with the dresses . And now a word about the actors—" the parties themselves " We had no one like Peel in last year's play, yet Biron ' s acting was very slightly, if in any way inferior to his, and we were without the tail that was so apparent last year . This is the duty of the critics, but we cannot conclude without mentioning Clarke who "at the last minute of the hour " vacated the comfortable prompter's chair, and appeared before the footlights, arrayed in the gorgeous apparel of " Dun Adramadio. " The epilogue as usual was written by dlr . Veld, though a few appropriate lines were added by Mr. Preston to commemorate the 25th year our worthy stage manager has been a part of the School, and a very active part too . We can only thank all who have helped to bring about the success of the play, and hope that next year will see as brilliant a performance as this.
LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST. By WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE.
Gaza I SSS. FERPINANn, KING OF NA VARRE IIIRON LONGAVII .LE
..
(Lords attending on the hing)
I)U\IAIN BOYET \IERC :v)r•.)
(Lords attending on the Princess of France)
I)ON ADRIANO DE ARMAPO (A Fantastical Spaniard) SIR NATHANIEL (A Curate)
..
G . \WINN \V . A . ROSE J . E . METCALF1 A . W . EAST\WOOI) C . W. NEWTON I . G . WILLIAMS . . A . L . PEEL (Sub. E . W . Clarke) R . II . BAILEV B . ST . G . T . SCARGILI, . . J . R . ATKINSON
IIOLOFERNES (A Schoolmaster) I)uLL (A Constable) COSTARD (A Clown)
\V . C . B . WILLIAMS K K . VELA .. .. C . P . AVIIINCtl' A FORI.STER . . THE PRINCESS OF FRANCE . . G . G . VELD F . CLEMONS ROSALINE (Ladies attending on the Princess) G . 1' . I IAWORTI I MARIA ( A . M . SULLIVAN KATIIARINE) N . F . ADDIS JAQUENETTA (A Country Wench) . . T . F . WILLIAMS VER . . C . P. CASS IIIEMS Lords, Attendants, Blackamoors, Bears. MOTH (Page to Armado)
. ..
Tkr Scene is hull in Navarre.
11
316
THEATRICALS. ACT
I.
The King of N varre's 1' :rk. ACT II. Another part of the same. ACT III. Another _fart of the same. ACT IV. Neat the Am s Palace
New Scenery by A . C . Clarke, Esq. The New Drop Scene by T . II . Lindberg . Esq.
EPILOGUE. PRINCESS :
Since last we met say, lioyet, what's the news
BovET :
Madam, St . Peter's still its youth renews; But with our cup of joy is mingled pain, Two, whose examples will with us remain. Have left our home, a better home to gain. One (I) in th' attempt another's life to save, Crowned with the unfading chaplet of the brave ; The other (2) true to duty's every word, Wearing the wreath upon the true conferred. The radiance of their lives is with us yet, Like the snow's glory when the sun has set. Another (3) too we mourn whom all esteemed, Whom all an Englishman's ideal deemed, Ready to all good works his help to lend—
KING :
The kindly gentleman, the unfailing friend. In pace requiescant. Then we lose
MARIA :
One to whom none can loyal love refuse. In school and out first 'mong the men who quit 'em BIRON :
Like men and faithful friends Comes Mr . VVhittam (4)
RUSAL .INE :
IIe goes to Ryde.
Dot .l . :
Where's that?
HOLOFERNES :
O! stupid Wight, What did our great, our late-lost poet write?
BIRON :
The place to score .
" Where falls not hail, nor rain, nor any snow,"
POEM . —CORRESPONDENCE .
337
Rev . Canon Elwyn, Rev . G. T. Handford . Rev . S . H . Bennett, Lt .-Col . Crowther, and Messrs . J . F. Walker, D . Hart, A. C. Clarke, F . IV. Crossley, J . Craven, J . A . Dunkerley, G. V . Birks, A . Raimes, P. L . Newman, A. E . Chapman, P . E . Lord, C . H . Cobb, F. C . Crowther, K . E . T . Wilkinson, A . Procter . G. 1'eld, F. Ware, H . B . Whitby, S . O . Bingham . J . F. Leaf, I-f . W . Preston, F. E. Colby, E . W. Clayforth, J . C . Walker, A . V . Hudson, G . H . Eyre, H . I) . Naylor, A . Peters, and D . Carter,
POEM. Tram dalion from Horace . Ode iii. Book iii. The man who ' s just and in his purpose strong, Not the wild frenzy of the hectoring throng, Nor face of tyrant lowering from above Can ever from that solid purpose move. Nor the South wind, whose fierce o'crmastering sway The mighty billows of the deep obey, Nor thundering Jove's right hand, upraised in might, Avail to tur n him from the path of right, E'en if in ruins on his head were hurled The shattered fragments of a blasted world, Not even then he'd falter, be afraid, The ruins still would strike him undismayed .
T . C . I-.
CORRESPONDENCE. TO TIIE EDITOR OF THE PETERITE. DEAR SIR,
As our rowing season is not far distant may I ask your assistance in the formation of some scheme for the alteration of our present arrangements on the river . The Old Boys have at last succeeded in obtaining new boats, thus giving a most favourable
33 8
CORRESPONDENCE.
opportunity for the introduction of a new era in the history of this somewhat unfortunate school pursuit . Now it is a notorious fact that of the fifteen races which have been held during the last five years every one has resulted in victory, and that generally an easy one, for the Houses, and the prospects for this year do not promise any exception to this longstanding rule . It is I think impossible that men should be found to row at all or at any rate to practice regularly and to train when they have nothing to look forward to but a hopeless defeat . It is not, however, on behalf of the dayboys that I presume to ask your help, as I understand quite well from a long experience that they are regarded as too insignificant a factor of the school for any serious consideration but it is rather on behalf of the rowing as a whole, since certainty of success or failure are alike prejudicial to improvement, that I recommend some such change as this . That ali who are willing to row should come down and be tried and coached for a fortnight or so at the beginning of the season ; that the captain should then select a first and second division of seniors and one division of juniors and separate them into fours as nearly equal as possible in skill and weight . The boats would then start with equal chances and the crews who trained and practised best would win . It may be that on consideration some other arrangement is found to be preferable but that some change is necessary I am convinced, and it may be undertaken without the slightest fear of failure, for the most perfect combination of folly and favouritism would fail to evolve a system more completely one-sided than that under which we labour at present. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant . R .G.
[We are sorry to inform our correspondent, that while thoroughly agreeing with him that some reform is needed in our system of boating, as yet we have only had one boat promised us, not two . Ed .]
OBITUARY — NOTES AND ITEMS .
339
4bttaaiv. At YORK DECEMBER r3th, 1892.
A H . RUSSELL, J .IEUT .-COLONEI . OP VOLUNTEERS,
Entered the School Midsummer, 1552 ; Left Midsummer, 185S.
NOTES AND ITEMS. 1' . L . Chadwick . appointed Registrar of the Dewsbury District County Court. N . L . Hood played half-back for Surrey v. Kent. R . Crosthwaite has been appointed to a Science Mastership at Sherborne School. A . C . Clarke has been appointed Fourth Form Master at Leeds Grammar School. F. L . Grindrod, Lincoln College, Oxford, proceeded to M . A . degree. G. H . Chilman, Class iii ., Theological Examination, Durham, recommended for a Prize of Books. F . G . Williams, 94th out of 186 in the Examination for Second Class Civil Service Clerkships. Lieut.-Colonel Crowther, Lieut .-Colonel Russell, and Major White received the Volunteer Officer 's Decorations. Marriage .—November 17th, at St . Mark ' s, St . Heliers, Jersey, Captain Philip Palmes, Royal North Lancashire Regiment, Adjutant 1st Royal Jersey Light Infantry, to Hilda St . Albans, daughter of R . F . Jermyn, of St . Heliers. We have to thank the courtesy of E . W . Crossley, O .P ., and T . L. Johnson, of Leeds Grammar School, for information about Leeds Football matches .
340
NOTES AND ITEMS.
The last two numbers of the Peterite, Too and for, were published in September and November. The Dunelmian-Peterite tour was completely stopped by the frost. Rev . W . R . Rayson has been appointed Vicar of Coatham, Redcar. Rev . H . L . Clarke has been appointed Canon of Wakefield. M . Whittam, Esq., M .A ., has been appointed Science Master at the Isle of Wight College, Ryde. Our thanks are due to G. Bailey, Esq., for having presented the School with a volume of Burns' works. We beg to acknowledge the receipt of the following : Riponian, Leodiensian, Carliol, Huddersfield College Magazine, Coventry School Magazine, Dunelmian, Giggleswick Chronicle, Hurst Johnian, Herefordian, Sedberghian, Sutton Valence Magazine, Merchistonian, Uppingham School Magazine.
Subscriptions to the " Bingham Memorial Fund " from present members of the School, now amount to ZIo its . 6d . Subscriptions from other sources will be forthcoming, and the action of the Alfreton committee is being awaited, before deciding the form which the School Memorial will take .