and, as was remarked by the old servant, who mentioned the circumstance, 'his left hand knew not what his right hand did.'

During the early part of his residence at Neasdon, he had been reading an account of the manner in which a certain African traveller had successfully parried the attack of a wild bull. There happened to be grazing in a field adjoining to Mr Bristow's garden a bull of no very peaceable disposition. Reginald resolved on making a similar experiment with this animal, and advanced towards it, holding his hat before his face, and acting all the gesticulations of which he had been reading, fully anticipating its instant flight. On the contrary, the bull ran furiously at him, and he only escaped by jumping over some rails into the garden. In this garden was a pool of water, divided from the rails by a narrow gravel walk, into which the bull, not being active enough to turn short round, like his adversary, plunged, and after floundering forwards some time, remained sticking fast in the mud, with his head not many feet from an alcove on the opposite side, in which sat, quietly at their tea, Mr and Miss Bristow, little expecting such a visiter.

Reginald was endowed by nature with a strong memory and a lively imagination, both of which had been cultivated to an extraordinary degree at the early age of thirteen, by the constant habit of employing a large part of his leisure hours in reading.

He was not remarkable for quickness of apprehension; but in this respect his class-fellows could surpass him, if he allowed his mind to wander from the subject immediately before him.

In prose and verse, however, he showed his superiority, especially in the latter. In his prose exercises there was a maturity of thought and a knowledge beyond his years; and his verses were spirited and original, or if any of his thoughts or expressions were borrowed, they were taken from authors, with whom most readers, and certainly his school fellows, were but little acquainted. He would often take a long, solitary walk with some favorite poem in his pocket, whilst his companions were employed in their youthful sports. Though he took no interest in these, he was by no means unpopular, for he was so amiable, kind and cheerful, and had such a power of entertaining his com

panions, that, whether older or younger than himself, they all loved him. In the long winter evenings a group of boys would form around him, whilst he narrated some tale of chivalry, or repeated ancient ballads, or told some wild romance, partly from books, and partly from his own invention.

Reginald was not only fond of acquiring knowledge for its own sake; he also felt the stimulus of emulation in his daily studies; but there was no ungenerous feeling towards those who surpassed him. Generosity was indeed a very striking trait in his character, not only in boyhood, but in every period of his life. Indeed, selfdenial seemed not to cost him an effort, and he never showed that too great regard for self, which is so common to our nature, before it is subdued by religion. Still, though of an unusually mild disposition, he was capable of being roused by oppression and of resisting it vigorously, and in one instance, though sure of being worsted in the conflict by the greater strength of his adversary, he fought manfully, to teach his opponent, as he said, that he would not bear tyranny.

At this early period of his life, a reverence

for everything sacred, and a remarkable purity of thought, were eminent points in his character.

Though many of his school fellows were profane and indecent in their conversation, they had no influence upon him, whilst his example had the best effect upon those who, without it, would have been too weak to resist the vice to which they were daily exposed.

During the summer holidays, when Reginald was about fourteen, his mother missed her "Companion to the Altar,' and on inquiry being made, he brought it to her, saying, that he had had it about three weeks, and had spent many hours in reading it: that he had made himself master of its contents and thoroughly understood them, and begged to be allowed to accompany her to the Altar on the next Sacrament Sunday, to which his happy mother consented with tears of joy and affection.

CHAPTER II.

IN Nov. 1800, Reginald Heber, having finished his school education, was entered at Brazen Nose College, Oxford. As his education had been private he came to the university under the disadvantage of having an entirely new acquaintance to form, but his literary taste and talents for conversation soon introduced him to so large a circle that it would have been injurious to his success, had his thirst for knowledge been less ardent. He never allowed his hours of study to be lost by evening parties, but would often tie a wet cloth round his head to keep off the approach of sleep.

As a proof of his devotion to the acquisition of knowledge,we will quote a short extract from a letter to a youthful friend, written soon after he entered the University. I have got into a habit of tolerably early rising, which I intend to adhere to; the plan is, that another young man, who has been my companion in the course of mathematics, which I have gone through, has agreed to read with me every morning from six