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William Collins ( 1721-59 ), at Winchester from 1733 , published ‘ Ode on the Political Character ’ ( 1746 ), Odes on Several Descriptive and Allegorical Subjects ( 1747 ), and ‘ Ode on The Popular Superstitions of the Highlands of Scotland ’ ( 1749 ). Johnson fastened on their “ peculiar habits of thought ”: the 1747 Odes , for example , are characterised by strong emotional descriptions , coloured by European war and the Jacobite rising . They exhibit an interest in extremes of emotion and place . Here is Collins in Scotland :
But , O ! o ’ er all , forget not Kilda ’ s race , On whose bleak rocks , which brave the wasting tides , Fair Nature ’ s daughter , Virtue , yet abides ! Go , just as they , their blameless manners trace ! Then to my ear transmit some gentle song , Of those whose lives are yet sincere and plain , Their bounded walks the rugged cliffs along , And all their prospect but the wintry main .
Though little noticed at the time , the poems undoubtedly enjoyed an onwards lineage , most notably Wordsworth ’ s solitary Highland Lass ,“ reaping and singing as she binds the grain ”.
If revolution never quite came to Winchester , rebellion certainly did , during the Wardenship of Huntingford ( 1780-1832 ). Budge Firth , the College ’ s historian of the early 20th century , is unusually forthright on Huntingford ’ s influence :“ Huntingford ’ s was the worst influence in high places that we have ever known … The bully to those beneath him was a toady to those above . His motto was “ No innovation ”. Whether it was the French Revolution in his first year of office or the Reform Bill in his last , or the proposal that tea and coffee should be allowed in College , it was all one to Huntingford ; all were innovations , none would do ”.
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Portrait by unknown artist , thought to be Warden Huntingford . |
In 1793 , the Warden ’ s nephew , Thomas Huntingford , wrote that “ the summer of that year … filled every country in Europe with rebellious movements , and the boys , in a small way , seemed to imitate the same violent example ”. The tower was occupied , a red cap of liberty hoisted from the flagpole , and the boys armed themselves with flints from the courtyard . |
Agents of revolution : flints . |
Relics of conservatism : cobbles .
Huntingford saw no reason for change . Thomas Arnold ( 1795-1842 ) reported from College in 1807 that “ school life was harsh , often brutal ”. “ There was much talk of a rebellion ”, a pupil called Charles Minet recorded 11 years later in his diary for 6 May ,“ which I thought would come to nothing ”.
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But the flints came up again , and this time more boys were involved . George Moberly ( 1803-85 ), later Headmaster of Winchester and Bishop of Salisbury , tells us that “ The Warden … directed us to write down our grievances … this was done at once , the list beginning that you are ugly ”. This time the troops moved in .
The Morning Chronicle , in 1818 , reported :“ On Thursday afternoon last a serious disturbance took place among the boys at Winchester College . … The second master went among them to remonstrate on their conduct . … A Magistrate then came down … and desired the boys in the King ’ s name , to surrender ; they , however , stoutly resisted , and locked themselves within the College for the night … where they had piled up a great quantity of stones to throw down upon the persons who might be sent against them . The next morning Dr Gabell , headmaster , informed the boys that they need not take the trouble of confining themselves within the College , as he should throw no impediment in the way to their going where they pleased . … The boys then threw down their club sticks … and walked into town in a peaceable manner , when , upon passing through the Cathedral church-yard , they were met by a body of soldiers , who opposed their passage with fixed bayonets . … Thus , till further steps are taken , out of the total establishment of 230 boys , about 40 only remain at Winchester ”.
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