Times (London)
5 June 1877
THE FOURTH OF JUNE AT ETON.
Yesterday Eton put on its gayest appearance in honour of her time-honoured festival, the Fourth of June, a day which has gradually supplanted "Election Saturday" as the chief "red letter day" in the Etonian calendar. It is a tradition that it is always wet on the 4th of june; but the day was for once wholly untrue to its character, for though dull in the morning the sun shone out brightly and yet the heat was never overpowering. The programme of the day's proceedings included morning chapel before breakfast and "absence in school yard" at a little after 11. At 12 o'clock the "speeches" were commenced in she {sic} Upper School in the presence of the Provost, the Fellows, and a crowd of distinguished visitors, including Lord and Lady Bath, Lord Scarsdale, Lady Hopetoun, Lord Blachford, &c.
The programme of the speeches ran as follows:-
1. Cust .. .. Hail, Holy Light .. .. Milton.
2. Sandbach, ma. .. Coriolanus Coriolanus Shakespeare.
Thomson, ma. .. Aufidius..
3. Hoets, K.S. .. Areopagitica .. .. Milton.
4. Atkinson, K.S. .. Dieseopolis Acharnians Aristophanes.
Cust .. .. .. Chorus
5. Sargeaunt .. .. Brackenburg.. Egmont .. Goethe
6. Miers, K.S. .. Agamemnon .. .. Homer.
Lowry, K.S. .. Achilles .. ..
7. S.-Pilkington, ma .. Lesbonicus Trinummus .. Plautus
8. Mr. Curzon, ma. .. Don Abbondio I Promessi Manzoni
Sposi.
9. Ryle, K.S. .. .. Philip van Artevelde .. H. Taylor.
10. Lowry, K.S. .. Glendower Henry IV .. Shakespeare.
Tatham ma, K.S. Hotspur Part 1 ..
11. Eastwood ma. .. Wolsey .. Henry VI, I .. Shakespeare.
12. Mr. Curzon ma. .. Scapin Les Fourberies Moliere.
Burrows, K.S. .. Geronte de Scapin
13. Atkinson, K.S. .. King Henry V. .. .. Shakespeare
14 Sargeaunt .. Iago Othello .. Shakespeare.
Eastwood ma. .. Othello
15. Goodhart, K.S. .. Thanatopsis .. .. .. W.O. Bryant.
16. Eastwood ma. .. Fluto Mid- Shakespeare.
Sargeaunt .. .. Starveling summer
Wilson, K.S. .. Quince Night's
Hoets, K.S. .. Snug Dream
Tatham ma., K.S. Bottom
Lowry, K.S. . .. Snout
17. Ashley .. .. Prince of Morocco Merchant Shakespeare.
of
Venice
18. Mr. Curzon, ma. .. Sanish {sic} Gipsy .. .. G. Eliot.
19. Eastwood, ma. .. Thisbe Mid- Shakespeare.
Wilson, K.S. .. Prologue summer
Sargeaunt .. .. Moonshine Night's
&. Hoets, K.S.. Lion Dream.
Tatham, ma., K.S. Pyramus
Lowey, K.S. .. Walt
Where all did well it might seems ungracious to criticize the youthful performers severely; so we may content ourselves with saying that Mr. Curzon was most successful in all three languages, and that Mr. Sargeaunt, Mr. Tatham, Mr. Eastwood, Mr. Burrows, Mr. Wheeler, and Mr. Wilson were loudly applauded.
"Absence" was called again in the school-yard at 2 p.m., while most of the masters were busily engaged in entertaining their guests at luncheon. In the afternoon there was a full choral service in the chapel, which was numerously attended. There was also a cricket match in the playing fields, which was enlivened by the band of the Life Guards.
The Provost and Fellows also gave a luncheon or early dinner in the College Hall. Covers were laid for about 60 of the leading visitors. The customary loyal toasts, it is almost needless to add, were given, including the toast of the day, "In piam Fundatoris memoriam."
After "Absence" had been called for a third time early in the evening the visitors made their way, some on foot and others in carriages or on horseback, to the "Brocas," just above Windsor-bridge, whence the boats' crews started in procession up the river for Surley Hall, preceded by a military band. At Surley there was a "regulation" cold dinner spread under tents in the meadows, and the customary quantity of cold chicken and champagne was consumed; and as soon as it was growing dark the crews returned leisurely in procession to Windsor-bridge, in time to witness the usual display of fireworks, which was just about to commence when our parcel left, the evening being highly favourable for the entertainment.
The following was the authorized list of the boats and their crews, though we believe some trifling changes were made at the last moment:-
THE EIGHT.
M.G.F. Wilson (Captain of the Boats), J. Wilson, E.S. Pilkington, E. Barkworth, A. Hood, A.G. Churchill, E.C. Brookabank, G. Grey; Capel-Cure, coxswain.
UPPER BOATS.
Monarch, 10-oar.-A. Coode, H. Hawkins, C. Lowry, W. Thomson, J. Sargeaunt, J.K. Stephen, H. C. Hussey, M.E. Hoets, H.O.F. Waittingstall, R. N. Darbishire; W.F. Farrer, cowswain {sic}.
Prince of Wales.-Hall, W.H. Herries, Cotton, C.E. Adam, G. Selater-Booth, L. Dunning, L.R. West, W.C. Gull, E. Combe, coxswain.
LOWER BOATS.
Britannia.-Wheeler, W.O. Burrows, A.W. Phillips, A.E. Staniland, H.T. Anstruther, J. Compton, Brooke, B. Thomson; Capel Cure, coxswain.
Dreadnought.-A. Sandbach, J.H. Leche, Hon. G. Coleridge, G. Mellish, G.M. Ramus, C.W. Chitty, H.F. Rawstorne, Brand; Hussey, coxswain.
Thetis.-A. Johnstone, Sir J. Willoughby, F. Hawley, D.F. Davidson, Watney, E. Mowbray, Jones, Impey; Pemberton, coxswain.
Hibernia.-E.K. Aylmer, H. Coode, W.F. Parker, Bridson, A.E. Eastwood, G.O. Farrer, Whitbread, Williams; Wilder, coxswain.
St. George.-F. Croft, Beauclerk, G.C. Bourne, W.J.S. Blacklock, Salmon, Earl of Hopetoun, Norris, Hutchinson; Wyatt, coxswain.
Alexandra.-J. Mills, Spring-Rice, Bloxsome, Meysey-Thompson, Longridge, Cust, Bald, Lyall,-(coxswain.)
Defiance.-R.C. Gridley, Farrer, Beach, Hibbert, How, Horton, Garry, Griffith,-(coxswain.)
One important alteration was made this year in the list of boats, which was headed, contrary to custom, by the Eton Eight in their full dress of blue coats and white caps, the deficiency thus caused being atoned for by the omission of the Victory from the list of boats.
The numbers at Eton never stood higher than at present, and, in spite of the floods which prevailed during the winter and early spring, the health of the school is excellent. During the past half-year some handsome new mathematical schools have been built on the Slough-road, adjoining the house of Mr. Waite. The former mathematical schools, we understand, will henceforth be used for instruction in physical science and as the head-quarters of a geological and botanical museum.
