Untitled - Electric Scotland

1 842-50] DEAN BRADLEY S REMINISCENCES 117
hard at his Modern History and Divinity Lectures. He
was not, of course, remarkable as a scholar, and from the
first he wisely had the assistance of a Composition master.
Hut his teaching was, so far as I can say, thoroughly good
in the main, better, I think, than that of many more
brilliant scholars, and he always left on the mind of the
Sixth the idea of conscientious and thorough work. . . .
His sermons were very earnest and devout. No one could
were some
sneer at them ; no one did, I think. They
times really impressive. More than this I can hardly say;
but I feel sure that he exercised a great deal of religious
influence on the school. It was a very busy life. I pro
bably saw more of him than almost any master except
Cotton ; but there was not much time for this except in
occasional rides and short conversations. He was very
hospitable, and fond of society, and I often dined there and
met various people from the outer world. I remember
Cotton summing up his position by applying to him
Tertullus words to Felix : Seeing that by thee we enjoy
great quietness, and that many worthy deeds are done
unto this nation by thy providence. Indeed, I think that
he was thoroughly respected and, in the main, appreciated.
There was a sort of inflated idea that Rugby was the centre
of the world, and that none but a man of genius could
preside over it ; but I can t recall anything more marked
than this. His illness came in the spring of 1848 : it was
terribly severe, and one day we really walked about the
quad expecting that any moment the chapel bell might
toll. It of course shook him greatly, and he was long
unfit for work, and never, I think, was quite at home again
at Rugby, though getting better when the Deanery of
Carlisle came in 1849. Then I think every one felt what a
loss he would be, and the feeling of the boys especially
rose to enthusiasm. He left in the middle of the year 1850,