Memories of Bygone Eton - Henry S. Salt

Memories of Bygone Eton

Henry S. Salt

  • Publisher: Hutchinson & Co., London
  • Published: 1928
  • Length: 264
  • Format: Hardback

Summary

In Memories of Bygone Eton, Henry S. Salt offers a personal and reflective account of his experiences at Eton, both as a King’s Scholar in the late 19th century and later as a young Assistant Master. Salt delves into the traditions, quirks, and changing ethos of this historic institution, casting a critical yet affectionate eye on the Eton of his youth.

With characteristic wit and subtle humour, Salt recalls anecdotes of his time at the school, where conventions both amused and frustrated him. He paints vivid portraits of the characters who shaped Eton life, from the disciplinarian Dr. Hornby to the whimsical Bishop Selwyn, who famously confused Salt with a fellow visitor named “Sweet.” These sketches reveal an Eton steeped in tradition but not without its share of absurdities. As the Guardian review points out, Salt—much like his friend Bernard Shaw—was often “agin the Government,” and his irreverent take on the austere piety of certain figures, along with the strict Latin verse exercises, adds an engaging and humorous dimension to his reflections.

Despite his fondness for Eton, Salt does not shy away from critiquing its systems and traditions, suggesting that even the grandest of institutions should not be immune to scrutiny. His musings, though often nostalgic, also show how conventions at Eton have evolved, highlighting the contrasts between the rigid, Victorian norms of the past and the more relaxed atmosphere of his later years.

Bygone Eton is both a tribute and a critique, combining personal reminiscences with wry observations that will resonate with anyone familiar with the complexities of traditional British education.

Content

  • “The Head”
  • Hornby the Hermit
  • Some Small Fry
  • Comedians in Cap and Gown
  • Chapel Bells
  • The Rending of Garments
  • A Word for Silly Billy
  • The Bogus Solomon
  • “Lords” in the ’Sixties
  • A Latin Verse Manufactory
  • In Praise of the “Crib”
  • John Moultrie
  • “The Adventurer”
  • Swinburne’s Tutor
  • Virgil the Beloved
  • In a Bishop’s Place
  • Our Liberties
  • From Boy to Master
  • Two Long-Lived Etonians
  • Bulgarian Bourchier
  • A Rough Diamond
  • The Psychology of Fives
  • The Ascham Society
  • The Beeches
  • A Tourist’s Adventure
  • Socialist Reproved
  • At “Drury’s”
  • Parents
  • Confessions of an Eton Master
  • “Latin as She is Spoke”
  • An Eton Sennacherib
  • The “Beagler Boy”
  • The Cult of Queer Fish
  • In Piam Memoriam
  • Notes on the Illustrations
  • Index

Reviews

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