Mr. Midshipman Easy

by Frederick Marryat

  CHAPTER FIVE.

  JACK EASY IS SENT TO A SCHOOL AT WHICH THERE IS NO FLOGGING.

  Master Jack had been plumped down in a chair by the doctor's servant,who, as he quitted him, first looked at his own hands, from which theblood was drawn in several parts, and then at Master Jack, with histeeth closed and lips compressed, as much as to say, "If I only dared,would not I, that's all?" and then walked out of the room, repaired tothe carriage at the front door, when he showed his hands to thecoachman, who looked down from his box in great commiseration, at thesame time fully sharing his fellow-servant's indignation. But we mustrepair to the parlour. Dr Middleton ran over a newspaper, while Johnnysat on the chair all of a heap, looking like a lump of sulks, with hisfeet on the upper front bar, and his knees almost up to his nose. Hewas a promising pupil, Jack.

  Mr Bonnycastle made his appearance--a tall, well-built, handsome, fairman, with a fine powdered head, dressed in solemn black, and kneebuckles; his linen beautifully clean, and with a peculiar blandexpression of countenance. When he smiled he showed a row of teethwhite as ivory, and his mild blue eye was the _ne plus ultra_ ofbeneficence. He was the beau-ideal of a preceptor, and it wasimpossible to see him and hear his mild pleasing voice, without wishingthat all your sons were under his protection. He was a ripe scholar,and a good one, and at the time we speak of had the care of upwards ofone hundred boys. He was celebrated for turning them out well, and manyof his pupils were rising fast in the senate, as well as distinguishingthemselves in the higher professions.

  Dr Middleton, who was on intimate terms with Bonnycastle, rose as heentered the room, and they shook hands. Middleton then turned to whereJack sat, and pointing to him, said, "Look there."

  Bonnycastle smiled. "I cannot say that I have had worse, but I havealmost as bad. I will apply the Promethean torch, and soon vivify thatrude mass. Come, sit down, Middleton."

  "But," said the doctor, as he resumed his chair, "tell me, Bonnycastle,how you will possibly manage to lick such a cub into shape, when you donot resort to flogging?"

  "I have no opinion of flogging, and therefore I do not resort to it.The fact is, I was at Harrow myself, and was rather a pickle. I wascalled up as often as most boys in the school, and I perfectly recollectthat eventually I cared nothing for a flogging. I had becomecase-hardened. It is the least effective part that you can touch a boyupon. It leaves nothing behind to refresh their memory."

  "I should have thought otherwise."

  "My dear Middleton, I can produce more effect by one caning than twentyfloggings. Observe, you flog upon a part for the most part quiescent;but you cane upon all parts, from the head to the heels. Now, when oncethe first sting of the birch is over, then a dull sensation comes overthe part, and the pain after that is nothing; whereas a good soundcaning leaves sores and bruises in every part, and on all the partswhich are required for muscular action. After a flogging, a boy may runout in the hours of recreation, and join his playmates as well as ever,but a good caning tells a very different tale; he cannot move one partof his body without being reminded for days by the pain of thepunishment he has undergone, and he is very careful how he is called upagain."

  "My dear sir, I really had an idea that you were excessively lenient,"replied Middleton, laughing; "I am glad that I am under a mistake."

  "Look at that cub, doctor, sitting there more like a brute than areasonable being; do you imagine that I could ever lick it into shapewithout strong measures? At the same time, allow me to say, that Iconsider my system by far the best. At the public schools, punishmentis no check; it is so trifling that it is derided: with me punishment ispunishment in the true sense of the word, and the consequence is, thatit is much more seldom resorted to."

  "You are a terrorist, Bonnycastle."

  "The two strongest impulses in our nature are fear and love. In theory,acting upon the latter is very beautiful; but in practice, I never foundit to answer,--and for the best of reasons, our self-love is strongerthan our love for others. Now I never yet found fear to fail, for thevery same reason that the other does, because with fear we act uponself-love, and nothing else."

  "And yet we have many now who would introduce a system of schoolingwithout correction; and who maintain that the present system isdegrading."

  "There are a great many fools in this world, doctor."

  "That reminds me of this boy's father," replied Dr Middleton; who thendetailed to the pedagogue the idiosyncrasy of Mr Easy, and all thecircumstances attending Jack being sent to his school.

  "There is no time to be lost then, doctor. I must conquer this younggentleman before his parents call to see him. Depend upon it, in a weekI will have him obedient and well broke in."

  Dr Middleton wished Jack good-bye, and told him to be a good boy. Jackdid not vouchsafe to answer. "Never mind, doctor, he will be morepolished next time you call here, depend upon it," and the doctordeparted.

  Although Mr Bonnycastle was severe, he was very judicious. Mischief ofall kinds was visited but by slender punishment, such as being kept inat play hours, etcetera; and he seldom interfered with the boys forfighting, although he checked decided oppression. The great _sine quanon_ with him was attention to their studies. He soon discovered thecapabilities of his pupils, and he forced them accordingly; but the idleboy, the bird who "could sing and wouldn't sing," received no mercy.The consequence was, that he turned out the cleverest boys, and hisconduct was so uniform and unvarying in its tenor, that if he was fearedwhen they were under his control, he was invariably liked by those whomhe had instructed, and they continued his friends in after life.

  Mr Bonnycastle at once perceived that it was no use coaxing our hero,and that fear was the only attribute by which he could be controlled.So, as soon as Dr Middleton had quitted the room, he addressed him in acommanding tone, "Now, boy, what is your name?"

  Jack started; he looked up at his master, perceived his eye fixed uponhim, and a countenance not to be played with. Jack was no fool, andsomehow or another, the discipline he had received from his father hadgiven him some intimation of what was to come. All this put togetherinduced Jack to condescend to answer, with his forefinger between histeeth, "Johnny."

  "And what is your other name, sir?"

  Jack, who appeared to repent his condescension, did not at first answer,but he looked again in Mr Bonnycastle's face, and then round the room:there was no one to help him, and he could not help himself, so hereplied "Easy."

  "Do you know why you are sent to school?"

  "Scalding father."

  "No; you are sent to learn to read and write."

  "But I won't read and write," replied Jack sulkily.

  "Yes, you will and you are going to read your letters now directly."

  Jack made no answer. Mr Bonnycastle opened a sort of book-case, anddisplayed to John's astonished view a series of canes, ranged up anddown like billiard cues, and continued, "Do you know what those arefor?"

  Jack eyed them wistfully; he had some faint idea that he was sure to bebetter acquainted with them but he made no answer.

  "They are to teach little boys to read and write, and now I am going toteach you. You'll soon learn. Look now here," continued MrBonnycastle, opening a book with large type, and taking a capital at thehead of a chapter, about half an inch long. "Do you see that letter?"

  "Yes," replied Johnny, turning his eyes away, and picking his fingers.

  "Well, that is the letter B. Do you see it? Look at it, so that youmay know it again. That's the letter B. Now tell me what that letteris."

  Jack now determined to resist, so he made no answer.

  "So you cannot tell; well, then, we will try what one of these littlefellows will do," said Mr Bonnycastle, taking down a cane. "Observe,Johnny, that's the letter B. Now, what letter is that? Answer medirectly."

  "I won't learn to read and write."

  Whack came the cane on Johnny's shoulders, who burst out into a roar ashe writhed with pain.

 
Mr Bonnycastle waited a few seconds. "That's the letter B. Now tellme, sir, directly, what that letter is."

  "I'll tell my _mar_." Whack! "O law! O law!"

  "What letter is that?"

  Johnny, with his mouth open, panting, and the tears on his cheeks,answered indignantly, "Stop till I tell Sarah."

  Whack came the cane again, and a fresh burst from Johnny.

  "What letter's that?"

  "I won't tell," roared Johnny; "I won't tell--that I won't."

  Whack--whack--whack, and a pause. "I told you before, that's the letterB. What letter is that? Tell me directly."

  Johnny, by way of reply, made a snatch at the cane. Whack--he caughtit, certainly, but not exactly as he would have wished. Johnny thensnatched up the book, and dashed it to the corner of the room. Whack,whack. Johnny attempted to seize Mr Bonnycastle with his teeth.Whack, whack, whack, whack; and Johnny fell on the carpet, and roaredwith pain. Mr Bonnycastle then left him for a little while, to recoverhimself, and sat down.

  At last Johnny's exclamations settled down in deep sobs, and then MrBonnycastle said to him, "Now, Johnny, you perceive that you must do asyou are bid, or else you will have more beating. Get up immediately.Do you hear, sir?"

  Somehow or another, Johnny, without intending it, stood upon his feet.

  "That's a good boy; now you see, by getting up as you were bid, you havenot been beaten. Now, Johnny, you must go and bring the book from whereyou threw it down. Do you hear, sir? bring it directly!"

  Johnny looked at Mr Bonnycastle and the cane. With every intention torefuse, Johnny picked up the book and laid it on the table.

  "That's a good boy; now we will find the letter B. Here it is: now,Johnny, tell me what that letter is."

  Johnny made no answer.

  "Tell me directly, sir," said Mr Bonnycastle, raising his cane up inthe air. The appeal was too powerful. Johnny eyed the cane; it moved,it was coming. Breathlessly he shrieked out, "B!"

  "Very well indeed, Johnny--very well. Now your first lesson is over,and you shall go to bed. You have learned more than you think for.To-morrow we will begin again. Now we'll put the cane by."

  Mr Bonnycastle rang the bell, and desired Master Johnny to be put tobed, in a room by himself, and not to give him any supper, as hungerwould, the next morning, much facilitate his studies. Pain and hungeralone will tame brutes, and the same remedy must be applied to conquerthose passions in man which assimilate him with brutes. Johnny wasconducted to bed, although it was but six o'clock. He was not only inpain, but his ideas were confused; and no wonder, after all his lifehaving been humoured and indulged--never punished until the day before.After all the caresses of his mother and Sarah, which he never knew thevalue of--after stuffing himself all day long, and being tempted to eattill he turned away in satiety, to find himself without his mother,without Sarah, without supper--covered with weals, and, what was worsethan all, without his own way. No wonder Johnny was confused; at thesame time that he was subdued; and, as Mr Bonnycastle had truly toldhim, he had learned more than he had any idea of. And what would MrsEasy have said, had she known all this--and Sarah too? And Mr Easy,with his rights of man? At the very time that Johnny was having thedevil driven out of him, they were consoling themselves with the idea,that, at all events, there was no birch used at Mr Bonnycastle's, quitelosing sight of the fact, that as there are more ways of killing a dogbesides hanging him, so are there more ways of teaching than _aposteriori_. Happy in their ignorance, they all went fast asleep,little dreaming that Johnny was already so far advanced in knowledge asto have a tolerable comprehension of the _mystery of cane_. As forJohnny, he had cried himself to sleep at least six hours before them.