The life and letters of Benjamin Jowett, M. A., master of Balliol college, Oxford.

Letters, i837-1839

71

a death-bed would have done. On Sunday afternoon she
became more sensible, and after reading two prayers from the
Visitation of the Sick I asked her if she felt happy; she replied
faintly that she did. I asked her to assure my mother that
she was so (as the latter had made herself needlessly unhappy
about it). She said she could hardly venture to do so. On
Saturday, when in the greatest pain of body, she remembered
the servant girl who waited upon her, requesting my elder
sister to talk to her and have her taught to read the Scriptures.
I could tell you a great deal more about her, but my heart
is too full to go on. When I remember her form and disposition, such as I never saw united in any one else, I feel
persuaded that I can never again be so happy as I was before.
I do not repine against Providence, but pray God that the
scene of the last few days may for ever dwell in my mind
and be a continual motive to love and serve Him. To me
who feel my own weakness more and more contemptible, her
strength of mind was quite extraordinary. But I feel I am
running away into what I can hardly trust myself to speak
of. Out of a family of nine there are now only five remaining,
and I thank God that He has hitherto been pleased to take
those who were best fitted to serve Him in heaven.
Since these pages were in type, the following entry from the
Balliol Boat Club Records has been supplied by the kindness of the
Hon. A. Henley and Mr. A. L. Smith:Saturday, June 2, I838. Sculling sweepstakes at 2s. 6d. each, at
2 o'clock, from the top of the Long Reach, round the Island, up, to Iffley.
Order in rows, numbered as they came in.
I 2 3 4 5
C. Sumner ix Moberly 17 Davy I8 Estcourt 8 Powys 4
Swayne I2 Garnett 7 J. Sumner 13 Trower 9 T. Farrer o1
Jowett 14 Brodie i6 E. Hobhouse I5 Holbech 3 Pocock i
Moncrieff, Hardinge 19 R. Hobhouse 5
Northcote 6
Ist Prize, ~2 Ios.; 2nd Prize, LI Ios.; 3rd Prize, ~I; 4th, recovered stake.
Each row had an umpire, who arranged by lot the place of his men-the
starting-posts io paces apart-boats started with their heads level with
the post.
N.B. Io paces seemed barely enough.