WhenhewasgoneMartinrosetofollow，butTomstoppedhim。
“NoonegoesnearNewRow，“saidhe，“soyoumayjustaswellstophereanddoyourverses，andthenwe’llhavesomemoretalk。We’llbenoendquiet。Besides，noprepostorcomesherenow。Wehaven’tbeenvisitedoncethishalf。“
Sothetablewascleared，theclothrestored，andthethreefelltoworkwithGradusanddictionaryuponthemorning’svulgus。
TheywerethreeveryfairexamplesofthewayinwhichsuchtasksweredoneatRugby，intheconsulshipofPlancus。Anddoubtlessthemethodislittlechanged，forthereisnothingnewunderthesun，especiallyatschools。
Nowbeitknownuntoallyouboyswhoareatschoolswhichdonotrejoiceinthetime-honouredinstitutionofthevulguscommonlysupposedtohavebeenestablishedbyWilliamofWykehamatWinchester，andimportedtoRugbybyArnoldmoreforthesakeofthelineswhichwerelearntbyheartwithitthanforitsownintrinsicvalue，asI’vealwaysunderstood，thatitisashortexerciseinGreekorLatinverse，onagivensubject，theminimumnumberoflinesbeingfixedforeachform。
Themasteroftheformgaveoutatfourthlessononthepreviousdaythesubjectfornextmorning’svulgus，andatfirstlessoneachboyhadtobringhisvulgusreadytobelookedover；andwiththevulgus，acertainnumberoflinesfromoneoftheLatinorGreekpoetsthenbeingconstruedintheformhadtobegotbyheart。Themasteratfirstlessoncalledupeachboyintheforminorder，andputhimoninthelines。Ifhecouldn’tsaythem，orseemtosaythem，byreadingthemoffthemaster’sorsomeotherboy’sbookwhostoodnear，hewassentback，andwentbelowalltheboyswhodidsosayorseemtosaythem；butineithercasehisvulguswaslookedoverbythemaster，whogaveandenteredinhisbook，tothecreditordiscreditoftheboy，somanymarksasthecompositionmerited。AtRugbyvulgusandlineswerethefirstlessoneveryotherdayintheweek，onTuesdays，Thursdays，andSaturdays；andastherewerethirty-
eightweeksintheschoolyear，itisobvioustothemeanestcapacitythatthemasterofeachformhadtosetonehundredandfourteensubjectseveryyear，twohundredandtwenty-eighteverytwoyears，andsoon。Now，topersonsofmoderateinventionthiswasaconsiderabletask，andhumannaturebeingpronetorepeatitself，itwillnotbewonderedthatthemastersgavethesamesubjectssometimesoveragainafteracertainlapseoftime。Tomeetandrebukethisbadhabitofthemasters，theschoolboymind，withitsaccustomedingenuity，hadinventedanelaboratesystemoftradition。Almosteveryboykepthisownvulguswrittenoutinabook，andthesebooksweredulyhandeddownfromboytoboy，tillifthetraditionhasgoneontillnowIsupposethepopularboys，inwhosehandsbequeathedvulgus-bookshaveaccumulated，arepreparedwiththreeorfourvulgusesonanysubjectinheavenorearth，orin“moreworldsthanone，“whichanunfortunatemastercanpitchupon。Atanyrate，suchluckyfellowshadgenerallyoneforthemselvesandoneforafriendinmytime。Theonlyobjectiontothetraditionarymethodofdoingyourvulguseswastheriskthatthesuccessionsmighthavebecomeconfused，andsothatyouandanotherfolloweroftraditionsshouldshowupthesameidenticalvulgussomefinemorning；inwhichcase，whenithappened，considerablegriefwastheresult。Butwhendidsuchriskhinderboysormenfromshortcutsandpleasantpaths？
NowinthestudythatnightTomwastheupholderofthetraditionarymethodofvulgusdoing。Hecarefullyproducedtwolargevulgus-books，andbegandivingintothem，andpickingoutalinehere，andanendingtheretags，astheywerevulgarlycalled，tillhehadgottenallthathethoughthecouldmakefit。HethenproceededtopatchhistagstogetherwiththehelpofhisGradus，producinganincongruousandfeebleresultofeightelegiaclines，theminimumquantityforhisform，andfinishingupwithtwohighlymorallinesextra，makingteninall，whichhecribbedentirefromoneofhisbooks，beginning“O
genushumanum，“andwhichhehimselfmusthaveusedadozentimesbefore，wheneveranunfortunateorwickedhero，ofwhatevernationorlanguageunderthesun，wasthesubject。
Indeedhebegantohavegreatdoubtswhetherthemasterwouldn’trememberthem，andsoonlythrowtheminasextralines，becauseinanycasetheywouldcalloffattentionfromtheothertags，andifdetected，beingextralines，hewouldn’tbesentbacktodomoreintheirplace，whileiftheypassedmusteragainhewouldgetmarksforthem。
Thesecondmethod，pursuedbyMartin，maybecalledthedoggedorprosaicmethod。He，nomorethanTom，tookanypleasureinthetask，buthavingnooldvulgus-booksofhisown，oranyone’selse，couldnotfollowthetraditionarymethod，forwhichtoo，asTomremarked，hehadn’tthegenius。MartinthenproceededtowritedowneightlinesinEnglish，ofthemostmatter-of-factkind，thefirstthatcameintohishead；andtoconvertthese，linebyline，bymainforceofGradusanddictionaryintoLatinthatwouldscan。Thiswasallhecaredfor——toproduceeightlineswithnofalsequantitiesorconcords:whetherthewordswereapt，orwhatthesensewas，matterednothing；andasthearticlewasallnew，notalinebeyondtheminimumdidthefollowersofthedoggedmethodeverproduce。
Thethird，orartisticmethod，wasArthur’s。Heconsideredfirstwhatpointinthecharacteroreventwhichwasthesubjectcouldmostneatlybebroughtoutwithinthelimitsofavulgus，tryingalwaystogethisideaintotheeightlines，butnotbindinghimselftotenoreventwelvelinesifhecouldn’tdothis。HethensettoworkasmuchaspossiblewithoutGradusorotherhelp，toclothehisideainappropriateLatinorGreek，andwouldnotbesatisfiedtillhehadpolisheditwellupwiththeaptestandmostpoeticwordsandphraseshecouldgetat。
Afourthmethod，indeed，wasusedintheschool，butoftoosimpleakindtorequireacomment。Itmaybecalledthevicariousmethod，obtainedamongstbigboysoflazyorbullyinghabits，andconsistedsimplyinmakingcleverboyswhomtheycouldthrashdotheirwholevulgusforthem，andconstrueittothemafterwards；whichlatterisamethodnottobeencouraged，andwhichIstronglyadviseyouallnottopractise。Oftheothers，youwillfindthetraditionarymosttroublesome，unlessyoucanstealyourvulguseswholeexpertocrede，andthattheartisticmethodpaysthebestbothinmarksandotherways。
Thevulgusesbeingfinishedbynineo’clock，andMartinhavingrejoicedabovemeasureintheabundanceoflight，andofGradusanddictionary，andotherconveniencesalmostunknowntohimforgettingthroughthework，andhavingbeenpressedbyArthurtocomeanddohisversestherewheneverheliked，thethreeboyswentdowntoMartin’sden，andArthurwasinitiatedintotheloreofbirds’eggs，tohisgreatdelight。Theexquisitecolouringandformsastonishedandcharmedhim，whohadscarcelyeverseenanybutahen’seggoranostrich’s，andbythetimehewasluggedawaytobedhehadlearnedthenamesofatleasttwentysorts，anddreamedofthegloriousperilsoftree-
climbing，andthathehadfoundaroc’seggintheislandasbigasSinbad’s，andcloudedlikeatit-lark’s，inblowingwhichMartinandhehadnearlybeendrownedintheyolk。
“Ihavefoundoutagiftformyfair-
Ihavefoundwherethewood-pigeonsbreed；
Butletmetheplunderforbear，Shewouldsay’twasabarbarousdeed。“-ROWE。
“Andnow，mylad，takethemfiveshilling，Andonmyadviceinfuturethink；
SoBillypouchedthemallsowilling，Andgotthatnightdisguisedindrink。“-MS。Ballad。
Thenextmorning，atfirstlesson，Tomwasturnedbackinhislines，andsohadtowaittillthesecondround；whileMartinandArthursaidtheirsallright，andgotoutofschoolatonce。
WhenTomgotoutandrandowntobreakfastatHarrowell’stheyweremissing，andStumpsinformedhimthattheyhadswalloweddowntheirbreakfastsandgoneofftogether——where，hecouldn’tsay。Tomhurriedoverhisownbreakfast，andwentfirsttoMartin’sstudyandthentohisown；butnosignsofthemissingboysweretobefound。HefelthalfangryandjealousofMartin。Wherecouldtheybegone？
HelearntsecondlessonwithEastandtherestinnoverygoodtemper，andthenwentoutintothequadrangle。AbouttenminutesbeforeschoolMartinandArthurarrivedinthequadranglebreathless；andcatchingsightofhim，Arthurrushedup，allexcitement，andwithabrightglowonhisface。
“OTom，lookhere！“criedhe，holdingoutthreemoor-hen’seggs；
“we’vebeendowntheBarbyroad，tothepoolMartintoldusoflastnight，andjustseewhatwe’vegot。“
Tomwouldn’tbepleased，andonlylookedoutforsomethingtofindfaultwith。
“Why，youngun，“saidhe，“whathaveyoubeenafter？Youdon’tmeantosayyou’vebeenwading？“
ThetoneofreproachmadepoorlittleArthurshrinkupinamomentandlookpiteous；andTomwithashrugofhisshouldersturnedhisangeronMartin。
“Well，Ididn’tthink，Madman，thatyou’dhavebeensuchamuffastolethimbegettingwetthroughatthistimeofday。Youmighthavedonethewadingyourself。“
“SoIdid，ofcourse；onlyhewouldcomeintoo，toseethenest。Weleftsixeggsin。They’llbehatchedinadayortwo。“
“Hangtheeggs！“saidTom；“afellowcan’tturnhisbackforamomentbutallhiswork’sundone。He’llbelaidupforaweekforthispreciouslark，I’llbebound。“
“Indeed，Tom，now，“pleadedArthur，“myfeetain’twet，forMartinmademetakeoffmyshoesandstockingsandtrousers。“
“Buttheyarewet，anddirtytoo；can’tIsee？“answeredTom；
“andyou’llbecalledupandflooredwhenthemasterseeswhatastateyou’rein。Youhaven’tlookedatsecondlesson，youknow。“
OTom，youoldhumbug！youtobeupbraidinganyonewithnotlearningtheirlessons！Ifyouhadn’tbeenflooredyourselfnowatfirstlesson，doyoumeantosayyouwouldn’thavebeenwiththem？Andyou’vetakenawayallpoorlittleArthur’sjoyandprideinhisfirstbirds’eggs，andhegoesandputsthemdowninthestudy，andtakesdownhisbookswithasigh，thinkinghehasdonesomethinghorriblywrong，whereashehaslearntoninadvancemuchmorethanwillbedoneatsecondlesson。