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BRISTOL    AND    DUBLIN      [1827-1828

them  out;  one  who  exacted  so  much  work,  and  maintained
so  strict  a  discipline,  yet  inspired  such  warm  affection.  When
Dr.  Carpenter  returned,  he  wished  your  father  to  write  a  re-
port of  his  stewardship.  One  passage  only  I  can  recollect;
in  it  your  father  said  he  had  '  followed  in  Dr.  Carpenter's
steps  at  a  very  humble  and  a  very  humbling  distance,'  and
the  passage  struck  me  because  I  thought  your  father  had  much
underrated  his  success,  that  he  had  in  reality  approached  very
near  to  the  original.  I  cannot  recollect  a  single  interruption
to  the  harmony  and  happiness  of  his  reign  over  us,  or  one  ex-
ception to  the  attachment  and  respect  that  was  felt  for  him  by
his  pupils."

That  the  old  friend's  recollections  were  true  to  the  feel-
ing of  the  time  is  shown  by  the  following  letter  addressed
to  Mr.  Martineau  by  his  pupils  on  his  retirement  from
the  School :  —

Dear  Sir,  —  It  is  with  mingled  feelings  of  pleasure  and
regret  that  we  now  address  you  for  the  last  time  and  beg  your
acceptance  of  these  volumes,  —  of  sincere  pleasure  when  we
look  back  on  the  happiness  we  have  enjoyed  in  your  society,
and  the  advantage  we  have  derived  from  your  instruction,  and
your  unprecedented  kindness  in  our  hours  of  recreation  and
amusement,  —  of  heartfelt  regret  when  we  consider  how  short
our  connexion  has  been,  and  how  soon  it  must  terminate.  Be-
lieve us  that  whether  our  present  separation  be  permanent  or
not,  we  shall  ever  look  back  on  this  period  with  unimpaired
satisfaction,  and  never  cease  to  cherish  the  same  feelings  of
gratitude  and  attachment.  Whatever  be  the  circumstances  in
which  you  may  hereafter  be  placed,  we  can  form  no  better
wish  than  that  you  may  still  be  the  happy  means  of  rendering
to  those  around  you  services  as  numerous  and  important  as
those  you  have  conferred  on  us,  and  that  you  may  be  equally
successful  in  gaining  their  esteem  and  affection,  and  we  shall
consider  ourselves  fortunate  indeed  if  we  always  possess  a
friend  as  watchful  over  our  happiness  and  as  attentive  to  our
real  welfare  and  improvement.
