Part 43 (2/2)

He was intellectually one of themen of his day and beautiful to look at, added to which he was light in hand, brilliant in answer and interested in affairs When he went to Balliol he cultivated a kind of cynicis people around hiood- humoured way he made a butt of God and s--law or literature--he would havewith his naination and ithout ambition of any kind

His education was started by a woman in a day-school at Hampstead; from there he took a Winchester scholarshi+p and he became a scholar of Balliol At Oxford he went from triumph to triumph He took a first in classical moderations in 1899; first- class literae humaniores in 1901; first-class jurisprudence in 1902 He won the Craven, Ireland, Derby and Eldon scholarshi+ps He was President of the Union and became a Fellow of All Souls in 1902; and after he left Oxford he was called to the Bar in 1904

In spite of this record, a more modest fellow about his own achieveood-tempered fro angry with o into politics by both his wife and his father and had been invited by the Liberal association of a northern town to beco about it one day to e constituents of all electorates were; I told hiht a closer contact with cohtful than he i of him He flared up at once and round I listened with amusement and indifference; the discussion ended a deviated by a hair's breath froot on each other's nerves, though two s never lived His arctic analysis of what he looked upon as ”cant” always stirred his listeners to a high pitch of enthusiasm

One day when he was at hoether, to a riddles

I told theuessed one in my life, but it had taken me three days They asked me what it was, and I said:

”What is it that God has never seen, that kings see seldom and that we see every day?”

Raymond instantly answered:

”A joke”

I felt that the real anshich was ”an equal,” was very tepid after this

In 1907 heStreet, Katherine Horner, a beautiful creature of character and intellect, as lacking in fire and incense as himself Their devotion to each other and happiness was a perpetual joy to me, as I felt that in sohter of Laura's greatest friend, Frances Horner, and he h me

Raymond found in both his mother-in-law and Sir John Horner friends capable of appreciating his fine flavour He wrote with ease and brilliance both prose and poetry I will quote two of his poems:

IN PRAISE OF YOUNG GIRLS

Attend, my Muse, and, if you can, approve While I proclai up” of Love; For Love and Commerce hold a common creed-- The scale of business varies with the speed; For Queen of Beauty or for Sausage King The Custoularly earns Small profits (if you please) but quick returns

Ourminx, But who can spare the tiuile The stale enigma of her simple smile, Her leisure lovers raised a pious cheer While the slow mischief crept froage The brisker beaux of our e Whose livelylook-- Ourwith li ere the circle of that staid grimace Has wheeled your weary dimples into place, Our little Chloe (ainst her bosom friend, Melted a marquis, led a Bishop, quizzed an aged peer, Has danced a Tango and has dropped a tear

Fresh fro, artful and alert, No victih the sky falls she's ”ready with the goods”-- Will suit each client, tickle every taste Polite or gothic, libertine or chaste, Supply a waspish tongue, a waspish waist, Astarte's breast or Atalanta's leg, Love ready- of dew and air”?

Or is your type Poppaea or Polaire?

The crystal casket of a maiden's dreams, Or the last fancy in cosht, Youth's rosy blush or Passion's pearly bite?

You hardly know perhaps; but Chloe knows, And pours you out the necessary dose, Meticulouslyto scale, The cup of Circe or the Holy Grail-- An actress she at home in every role, Can flout or flatter, bully or cajole, And on occasion by a stretch of art Can even speak the language of the heart, Can lisp and sigh and make confused replies, With baby lips and complicated eyes, Indifferently apt to weep or wink, Primly pursue, provocatively shrink, Brazen or bashful, as the case require, Coax the faint baron, curb the bold esquire, Deride restraint, but deprecate desire, Unbridled yet unloving, loose but liin, prude and pimp

LINES TO A YOUNG VISCOUNT, WHO DIED AT OXFORD, ON THE MORROW OF A bue)

Dear Viscount, in whose ancient blood The blueness of the bird of March, The verenta flood

Dear Viscount--ah! to me how dear, Who even in thy frolic ht I could) The pure proud purpose of a peer!