Fifty years ago Biscoe's Aristotle class at Christ Church was comprised almost wholly of men who have since become celebrated, some in a remarkable degree; and, as we believe that so many names, afterwards attaining to great distinction, have rarely been associated at one lecture-board, either at Oxford or elsewhere, it may be allowed to one who counts himself the least and lowest of the company to pen this brief note of those old Aristotelians.
Let the central figure be _Gladstone_--ever from youth up the beloved and admired of many personal intimates (although some may be politically his opponents). Always the foremost man, warm-hearted, earnest, hard-working, and religious, he had a following even in his teens; and it is noticeable that a choice lot of young and keen intelligences of Eton and Christ Church formed themselves into a small social sort of club, styled, in compliment to their founder's initials, the "W.E.G."
Next to Gladstone Lord _Lincoln_ used to sit, his first parliamentary patron at Newark, and through life to death his friend. We all know how admirably in many offices of State the late Duke of Newcastle served his country, and what a good and wise Mentor he was to a grateful Telemachus in America.
_Canning_ may be mentioned thirdly; then a good-looking youth with classic features and a florid cheek, since gone to "the land of the departed" after having healed up the wounds of India as her Governor-General. Next to the writer, one on each side, sat two more Governors-General _in futuro_, though then both younger sons and commoners, and now both also gone to their reward elsewhere; these were _Bruce_, afterwards Lord Elgin, and _Ramsay_, Lord Dalhousie; the one famous from Canada to China, the other noted for his triumphs in the Punjaub. When at Toronto in 1851, the writer was welcomed to the splendid hospitality of Lord Elgin, and the very lecture-room here depicted was mentioned as "a rare gathering of notables." Lord _Abercorn_ was of the class, a future viceroy; Lord _Douglas_, lately Duke of Hamilton, handsome as an Apollo, and who married a Princess of Baden; and if Lord _Waterford_ was infrequent in his attendance, at least he was eligible, and should not be omitted as a various sort of eccentric celebrity. Then _Phillimore_ was there, now our Dean of the Arches; _Scott_ and _Liddell_, both heads of houses, and even then conspiring together for their great Dictionary. _Curzon_ too (lately Lord De la Zouch) was at the table, meditating Armenian and Levantine travels, and longing in spirit for those Byzantine MSS. preserved at Parham, where the writer has delighted to inspect them; how nearly Tischendorf was anticipated in his fortunate find of that earliest Scripture, no one knows better than Lord Zouch, who must have been close upon that great and important discovery! _Doyle_, now Professor of Poetry, _Hill_, of Mathematics, _Vaughan_, of History--all were of this wonderful class; as also the Earl of _Selkirk_, celebrated as a mathematician; Bishops _Hamilton_, _Denison_, and _Wordsworth_; and _Cornewall Lewis_, late Chancellor of the Exchequer; and _Kynaston_, Head Master of St. Paul's; and a member of Parliament or two, as, for example, _Leader_, once popular for Westminster.