A school-day at Charter-House began at eight, with what we called “first school.”  Prayers, lasting about five minutes, took place in the large school-room.  These were read by a “gown-boy” monitor.  The lessons at first school consisted entirely of repetition—­repeating Latin poetry, and occasionally prose.  As each boy finished his repetition—­the boys being taken up in the order in which they were numbered the previous day—­he left the school and went to breakfast.  Breakfast consisted of an almost unlimited supply of hot rolls and butter and milk, but this was supplemented in the case of almost every boy by edibles purchased with his pocket-money.  For those who had the privilege of fagging this was recognized and allowed, and in regard to the rest it was connived at, and marmalades, potted meats and such-like relishes freely circulated, being supplied for the most part by the servants, who drove a lively trade in such comestibles.

Toasting was brought to the very highest perfection.  Never before or since have we tasted anything of its kind so good as a buttered roll toasted.  It was a French roll buttered all over outside, and then skillfully grilled until the outside was a rich crisp brown.  This was brought by the fag to his master “hot and hot,” and, being cut open, eaten with butter.  The rooms were warmed by immense open fireplaces, there being no limit to the expenditure of coal, which was prodigious.

In our time (1847-1853) there was an immense deal of fagging, which has been, we believe very properly, much diminished.  Under boys were called in to perform many menial offices which should have been done by servants.  The task-work which by “gown-boys” was most disliked was what was called being basonite.  This duty devolved upon the twelve junior boys occupying what was known as “the under bedroom.”  To this hour we recall with horror how on a gloomy, foggy, wintry Monday morning we remembered on waking that it was our basonite week—­for a fresh set of three went to work each Monday morning—­and that we must get up and call the monitors.  This basonite duty consisted of the most elaborate valeting.  Each monitor’s clothes were brushed, warm water was fetched and poured out for him, and everything so arranged that he might lie in bed up to the last possible moment, and then one small boy being ready with his coat, another with his waistcoat, and a third with his cap—­be able to dress in five minutes and rush into school.  At midday, when the monitors washed their hands for dinner, similar work had to be done, and again in the evening, when they washed their hands for supper.  The only set-off to all this was that each monitor had been a basonite, and each basonite had a very good chance of becoming a monitor.  But it was carrying the fagging system to far too great an extent, and the practice is now greatly modified.