so interested before.  It will probably be printed, so that you will have no occasion for any remarks of mine.  It is sufficient that he preached the doctrine to my mind in an invincible manner.’  The letter has a postscript—­’Easter vacation will be from three weeks to a month.  Hurrah! say I; now a precious deal more glad am I to leave Oxford for the holidays than Eton, though Feniton is better than either.’

Even in the last undergraduate year, the preference for Eton remained as strong as ever.  Coley intended to remain at Oxford to read for honours through great part of the Long vacation; and after refreshing himself with a run to Eton, he wrote:—­

’Now for a very disagreeable contrast, but still I shall find great interest in my work as I go on, and reading books for the second or third time is light work compared to the first stodge at them.  I am, however, behindhand with my work, in spite of not having wasted much time here....  I really don’t see my way through the mass of work before me, and half repent having to go up for class.

’...I went to the opera on Tuesday, but was too much taken up by Eton to rave about it, though Grisi’s singing and acting were out and out; but, in sober earnest, I think if one was to look out simply for one’s own selfish pleasure in this world, staying at Eton in the summer is paradise.  I certainly have not been more happy, if so happy, for years, and they need no convincing there of my doting attachment to the place.  I go down to Eton on Election Saturday and Sunday for my last enjoyment of it this year; but if I am well and nourishing in the summer of 1849, and all goes right with me, it is one of the jolliest prospects of my emancipation from the schools to think of a month at Eton.  Oh! it’s hard work reading for it, I can tell you.’

Thus Coley Patteson’s work throughout his undergraduate three years was, so to speak, against the grain, though it was more diligent and determined than it had been at Eton.  He viewed this as the least satisfactory period of his life, and probably it was that in which he was doing the most violence to his likings.  It struck those who had known him at Eton that he had ’shaken off the easy-going, comfortable, half-sluggish habit of mind’ attributed to him there, and to be earnestly preparing for the future work of life.  His continued interest in Missions was shown by his assisting to collect subscriptions for the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.  In fact, his charm of manner, and his way of taking for granted that people meant to do what they ought, made him a good collector, and he had had a good deal of practice at Eton in keeping up the boys to the subscription for the stained glass of the east window of the Chapel which they had undertaken to give.