[To THE EDITOS OP TEE "SPECTATOR."' I was at Eton
at the time of the" colossal flogging," may I ask you to permit me to give my account of the incident, of which I have a very vivid recollection ? There was at that time a rule that there should be no boating before Easter, to which rule we strongly objected, so we conspired to play the trick upon Keats of sending a long-boat up the river manned by boatmen clothed in the Eton jersey. The Doctor, hearing of this, rode to the Brocas accompanied by some of the masters, and from the bank called upon the supposed boys to come ashore, calling them by name as if identifying them. We, the authors of the plot, who were at a little distance off, were mightily amused, and signified our amusement by loud cheers ; whereupon Keate turned and pursued us, but fortunately there was a little brook which we on foot easily negotiated, but which to our pursuers was an insurmountable obstacle. So for the time we escaped, but Keate was not to be beaten. He issued a notice that the Easter Holidays would be stopped if the con- spirators did not give themselves up, which, of course, we immediately did to the number of nearly a hundred, and were consequently switched, and well I remember how old Keate complimented us upon our honourable conduct while he WitE in the act of punishing us.-.-I am, Sir, &c., ONE OF THE SWITCHED.
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