Welsh Journals

'Jlorcai Eiona 17 had reached the point where I had come to know the most interesting among the Oppidans of my own age, as a place where one was trained to make history, which naturally led into the council chambers where the world was governed and fate was decided. Some people may think of this as a hang-over from the eighteenth century, when Etonians-as the names carved on the walls of Upper School and all those smiling, assured young faces that look out of the canvases in the Provost's gallery prove-ruled England, made its Empire and saw themselves as the inheritors of Rome. It is nevertheless an interesting fact that all through the last hundred and fifty years during which the opportunities of rule have spread far beyond the jealously guarded circle of the eighteenth century aristocracy, Etonians have remained prominent, not only in the seats of power as cabinet ministers, governors-general, ambassadors, field-marshals and captains of industry, but also in the arts. It is not easy to give a simple explanation of the discovery that was made during the Festival of Britain that, of the 'Hundred Best Books' chosen to represent English literature of this century, more than one in ten were by Etonians: a proportion not approached by any other school. but I fmd it striking that one of the very oldest, and the most famous of these in the eyes of the outside world, should still show such unflagging vitality while complaints are raised even louder that they are out-of-date, effete, unsuited to twentieth century democracy, and so on ad nauseam. There may still be privileged ways into public life, though they have certainly decreased with remarkable speed during the last thirty years; but it is a very long time since birth or wealth provided a passport to Parnassus. During the brief five years of my own career at Eton, among my contemporaries were a surprisingly large company who were to make distinguished names for themselves in the world of books, including Cyril Connolly, Anthony Powell, Eric Blair (George Orwell), Henry Yorke (Henry Green), Harold Acton, Rupert Hart-Davis, the Fleming brothers Peter and Ian, Alan Pryce-Jones, and Freddie Ayer. I was in the sixth form, my reports were good, but I had kept my place at the top of my Election only by the skin of my teeth and an all-round ability rather than exceptional gifts in any one subject. I had got my 'Upper Boats'-I was in the Prince of Wales-but the Eight was definitely not within my reach. All during my years at Eton the desire to be a poet had grown. JOHN LEHMANN: THE WHISPERING GALLERY Autobiography I (Longmans, Green)