Hughes (Thomas) - Tom Brown's School Days. By an Old Boy

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Tom Brown's School Days. By an Old Boy. First edition 8vo, pp.[viii, inc half-title], 420, 18cm, Cambridge: Macmillan & Co, 1857.

Some spots and small stains, a few leaves creased at upper outer corner from turning down. With 1½pp. A.L.s. from Thomas Arnold to Rev. C.R. Alford loosely inserted (with integral blank, additional addressed sheet edged in black & black seals, and addressed envelope). Modern full blue morocco, gilt, spine gilt in compartments, all edges gilt, marbled endpapers. A very handsome copy.

The famous novel about Rugby School set in the 1830s, featuring Tom Brown, 'Scud' East, the frail George Arthur, the abominable Flashman and Thomas Arnold. Dr Thomas Arnold (1795-1842), progressive headmaster of Rugby School from 1828-41, who introduced significant reforms to the curriculum and moral tone of the school which were subsequently adopted by many other Public Schools. In 1841 he became Regius Professor of Modern History at Oxford. This letter is addressed to Rev.C.R.Alford and dated 3rd May 1842, accepting an invitation to take a service at Alford's church St.Matthews in Oxford on 5th June. Arnold died very suddenly of a heart attack on 12th June, aged only 46.

One catches echoes of Arnold’s morality in all the great school teachers in literature, whether Miss Grayling
(Malory Towers), David Powlett-Jones (Bamfylde), ‘Chips’ Chipping (Brookfield), or Albus Dumbledore
(Hogwarts). (I except H.Rochester Sneath at Selhurst and Headmaster GRIMES at St Custard’s.)

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