Lana Medicata Fuco: Trollope’s Classicism

Abstract

Trollope’s acquaintance with Latin and Greek began early, with his father as his teacher. ‘From my very babyhood … I had had to take my place alongside of him as he shaved at six o’clock in the morning,’ the novelist tells us in An Autobiography, ‘and say my early rules from the Latin Grammar, or repeat the Greek alphabet; and was obliged at these early lessons to hold my head inclined towards him, so that in the event of guilty fault, he might be able to pull my hair without stopping his razor or dropping his shaving-brush.¹ Thomas Adolphus Trollope, Anthony’s elder brother, recalls a similar early introduction to the Eton Latin Grammar, a confusing and badly arranged work originally compiled by the Tudor schoolmaster William Lily, and in general use until the middle of the nineteenth century. Tom was about six when their father began his teaching, and describes how the elder Trollope ‘used during the detested Latin lessons to sit … so that his hand might be ready to inflict an instantaneous pull of the hair as the poena (by no means pede claudo) for every blundered concord or false quantity’.²

‘… They were putting up the hatchment … and Master Fred saw that the undertakers had put at the bottom “Resurgam”. You know what that means?’

‘Oh, yes,’ said Frank.

‘“I’ll come back again”’, said the Honourable John, construing the Latin for the benefit of his cousin. ‘“No”, said Fred Hatherly, looking up at the hatchment; “I’m blessed if you do, old gentleman … I’ll take care of that.” So he got up at night, and he got some fellows with him, and they … painted out “Resurgam”, and they painted into its place, “Requiescat in pace”; which means, you know, “you’d a great deal better stay where you are”. Now I call that good …’

Frank could not help laughing at the story, especially at his cousin’s mode of translating the undertaker’s mottoes….

Doctor Thome, ch. 4