Page:Biographia Hibernica volume 2.djvu/342

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338 HUTCHINSON. impossible for a second to allow his principal to engage against such formidable odds. There was no other blun derbuss at hand, to balance advantages: the battle was adjourned—and this ruse de guerre saved the doctor's credit in a way not very compatible with the laws of honour. The printer of the Hibernian Journal, who was the midwife of the doctor's scurrilous muse, now became an object for vengeance to a number of students of the pro vost's party; and they determined to punish him by a law of their own, which had no place in the statute books. About a dozen of these youngsters came with a hackney coach to the printer's shop-door, on an autumnal evening, after night-fall. He was lured by a sham message to attend a customer in the carriage, towards which he had no sooner advanced on the pavement, than his retreat was cut off from his house by a detachment who surrounded and forced him into the carriage, where he was secured by those within, and the rest being well armed, formed an escort to the vehicle, which was driven off at full gallop to the college square, where the outer gates being closed, the unfortunate printer was forcibly subjected to the discipline of the pump, and while under the operation, kicked and pummelled most unmercifully, until his life was in danger; when he was rescued by some other stu dents, from the gripe of his tormentors, and sent back to his own house in the same vehicle that brought him. This outrage excited considerable agitation ; many of the assailants were rusticated. The printer was confined several weeks under medical care; he was at length enabled to ascertain only one of the offenders, a young American, then a student, and since a fellow and parlia mentary representative of the college. He generously waived his claims for a severe judgment, and a subse quent action for damages, on condition of the offender's making a contrite apology. We decline farther details on the events of this con test. It does not appear that the plan of the Gymnasium -