122 LIFE OF BABX7 SURENDRA JfATH BANE RJ EE. most in fighting the battles of his country. He has won for himself a name and a place in history which he would not have won in the Government Service. Before the order of dismissal was passed Surendra Nath again left for England in March 1874 with a view to represent his case to the authorities in England. He arrived in England in April 1874 ; the order for dis- missal had been passed on the 31st March. He was thus too late to represent his interests. He now com- pleted his terms in the Middle Temple; but the Bench- ers refused to call him to the Bar in view of the order passed by the Government of India. He fought hard to obtain a reconsideration of his case by the Benchers in which he was greatly assisted by the venerable Mr. John Cochrane of the Calcutta Bar who in old age still retained his warm interest for India. But all in vain. Babu Surendranath returned to India in June 1875 to commence life again with prospects as gloomy as ever any man had been called upon to face. He was now a ruined man, and the subsequent chapters will show how his rare energy, devotion and self-reliance enabled him to overcome all obstacles and to create a new career for himself in which he is doing such useful work. HIS PUBLIC CAREER AS A SCHOOL-MASTER AND FOUNDER OF THE RIPON COLLEGE. His dismissal from the public service proved an immense gain to his own countrymen as we shall pre- sently describe. His failure instead of throwing a dam- per upon his ardent and enthusiastic spirit brought forth into active play all his inherent great qualities of mind, and he took to the noble profession of a school- master as Professor of English literature in the Metro- politan Institution now ably conducted by the Vener- able Pundit Ishur Chunder Vidyasagar. In January
