e all in vain. May you remain at the Helm of State long
enough to bestow a pension on your very humble and obedient servant,
John Russell.'

Between the years 1805 and 1808 Lord John pursued his education under a
country parson in Kent. He was placed under the care of Mr. Smith, Vicar
of Woodnesborough, near Sandwich, an ardent Whig, who taught a select
number of pupils, amongst whom were several cadets of the aristocracy;
and to this seminary Lord John now followed his brothers, Lord Tavistock
and Lord William Russell. Amongst his schoolfellows at Woodnesborough
was the Lord Hartington of that generation, Lord Clare, Lord William
Fitzgerald, and a future Duke of Leinster. The vicar in question, worthy
Mr. Smith, was nicknamed 'Dean Smigo' by his pupils, but Lord John,
looking back in after-years, declared that he was an excellent man, well
acquainted with classical authors, both Greek and Latin, though 'without
any remarkable qualities either of character or understanding.' He
evidently won popularity amongst the boys by joining in their indoor
amusements and granting frequent holidays, particularly on occasions
when the Whig cause was triumphant in the locality or in Parliament.

[Sidenote: SMALL GAME]

Rambles inland and on the seashore, pony riding, shooting small birds,
cricket, and other sports, as well as winter evening games, filled up
the ample leisure from the duties of the schoolroom. One or two extracts
from his journal are sufficient to show that, although still weakly, he
was not lacking in boyish vivacity and in a healthy desire to emulate
his elders. When Grenville and Fox joined their forces and so brought
about the Ministry of 'All the Talents' the lads obtained a holiday--a
fact which is thus recorded in sprawling schoolboy hand by Lord John in
his diary. 'Saturday, February 8, 1806.--... We did no business on Mr.
Fox's coming into the Ministry. I shot a couple of larks beyond
Southerden.... I went out shooting for the first time with Mr. Smith's
gun. I got eight shots at little birds and killed four of them.' On
November 5 in the same year we find him writing:--'Eliza's [Miss
Smith's] birthday. No business. I went out shooting, but only killed
some little birds. I used to shoot much better than I do at present.
Always miss now; have not killed a partridge yet.' Poor boy! But he
lived to kill two deer and a wild boar. 'Similarity of age led me,'
states Lord John, in one of his unpublished notes,