A History of Bradfield College (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: r- is r. 10 io e Denning had a portly figure, a full and florid face. His expression was firm and genial, rather than intellectual or spiritual. Perhaps the most obvious traits of his character were large-mindedness and wide-interestedness. He was an essentially modern thinker in the middle of a somewhat antiquated system. He encouraged individual mental activity and originality. In history, for example, he would say to a boy, ' Stand up and tell me in your own words all you know about this.' The boy was expected to speak for THE VILLAGE HOUSE. some five minutes or so, and woe betide him if he repeated too closely the words of the book. His method showed itself more strikingly in the lectures which he used to give to the Upper Forms in Hall on Sunday evenings. One was on the Pre-Adamite theory, in which he discussed the question of evolution at a very early stage. In another he treated of German Rationalism, and of Strauss. He used often to say of such questions as evolution,' I do not say that this view is correct, but it is well that you shouldDENNING 97 know it; when you are older you will be able to judge for yourselves.' Denning was a man of many interests. He took great pleasure in music, botany, and drawing. He had a pleasant tenor voice, and could use pencil and brush effectively, his father having been, it is said, a well - known artist. Physically, though by no means slender, he was far from inactive. In his early years at Bradfield he used to play fives, cricket, and even football. In cricket he was something of an enthusiast. He loved fishing, was a clever skater, and many a time gave the School a half-holiday if the ice bore at Englefield. He was fond of watching games and athletic pursuits of all sorts. He would often come into the swimming- ...