Tandem, tandem libertas! [at last, at last freedom] The last six weeks are a blur of machine-like swotting unceasing, all working up to a great climax. The Sunday before my exams. turned over for Mám at broadcasting station. She played Debussy’s ‘Jardins sous la pluie’ and the ‘Liebestraum’ and ‘St. Francis Preaching to the Birds’ very wonderfully indeed. Then swotted two books of notes, 4 Shakespeare plays, all poems we have done, together with copious Latin notes, trans. at sight and Roman history. This was for Tuesday. Had English first; comp.: ‘Pride and Prejudice’, which I didn’t do too badly. The literature, however, was terrible. Could place only one of the 10 bits of poetry. Latin was delightful, though I made some bad slips. History dealt with was Augustus and Horace. All our papers were taken from us. Swotted up all the history we ever did and entered for exam. on Thursday ‘with eyes like lead, accents uncertain’ and a ‘bullabasheen’ [whirligig] in my head. Paper was ridiculously easy. I wrote, unintelligibly [illegibly?] almost, reams of foolscap, but rather quantity than quality. Had a great feed after, and relaxed a bit, but started off then for Irish on Monday, and Latin comp. Irish was really nasty, and didn’t do very well. Wrote in free Latin comp. on ‘Mens sana in corpore sano’ [A healthy mind in a healthy body], which I found very stiff. Then started off for German on Thursday, which was, however, held in Christian [Brothers’] College. It is dramatic irony that I should have ended up all the same in Christians. Wrote comp. in German on ‘Die Deutschen in der Kultgeschichte’ [The Germans in Cultural History]. There were three bits of Goethe for trans at sight – very easy too. But then there was a summary to be made of a most intricate passage about films and pictures and in this and the grammar I made slips. Lastly wrote on ‘Torquato Tasso’. So was ‘the great quell’ [i.e. torture, slaughter – Macbeth 1,7] ended. I felt and feel splendid in spite of all my swotting, though other stronger fellows were bowled over. But then I had thought that these exams were a high mountain and in the sky overhanging it I saw reflected a land of dreamy hazy sunshine, perfect happiness, which would be mine when the great barrier was surmounted. But I forgot Mr. Monster Reaction. And now I feel as though I have achieved something, but have nothing in the wide world to aim at or work for [any] more. Yet I will do a great course of reading and music with God’s help during the hols. and I must still do a little for autumn Maths. Matric.
Dr. Scannell entered me for a County Council scholarship for which I filled up divers forms and trembled. After all his exertions, however, he got a letter saying that I was disqualified and it was in the paper about my being so ‘owing to the extent of his parents’ means.’ But still I await the results with trepidation especially as I am daily remembering new mistakes I made.
I forgot to mention Music, my first exam. I had only an hour and a half, and the paper was extremely difficult, especially the melody for analysis. And my detailed period of Bach and Händel was not asked for at all. Still got through somehow.
Had some sport boating with Joe Horgan. Ivor is doing Matric. and has turned out rather a disappointing beau.
We were at Prof. Sullivan’s to-day, Sunday, and had nice eating and nice talking, wireless, motor drive, home. I am reading ‘Pickwick Papers’, writing letters, tidying up my books and completely re-arranging, but that is all. We are going to Oysterhaven on Friday. Until then
AU REVOIR
[Signature: Scribble
