Sophocles' Jebb

A life in letters

Chris Stray

• Publisher: Cambridge Philological Society
• Year: 2020
• eBook ISBN: 9781913701017
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Greek Ancient History
• Index: History

Sir Richard Jebb (1841–1905) was the most celebrated classical scholar in late Victorian Britain: his edition of Sophocles, which remains a classic, brought him a knighthood. Professor of Greek at Cambridge from 1889, and MP for the University from 1891 until his death, Jebb became a national spokesman for the humanities. "Sophocles' Jebb" charts his career through 275 newly discovered letters, presented here with introductions and full annotation. By allowing Jebb and his contemporaries to speak in their own words, it enables a significant reassessment of a key cultural figure of late Victorian Britain and sheds fresh light on public and academic debate of the time. The volume ends with a new, comprehensive list of Jebb's publications.

I Childhood and youth, 1841–58

Letters 1–18

Richard Claverhouse Jebb was born on 27 August 1841 in the village of Claverhouse, near Dundee.1 His parents, Robert and Emily Jebb of Dublin, were visiting his maternal grandfather Heneage Horsley, Dean of Brechin.2 On his father’s side Jebb was descended from a line of Irish lawyers and ecclesiastics, an ancestor having moved to Ireland from England in the early eighteenth century. His grandfather’s brother had been Bishop of Limerick; his grandfather’s cousin John Jebb, fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge, had narrowly failed in an ambitious campaign to reform the university curriculum.3 His mother’s paternal grandfather was Samuel Horsley, Bishop of St Asaph. Richard Jebb was brought up in Dublin, where he was at first taught at home by his father. On 10 August 1853, just short of his twelfth birthday, he was sent to St Columba’s College, an Anglican boarding school in Rathfarnham, then near Dublin, now a suburb. The College had been founded in 1850 by John Beresford, Archbishop of Armagh.4 The founding Warden was a Cambridge man, George Williams, who resigned after a disagreement with the Archbishop on church policy.5

Jebb’s letters home from St Columba’s show us a talented schoolboy who rose rapidly through the school. They also reveal, already well developed, the morbid sensitivity to criticism which his friends remarked and his enemies seized on later in his life. His earliest surviving composition, a set of elegiac couplets written when he was twelve, shows a comfortable talent, though not the mature brilliance evident in his published work. Jebb left St Columba’s at the end of the autumn term of 1854; next spring he was sent to Charterhouse, then still in London. William Tuckwell, one of his teachers at St Columba’s, claimed after Jebb’s death that he had outgrown the teaching there. It may be, however, that he was removed because of the disagreements between Warden Williams and the Archbishop of Armagh, which erupted in 1853 and led to expectations of Williams’s resignation in 1854.6

Little record survives of Jebb’s time at Charterhouse, though he seems to have been happy there. At that time all boys, from the second form upwards, were obliged to write Latin verses every Wednesday. Gerald Davies, who was two years below Jebb in the school, recorded that

In that day, when Richard Claverhouse Jebb was in Gownboys [the scholars’ house], there was generally to be found, outside his study door, a queue of vicarious poets waiting to get some verses done for them. It was good for Jebb perhaps if for no one else. And at least it ensured a consistent style in the Latin verse of the School.7

Jebb left Charterhouse on 5 May 1858, after carrying off a clutch of prizes at the school prize-giving, including medals for Latin prose and Greek verse composition.

1 To John Jebb8

Saturday 18th[?November 1847]

My dear Uncle

I am going today with papa to see the lathes in Mr Kennan’s workshop; we have not got a night telescope, but I can see some constellations without a glass; we are going to get a lathe, we expect it home on Saturday.9 I am very fond of reading; my favourite book is Sandford and Merton,10 and I like the Arabian Nights very much. I like Tales of My Grandfather11 too; in short, Uncle, I could never tell you all the books I like.

Love to Aunt Jebb, and Believe me,

Your affecte nephew, R.C. Jebb

2 From Eglantyne Jebb12

29 September 1851

Richard Jebb esq.

My dear Mr Jebb

I beg to apologise for the short notice I have given you; and hope that you will honour me with your company at tea tonight.

Believe me yours truly E.L. Jebb

PS tea hour 7 o’clock

3 To Richard Jebb13

Desmond,14 25 March 1853

My dear Uncle Richard

It is a very long time since I have written to you, but I have been, and will be for some time to come, very busy indeed. We are all quite well here, and I very much wish and hope that you will come and pay us a visit when you can get holidays, which I know are scarce with you. In March finer weather than what we have been having nearly all this month might have been expected. We have had continual snow, sleet, and wind, but today is much finer, & we hope for change in the weather. We were of course at Church this morning; poor Mr Sleater reads slower, if possible, than when you were here, & both he and the Clerk make perpetual mistakes. We have Aunt Fanny15 here: she came back from a visit to some Dublin friends on the 16th of this month. We liked the pantomime at the Theatre Royal in Dublin very much. It was Tiny’s16 first night of the theatre: she was very much delighted; unfortunately, as it was a juvenile night, & the house was much crowded, we had to be content with 2nd & 3rd rows.

Tiny, as I dare say you have heard, is with Aunt Tiny17 at Killarney. She is enjoying herself very much, & often writes to us. She has been amusing herself lately with making, or rather working, very pretty book markers: she sent Papa & me each one. The ‘PHOENIX’ is in capital order. Last year a piece of her port bulwark at the bow was stove in, but Papa mended it. As her Gaff-top-sail was lost, I got another made of the finest linen, carefully cut and rolled at the edges. She gets new cording and flags every year. The Fanny is now (as her former rigging was destroyed) schooner rigged.18 We all send you our love, &c, with love to Uncle Jebb.19 Believe me your affec. nephew R.C. Jebb

4 To Richard Jebb

St Columba’s College 18 August [1853]

My dear Uncle Richard

My sailing is fairly over, for I luffed up, and came to moorings, not to say anchor, at St Columba’s on the 10th. I like it as well, but by no means better, than I expected. First I was put at the bottom of the 2nd form (the 6th is the highest), but I am now one from the bottom of the 3rd. My boats are well, as I settled up the Phoenix before I left home. I rigged the Fanny like the America, except that she has a jib, & her pace is truly wonderful, she throws the water from her bows ‘like anythink’. We have such hard work now that I enjoy my play time & my sleep very much. There was a cricket match yesterday, in which the Warden, the organist, and Mr Greene (Sub-Warden) played.20

Dear Uncle Richard, I must now finish, so, for the present, Good bye. Believe me, your very affect. nephew, R.C. Jebb

(Turn over)

PS My address is

St Columba’s College

Rathfarnham

Co Dublin, Ireland

If you come to Desmond be sure to come and see me. R.C. Jebb

5 To Robert Jebb

St Columba’s 21 September [1853?]

My dear Papa,

I want to ask your advice about a thing that has lately happened – Browne getting into a passion at breakfast this morning, called me a liar twice, saying that I had said quite enough disgusting things, while I was here, without adding more. Everybody at the upper end of the table sided with him, and I was actually borne down with their abuse. I asked Browne on the spot to retract – he refused – After breakfast I asked him again, twice – he refused again. I told him that if we were at another school there would have been a much more summary way of settling the question – but that, as that was out of the question, I desired that all communication may cease between us.

The fact of the matter is, that I have no character in the eyes of the upper fellows here – but may be called lout, liar and Sneak as often as they like, being rather unpopular, whenever such an accusation is brought against me, he is supported by all. And the rules of this place prevent me either putting a stop to these accusations – or vindicating my own honour. How I should like to be at a school where one boy could not call another a liar and Sneak without feeling the consequences – and where honour and character are a little more respected.

Your affectionate Son

R.C. Jebb

6 To Robert Jebb

[St Columba’s November 1853]21

Dear Papa

Examination began Monday last – 1st part finished on Monday night. The 2nd part w...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title
• Copyright
• Preface
• Contents
• Note to the reader
• List of illustrations
• List of abbreviations
• Introduction
• I Childhood and youth, 1841–58 (letters 1–18)
• II Undergraduate and don at Cambridge, 1858–75 (letters 19–65)
• III Professor of Greek at Glasgow, 1875–89 (letters 66–160)
• IV Regius Professor of Greek at Cambridge, 1889–1905 (letters 161–275)
• Afterword
• Bibliography of Jebb’s publications
• Archives