Re: Made me do about the horse free

In article <GU0lj.5920$7C5.35982@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Marius Hancu <NOSPAM@xxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Hello:

I've no idea what he means by:
"made me do about the horse free."

There really doesn't seem to be any horse around or horsing about:-),
just studying.

--------
[Previously tutored by his father, Ernest was enrolled in a (prep?)
school. ]

"My Dear Mamma,--I am very well. Dr Skinner made me do about the horse
free and exulting roaming in the wide fields in Latin verse, but as I
had done it with Papa I knew how to do it, and it was nearly all right,
and he put me in the fourth form under Mr Templer, and I have to begin a
new Latin grammar not like the old, but much harder."

I would guess that this refers to some standard exercise in Latin that would
have been known to Butler's readers. Somewhere in either a Latin text or a
standard Latin textbook (or even a standard English text often set for
translation into Latin) there must be a reference to a horse which is "free and
exulting" and is "roaming in the wide fields". Someone else here may be able
to track down the origin.

So Dr Skinner presented the youth with this story or poem or whatever, and
required him to turn it into Latin verse.

"Made me do......about" is rather informal (schoolboy) wording.

Katy

.

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