CLASSICAL CORNER
251: WHACK-O!
(Titular tribute to ‘Professor’ Jimmy Edwards.)
“Spare the Rod and Spoil the Child” – Samuel Butler, Hudibras 1. 843. Often attributed to the Bible, this is Butler’s compression of six similar aphorisms in Proverbs (13.24, 19.18, 22.15, 23.13, 23.14, 29.15), a philosophy restated at Hebrews 12.6-7.
The sources show that from biblical to modern times, there were countless unspoiled children. For the record, I think a dose of their own medicine is ideal retribution for school bullies and the like. Would also like to scotch the myth that as the French call it is the result of schoolboy beatings turning: “Of pain you could wish only one thing: that it should stop. In the face of pain there are no heroes.” We especially resented beatings from the prefects, often downright sadistic, as in such films as and . Either way, always admired Billy Bunter’s optimism in trying to stuff Liddell & Scott’s down his check trousers to mitigate the agony.
