Headlam's classical precocity

Walter Headlam's extraordinary gift for classical language was recognised early. At Harrow he won a great many prizes for poetic versions from, and into, Latin and Greek. I know of these from the memoir compiled by his brother Cecil: it ends with a thorough catalogue of works compiled by the Cambridge-educated art historian, Lawrence Haward.

Walter's prizewinning poems appeared often in the school magazine and were reprinted in a volume titled Prolusiones Scholae Harroviensis (I regre that I've not yet laid eyes on either source). By Haward's report they include an 1883 translation into Latin from John Addington Symonds's Studies of the Greek Poets, of which Headlam was clearly an early adopter; versions of passages from tragedy; and original Latin Alcaics, repeatedly. Clearly Walter was a whizz with metre. There were also a number of original Greek epigrams. The headmaster, George Butler, singled out one such epigram inspired by General Gordon's deeds at Khartoum for special mention on Speech Day. The Symonds translation may carry significance, to which I may return in another post.

Once at Cambridge, where we know he also worked on his translation of Meleager, Headlam contributed to the university's own Prolusiones Academicae. Haward records Latin and Greek odes, and versions from Catullus. Again there were prizes: Sir William Browne's Medal, repeatedly (and again I have Haward to thank for all of this). One such victory was for a patriotic Latin ode felicitating Queen Victoria on the fiftieth year of her reign.

Jebb fans may wish to follow up the following curiosity:

'A Private Oration.' The Cambridge Review, vol. xi. pp. 228,  229 {Feb. 27).

A mock-Demosthenic oration put into the mouth of Professor Jebb, who opposes the Town Council’s proposal to convert a portion of his garden at Springfield into Sidgwick Avenue. Reprinted in 'The Book of the Cambridge Review,' pp. 225-229 (Cambridge, 1898); and v. supra, Part FE. p. 29.

Headlam's early contributions to the school magazine at Harrow appeared under the nom de plume 'Echo', the nymph who loved Narcissus.