The writing-master was holding his penknife awkwardly in his hand, point downwards, and while the boy, who was showing up an exercise, stooped to pick up the book which had fallen, the blade ran into his eye and entirely destroyed the sight.

To a friend about to proceed to Gosport, Mr.Murray wrote: "Poor John has met with a sad accident, which you will be too soon acquainted with when you reach Gosport.

His mother is yet ignorant of it, and I dare not tell her." Eventually the boy was brought to London for the purpose of ascertaining whether something might be done by an oculist for the restoration of his sight.

But the cornea had been too deeply wounded; the fluid of the eye had escaped; nothing could be done for his relief, and he remained blind in that eye to the end of his life.

[Footnote: Long afterwards Chantrey the sculptor, who had suffered a similar misfortune, exclaimed, "What! are you too a brother Cyclops ?" but, as the narrator of the story used to add, Mr.Murray could see better with one eye than most people with two.] His father withdrew him from Dr.Burney's school, and sent him in July 1793 to the Rev.Dr.Roberts, at Loughborough House, Kennington.