 he
had taken his Professorship more seriously than any of the other Professors had
done. I heard of his having plucked one poor fellow for want of sufficient
vagueness in his saving clauses paper. Another was sent down for having written
an article on a scientific subject without having made free enough use of the
words carefully, patiently, and earnestly. One man was refused a degree for
being too often and too seriously in the right, while a few days before I came a
whole batch had been plucked for insufficient distrust of printed matter.
    About this there was just then rather a ferment, for it seems that the
Professor had written an article in the leading university magazine, which was
well known to be by him, and which abounded in all sorts of plausible blunders.
He then set a paper which afforded the examinees an opportunity of repeating
these blunders - which, believing the article to be by their own examiner, they
of course did. The Professor plucked every single one of them, but his action
was considered to have been not quite handsome.
    I told them of Homer's noble line to the effect that a man should strive
ever to be foremost and in all things to outvie his peers; but they said that no
wonder the countries in which such a detestable maxim was held in admiration
were always flying at one another's throats.
    »Why,« asked one Professor, »should a man want to be better than his
neighbours? Let him be thankful if he is no worse.«
    I ventured feebly to say that I did not see how progress could be made in
any art or science, or indeed in anything at all, without more or less
self-seeking, and hence unamiability.
    »Of course it cannot,« said the Professor, »and therefore we object to
progress.«
    After which there was no more to be said. Later on, however, a young
Professor took me aside and said he did not think I quite understood their views
about progress.
    »We like progress,« he said, »but it must commend itself to the common sense
of the people. If a man gets to know more than his neighbours he should keep his
knowledge to himself till he has sounded them, and seen whether they agree, or
are likely to agree with him.« He said it was as immoral to be too far in front
of one's own age, as to lag too far behind it. »If a man can carry his
neighbours with him, he may say what he likes; but if not, what insult can be
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