260 LIFE AT OXFORD. [l875. 



struck in when discussions waxed warm, pouring " oil 

 on the troubled waters." These two remarkable men 

 had vied with each other in holding out the hand of 

 fellowship to Prestwich. Alas ! the powerful pleadings 

 with which Dr Rolleston was wont to electrify Con- 

 vocation on behalf of some liberal measure, and the 

 "golden speech," as it has been fitly termed, of the 

 genial Professor Henry Smith, have long been silent. 

 Jowett, in his ' Recollections of Professor Smith,' ob- 

 serves, " He may be regarded as one of the most re- 

 markable persons of his time." 



Outside the Professoriate, Joseph Prestwich had 

 gained so many friends that the difficulty is to enum- 

 erate them. One of these was the Rev. Dr Cradock, 

 the Principal of Brasenose, who, during several years, 

 presided at the geological class lectures : the kindness 

 shown by him and Mrs Cradock was constant until the 

 end. At their pleasant luncheon-parties the new Pro- 

 fessor and his wife were frequent guests. When after 

 adjournment to the drawing-room it was the practice 

 of the sprightly little hostess to insist on any man of 

 note present writing an epigram, or sonnet, or some- 

 thing original, in her book of autographs, our geologist 

 finally succeeded in satisfying her with a quotation. 

 Mrs Cradock invariably wore black, and as her slight 

 figure was draped in black lace which was thrown over 

 her cap and fell enveloping her shoulders, the appear- 

 ance of the kind little hostess was unconventional and 

 highly picturesque. She had a rose-garden at the end 

 of Holywell which gave much pleasure to her friends ; 

 but each year, as the season of roses drew near, our Pro- 

 fessor hurried home so as to be in time for his own 

 beautiful roses, which flourished in the sunshine, on 

 that high chalk hill overlooking the Darent valley. 



