PARENTAGE AND EARLY LIFE 21 



what a multitude of varied channels he chose for 

 himself in which to exercise his energies on the 

 side of right and goodness. Though at times he 

 might be thought lacking in discretion, his quick- 

 ness of perception, his excellent memory, his dex- 

 terity in wielding his weapons whether of defence 

 or attack, his perseverance, as well as his uncon- 

 querable determination, made him a tough adversary 

 to encounter. Opposition, however strong, could 

 never silence him ; and if driven into a corner, as 

 he occasionally was, he had an extraordinary faculty 

 of fighting his way out of it. He loved Oxford 

 dearly, and the memories of it were ever fresh in 

 his mind and often dwelt upon. He now and 

 again revisited the place, but never to take a higher 

 degree than that of Bachelor of Arts. 



His favourite classical author was Horace, whom 

 he seemed pretty well to know by heart, though he 

 seldom looked into a Latin or Greek classic after he 

 took his degree ; indeed, at no subsequent period of 

 his life was his study of books so close as when he 

 was at Oxford. For the remainder of his days, one, 

 at least, of his chief books was that commonly called 

 Nature, and of this he never grew weary for lack of 

 novelty, for its last page could never be reached, and 

 each one as he looked upon it filled him with fresh 

 wonder and delight. 



