LETTEKS. 273 



friendship I should value ; and, including him, no one 

 whose hand I would take in preference to m}^ old friend ; 

 so long as I see my old friend with his old face. When 

 you have learned to he other than what you are, I shall 

 not regret that B. M. is no longer my friend, but that 

 my former friend is no more. 



* * * * 



I walked through Magdalene the other day, and I 

 could not help anticipating the time when I should come 

 to drink your tea, and swallow your bread and butter, 

 within the sacred walls. You must know our College 

 was originally a convent for Black Friars ; and if a man 

 of the reign of Henry the Sixth were to peep out of his 

 grave, in an adjoining churchyard, and look into our 

 portals, judging by our dress and appearance, he might 

 deem us a convent of Black Friars still. Some of our 

 brethren, it is true, v/ould seem of very unsightly bulk ; 

 but many of them, with eyes sunk into their heads, from 

 poring over the mathematics, might pass very well for 

 the fasting and mortified shadows of penitent monks. 



With regard to the expenses of our College, I can now 

 speak decisively ; and I can tell you, that I shall be here 

 an independent man. I am a senior sizar, under very 

 favourable circumstances, and I believe, the profits of 

 my situation will nearly equal the actual expenses of the 

 College. But this is no rule for other Colleges. 1 am 

 on the he&t side (there are two divisions) of St John's, 

 and the expenses here are less than anywhere else in 

 the University. 



I have this week written s@me very elaborate verses 

 for a college prize, and I have at length learned that I 

 am not qualified for a competitor, not being a Lady 

 Margaret's scholar : so that I have lost my labour. Com- 

 pared with the other men of this large College, I find I 

 am a respectable classic, and if I had time to give to 

 the languages, I think I should ultimately succeed in 

 them in no small degree ; but the fates forbid ; mathe- 

 matics I must read, and in mathematics I know I never 

 shall excel. These are harassing reflections for a poor 

 young man gaping for a fellowship ! 



