20 THE VICE-CHANCELLOR. 



Darwin's health prevented him accepting the degree. Cam- 

 bridge was happier, and Darwin became an honorary LL.D. 

 of his own University in 1877. 



And now there is one other subject to which I desire to 

 allude before proposing the toast. What would we give 

 to know as much about the life of Shakespeare and of 

 Newton as we know about the life of Darwin ? That 

 we do happily possess a wide and detailed knowledge 

 -of the life of this great man we owe to one of his sons, 

 who with a fine and delicate sense of pathos as well as 

 performance has done his work, who has hurried in no way 

 but has made every step secure, so that we can with the 

 utmost confidence receive the great result as historical truth 

 that will stand the test of time a sure foundation on which 

 the future can build. This great debt we owe. It is 

 difficult to express our gratitude in adequate terms, but I 

 should wish to say on behalf of those of us who are here as 

 guests of the University of Cambridge that we look with a 

 sympathy of the utmost depth upon the great ceremony that 

 will take place to-morrow, when you will make the great 

 exception and dignify with an honorary degree a resident 

 Cambridge man. 



I give you the toast of the " University of Cambridge," 

 venerable yet ever young, the mother of great men. And I 

 know when you honour it you will think of one great name, 

 the noble, illustrious name of him who taught and inspired the 

 world, and whom Cambridge may claim as her son. 



The VICE-CHANCELLOR (the Master of Pembroke College) 

 said : My Lord Chancellor and Gentlemen : I am deeply 

 grateful, as I am sure all the resident members of Cambridge 

 are, to Professor Poulton for the extremely interesting speech 

 he has given us, and for the toast itself. From no lips would 

 Cambridge men more gladly hear the toast of " Cambridge 

 University " proposed than from the lips of an Oxford 

 Piofessor. There are great similarities between the two 

 Universities ; and according to an account which reached 

 me yesterday the similarities are on the increase. I do 

 not know whether everyone present in this Hall to-day 



