CORRESPONDENCE, 1867-70. 389 



Brown said no one answered any question that I did not also 1869. 

 answer, and better. 



I have no doubt Walter and Jepbson had read more books 

 than I had, and knew (after a sort) more. Maule was a man of 

 great ability and immense acquirements ; he reminded me of 

 Person more than anybody else did. 



My experience has led me to doubt the value of competitive 

 examination. I believe the most valuable qualities for practical 

 life cannot be got at by any examination such as steadiness and 

 perseverance. It may be well to make an examination part of the 

 mode of judging of a man's fitness ; but to put him into an office 

 with public duties to perform merely on his passing a good 

 examination is, I think, a bad mode of preventing mere patronage. 

 My brother is one of the best generals that ever commanded an 

 army, but the qualities that make him so are quite beyond the 

 reach of any examination. Latterly the Cambridge examinations 

 seem to turn -upon very different matters from what prevailed in 

 my time. I think a Cambridge education has for its object to 

 make good members of society not to extend science and make 

 profound mathematicians. The tripos questions in the Senate- 

 house ought not to go beyond certain limits, and geometry ought 

 to be cultivated and encouraged much more than it is. 



Euclid and conic sections studied geometrically improve, 

 enlarge, and strengthen the mind ; studied analytically, I think 

 not. But I must have exhausted your patience a virtue which 

 may be tried but not examined. My best regards to Mrs. De 

 Morgan and your family. 



Ever sincerely yours, 



FRED. POLLOCK. 



P.S. Looking over what I have written, I fear you will find 

 little that you want ; but I am still ready to answer any specific 

 questions. 



To Sir F. Pollock. 



6 Merton Road, Adelaide Road, N.W., 

 August 1, 18C9. 



MY LEAR SIR FREDERICK, Tour letter has better Cambridge 

 history than any 100 pages of the Esq. Bedell I forget his 

 name who quoted Wm. Frend as saying that the market women 

 complained of being scotched a quarter of their wages, and quoted 

 the word three times in italics to call attention to it. Mr. Frend's 



