TRINITY COLLEGE, CAMBRIDGE, IN PARLIAMENT.
[To THE EDITOR Of THE " SPECTATOR-1
Sn1,—The Spectator of January 3rd contained a letter dealing with a previous communication which appeared on Decem- ber 27th, 1902, signed " Trin. Coll. Cam." The writer of the first-mentioned letter makes the epigrammatical statement that "Oxford has been the statesmen's—as Cambridge has been the poets'—University." This is about as accurate as another wider known affirmation to the effect that "Oxford is the classical, and Cambridge the mathematical, University." Speaking from memory, I believe that Burleigh, Strafford, Cromwell, William Pitt, Grey, and Palmerston were Cambridge men, besides those named by " Trin. Coll. Cam." How, then, is Cambridge not a statesmen's University ? Similarly, if Cheke, Milton, Barrow, Porson, Bentley, Shilleto, Alford, Lightfoot, Westcott, Whewell, and Jebb do not constitute Cambridge a classical University of the first rank, then names have no meaning. There is a great sacrifice of accuracy in such ill-considered aphorisms as those to which I refer.—
[Doubtless they were by no means accurate generalisations. Perhaps the most ,interesting statement of the kind is that which tells us that Oxford is the University of great movements, Cambridge that of great men ; but even against this plenty of contrary instances can be shown on both sides.— ED. Spectator.]
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