The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-29 00:00:00

Mr LOWE said—l have now gone through the
gratifying duty of distributing the prizes and cer-
tificates acquired by the young gentlemen in the
last examination of the University of Oxford. I
fear that it will be impossible to add anything that
will be new to the very admirable and striking
remarks made already on this subject by the Mayor;
but in a case where it is desirable to make a per•
manent impression, not only on those who have re-
ceived the priz?s, but on the community, who, I
think, scarcely come forward as might be expected
from its Intelligence and wealth, I will, even at the
risk of repetition, go over some of the ground tra-
versed by those who have gone before me to-day.
First, I would strongly exhort my young friends,
although by their present exertions they have
gained a great step in life, not to consider that they
have gained a point at which they have a right to
pause or slacken their exertions, These certificates
are valuable, because they prcve that the know-
ledge of those who have obtained them has been
tested and found competent. But let it always be
remembered that the value is in the knowledge
much more than in the certificate; that the certift.
cete,though of value as c.d:Yriaative--because it is an
evidence of knowledge—is not valuable for its own
sake. Let the students before me rather consider
that the point they have reached it a sort of table
land, from avh;ch they may start afresh and go on
further; that if it was worth while to acquire the
knowledge they have now shown, it is worth their
while to retain, to dcvelope, and improve it; and
that what they have now done is merely to attain
a point from which they may arrive at higher
eminence. Let me beg of them to give what
time they can spare from other pursuits to de-
velops that knowledge for which they have
to-day shoe n6O much industry and capacity.
Even if nothing else were gained by it, the mere
promotion of the habit of reading and study is of
itself one of the most valuable acquirements
that a young man can make. In the familiar
words of a classical writer, we may say of those
studies that they delight us at home, ere no impedie
went to ns abroad, help to soothe the tedium of our
sleepless nights, and lighten the fatigue of long and
toilsome journeys. (Cheers.) A young man who
has formed a taste for readirg and study has a con.
start solace; he gets that which is likeliest of all
things to keep him from worse tastes and pursuits
—a companion that will never desert him, an en-
joyment in which he can indulge without extrava-
gance and without self•reproach, while it is far from
being a barren possession, because among men of
ordinary capacity it is the greater amount of reads
Lag which one man has compared with another by
which he is distinguished from the crowd, and
which .condeces to his success in life. I think I

have now said enough to enforce the argument that,
having gone so far, it is above all things undesir-
able that those who receive these prizes should
think that they have done all that they need do.
The certificate is " the guinea stamp ;" the know-
ledge which is gained is the " gold for a that."
(Cheers.) In this country there is a class of per-
sons who make it their business to decry examine•
Cons. A sort of false compassion is expressed for
people who are always undergoing examinations.
It is talked of as one of the miseries of life, and
people are very often facetious in their remarks on
this subject. But what I have always felt is that
any one who objects to examinations is really ob-
jecting to have all things aecertaincd instead of
Caking them on trust. That is the whole meaning
of examination. A man gives himself out as
knowing certain things. We say to him, "Prove
ir, and we will believe you." Never take for granted
anything you can test. There you have the ra-
tionale of examination, If it is worth while for a
man to know anything, it is worth his while to
submit to have his knowledge tried, and the man
who shrinks from a test and says ho could do it if
he liked, but wont try, will be pushed aside in the
race of life, and deservedly so, for—
" He either fears his fate too much,
Or his deserts are small,
Who fears to put it to the touch,

And win or lose it all."
That should be the nalaim of the young man
who trios to rise in life,—to come forward and give
evidence to the world of what ho can do. The days
are long past when people were called on to give
proof of their prowess. I❑ the time of knight-er•
rantry, when a gentleman offered his hand to a lady
he was expected to defend her in a very different
way from now; it was his stror g arm that she was
to rely upon to protect her from insult and injury,
and the ladies had a way of finding out ,whether
their suitors were worthy of the charge, One
knight was sent off to fight a fiery dragon, another
to draw three teeth from the jaw of the Sultan of
Babylon, or to perform some equally agreeable ex-
ploit ; while ono lady whom we read of in story
threw do wn her glove between a lien and a tiger,
and bade her knight fetch it. These tests proved
that the gentleman was equal to the task of pro•
tecting his future wife. Such days are past, but
it would now bo no bad test for a young lady in

making choice of a husband to consider whether he
has shown that industry and capacity which are far
better calculated to promote his success in life than
the mere possession of so much money. I suggest,
then, to the fair ladies of Nottingham that if they
are balancing between two suitors, they ought to
give much weight to this consideration, because,
believe me, a man who would eucceed in life has
under ordinary circumstances far more in his own

_ . _ .....
power than any one would imagine from reading
ke a sation novels and that class of literature. Of
curse thcre aro obstacles, such as failure of health,
which check a raari's progress,and egainet which we
cinnot ;ward; but in ordinary circumstances every
man of average ability and industry is master of
his own destiny. If a man's expectations are limited
to his capacity, then is nothing of which he need
despair. I know not that I can further enforce this
opinion, so I sincerely congra. tulato those who have
obtained these prizes, and I do hope that the next
person who shall come here to distribute them will
find from rHs grea>, intelJigfnt, and Nealtby town

a Ltrg,r Lur)11),:: of c:l,.Liti:o L.,11 ;:t.ay.)