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I was little of him and George Moore.  I have always been nauseated by pretentiousness; and the 
Celtic revival, so-called, had all the mincing, posturing qualities of the literary Plymouth Brother.  
They pretended to think it an unpardonable crime not to speak Irish, though they could not speak it 
themselves; and they worked in their mealymouthed way towards the galvanization of the political, 
ethnological and literary corpse of the Irish nation.  Ireland has been badly treated, we all know; 
but her only salvation lay in forgetting her nonsense.  What is the use of setting up a scarecrow 
provincialism, in re-establishing a barbarous and fantastic language which is as dead as Gothic and 
cannot boast sufficient literature to hold the attention of any but a few cloistered scholars --- at 
the price of cutting Ireland off from the main stream of civilization?  We see already that the 
country has slunk into the slough of anarchy.  When the Kilkenny cats have finished shooting each 
other from behind hedges, the depopulated island will necessarily fall into the hands of practical 
colonists, who will be content to dwell peaceably together and communicate with the world in a 
living language. 
Like Byron, Shelly, Swinburne and Tennyson, I left the university without taking a degree.  It has 
been better so; I have accepted no honour from her; she has had much from me. 
I wanted the spirit of the university and I passed my examinations in order to be able to imbibe it 
without interference from the authorities, but I saw no sense in paying fifteen guineas for the 
privilege of wearing a long black gown more cumbersome than the short blue one, and paying 
thirteen and fourpence instead of six and eightpence if I were caught smoking in it.  I had no 
intention of becoming a parson or a schoolmaster; to write B.A. after my name would have been a 
decided waste of ink. 
I felt that my career was already marked out for me.  Sir Richard Burton was my hero and 
Eckenstein his modern representative, as far as my external life was concerned.   A vaccalaureate 
would not assist me noticeably in the Himalayas or the Sahara.   As for my literary career, academic 
distinction would be a positive disgrace.   And with regard to my spiritual life, which I already felt 
to be the deepest thing in me, the approbation of the faculty was beneath troubling to despise.  I 
have always objected to incurring positive 
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disgrace.  I see no sense in violating conventions, still less in breaking laws.   To do so only gives one 
unnecessary trouble. 
On the other hand, it is impossible to make positive progress by means of institutions which lead to 
one becoming a lord chancellor, an archbishop, an admiral, or some other flower of futility.  I had 
got from Cambridge what I wanted: the intellectual and moral freedom, the spirit of initiative and 
self-reliance; but perhaps, above all, the indefinable tone of the university.  The difference 
between Cambridge and Oxford is that the former makes you the equal of anybody alive; the latter 
leaves you in the invidious position of being his superior. 
NOTE ON THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN 
OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE 
One of the most significant points in English character is thrown into relief by the contemplation of 
Oxford and Cambridge.  I should be very puzzled to have to say that that point is, but the data are 
unmistakable. The superficial likeness between the universities is very clear, yet their fundamental 
spiritual difference can only be described as "a great gulf fixed".  Contrast this with America, where 
even long experience does not enable one to distinguish at a glance between men from the four 
principal universities, or even to detect, in most cases, the influence of any university training 
soever, as we understand the idea.  But to mistake an Oxford for a Cambridge man is impossible and 
the converse exceedingly rare. 
I hope it is not altogether the blindness of filial affection that inclines me to suggest that the 
essential difference depends upon the greater freedom of the more famous university.  Oxford 
makes a very definite  effort to turn out a definite type of man and even his ingrained sense that he