tal.

You will find a somewhat illuminating passage--illuminating, that is, if
you choose to interpret and apply it to our subject--in Lucian's "True
History," where the veracious traveller, who tells the tale, affirms that
he visited Hades among other places, and had some conversation with
Homer, among its many inhabitants--

Before many days had passed, I accosted the poet Homer, when we were
both disengaged, and asked him, among other things, where he came
from; it was still a burning question with us, I explained. He said he
was aware that some derived him from Chios, others from Smyrna, and
others again from Colophon; but in fact he was a Babylonian, generally
known not as Homer but as Tigranes; but when later in life he was
given as a homer or hostage to the Greeks, that name clung to him.
Another of my questions was about the so-called spurious books; had he
written them or not? He said that they were all genuine: so I now knew
what to think of the critics Zenodotus and Aristarchus and all their
lucubrations. Having got a categorical answer on that point, I tried
him next on his reason for starting the "Iliad" with the wrath of
Achilles. He said he had no exquisite reason; it just came into his
head that way.

Even so diverse are the questions that may be asked concerning any great
work of art. But to discover its full intent is always the most difficult
task of all. That task, however, and nothing less difficult, will always
be the one worthiest of a great University.

On that, and on that alone, Gentlemen, do I base all claims for our
School of English Literature. And yet in conclusion I will ask you,
reminding yourselves how fortunate is your lot in Cambridge, to think of
fellow-Englishmen far less fortunate.

Years ago I took some pains to examine the examination papers set by a
renowned Examining Body and I found this--'I humbly solicit' (to use a
phrase of Lucian's) 'my hearers' incredulity'--that in a paper set upon
three Acts of "Hamlet"--three Acts of "Hamlet"!--the first question
started with 'G.tt. p..cha' 'Al..g.tor' and invited the candidate to fill
in the missing letters correctly. Now I was morally certain that the
words 'gutta-percha' and 'alligator' did not occur in the first three
Acts of "Hamlet"; but having carefully re-read them I invited this
examining body to explain itself. The answer I got was that, to
understand Shakespeare, a student must f