cal mathematician,
Leslie Ellis, was kind to my brother, who had an introduction to him
probably from Spedding. Ellis was already suffering from the illness
which confined him to his room at Trumpington, and prevented him from
ever giving full proofs of intellectual powers, rated by all who knew
him as astonishing. I may quote what Fitzjames says of one other
contemporary, the senior classic of his own year: 'Lightfoot's
reputation for accuracy and industry was unrivalled; but it was not
generally known what a depth of humour he had or what general force of
character.' Lightfoot's promotion to the Bishopric of Durham removed
him, as my brother thought, from his proper position as a teacher; and
he suffered 'under the general decay of all that belongs to theology.'
I do not find, however, that Lightfoot had any marked influence upon
Fitzjames.

The best thing that the ablest man learns at college, as somebody has
said, is that there are abler men than himself. My brother became
intimate with several very able men of his own age, and formed
friendships which lasted for life. He met them especially in two
societies, which influenced him as they have influenced many men
destined to achieve eminence. The first was the 'Union.' There his
oratory became famous. The 'Gruffian' and 'Giant Grim' was now known as
the 'British Lion'; and became, says Mr. Watson, 'a terror to the
shallow and wordy, and a merciless exposer of platitudes and shams.' Mr.
Watson describes a famous scene in the October term of 1849 which may
sufficiently illustrate his position. 'There was at that time at Trinity
a cleverish, excitable, worthy fellow whose mind was a marvellous
mixture of inconsistent opinions which he expounded with a kind of
oratory as grotesque as his views.' Tradition supplies me with one of
his flowers of speech. He alluded to the clergy as 'priests sitting upon
their golden middens and crunching the bones of the people.' These
oddities gave my brother irresistible opportunities for making fun of
his opponent. 'One night his victim's powers of endurance gave way. The
scene resembled the celebrated outburst of Canning when goaded by the
invectives of Brougham. The man darted across the room with the obvious
intention of making a physical onslaught, and then, under what impulse
and with what purpose I do not know, the whole meeting suddenly flashed
into a crowd of excited, wrangling boys. They leapt upon the seats,
climbed upon the b