Page:Carroll - Euclid and His Modern Rivals.djvu/271

Rh I turn then to the other ground, namely that the demand is made by men who are competent to form an opinion on the subject. Now it is not for me to affect to speak in the name of the University of Cambridge; mine is the opinion of only a private unofficial resident. But I have little doubt that many persons here will maintain, without questioning the competence of the claimants to form an opinion, that we ourselves are still much more competent to form an opinion.

For it will not be denied that in all which relates to mathematical knowledge we have an aggregate of eminence which far surpasses what has yet been collected together to press the demand on the University. Moreover as inspectors and judges we occupy a central position as it were, and thus enjoy opportunities which do not fall to isolated teachers however eminent and experienced. The incessant demands made upon the University to furnish examiners for schools and for the local examinations keep us as a body practically familiar with the standard of excellence attained in various places of instruction. Then as college lecturers and private tutors we have the strongest motives for keenly discriminating the state of mathematical knowledge in different schools, as shewn by the performance of the candidates when brought under our notice. Moreover some of the residents in the University by continued intercourse with old pupils, now themselves occupying important positions as teachers, are enabled to prolong and enlarge the experience which they may have already obtained directly or indirectly. If it is obvious that certain teachers by ability and devotion have for many years sent up well-trained pupils, the University may well consider that it would be neither right nor wise to deprive its best friends of their justly earned distinction, by relaxing in any way the rigour of the examinations. Instead then of urging an instant acquiescence with demands on the ground that those who make them are well qualified to judge, the claimants should endeavour by argument to convince others who are still better qualified to judge.