HUTCHINSON. 331 attack him in the House of Commons, as a deserter from his political friends. But he was a man of high spirit, and asserted himself in so firm and lofty a tone, that it was thought prudent to attack him no more. Mr. Hutchinson's resignation of the prime serjeantcy, and acceptance of the provostship of Trinity College, though highly gratifying to his classical ambition, was perhaps an imprudent step, because i t s results were not only injurious t o his peace o f mind, but preclusive t o a l l hopes o f further advancement i n his profession, t o the highest honours o f which h e would otherwise most pro bably have attained. The provostship was the capital prize i n the lottery o f learning which the fellows o f the university considered peculiarly and exclusively the right o f their order. The clergy could not have been more offended a t seeing the archiepiscopal mitre placed o n the head o f a physician, nor the army a t finding a churchman their commander-in-chief, than were the monks o f Trinity, on viewing a professional alien, transferred from the forensic drudgeries o f the bar, t o the throne o f learning, and ruling over men who had devoted their lives t o lite rary and philosophical science i n that college, whose honours and emoluments they considered a s their legiti mate inheritance. They, therefore, regarded not only with jealousy, but marked hostility, the appointment o f Mr. Hutchinson; and this hostility was, after a short time, much exasperated b y a n attempt o f the new provost t o innovate o n the profound gravity o f alma mater, b y introducing the manly exercises, and the polite accomplish ments, a s part o f a system hitherto exclusively devoted t o scholastic studies. Instead, therefore, o f implicitly fol lowing the steps o f his predecessors, h e formed the project o f rendering the university, a school o f elegance a s well a s o f literature and science. He knew that a very great majority o f the students i n the university had n o views t o professional pursuits, but were intended t o move i n life a s private gentlemen, and were sent there b y their parents merely t o complete their classical studies, and occupy
