he
answers to some Theological Tripos papers. He took up two of them and
compared the answers given to the same question by the two men. The
answer required was a translation of a passage of Greek with notes.
And, as far as I can remember, his words were these: "Now, W----, this
man has passed over the real difficulty. As far as I can tell, he has
not even noticed that there is a difficulty. I have given him two
marks out of a possible ten. This other man has seen the difficulty
and grappled with it. His solution is without doubt incorrect, but
that is quite immaterial. Result, eight marks out of ten." I cannot
but think that this attitude of mind was largely the secret of his
influence.' In another case, when urging a man to attempt some
independent investigation of the Synoptic problem, he said; {13} 'Your
conclusions may be wrong, but you can correct them, and it will teach
you to think.'

One who was an undergraduate with Forbes says of him: He 'did not take
a prominent part in religious movements in the College, such as the
College prayer meeting or Bible readings, though he was occasionally
present at them. In chapel his reverence was quiet, though in no way
obtrusive. I think that by not identifying himself with any particular
religious party he had greater influence with those men whose minds ran
in very different grooves. I always felt when in his company that I
was conversing with one vastly superior to myself in intellectual
powers, and yet he never appeared conscious of it himself. It is
surprising how considerate he was of the feelings of others. I
remember a large print of Pope Leo XIII. which used to hang in his
rooms as an undergraduate, which delighted his gyp, who was a Romanist,
but scandalised his Protestant friends. I begged earnestly for a copy
of one of his prize essays, which had been printed though not
published. He at first consented, but almost immediately asked me to
return it, saying that he did not wish it to go out to the world as
expressing his matured views. He then asked me to accept instead a
small booklet, which he said I should find useful to have in visiting.
It contained the verses called "The Old, Old Story." He also gave me a
copy of the "Practice of the Presence of God," by Brother Lawrence.'

Before he decided to read for the Moral Science Tripos he had thought
of going in for the Semitic Languages Tripos. With this object in view
he {14} commenced the stud