To The University Of Oxford I Acknowledge

The Triumph Of The Romans Was Indeed Sullied By Their Treatment Of The Captive King, Whom They Hung On A Gibbet Without The Knowledge Of Their Indignant General. This Disgraceful Act Of Cruelty Which Might Be Imputed To The Fury Of The Troops, Was Followed By The Deliberate Murder Of Withicab, The Son Of Vadomair; A German Prince, Of A Weak And Sickly Constitution, But Of A Daring And Formidable Spirit.

The Monastic Studies Have Tended, For The Most Part, To Darken, Rather Than To Dispel, The Cloud Of Superstition.

In The Productions Of The Mind, As In Those Of The Soil, The Gifts Of Nature Are Excelled By Industry And Skill . . .

And The Winds And The Waves Are Always On The Side Of The Ablest Navigators.

In Old Age The Consolation Of Hope Is Reserved For The Tenderness Of Parents, Who Commence A New Life In Their Children, The Faith Of Enthusiasts, Who Sing Hallelujahs Above The Clouds; And The Vanity Of Authors, Who Presume The Immortality Of Their Name And Writings.