In the place of the paragraph beginning "I desire my
Lord God our Heavenly Father" I would- but perhaps I had better return
to Theobald, and leave the recasting of the Catechism to abler hands.
CHAPTER VIII
MR. Pontifex had set his heart on his son's becoming a fellow of a
college before he became a clergyman. This would provide for him at
once and would ensure his getting a living if none of his father's
ecclesiastical friends gave him one. The boy had done just well enough
at school to render this possible, so he was sent to one of the
smaller colleges at Cambridge and was at once set to read with the
best private tutors that could be found. A system of examination had
been adopted a year or so before Theobald took his degree which had
improved his chances of a fellowship, for whatever ability he had
was classical rather than mathematical, and this system gave more
encouragement to classical studies than had been given hitherto.
Theobald had the sense to see that he had a chance of independence
if he worked hard, and he liked the notion of becoming a fellow. He
therefore applied himself, and in the end took a degree which made his
getting a fellowship in all probability a mere question of time.
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