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Presbyterian and Episcopalian Churches; and is glad to preach in a

Presbyterian Church; as he did this morning。  How the aforesaid

Union is to be brought about; I'm sure I don't know; for I am pretty

certain that the Episcopalians won't give up their bishops; and the

Presbyterians won't have them on any account。  However; that's

neither here nor thereat least it does not affect the fact that

Wordsworth is a first…rate man; and a fine preacher。  I dare say you

know he is a nephew or grand…nephew of the Poet。  He is a most

venerable old man; and worth looking at; merely for his exterior。

He is so feeble with age that he can with difficulty climb the three

short steps that lead into the pulpit; but; once in the pulpit; it

is another thing。  There is no feebleness when he begins to preach。

He is one of the last voices of the old orthodox school; and I wish

there were hundreds like him。  If ever a man believed in his

message; Wordsworth does。  And though I cannot follow him in his

veneration for the Thirty…nine Articles; the way in which he does

makes me half wish I could。 。 。 。 It was full of wisdom and the

beauty of holiness; which even I; poor sceptic and outcast; could

recognise and appreciate。  After all; he didn't get it from the

Articles; but from his own human heart; which; he told us; was

deceitful and desperately wicked。



‘Confound it; how stupid we all are!  Episcopalians; Presbyterians;

Unitarians; Agnostics; the whole lot of us。  We all believe the same

things; to a great extent; but we must keep wrangling about the data

from which we infer these beliefs 。 。 。 I believe a great deal that

he does; but I certainly don't act up to my belief as he does to

his。'





The belief ‘up to' which Murray lived was; if it may be judged by

its fruits; that of a Christian man。  But; in this age; we do find

the most exemplary Christian conduct in some who have discarded

dogma and resigned hope。  Probably Murray would not the less have

regarded these persons as Christians。  If we must make a choice; it

is better to have love and charity without belief; than belief of

the most intense kind; accompanied by such love and charity as John

Knox bore to all who differed from him about a mass or a chasuble; a

priest or a presbyter。  This letter; illustrative of the effect of

cathedral services on a young Unitarian; is taken out of its proper

chronological place。



From Canterbury Mr。 Murray went to Ilminster in Somerset。  Here

Robert attended the Grammar School; in 1879 he went to the Grammar

School of Crewkerne。  In 1881 he entered at the University of St。

Andrews; with a scholarship won as an external student of Manchester

New College。  This he resigned not long after; as he had abandoned

the idea of becoming a Unitarian minister。



No longer a schoolboy; he was now a Bejant (bec jaune?); to use the

old Scotch term for ‘freshman。'  He liked the picturesque word; and

opposed the introduction of ‘freshman。'  Indeed he liked all things

old; and; as a senior man; was a supporter of ancient customs and of

esprit de corps in college。  He fell in love for life with that old

and grey enchantress; the city of St。 Margaret; of Cardinal Beaton;

of Knox and Andrew Melville; of Archbishop Sharp; and Samuel

Rutherford。  The nature of life and education in a Scottish

university is now; probably; better understood in England than it

used to be。  Of the Scottish universities; St。 Andrews varies least;

though it varies much; from Oxford and Cambridge。  Unlike the

others; Aberdeen; Glasgow; and Edinburgh; the United College of St。

Leonard and St。 Salvator is not lost in a large town。  The College

and the Divinity Hall of St。 Mary's are a survival from the Middle

Ages。  The University itself arose from a voluntary association of

the learned in 1410。  Privileges were conferred on this association

by Bishop Wardlaw in 1411。  It was intended as a bulwark against

Lollard ideas。  In 1413 the Antipope Benedict XIII。; to whom

Scotland then adhered; granted six bulls of confirmation to the new

University。  Not till 1430 did Bishop Wardlaw give a building in

South Street; the Paedagogium。  St。 Salvator's College was founded

by Bishop Kennedy (1440…1466):  it was confirmed by Pius II。 in

1458。  Kennedy endowed his foundation richly with plate (a silver

mace is still extant) and with gorgeous furniture and cloth of gold。

St。 Leonard's was founded by Prior Hepburn in 1512。  Of St。

Salvator's the ancient chapel still remains; and is in use。  St。

Leonard's was merged with St。 Salvator's in the last century:  its

chapel is now roofless; some of the old buildings remain; much

modernised; but on the south side fronting the gardens they are

still picturesque。  Both Colleges were; originally; places of

residence for the students; as at Oxford and Cambridge; and the

discipline; especially at St。 Leonard's; was rather monastic。  The

Reformation caused violent changes; all through these troubled ages

the new doctrines; and then the violent Presbyterian pretensions to

clerical influence in politics; and the Covenant and the Restoration

and Revolution; kept busy the dwellers in what should have been

‘quiet collegiate cloisters。'  St。 Leonard's was more extreme; on

Knox's side; than St。 Salvator's; but was also more devoted to King

James in 1715。  From St。 Andrews Simon Lovat went to lead his

abominable old father's clan; on the Prince Regent's side; in 1745。

Golf and archery; since the Reformation at least; were the chief

recreations of the students; and the archery medals bear all the

noblest names of the North; including those of Argyll and the great

Marquis of Montrose。  Early in the present century the old ruinous

college buildings of St。 Salvator's ceased to be habitable; except

by a ghost!  There is another spectre of a noisy sort in St。

Leonard's。  The new buildings are mere sets of class…rooms; the

students live where they please; generally in lodgings; which they

modestly call bunks。  There is a hall for dinners in common; it is

part of the buildings of the Union; a new hall added to an ancient

house。



It was thus to a university with ancient associations; with a

religio loci; and with more united and harmonious student…life than

is customary in Scotland; that Murray came in 1881。  How clearly his

biographer remembers coming to the same place; twenty years earlier!

how vivid is his memory of quaint streets; grey towers; and the

North Sea breaking in heavy rollers on the little pier!



Though; like a descendant of Archbishop Sharp; and a winner of the

archery medal; I boast myself Sancti Leonardi alumnus addictissimus;

I am unable to give a description; at first hand; of student life in

St。 Andrews。  In my time; a small set of ‘men' lived together in

what was then St。 Leonard's Hall。  The buildings that remain on the

site of Prior Hepburn's foundation; or some of them; were turned

into a hall; where we lived together; not scattered in bunks。  The

existence was mainly like that of pupils of a private tutor; seven…

eighths of private tutor to one…eighth of a college in the English

universities。  We attended the lectures in the University; we

distinguished ourselves no more than Murray would have approved of;

and many of us have remained united by friendship through half a

lifetime。



It was a pleasant existence; and the perfume of buds and flowers in

the old gardens; hard by those where John Knox sat and talked with

James Melville and our other predecessors at St。 Leonard's; is

fragrant in our memories。  It was pleasant; but St。 Leonard's Hall

has ceased to be; and the life there was not the life of the free

and hardy bunk…dwellers。  Whoso pined for such dissipated pleasures

as the chill and dark streets of St。 Andrews offer to the gay and

rousing blade; was not encouraged。  We were very strictly ‘gated;'

though the whole society once got out of window; and; by way of

protest; made a moonlight march into the country。  We attended

‘gaudeamuses' and solatiaUniversity suppersbut little; indeed;

he who writes does not remember any such diversions of boys who beat

the floor; and break the glass。  To plant the standard of cricket in

the remoter gardens of our country; in a region devastated by golf;

was our ambition; and here we had no assistance at all from the

University。  It was chiefly at lecture; at football on the links;

and in the debating societies that we met our fellow…students; like

the celebrated starling; ‘we could not get out;' except to permitted

dinners and evening parties。  Consequently one could only sketch

student life with a hand faltering and untrained。  It was very

different with Murray and his friends。  They were their own masters;

could sit up to all hours; smoking; talking; and; I dare say;

drinking。  As I gather from his letters; Murray drank nothing

stronger than water。  There was a certain kind of humour in drink;

he said; but he thought it wa

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