Surely the influence of the “text for life” is visible here! And those who knew him in later years will remember that this was his leading characteristic to the close of his life, making every preparation, using every endeavour, and then leaving the issue tranquilly in the hands of Him who “careth for you.”
Christmas Day was spent with his Uncle and Aunt Gurney, and two or three days at the beginning of the New Year given to his home, to turn away his mind entirely from mathematics for the last day or two before his examination. Then two letters appear in the carefully preserved bundle, one to his mother at Hampstead:—
“I have not time to write much, but I have the unspeakable pleasure of telling you that I am 5th Wrangler and Robert Pryor 4th. I cannot say how thankful and happy I feel about it.”
Written hastily, and in suppressed excitement, the date at the head of the letter—“December 17th, 1833”—is wrong both in the month and year (as the postmark testifies). The same day he writes more fully to his father in London; to this letter there is no date at all. Never surely in all his life did he make either of these mistakes again! (The postmark on this is the same as on the former letter, viz. January 17th, 1834.)
“I have had a hard fight to-day in the bracket, the result of which is that I am 5th Wrangler, and Pryor 4th. I cannot say what unqualified pleasure and gratitude I feel at this result of my College labours, and the pleasure is not a little increased at Robert being the person to beat me; there was no person in the examination to whom I would so willingly yield a place. I have had a hard fight to-day in the brackets. I was well aware, from the failure I made in two of the problem papers and the first class, that I was hard-run by some of the men in the bracket, so that I felt rather dismayed at finding myself with a good prospect of being 8th, whereas 6th had been my ambition. However, I set to work steadily and well, and, as I have since heard, gained three places, for I began at the bottom of the bracket. Peacock is very anxious that I should go in for the Smith’s prize, as most men of my standing generally go through that ceremony. The list of our bracket is:—
Pryor
Hoare
Main
Bullock
Bates.”
Robert Pryor, his “twin cousin,” as he used to be called, was Edward Hoare’s playmate from his earliest years. Educated together, together they entered the University, and came out, as we have seen, side by side in the list of wranglers. Pryor went in for the scholarship, but failed, and in a letter at the time his successful cousin writes of him as “behaving nobly,” thinking nothing of his failure, and only setting to work twice as resolutely as before, with the happy result above noted.
Here follow letters of congratulation from the relatives with whom he spent the Christmas before his examination. The event to which they refer may well terminate a chapter of this book, as it certainly was the close of an important chapter in his life.
Congratulatory letter on his success at Cambridge from J. J. Gurney:—
“Norwich, June 18th, 1834.
“Dearest Edward,—I think it would be very flat of me not to acknowledge the receipt of thy letter. I understand from Geo. Peacock’s letter to Hudson that the examination took an unfortunate turn for thee, or thou wouldst have been still higher; however, I am sure thou art quite high enough—and we have nothing to do but warmly to congratulate thee on thy prowess and well-earned honours. Certainly I for one should withhold all congratulation, did I not feel assured that thou hast aboard thy vessel plenty of good ballast in the shape of humility, simplicity, and Christian principle. Therein I do and will rejoice, more than in the flag of victory. I should now advise a polite treatment of thyself—a journey—a frolic—a good long holiday, yet not absolute idleness, which is good for nobody.
“I am thy truly affectionate Uncle,
“J. J. Gurney.“My congratulations and kind regards to Rob. Pryor. I told thy mother that I was ready to be £50 towards thy expenses, shouldst thou take a journey—to be had at Overend’s any day, on my account.”
Congratulatory letter from his aunt:—