The life and letters of Benjamin Jowett, M. A., master of Balliol college, Oxford.

1840-I846]

Degradation of WIard

93

1844, was already assisting him in the preparation of a
Protest on the subject. They were together at the scene
of the degradation of Ward in February, I8451. The
events of that day have often been described, but nowhere more graphically than by Dean Stanley and in
the Memoir of Dean Church, who, as Junior Proctor, took
a memorable part in the proceedings. The latter work
contains a graphic piece of description at first hand
which may be quoted here.
'Mr. Church's youngest brother, then an undergraduate at
Oriel... had stationed himself at a window in Broad Street,
in order better to view the proceedings; and he recalls the
excitement of the moment, the sight of the crowd, which still,
after the procession had entered, lingered round the railings
that enclose the Theatre-the dull roar of the shouting which
could be heard at intervals from within the building itselfand at last the appearance of the assemblage streaming out
through the snow, the big figure of Ward emerging among the
earliest, with his papers under his arm, to be greeted with
shouts and cheers, which passed into laughter as, in his hurry,
he slipped and fell headlong in the snow, his papers flying in
every direction2.'
The scene within the Theatre was vividly described by
Jowett in a letter to Brodie written a day or two after
the great event:
'... The 13e Fevrier came off last Thursday, a most tragic
scene which the inclemency of the weather contributed to
heighten. I300oo wild country parsons are calculated to have
come up to do battle on the occasion: the Theatre was crammed;
Ward in the rostrum with Oakeley for prompter. The V. C.
and Hebdomadals take their places. Ward requests leave
to speak in English, which is granted; and then began an
oration containing some of the unpleasantest words to the ears
of country clergy that were ever spoken. He supposed there
1 Life of Dean Stanley, vol. i. 2 Dean Church's Life and Letp. 340. ters, p. 55.