Peacock & I are still in perfect Equilibrio & the Examiners themselves can give no guess yet who is likely to be first;--a New Examiner (Wood of St. John's, who is reckon'd the first Mathematician in the University, for Waring doesn't reside) was call'd solely to examine Peacock & me only.--but by this new Plan nothing is yet determin'd.--So Wood is to examine us again to-morrow morning. _Thursday evening._ Peacock is declar'd first & I second,--Smith of this Coll. is either 8^th or 9^th & Lucas is either 10^th or 11^th.--Poor Quiz Carver is one of the οἱ πολλοί;--I'm perfectly _satisfied_ that the Senior Wranglership is Peacock's due, but _certainly_ not so very undisputably as Lax pleases to represent it--I understand that _he_ asserts 'twas 5 to 4 in Peacock's favor. Now Peacock & I have explain'd to each other how we went on, & can _prove indisputably_ that it wasn't 20 to 19 in his favor;--I _cannot_ therefore be displeas'd for being plac'd second, tho' I'm provov'd (_sic_) with Lax for his false report (so much beneath the Character of a Gentleman.)-- N.B. it is my very _particular Request_ that you dont mention Lax's behaviour to me to any one. Such was the form ultimately taken by the senate-house examination, a form which it retained substantially without alteration for nearly half-a-century. It soon became the sole test by which candidates were judged. The University was not obliged to grant a degree to anyone who performed the statutable exercises, and it was open to the senate to refuse to pass a supplicat for a bachelor's degree in arts unless the candidate had presented himself for the senate-house examination. In 1790 James Blackburn, of Trinity, a questionist of exceptional abilities, was informed that in spite of his good disputations he would not be allowed a degree unless he also satisfied the examiners in the tripos. He accordingly solved one "very hard problem," though in consequence of a dispute with the authorities he refused to attempt any more[53]. Henceforth the examination was compulsory on all candidates pursuing the normal course for the B.A. degree. In 1791 the University laid down rules[54] for its conduct, so far as it concerned poll-men, decreeing that those who passed were to be classified in four divisions or classes, the names in each class to be arranged alphabetically, but not to be printed on the official tripos lists. The classes in the final lists must be distinguished from the eight preliminary classes issued before the commencement of the examination. The men in the first six preliminary classes were expected to take honours; those in the seventh and eighth preliminary classes were _primâ facie_ poll-men.