It must be remembered that for students pursuing the normal course the senate-house examination still provided the only avenue to a degree. That examination involved a knowledge of the elements of moral philosophy and theology, an acquaintance with the rules of formal logic, and the power of reading and writing scholastic Latin, but mathematics was the predominant subject, and this led to a certain one-sidedness in education. The evil of this was generally recognized, and in 1822 various reforms were introduced in the university curriculum; in particular the Previous Examination was established for students in their second year, the subjects being prescribed Greek and Latin works, a Gospel, and Paley's _Evidences_. Set classical books were introduced in the final examination of poll-men; and another honour or tripos examination was established for classical students. These alterations came into effect in 1824; and henceforth the senate-house examination, so far as it related to mathematical students, was known as the Mathematical Tripos. In 1827 the scheme of examination in the mathematical tripos was revised. By regulations[68] which came into operation in January 1828, four days, exclusive of the day of arranging the brackets, were devoted to the examination; the number of hours of examination was twenty-three, of which seven were assigned to problems. On the first two days all the candidates had the same questions proposed to them, inclusive of the evening problems, and the examination on those days excluded the higher and more difficult parts of mathematics, in order, in the words of the report, "that the candidates for honours may not be induced to pursue the more abstruse and profound mathematics, to the neglect of more elementary knowledge." Accordingly, only such questions as could be solved without the aid of the differential calculus were set on the first day, and those set on the second day involved only its elementary applications. The classes were reduced to four, determined as before by the exercises in the schools. The regulations of 1827 definitely prescribed that all the papers should be printed. They are also noticeable as being the last which gave the examiners power to ask _vivâ voce_ questions, though such questions "were restricted to asking about propositions contained in the mathematical works commonly in use at the University, or examples and explanations of such propositions." It was further recommended that no paper should contain more questions than well-prepared students could be expected to answer within the time allowed for it, but that if any candidate, before the end of the time, had answered all the questions in the paper, the examiners might propose additional questions _vivâ voce_. The power of granting honorary optime degrees now ceased; it had already fallen into abeyance. Henceforth the examination was conducted under definite rules, and I no longer concern myself with its traditions.