WhatdeterminedthechoiceofthiscollegeforhisbrotherErasmusandhimselfIhavenomeansofknowing。Erasmustheelder，theirgrandfather，hadbeenatSt。John’s，andthiscollegemighthavebeenreasonablyselectedforthem，beingconnectedwithShrewsburySchool。Butthelifeofanunder—graduateatSt。John’sseems，inthosedays，tohavebeenatroubledone，ifImayjudgefromthefactthatarelativeofminemigratedthencetoChrist’stoescapetheharassingdisciplineoftheplace。A
storytoldbyMr。Herbertillustratesthesamestateofthings:——
\"InthebeginningoftheOctoberTermof1830，anincidentoccurredwhichwasattendedwithsomewhatdisagreeable，thoughludicrousconsequencestomyself。DarwinaskedmetotakealongwalkwithhimintheFens，tosearchforsomenaturalobjectshewasdesirousofhaving。Afteraverylong，fatiguingday’swork，wedinedtogether，lateintheevening，athisroomsinChrist’sCollege;andassoonasourdinnerwasoverwethrewourselvesintoeasychairsandfellsoundasleep。Iwasfirsttoawake，aboutthreeinthemorning，when，havinglookedatmywatch，andknowingthestrictruleofSt。John’s，whichrequiredmeninstatupupillaritocomeintocollegebeforemidnight，Irushedhomewardattheutmostspeed，infearoftheconsequences，buthopingthattheDeanwouldaccepttheexcuseassufficientwhenItoldhimtherealfacts。He，however，wasinexorable，andrefusedtoreceivemyexplanations，oranyevidenceIcouldbring;andalthoughduringmyundergraduateshipIhadneverbeenreportedforcominglateintoCollege，now，whenIwasahard—workingB。A。，andhadfiveorsixpupils，hesentencedmetoconfinementtotheCollegewallsfortherestoftheterm。Darwin’sindignationknewnobounds，andthestupidinjusticeandtyrannyoftheDeanraisednotonlyaperfectfermentamongmyfriends，butwasthesubjectofexpostulationfromsomeoftheleadingmembersoftheUniversity。\"
MyfatherseemstohavefoundnodifficultyinlivingatpeacewithallmeninandoutofofficeatLadyMargaret’sotherfoundation。Theimpressionofacontemporaryofmyfather’sisthatChrist’sintheirdaywasapleasant，fairlyquietcollege，withsometendencytowards\"horsiness\";
manyofthemenmadeacustomofgoingtoNewmarketduringtheraces，thoughbettingwasnotaregularpractice。InthistheywerebynomeansdiscouragedbytheSeniorTutor，Mr。Shaw，whowashimselfgenerallytobeseenontheHeathontheseoccasions。TherewasasomewhathighproportionofFellow—Commoners，——eightornine，tosixtyorseventyPensioners，andthiswouldindicatethatitwasnotanunpleasantcollegeformenwithmoneytospendandwithnogreatloveofstrictdiscipline。