He declined, owing to his deep and somewhat characteristic aversion to formal public speaking, and in 1877 he had to decline on similar grounds the similar offer from the University of St.Andrews.He was much at the English universities, was a friend of Dr.Jowett, and enjoyed the university life at the age of sixty-three in a way that he probably would not have enjoyed it if he had ever been to a university.

The great universities would not let him alone, to their great credit, and he became a D.C.L.of Cambridge in 1879, and a D.C.L.of Oxford in 1882.

When he received these honours there were, of course, the traditional buffooneries of the undergraduates, and one of them dropped a red cotton night-cap neatly on his head as he passed under the gallery.

Some indignant intellectuals wrote to him to protest against this affront, but Browning took the matter in the best and most characteristic way.

"You are far too hard," he wrote in answer, "on the very harmless drolleries of the young men.