Footwrong's Approach

It is known that the object of the game is to create an illusion, sufficiently specious for it to be deemed not discreditable for the Examiner to pretend to believe in it, that the Student has (a) Done Some Work, and/or (b) Knows Something About His Subject. It might be thought that this illusion could be perfectly created by presenting to the Examiner, upon each topic touching which he exhibits his curiosity a verbatim transcription of what the Examiner has himself said during the year. Mot only, however, is the method per se inefficient, since by it the Student is obliged actually to Do Some Work, but also, [unclear: contra[gap — reason: illegible]] to what might be expected, the results obtained are seldom more than passable. This is thought to be an accident [unclear: con]sequence of the very popularity the method: the Examiner, having presented to him ad infinitum, the same facts and arguments la the same form, becomes aware that the facts do not support the arguments, and his temper is spoilt thereby for the play. (No confusion should exist in the player's mind upon this point between the rules of Examinations and the rules of the game usually known as Research, it being one of the conventions of this game that inconclusive arguments embodied in a Thesis or a Learned Journal are praiseworthy, provided the form in which they are expressed be decently obscure.)