Years before I had rejected as disgusting cynicism by an old vulgarian the words of warning given me by old Joseph Wright.

“What do you take Oxford for, lad?”

“A university, a place of learning.”

“Nay, lad, it’s a factory! And what’s it making? I’ll tell you.  It’s making fees. Get that in your head, and you’ll begin to understand what goes on.”

Alas, by 1935 I now knew that was perfectly true.  At any rate as a key to dons’ behavior.  Quite true, but not the whole truth. –Letter to son Michael Tolkien on November 1, 1963.