He was not a disciple of Sir Gregory's school.

He had never sat in that philosopher's porch, or listened to the high doctrines prevalent at the Weights and Measures.

He could not write with all Mr.
Precis' conventional correctness, or dispose of any subject at a moment's notice as would Mr.Uppinall; but, nevertheless, he was no fool.

Sir Gregory, like many other wise men, thought that there were no swans but of his own hatching, and would ask, with all the pompous conceit of Pharisees in another age, whether good could come out of the Woods and Forests?
Sir Gregory, however, perfectly succeeded in his object of imbuing Tudor with a very indifferent opinion of his new colleague's abilities.

It was his object that Tudor should altogether take the upper hand in the piece of work which was to be done between them, and that it should be clearly proved how very incapable the Woods and Forests were of doing their own business.
Mr.Fidus Neverbend, however, whatever others in the outer world might think of him, had a high character in his own office, and did not under-estimate himself.