He consulted his friends Arthur Stanley, Matthew Arnold, and Arthur Clough.

Clough, though a layman, felt the same perplexity as himself.

As a Fellow and Tutor of Oriel he had signed the Articles.

Now that he no longer believed in them, ought he not to live up his appointments?
The Provost, Dr.Hawkins, induced him to pause and reflect.

Meanwhile he published a volume of poetry, including the celebrated Bothie, about which Froude wrote to him: "I was for ever falling upon lines which gave me uneasy twitchings; e.g.the end of the love scene: "And he fell at her feet, and buried his face in her apron.
"I daresay the head would fall there, but what an image! It chimes in with your notion of the attractiveness of the working business.
But our undisciplined ears have divided the ideas too long to bear to have them so abruptly shaken together.