The remonstrance was sent in to the authorities, and by them duly
pigeonholed, with a passing remark that young fellows sent to Oxford to be
educated had better attend to their books and mind their own business.
Having espoused the cause of the Middle Ages in architecture, these young
men began to study the history of the people who lived in the olden time.
They read Spenser and Chaucer, and chance threw in their way a dog-eared
copy of Mallory's "Morte d' Arthur," and this was still more dog-eared
when they were through with it. Probably no book ever made more of an
impression on Morris than this one; and if he had written an article for
the "Ladies' Home Journal" on "Books That Influenced Me Most," he would
have placed Mallory's "Morte d' Arthur" first.

The influence of Burne-Jones on Morris was marked, and the influence of
Morris on Burne-Jones was profound. Morris discovered himself in
explaining things to Burne-Jones, and Burne-Jones, without knowing it,
adopted the opinions of Morris; and it was owing to Morris that he gave up
theology.

Having abandoned the object that led him to college, Burne-Jones lost
faith in Oxford, and went down to London to study art.

Morris hung on, secured his B.A., and articled himself to a local
architect with the firm intent of stopping the insane drift for modern
mediocrity, and bringing about a just regard for the stately dignity of
the Gothic.

A few months' experience, however, and he discovered that an apprentice to
an architect was not expected to furnish plans or even criticize those
already made: his business was to make detail drawings from completed
designs for the contractors to work from.