 Both he and Burne @-@ Jones were influenced by the Romanticist milieu and the Anglo @-@ Catholic movement , and decided to become clergymen in order to found a monastery where they could live a life of chastity and dedication to artistic pursuit , akin to that of the contemporary Nazarene movement . However , as time went on Morris became increasingly critical of Anglican doctrine and the idea faded . In summer 1854 , Morris travelled to Belgium to look at Medieval paintings , and in July 1855 went with Burne @-@ Jones and Fulford across northern France , visiting Medieval churches and cathedrals . It was on this trip that he and Burne @-@ Jones committed themselves to " a life of art " . For Morris , this decision resulted in a strained relationship with his family , who believed that he should have entered either commerce or the clergy . On a subsequent visit to Birmingham , Morris discovered Thomas Malory 's Le Morte d 'Arthur , which became a core Arthurian text for him and Burne @-@ Jones . In January 1856 , the Set began publication of The Oxford and Cambridge Magazine , designed to contain " mainly Tales , Poetry , friendly critiques and social articles " . Mainly funded by Morris , who briefly served as editor and heavily contributed to it with his own stories , poems , reviews and articles , the magazine lasted for twelve issues , and garnered praise from Tennyson and Ruskin . 
