VOLUMEI

PREFACE

InchoosinglettersforpublicationIhavebeenlargelyguidedbythewishtoillustratemyfather’spersonalcharacter。Buthislifewassoessentiallyoneofwork，thatahistoryofthemancouldnotbewrittenwithoutfollowingcloselythecareeroftheauthor。Thusitcomesaboutthatthechiefpartofthebookfallsintochapterswhosetitlescorrespondtothenamesofhisbooks。

InarrangingthelettersIhaveadheredasfaraspossibletochronologicalsequence，butthecharacterandvarietyofhisresearchesmakeastrictlychronologicalorderanimpossibility。Itwashishabittoworkmoreorlesssimultaneouslyatseveralsubjects。Experimentalworkwasoftencarriedonasarefreshmentorvariety，whilebooksentailingreasoningandthemarshallingoflargebodiesoffactswerebeingwritten。Moreover，manyofhisresearcheswereallowedtodrop，andonlyresumedafteranintervalofyears。Thusarigidlychronologicalseriesofletterswouldpresentapatchworkofsubjects，eachofwhichwouldbedifficulttofollow。TheTableofContentswillshowinwhatwayIhaveattemptedtoavoidthisresult。

InprintingthelettersIhavefollowed（exceptinafewcases）theusualplanofindicatingtheexistenceofomissionsorinsertions。Myfather’slettersgivefrequentevidenceofhavingbeenwrittenwhenhewastiredorhurried，andtheybearthemarksofthiscircumstance。Inwritingtoafriend，ortooneofhisfamily，hefrequentlyomittedthearticles:thesehavebeeninsertedwithouttheusualindications，exceptinafewinstances，whereitisofspecialinteresttopreserveintactthehurriedcharacteroftheletter。Othersmallwords，suchas"of"，"to"，etc。，havebeeninsertedusuallywithinbrackets。Ihavenotfollowedtheoriginalsasregardsthespellingofnames，theuseofcapitals，orinthematterofpunctuation。Myfatherunderlinedmanywordsinhisletters;thesehavenotalwaysbeengiveninitalics，——arenderingwhichwouldunfairlyexaggeratetheireffect。

TheDiaryorPocket—book，fromwhichquotationsoccurinthefollowingpages，hasbeenofvalueassupplyingaframe—workoffactsroundwhichlettersmaybegrouped。Itisunfortunatelywrittenwithgreatbrevity，thehistoryofayearbeingcompressedintoapageorless;andcontainslittlemorethanthedatesoftheprincipaleventsofhislife，togetherwithentriesastohiswork，andastothedurationofhismoreseriousillnesses。Herarelydatedhisletters，sothatbutfortheDiaryitwouldhavebeenallbutimpossibletounravelthehistoryofhisbooks。Ithasalsoenabledmetoassigndatestomanyletterswhichwouldotherwisehavebeenshornofhalftheirvalue。

OflettersaddressedtomyfatherIhavenotmademuchuse。Itwashiscustomtofilealllettersreceived，andwhenhisslenderstockoffiles（"spits"ashecalledthem）wasexhausted，hewouldburnthelettersofseveralyears，inorderthathemightmakeuseoftheliberated"spits。"

Thisprocess，carriedonforyears，destroyednearlyalllettersreceivedbefore1862。Afterthatdatehewaspersuadedtokeepthemoreinterestingletters，andthesearepreservedinanaccessibleform。

Ihaveattemptedtogive，inChapterIII。，someaccountofhismannerofworking。DuringthelasteightyearsofhislifeIactedashisassistant，andthushadanopportunityofknowingsomethingofhishabitsandmethods。

Ihavereceivedmuchhelpfrommyfriendsinthecourseofmywork。TosomeIamindebtedforreminiscencesofmyfather，toothersforinformation，criticisms，andadvice。ToallthesekindcoadjutorsIgladlyacknowledgemyindebtedness。Thenamesofsomeoccurinconnectionwiththeircontributions，butIdonotnamethosetowhomIamindebtedforcriticismsorcorrections，becauseIshouldwishtobearalonetheloadofmyshort—comings，ratherthantoletanyofitfallonthosewhohavedonetheirbesttolightenit。

ItwillbeseenhowlargelyIamindebtedtoSirJosephHookerforthemeansofillustratingmyfather’slife。Thereadersofthesepageswill，I

think，begratefultoSirJosephforthecarewithwhichhehaspreservedhisvaluablecollectionofletters，andIshouldwishtoaddmyacknowledgmentofthegenerositywithwhichhehasplaceditatmydisposal，andforthekindlyencouragementgiventhroughoutmywork。

ToMr。HuxleyIoweadebtofthanks，notonlyformuchkindhelp，butforhiswillingcompliancewithmyrequestthatheshouldcontributeachapteronthereceptionofthe’OriginofSpecies。’

Finally，itisapleasuretoacknowledgethecourtesyofthepublishersofthe’CenturyMagazine’whohavefreelygivenmetheuseoftheirillustrations。ToMessrs。MaullandFoxandMessrs。ElliottandFryIamalsoindebtedfortheirkindnessinallowingmetheuseofreproductionsoftheirphotographs。

FRANCISDARWIN。

Cambridge，October，1887。

TABLEOFCONTENTS。

VOLUMEI。

CHAPTER1。I。——TheDarwinFamily。

CHAPTER1。II。——Autobiography。

CHAPTER1。III。——Reminiscences。

LETTERS。

CHAPTER1。IV。——CambridgeLife——1828—1831。

CHAPTER1。V。——TheAppointmenttothe’Beagle’——1831。

CHAPTER1。VI。——TheVoyage——1831—1836。

CHAPTER1。VII。——LondonandCambridge——1836—1842。

CHAPTER1。VIII。——Religion。

CHAPTER1。IX。——LifeatDown——1842—1854。

CHAPTER1。X。——TheGrowthofthe’OriginofSpecies。’

CHAPTER1。XI。——TheGrowthofthe’OriginofSpecies’——Letters——1843—1856。

CHAPTER1。XII。——TheUnfinishedBook——May1856—June1858。

CHAPTER1。XIII。——TheWritingofthe’OriginofSpecies’——June18，1858—

November1859。

CHAPTER1。XIV。——ProfessorHuxleyontheReceptionofthe’OriginofSpecies。’

LIFEANDLETTERSOFCHARLESDARWIN。

VOLUMEI。

CHAPTER1。I。

THEDARWINFAMILY。

TheearliestrecordsofthefamilyshowtheDarwinstohavebeensubstantialyeomenresidingonthenorthernbordersofLincolnshire，closetoYorkshire。ThenameisnowveryunusualinEngland，butIbelievethatitisnotunknownintheneighbourhoodofSheffieldandinLancashire。

Downtotheyear1600wefindthenamespeltinavarietyofways——Derwent，Darwen，Darwynne，etc。Itispossible，therefore，thatthefamilymigratedatsomeunknowndatefromYorkshire，Cumberland，orDerbyshire，whereDerwentoccursasthenameofariver。

ThefirstancestorofwhomweknowwasoneWilliamDarwin，wholived，abouttheyear1500，atMarton，nearGainsborough。Hisgreatgrandson，RichardDarwyn，inheritedlandatMartonandelsewhere，andinhiswill，dated1584，"bequeathedthesumof3s。4d。towardsthesettyngeupoftheQueene’sMajestie’sarmesoverthequearie（choir）dooreintheparishechurcheofMarton。"（WeoweaknowledgeoftheseearliermembersofthefamilytoresearchesamongstthewillsatLincoln，madebythewell—knowngenealogist，ColonelChester。）

ThesonofthisRichard，namedWilliamDarwin，anddescribedas"gentleman，"appearstohavebeenasuccessfulman。WhilstretaininghisancestrallandatMarton，heacquiredthroughhiswifeandbypurchaseanestateatCleatham，intheparishofManton，nearKirtonLindsey，andfixedhisresidencethere。Thisestateremainedinthefamilydowntotheyear1760。Acottagewiththickwalls，somefish—pondsandoldtrees，nowaloneshowwherethe"OldHall"oncestood，andafieldisstilllocallyknownasthe"DarwinCharity，"frombeingsubjecttoachargeinfavourofthepoorofMarton。WilliamDarwinmust，atleastinpart，haveowedhisriseinstationtohisappointmentin1613byJamesI。tothepostofYeomanoftheRoyalArmouryofGreenwich。Theofficeappearstohavebeenworthonly33

poundsayear，andthedutieswereprobablyalmostnominal;heheldthepostdowntohisdeathduringtheCivilWars。

ThefactthatthisWilliamwasaroyalservantmayexplainwhyhisson，alsonamedWilliam，servedwhenalmostaboyfortheKing，as"Captain—

Lieutenant"inSirWilliamPelham’stroopofhorse。Onthepartialdispersionoftheroyalarmies，andtheretreatoftheremaindertoScotland，theboy’sestatesweresequestratedbytheParliament，buttheywereredeemedonhissigningtheSolemnLeagueandCovenant，andonhispayingafinewhichmusthavestruckhisfinancesseverely;forinapetitiontoCharlesII。hespeaksofhisalmostutterruinfromhavingadheredtotheroyalcause。

DuringtheCommonwealth，WilliamDarwinbecameabarristerofLincoln’sInn，andthiscircumstanceprobablyledtohismarriagewiththedaughterofErasmusEarle，serjeant—at—law;hencehisgreat—grandson，ErasmusDarwin，thePoet，derivedhisChristianname。HeultimatelybecameRecorderofthecityofLincoln。

TheeldestsonoftheRecorder，againcalledWilliam，wasbornin1655，andmarriedtheheiressofRobertWaring，amemberofagoodStaffordshirefamily。ThisladyinheritedfromthefamilyofLassells，orLascelles，themanorandhallofElston，nearNewark，whichhasremainedeversinceinthefamily。（CaptainLassells，orLascelles，ofElstonwasmilitarysecretarytoMonk，DukeofAlbemarle，duringtheCivilWars。Alargevolumeofaccountbooks，countersignedinmanyplacesbyMonk，arenowinthepossessionofmycousinFrancisDarwin。Theaccountsmightpossiblyproveofinteresttotheantiquarianorhistorian。AportraitofCaptainLassellsinarmour，althoughusedatonetimeasanarchery—targetbysomesmallboysofourname，wasnotirretrievablyruined。）AportraitofthisWilliamDarwinatElstonshowshimasagood—lookingyoungmaninafull—

bottomedwig。

ThisthirdWilliamhadtwosons，William，andRobertwhowaseducatedasabarrister。TheCleathampropertywaslefttoWilliam，butontheterminationofhislineindaughtersrevertedtotheyoungerbrother，whohadreceivedElston。Onhismother’sdeathRobertgaveuphisprofessionandresidedeverafterwardsatElstonHall。OfthisRobert，CharlesDarwinwrites（WhatfollowsisquotedfromCharlesDarwin’sbiographyofhisgrandfather，formingthepreliminarynoticetoErnstKrause’sinterestingessay，’ErasmusDarwin，’London，1879，page4。）:——

"Heseemstohavehadsometasteforscience，forhewasanearlymemberofthewell—knownSpaldingClub;andthecelebratedantiquaryDr。Stukeley，in’AnAccountofthealmostentireSceletonofalargeAnimal，’etc。，publishedinthe’PhilosophicalTransactions，’AprilandMay1719，beginsthepaperasfollows:’HavinganaccountfrommyfriendRobertDarwin，Esq。，ofLincoln’sInn，apersonofcuriosity，ofahumansceletonimpressedinstone，foundlatelybytherectorofElston，’etc。Stukeleythenspeaksofitasagreatrarity，’thelikewhereofhasnotbeenobservedbeforeinthisislandtomyknowledge。’JudgingfromasortoflitanywrittenbyRobert，andhandeddowninthefamily，hewasastrongadvocateoftemperance，whichhissoneverafterwardssostronglyadvocated:——

>Fromamorningthatdothshine，>Fromaboythatdrinkethwine，>FromawifethattalkethLatine，GoodLorddeliverme！

"Itissuspectedthatthethirdlinemaybeaccountedforbyhiswife，themotherofErasmus，havingbeenaverylearnedlady。TheeldestsonofRobert，christenedRobertWaring，succeededtotheestateofElston，anddiedthereattheageofninety—two，abachelor。Hehadastrongtasteforpoetry，likehisyoungestbrotherErasmus。Robertalsocultivatedbotany，and，whenanoldishman，hepublishedhis’PrincipiaBotanica。’ThisbookinMS。wasbeautifullywritten，andmyfather[Dr。R。W。Darwin]declaredthathebelieveditwaspublishedbecausehisoldunclecouldnotendurethatsuchfinecaligraphyshouldbewasted。Butthiswashardlyjust，astheworkcontainsmanycuriousnotesonbiology——asubjectwhollyneglectedinEnglandinthelastcentury。Thepublic，moreover，appreciatedthebook，asthecopyinmypossessionisthethirdedition。"

Thesecondson，WilliamAlvey，inheritedElston，andtransmittedittohisgranddaughter，thelateMrs。Darwin，ofElstonandCreskeld。Athirdson，John，becamerectorofElston，thelivingbeinginthegiftofthefamily。

Thefourthson，theyoungestchild，wasErasmusDarwin，thepoetandphilosopher。

TABLEOFRELATIONSHIP。（Anincompletelistoffamilymembers。）

ROBERTDARWINofElston，1682—1754，hadthreesons，WilliamAlveyDarwin，1726—1783，RobertWaringDarwin，1724—1816，andErasmusDarwin，1731—1802。

WilliamAlveyDarwin，1726—1783，hadason，WilliamBrownDarwin，1774—

1841，andadaughter，AnneDarwin。

WilliamBrownDarwin，1774—1841，hadtwodaughters，CharlotteDarwinandSarahDarwin。

CharlotteDarwinmarriedFrancisRhodes，nowFrancisDarwinofCreskeldandElston。

SarahDarwinmarriedEdwardNoel。

AnneDarwinmarriedSamuelFoxandhadason，WilliamDarwinFox。

ERASMUSDARWIN，1731—1802，married（1）MARYHOWARD，1740—1770，withwhomhehadtwosons，CharlesDarwin，1758—1778，andROBERTWARINGDARWIN，and（2）

Eliz。Chandos—Pole，1747—1832，withwhomhehadadaughter，ViolettaDarwin，andason，FrancisSacheverelDarwin。

ROBERTWARINGDARWIN，1767—1848，marriedSUSANNAHWEDGWOODandhadason，CHARLESROBERTDARWIN，b。February12，1809，d。April19，1882。

ViolettaDarwinmarriedSamuelTertiusGaltonandhadason，FrancisGalton。

FrancisSacheverelDarwin，1786—1859，hadtwosons，ReginaldDarwinandEdwardDarwin，"HighElms。"

ThetableaboveshowsCharlesDarwin’sdescentfromRobert，andhisrelationshiptosomeothermembersofthefamily，whosenamesoccurinhiscorrespondence。AmongtheseareincludedWilliamDarwinFox，oneofhisearliestcorrespondents，andFrancisGalton，withwhomhemaintainedawarmfriendshipformanyyears。HerealsooccursthenameofFrancisSacheverelDarwin，whoinheritedaloveofnaturalhistoryfromErasmus，andtransmittedittohissonEdwardDarwin，author（underthenameof"HighElms"）ofa’Gamekeeper’sManual’（4thEdition1863），whichshowskeenobservationofthehabitsofvariousanimals。

Itisalwaysinterestingtoseehowfaraman’spersonalcharacteristicscanbetracedinhisforefathers。CharlesDarwininheritedthetallstature，butnotthebulkyfigureofErasmus;butinhisfeaturesthereisnotraceableresemblancetothoseofhisgrandfather。Nor，itappears，hadErasmustheloveofexerciseandoffield—sports，socharacteristicofCharlesDarwinasayoungman，thoughhehad，likehisgrandson，anindomitableloveofhardmentalwork。Benevolenceandsympathywithothers，andagreatpersonalcharmofmanner，werecommontothetwo。

CharlesDarwinpossessed，inthehighestdegree，that"vividnessofimagination"ofwhichhespeaksasstronglycharacteristicofErasmus，andasleading"tohisoverpoweringtendencytotheoriseandgeneralise。"Thistendency，inthecaseofCharlesDarwin，wasfullykeptincheckbythedeterminationtotesthistheoriestotheutmost。Erasmushadastrongloveofallkindsofmechanism，forwhichCharlesDarwinhadnotaste。

NeitherhadCharlesDarwintheliterarytemperamentwhichmadeErasmusapoetaswellasaphilosopher。HewritesofErasmus（’LifeofErasmusDarwin，’page68。）:"ThroughouthislettersIhavebeenstruckwithhisindifferencetofame，andthecompleteabsenceofallsignsofanyover—

estimationofhisownabilities，orofthesuccessofhisworks。"These，indeed，seemindicationsoftraitsmoststrikinglyprominentinhisowncharacter。YetwegetnoevidenceinErasmusoftheintensemodestyandsimplicitythatmarkedCharlesDarwin’swholenature。ButbythequickburstsofangerprovokedinErasmus，atthesightofanyinhumanityorinjustice，weareagainremindedofhim。

Onthewhole，however，itseemstomethatwedonotknowenoughoftheessentialpersonaltoneofErasmusDarwin’scharactertoattemptmorethanasuperficialcomparison;andIamleftwithanimpressionthat，inspiteofmanyresemblances，thetwomenwereofadifferenttype。IthasbeenshownthatMissSewardandMrs。SchimmelpenninckhavemisrepresentedErasmusDarwin’scharacter。（Ibid。，pages77，79，etc。）Itis，however，extremelyprobablethatthefaultswhichtheyexaggerateweretosomeextentcharacteristicoftheman;andthisleadsmetothinkthatErasmushadacertainacerbityorseverityoftemperwhichdidnotexistinhisgrandson。

ThesonsofErasmusDarwininheritedinsomedegreehisintellectualtastes，forCharlesDarwinwritesofthemasfollows:

"Hiseldestson，Charles（bornSeptember3，1758），wasayoungmanofextraordinarypromise，butdied（May15，1778）beforehewastwenty—oneyearsold，fromtheeffectsofawoundreceivedwhilstdissectingthebrainofachild。Heinheritedfromhisfatherastrongtasteforvariousbranchesofscience，forwritingverses，andformechanics……Healsoinheritedstammering。Withthehopeofcuringhim，hisfathersenthimtoFrance，whenabouteightyearsold（1766—’67），withaprivatetutor，thinkingthatifhewasnotallowedtospeakEnglishforatime，thehabitofstammeringmightbelost;anditisacuriousfact，thatinafteryears，whenspeakingFrench，heneverstammered。Ataveryearlyagehecollectedspecimensofallkinds。Whensixteenyearsoldhewassentforayearto[ChristChurch]Oxford，buthedidnotliketheplace，andthought（inthewordsofhisfather）thatthe’vigourofhismindlanguishedinthepursuitofclassicalelegancelikeHerculesatthedistaff，andsighedtoberemovedtotherobusterexerciseofthemedicalschoolofEdinburgh。’HestayedthreeyearsatEdinburgh，workinghardathismedicalstudies，andattending’withdiligenceallthesickpooroftheparishofWaterleith，andsupplyingthemwiththenecessarymedicines。’TheAesculapianSocietyawardedhimitsfirstgoldmedalforanexperimentalinquiryonpusandmucus。Noticesofhimappearedinvariousjournals;andallthewritersagreeabouthisuncommonenergyandabilities。Heseemslikehisfathertohaveexcitedthewarmaffectionofhisfriends。ProfessorAndrewDuncan……

spoke……abouthimwiththewarmestaffectionforty—sevenyearsafterhisdeathwhenIwasayoungmedicalstudentatEdinburgh……

"Aboutthecharacterofhissecondson，Erasmus（born1759），Ihavelittletosay，forthoughhewrotepoetry，heseemstohavehadnoneoftheothertastesofhisfather。Hehad，however，hisownpeculiartastes，viz。，genealogy，thecollectingofcoins，andstatistics。WhenaboyhecountedallthehousesinthecityofLichfield，andfoundoutthenumberofinhabitantsinasmanyashecould;hethusmadeacensus，andwhenarealonewasfirstmade，hisestimatewasfoundtobenearlyaccurate。Hisdispositionwasquietandretiring。Myfatherhadaveryhighopinionofhisabilities，andthiswasprobablyjust，forhewouldnototherwisehavebeeninvitedtotravelwith，andpaylongvisitsto，mensodistinguishedindifferentwaysasBoultontheengineer，andDaythemoralistandnovelist。"Hisdeathbysuicide，in1799，seemstohavetakenplaceinastateofincipientinsanity。

RobertWaring，thefatherofCharlesDarwin，wasbornMay30，1766，andenteredthemedicalprofessionlikehisfather。HestudiedforafewmonthsatLeyden，andtookhisM。D。（IowethisinformationtothekindnessofProfessorRauwenhoff，DirectoroftheArchivesatLeyden。Hequotesfromthecatalogueofdoctorsthat"RobertusWaringDarwin，Anglo—

britannus，"defended（February26，1785）intheSenateaDissertationonthecolouredimagesseenafterlookingatabrightobject，and"MedicinaeDoctorcreatusestaclar。Paradijs。"ThearchivesofLeydenUniversityaresocompletethatProfessorRauwenhoffisabletotellmethatmygrandfatherlivedtogetherwithacertain"PetrusCrompton，Anglus，"inlodgingsintheApothekersdijk。Dr。Darwin’sLeydendissertationwaspublishedinthe’PhilosophicalTransactions，’andmyfatherusedtosaythattheworkwasinfactduetoErasmusDarwin。——F。D。）atthatUniversityonFebruary26，1785。"Hisfather"（Erasmus）"brought（’LifeofErasmusDarwin，’page85。）himtoShrewsburybeforehewastwenty—oneyearsold（1787），andlefthim20pounds，saying，’Letmeknowwhenyouwantmore，andIwillsendityou。’Hisuncle，therectorofElston，afterwardsalsosenthim20pounds，andthiswasthesolepecuniaryaidwhichheeverreceived……ErasmustellsMr。EdgeworththathissonRobert，afterbeingsettledinShrewsburyforonlysixmonths，’alreadyhadbetweenfortyandfiftypatients。’Bythesecondyearhewasinconsiderable，andeverafterwardsinverylarge，practice。"

RobertWaringDarwinmarried（April18，1796）Susannah，thedaughterofhisfather’sfriend，JosiahWedgwood，ofEtruria，theninherthirty—secondyear。Wehaveaminiatureofher，witharemarkablysweetandhappyface，bearingsomeresemblancetotheportraitbySirJoshuaReynoldsofherfather;acountenanceexpressiveofthegentleandsympatheticnaturewhichMissMeteyardascribestoher。（’AGroupofEnglishmen，’byMissMeteyard，1871。）ShediedJuly15，1817，thirty—twoyearsbeforeherhusband，whosedeathoccurredonNovember13，1848。Dr。DarwinlivedbeforehismarriagefortwoorthreeyearsonSt。John’sHill;afterwardsattheCrescent，wherehiseldestdaughterMariannewasborn;lastlyatthe"Mount，"inthepartofShrewsburyknownasFrankwell，wheretheotherchildrenwereborn。

ThishousewasbuiltbyDr。Darwinabout1800，itisnowinthepossessionofMr。SpencerPhillips，andhasundergonebutlittlealteration。Itisalarge，plain，square，red—brickhouse，ofwhichthemostattractivefeatureistheprettygreen—house，openingoutofthemorning—room。

Thehouseischarminglyplaced，onthetopofasteepbankleadingdowntotheSevern。Theterracedbankistraversedbyalongwalk，leadingfromendtoend，stillcalled"theDoctor’sWalk。"AtonepointinthiswalkgrowsaSpanishchestnut，thebranchesofwhichbendbackparalleltothemselvesinacuriousmanner，andthiswasCharlesDarwin’sfavouritetreeasaboy，whereheandhissisterCatherinehadeachtheirspecialseat。

TheDoctortookagreatpleasureinhisgarden，plantingitwithornamentaltreesandshrubs，andbeingespeciallysuccessfulinfruit—trees;andthisloveofplantswas，Ithink，theonlytastekindredtonaturalhistorywhichhepossessed。Ofthe"Mountpigeons，"whichMissMeteyarddescribesasillustratingDr。Darwin’snatural—historytaste，Ihavenotbeenabletohearfromthosemostcapableofknowing。MissMeteyard’saccountofhimisnotquiteaccurateinafewpoints。Forinstance，itisincorrecttodescribeDr。Darwinashavingaphilosophicalmind;hiswasamindespeciallygiventodetail，andnottogeneralising。Again，thosewhoknewhimintimatelydescribehimaseatingremarkablylittle，sothathewasnot"agreatfeeder，eatingagooseforhisdinner，aseasilyasothermendoapartridge。"（’AGroupofEnglishmen，’page263。）Inthematterofdresshewasconservative，andworetotheendofhislifeknee—breechesanddrabgaiters，which，however，certainlydidnot，asMissMeteyardsays，buttonabovetheknee——aformofcostumechieflyknowntousingrenadiersofQueenAnne’sday，andinmodernwood—cuttersandploughboys。

CharlesDarwinhadthestrongestfeelingofloveandrespectforhisfather’smemory。Hisrecollectionofeverythingthatwasconnectedwithhimwaspeculiarlydistinct，andhespokeofhimfrequently;generallyprefacingananecdotewithsomesuchphraseas，"Myfather，whowasthewisestmanIeverknew，etc……"Itwasastonishinghowclearlyherememberedhisfather’sopinions，sothathewasabletoquotesomemaximsorhintofhisinmostcasesofillness。Asarule，heputsmallfaithindoctors，andthushisunlimitedbeliefinDr。Darwin’smedicalinstinctandmethodsoftreatmentwasallthemorestriking。

Hisreverenceforhimwasboundlessandmosttouching。Hewouldhavewishedtojudgeeverythingelseintheworlddispassionately，butanythinghisfatherhadsaidwasreceivedwithalmostimplicitfaith。HisdaughterMrs。Litchfieldremembershimsayingthathehopednoneofhissonswouldeverbelieveanythingbecausehesaidit，unlesstheywerethemselvesconvincedofitstruth，——afeelinginstrikingcontrastwithhisownmanneroffaith。

AvisitwhichCharlesDarwinmadetoShrewsburyin1869leftonthemindofhisdaughterwhoaccompaniedhimastrongimpressionofhisloveforhisoldhome。ThethentenantoftheMountshowedthemoverthehouse，etc。，andwithmistakenhospitalityremainedwiththepartyduringthewholevisit。Astheywereleaving，CharlesDarwinsaid，withapatheticlookofregret，"IfIcouldhavebeenleftaloneinthatgreen—houseforfiveminutes，IknowIshouldhavebeenabletoseemyfatherinhiswheel—chairasvividlyasifhehadbeentherebeforeme。"

PerhapsthisincidentshowswhatIthinkisthetruth，thatthememoryofhisfatherhelovedthebest，wasthatofhimasanoldman。Mrs。

Litchfieldhasnoteddownafewwordswhichillustratewellhisfeelingtowardshisfather。Shedescribeshimassayingwiththemosttenderrespect，"IthinkmyfatherwasalittleunjusttomewhenIwasyoung，butafterwardsIamthankfultothinkIbecameaprimefavouritewithhim。"

Shehasavividrecollectionoftheexpressionofhappyreveriethataccompaniedthesewords，asifhewerereviewingthewholerelation，andtheremembranceleftadeepsenseofpeaceandgratitude。

WhatfollowswasaddedbyCharlesDarwintohisautobiographical’Recollections，’andwaswrittenabout1877or1878。

"Imayhereaddafewpagesaboutmyfather，whowasinmanywaysaremarkableman。

"Hewasabout6feet2inchesinheight，withbroadshoulders，andverycorpulent，sothathewasthelargestmanwhomIeversaw。Whenhelastweighedhimself，hewas24stone，butafterwardsincreasedmuchinweight。

Hischiefmentalcharacteristicswerehispowersofobservationandhissympathy，neitherofwhichhaveIeverseenexceededorevenequalled。Hissympathywasnotonlywiththedistressesofothers，butinagreaterdegreewiththepleasuresofallaroundhim。Thisledhimtobealwaysschemingtogivepleasuretoothers，and，thoughhatingextravagance，toperformmanygenerousactions。Forinstance，Mr。B——，asmallmanufacturerinShrewsbury，cametohimoneday，andsaidheshouldbebankruptunlesshecouldatonceborrow10，000pounds，butthathewasunabletogiveanylegalsecurity。Myfatherheardhisreasonsforbelievingthathecouldultimatelyrepaythemoney，andfrom[his]intuitiveperceptionofcharacterfeltsurethathewastobetrusted。Soheadvancedthissum，whichwasaverylargeoneforhimwhileyoung，andwasafteratimerepaid。

"Isupposethatitwashissympathywhichgavehimunboundedpowerofwinningconfidence，andasaconsequencemadehimhighlysuccessfulasaphysician。Hebegantopractisebeforehewastwenty—oneyearsold，andhisfeesduringthefirstyearpaidforthekeepoftwohorsesandaservant。Onthefollowingyearhispracticewaslarge，andsocontinuedforaboutsixtyyears，whenheceasedtoattendonanyone。Hisgreatsuccessasadoctorwasthemoreremarkable，ashetoldmethatheatfirsthatedhisprofessionsomuchthatifhehadbeensureofthesmallestpittance，orifhisfatherhadgivenhimanychoice，nothingshouldhaveinducedhimtofollowit。Totheendofhislife，thethoughtofanoperationalmostsickenedhim，andhecouldscarcelyenduretoseeapersonbled——ahorrorwhichhehastransmittedtome——andIrememberthehorrorwhichIfeltasaschoolboyinreadingaboutPliny（Ithink）bleedingtodeathinawarmbath……

"Owingtomyfather’spowerofwinningconfidence，manypatients，especiallyladies，consultedhimwhensufferingfromanymisery，asasortofFather—Confessor。Hetoldmethattheyalwaysbeganbycomplaininginavaguemannerabouttheirhealth，andbypracticehesoonguessedwhatwasreallythematter。Hethensuggestedthattheyhadbeensufferingintheirminds，andnowtheywouldpourouttheirtroubles，andheheardnothingmoreaboutthebody……Owingtomyfather’sskillinwinningconfidencehereceivedmanystrangeconfessionsofmiseryandguilt。Heoftenremarkedhowmanymiserablewiveshehadknown。Inseveralinstanceshusbandsandwiveshadgoneonprettywelltogetherforbetweentwentyandthirtyyears，andthenhatedeachotherbitterly;thisheattributedtotheirhavinglostacommonbondintheiryoungchildrenhavinggrownup。

"Butthemostremarkablepowerwhichmyfatherpossessedwasthatofreadingthecharacters，andeventhethoughtsofthosewhomhesawevenforashorttime。Wehadmanyinstancesofthepower，someofwhichseemedalmostsupernatural。Itsavedmyfatherfromevermaking（withoneexception，andthecharacterofthismanwassoondiscovered）anunworthyfriend。AstrangeclergymancametoShrewsbury，andseemedtobearichman;everybodycalledonhim，andhewasinvitedtomanyhouses。Myfathercalled，andonhisreturnhometoldmysistersonnoaccounttoinvitehimorhisfamilytoourhouse;forhefeltsurethatthemanwasnottobetrusted。Afterafewmonthshesuddenlybolted，beingheavilyindebt，andwasfoundouttobelittlebetterthananhabitualswindler。Hereisacaseoftrustfulnesswhichnotmanymenwouldhaveventuredon。AnIrishgentleman，acompletestranger，calledonmyfatheroneday，andsaidthathehadlosthispurse，andthatitwouldbeaseriousinconveniencetohimtowaitinShrewsburyuntilhecouldreceivearemittancefromIreland。Hethenaskedmyfathertolendhim20pounds，whichwasimmediatelydone，asmyfatherfeltcertainthatthestorywasatrueone。AssoonasalettercouldarrivefromIreland，onecamewiththemostprofusethanks，andenclosing，ashesaid，a20poundBankofEnglandnote，butnonotewasenclosed。Iaskedmyfatherwhetherthisdidnotstaggerhim，butheanswered’notintheleast。’Onthenextdayanotherlettercamewithmanyapologiesforhavingforgotten（likeatrueIrishman）toputthenoteintohisletterofthedaybefore……（Agentleman）broughthisnephew，whowasinsanebutquitegentle，tomyfather;andtheyoungman’sinsanityledhimtoaccusehimselfofallthecrimesunderheaven。Whenmyfatherafterwardstalkedoverthematterwiththeuncle，hesaid，’Iamsurethatyournephewisreallyguiltyof……aheinouscrime。’Whereupon[thegentleman]said，’GoodGod，Dr。Darwin，whotoldyou;wethoughtthatnohumanbeingknewthefactexceptourselves！’Myfathertoldmethestorymanyyearsaftertheevent，andIaskedhimhowhedistinguishedthetruefromthefalseself—accusations;anditwasverycharacteristicofmyfatherthathesaidhecouldnotexplainhowitwas。

"Thefollowingstoryshowswhatgoodguessesmyfathercouldmake。LordShelburne，afterwardsthefirstMarquisofLansdowne，wasfamous（asMacaulaysomewhereremarks）forhisknowledgeoftheaffairsofEurope，onwhichhegreatlypridedhimself。Heconsultedmyfathermedically，andafterwardsharanguedhimonthestateofHolland。MyfatherhadstudiedmedicineatLeyden，andoneday[whilethere]wentalongwalkintothecountrywithafriendwhotookhimtothehouseofaclergyman（wewillsaytheRev。Mr。A——，forIhaveforgottenhisname），whohadmarriedanEnglishwoman。Myfatherwasveryhungry，andtherewaslittleforluncheonexceptcheese，whichhecouldnevereat。Theoldladywassurprisedandgrievedatthis，andassuredmyfatherthatitwasanexcellentcheese，andhadbeensentherfromBowood，theseatofLordShelburne。MyfatherwonderedwhyacheeseshouldbesentherfromBowood，butthoughtnothingmoreaboutituntilitflashedacrosshismindmanyyearsafterwards，whilstLordShelburnewastalkingaboutHolland。Soheanswered，’IshouldthinkfromwhatIsawoftheRev。Mr。A——，thathewasaveryableman，andwellacquaintedwiththestateofHolland。’MyfathersawthattheEarl，whoimmediatelychangedtheconversationwasmuchstartled。OnthenextmorningmyfatherreceivedanotefromtheEarl，sayingthathehaddelayedstartingonhisjourney，andwishedparticularlytoseemyfather。Whenhecalled，theEarlsaid，’Dr。Darwin，itisoftheutmostimportancetomeandtotheRev。Mr。A——tolearnhowyouhavediscoveredthatheisthesourceofmyinformationaboutHolland。’Somyfatherhadtoexplainthestateofthecase，andhesupposedthatLordShelburnewasmuchstruckwithhisdiplomaticskillinguessing，forduringmanyyearsafterwardshereceivedmanykindmessagesfromhimthroughvariousfriends。Ithinkthathemusthavetoldthestorytohischildren;forSirC。LyellaskedmemanyyearsagowhytheMarquisofLansdowne（thesonorgrand—sonofthefirstmarquis）feltsomuchinterestaboutme，whomhehadneverseen，andmyfamily。Whenfortynewmembers（thefortythievesastheywerethencalled）wereaddedtotheAthenaeumClub，therewasmuchcanvassingtobeoneofthem;andwithoutmyhavingaskedanyone，LordLansdowneproposedmeandgotmeelected。IfIamrightinmysupposition，itwasaqueerconcatenationofeventsthatmyfathernoteatingcheesehalf—a—centurybeforeinHollandledtomyelectionasamemberoftheAthenaeum。

"Thesharpnessofhisobservationledhimtopredictwithremarkableskillthecourseofanyillness，andhesuggestedendlesssmalldetailsofrelief。IwastoldthatayoungdoctorinShrewsbury，whodislikedmyfather，usedtosaythathewaswhollyunscientific，butownedthathispowerofpredictingtheendofanillnesswasunparalleled。FormerlywhenhethoughtthatIshouldbeadoctor，hetalkedmuchtomeabouthispatients。Intheolddaysthepracticeofbleedinglargelywasuniversal，butmyfathermaintainedthatfarmoreevilwasthuscausedthangooddone;

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫，醒来一梦似千年，重生于下堂妃身躯中的她，将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读