98 JOHN JOSEPH BKNNETT. 



The liouse at Bulstrode Street must have been at this time a singu- 

 larly ha]>|)y one. The lan{::uage employed by tlie late T)r. Boott and 

 by Prof. Ik'll — who is happily still with us, a vigorous patriarch, pro- 

 secuting liis favourite pursuits — to characterise Edward T. Bennett is 

 equally true of the younger brother. Dr. Boott, even on a casual 

 acquaintance, was " impressed with his intelligence, the gentleness of 

 his manners, and the unobtrusiveness of his character." Prof. Bell could 

 not trust liimself " to speak of him in the terms that naturally present 

 themselves upon the recollection of all that was so good, so kind, and 

 80 talented in his character. I believe," he says, " I never knew a 

 man in whom was combined so much that was admirable and endear- 

 ing." Every word is as true of the brother, who througli forty years 

 often looked back with delight on the days of their united work and 

 more than brotherly fellowship. 



])uring this time Mr. Bennett largely stored his mind with current 

 as well as standard English literature. The evenings were spent in 

 reading, Edward listening to his brother ; and night after night this 

 was carried on, often far into the morning. In this way Mr. Bennett 

 became possessed of the rich and extensive literaiy treasures which 

 his remarkable memory enabled him at any time to use. His literary 

 tastes led him to the study of language, and for several years at this 

 time this was his main pursuit. The strong mental powers lie pos- 

 sessed for tracing out affinities, and systematically classifying the 

 materials with which he was dealing, suagestcd to him the prepara- 

 tion of a dictionary of the English language, in which the words should 

 be grouped under their different roots, and the method and progress of 

 development of the various derivatives should be indicated. Consider- 

 able progress was made towards the accomplishment of this object 

 when it came to Mr. Bennett's knowledge that a similar work was in 

 preparation by Bichardson, the publication of which began in 1826. 

 To this time, I believe, belongs the series of extracts relating to 

 plant-names from manuscripts in the British Museum, which he placed 

 at the disposal of Dr. Prior when he was preparing his ''Popular 

 Names of British Plants " (Introduction, p. ix.). 



In the prosecution of his literary and linguistic pursuits he col- 

 lected a large number of early and curious books, the examination of 

 which in after years not unfrequently afforded him great pleasure, and 

 enabled him to recall the pursuits of former days. 



Edward Bennett at length devoted himself to zoology, and be- 

 came an active worker, contributing not only strictly scientific memoirs 

 to the current journals and transactions, but extending nnd popularising 

 science by his " Tower Magazine," his " Garden and Menagerie of the 

 Zoological Society," and the last work he executed, his edition of 

 AVhite's " Selborne." 



During the progress of this edition of " Selborne " through the 

 press Edward T. Bennett died, at the early age of forty years, the 

 fatal termination of his illness being, as was believed, accelerated by 

 the influence on his sensitive nature of the angry and unjustifiable 

 language of a violent opponent. The revision of the later sheets of 

 that work and the writing of the preface was undertaken by the 

 bereaved brother. His eloquent pen relieves the sad burden of his 

 heart in the tender, touching language of this preface, in which ho 



