~ oi 
264 OBITUARY a 
and a little shooting were by no means held, © 
at that time, to be incompatible with the 
conscientious performance of the duties of a 
country clergyman. But it is characteristic of the — 
man, that he asked time for consideration, in 
order that he miglit satisfy himself that he could — 
sign the Thirty-nine Articles with a clear con-— 
science. However, the study of “Pearson on the 
Creeds” and a few other books of divinity soon 
assured him that his religious opinions left 
nothing to be desired on the score of orthodoxy, 
and he acceded to his father’s proposition. 
The English University selected was Cambridge; © 
but an unexpected obstacle arose from the fact 
that, within the two years which had elapsed, 
since the young man who had enjoyed seven 
years of the benefit of a strictly classical education 
had left school, he had forgotten almost every-_ 
thing he had learned there, “ even to some few of 
the Greek letters.” (I. p. 46.) Three months 
with a tutor, however, brought him back to the 
point of translating Homer and the Greek Testa- 
ment “with moderate facility,” and Charles 
Darwin commenced the third educational experi- — 
ment of which he was the subject, and was en- | 
tered on the books of Christ’s College in October | 
1827. So far as the direct results of the academic — 
training thus received are concerned, the English — 
University was not more successful than the — 
Scottish. “During the three years which I spent — 
