Vll 



And he did more, lie taught us something at the same time of the 

 beauty and charm of literature, old and new. But this was not all ; 

 no single week passed in which we did not receive and eagerly look 

 forward to at least one lesson in natural science. Heat, elementary 

 hydrostatics, mechanics, optics, electricity, and, above all, chemistry 

 to something of the elements of all these we were introduced in tarn. 

 Meantime we were led through stage after stage of the severe dis- 

 cipline of mathematical study. I felt then, as I feel now, that even 

 the study of mathematics was coloured with the warm glow of the 

 activity and originality of the teacher's mind." 



The reputation of the Clapham Grammar School was sufficient to 

 attract pupils from all parts of the kingdom. One important feature 

 was the interesting fact that among them might be found the sons of 

 distinguished men at the head of the several branches of science, and 

 of the liberal professions. The names of Airy, Barry, Darwin, 

 Gassiot, Grove, Hamilton, Herschel, Maurice, and others, became 

 familiar in the roll-call. For reasons possessing only a personal in- 

 terest, Pritchard brought his Clapham life rather suddenly to a close 

 in the year 1862, when he transferred all his interests in the school to 

 Dr. Alfred Wrigley, one of the Professors at Addiscombe. He then 

 retired, with his family, to Freshwater, Isle of Wight, where he 

 hoped to enjoy a few years' repose, intending afterwards to apply 

 himself to the permanent duties of some pastoral charge. 



Pritchard was of far too active a mind to remain long in retire- 

 ment. For some time his ambition seems to have been directed to 

 some preferment in the Church, but his hopes were doomed to disap- 

 pointment. He always considered himself to be a divine in mind and 

 heart;, though, by the force of circumstances, he became first a school- 

 master and then a professional astronomer. It has been stated by 

 one of his late assistants that, " so anxious was he for a cure of souls, 

 that he applied to one of his old pupils, who was then a Bishop, and 

 asked for a living of only 100 a year. He was refused, and felt the 

 refusal keenly." In some form or other he was, however, frequently 

 engaged in clerical work during his seven or eight years of retreat. On 

 several occasions he was invited to preach before the British Asso- 

 ciation at the annual meetings, first at Nottingham in 18(36, and 

 afterwards at Dundee in 1867, Norwich in 18b'8, Exeter in 1869, and 

 Bristol in 1876. He also delivered addresses, generally on the harmony 

 of the Bible and science, at various Church Congresses. Vice- Chan- 

 cellor Page Wood, afterwards Lord Chancellor Hatherley, to whom 

 Pritchard alludes as " the friend of his life," was much impressed 

 with the treatment of the subject in the Nottingham sermon, and was 

 induced to write a short treatise on the ' Continuity of the Holy 

 Scriptures,' based on the same line of argument adopted by Pritchai-d. 

 This celebrated sermon led to his appointment as Hulsean Lecturer 



