DalVs Sketch. 213 



* 



without care. When young he pursued field-sports, 

 with the combined interest of the hunter and the 

 naturalist ; in later years he found his chief relaxa- 

 tion in reading popular novels. His work was taken 

 up with great method, and hQ never wrote for more 

 than two hours at a time. 



In 1853 he received the gold medal of the Royal 

 Society for his various works ; in 1859 ^^at known 

 as the Wollaston medal from the Geological Society ; 

 in 1 87 1 he received the Prussian Order of Knight- 

 hood " For Merit," and was elected a corresponding 

 member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences ; and 

 in 1878, foreign associate of the French Academy. 

 He received honorary degrees from Leyden and 

 Cambridge, and other scientific honours almost 

 without number. 



His death was unexpected. He had been slightly 

 unwell for several weeks, and the weakness of the 

 heart's action was such that he was not permitted to 

 ascend the stairs, but, in the main, he was still able 

 to pursue his ordinary routine. On Tuesday morn- 

 ing Sir John Lubbock found him apparently about 

 as usual. That he was seriously ill, was first known 

 in the village Wednesday afternoon by the arrival 

 of his groom on horseback, horse and man reeking 

 with foam, having galloped for ice six miles and 

 back from the nearest point where it could be pro- 

 cured ; but in vain, the relief arrived too late, Charles 

 Darwin had already passed away, surrounded by his 

 family, including several of his sons, Mrs. Darwin, and 

 a married daughter. On the 26th his mortal remains 

 were laid in Westminster Abbey, near by the ashes of 



