16 



CHAPTER II. 



BO YHOOD— EDINBURGH — CAMBRIDGE (1817-31). 



Of Darwin's boyhood and school-life we only know 

 the facts given in his brief " Autobiography," written 

 when he was sixty-seven, together with those collected 

 by his son Francis and appended in the form of notes. 

 He first went to Mr. Case's day-school in Shrewsbury 

 in 1817, the year of his mother's death. At this 

 time, although only eight years old, his interest in 

 natural history and in collecting was well estabhshed. 

 " The passion for collecting, which leads a man to be 

 a systematic naturalist, a virtuoso, or a miser, was 

 very strong in me, and was clearly innate, as none of 

 my sisters or brother had this taste." 



In the following year he went to Dr. Butler's 

 school in Shrewsbury, where he remained seven years. 

 He does not appear to have profited much by the 

 classical instruction which at that time received 

 almost exclusive attention. His interest seems to 

 have been chiefly concentrated upon sport ; but 

 whenever a subject attracted him he worked hard 

 at it, and it is probable that he would have conveyed 

 a very different impression of his powers to the 

 masters and his father if scientific subjects had been 

 taught, as they are now to a moderate extent in 

 many schools. 



