vrl PREFACE. 



Having ascertained from himself the facts and 

 incidents of his curious and romantic career, I 

 occupied the leisure hours of several years in pre- 

 paring the following work. I have left it very much 

 as it was when it originally appeared, down to the 

 end, where "HERE I AM STILL" confronts the reader. 

 But Thomas Edward's circumstances altered very 

 much after the book was published. He had before 

 been living in obscurity: now he became known to 

 the world. 



Shortly after the appearance of the Life a 

 memorial was presented through the late Lord 

 Beuconsfield to Her Majesty, setting forth the 

 principal facts of the Naturalist's history, and praying 

 for Her Majesty's gracious aid in placing Thomas 

 Edward upon the Civil List Fund. The memorial was 

 signed by the following distinguished gentlemen : Sir 

 Joseph D. Hooker, President of the Royal Society ; 

 Professor George J. Allman, F.R.S., President of 

 the Linnean Society; Professor Richard Owen,F.R.S., 

 British Museum; and Charles Darwin, F.R.S. 



Her Majesty immediately acceded to the terms 

 of the memorial. On Christmas day, 1876, the 

 following letter was forwarded by the Prime Minister 

 to Thomas Edward : 



