338 SIR JOSEPH BANKS. 



was from this early taste that we had at Brougham so 

 many butterflies, beetles, and other insects, as well as 

 a cabinet of shells and fossils. The interesting anec- 

 dote related by Sir E. Home, I never heard my father 

 relate, but he always said that his friend Joe cared 

 mighty little for his book, and could not well under- 

 stand any one taking to Greek and Latin. The anec- 

 dote itself must be perfectly authentic if Sir E. Home 

 heard it from him ; for he was scrupulously exact in 

 relating facts, and anything like romance about natural 

 scenery was the thing in the world the most alien from 

 the cast of his mind. 



In 1760 he was taken from Eton to be inoculated, 

 and the operation failed: it was repeated, and suc- 

 ceeded ; but so much time was thus lost, that it was 

 thought better he should not return to school ; and 

 immediately before he completed his eighteenth year, 

 he was sent to Oxford, and entered a gentleman com- 

 moner of Christ Church. His love of natural history 

 now increased with the increased means and greater 

 leisure for gratifying it. Botany, however, continued 

 to be his favourite branch of that science; and he 

 found that unfortunately no lectures were given by 

 Dr. Sibthorp, the botanical professor. In this difficulty 

 he applied to the learned doctor for leave to engage a 

 lecturer, whose remuneration should be wholly de- 

 frayed by his pupils ; and it is highly creditable to the 

 professor, and shows his love of the science, in which 

 some of his family afterwards so greatly excelled, that 

 he at once agreed to the proposal. Mr. Banks then 

 finding no one at Oxford capable of undertaking the 

 class, went over to Cambridge, whence he brought 

 back with him Mr. Israel Lyon, a learned botanist, 

 and good astronomer, who was then engaged in teach- 

 ing these two sciences to private pupils. The friend- 

 ship of Mr. Banks afterwards obtained for him the 

 appointment of astronomer to Captain Phipps on his 

 Polar voyage. Mr. Lyon gave lectures and lessons to 



