142 GEOEGE JOHN EOMANES 



CHAPTEK III 



LONDON GEANIES 



1881-1890 



ONE may now for a short space turn away from the 

 scientific side of Mr. Romanes' life and speak a little 

 of other aspects. 



No one was ever a more incessant worker and 

 thinker. If he went away for a short visit, his 

 writing went too ; and if in Scotland wet weather 

 interfered with shooting, he would sit down and write 

 something, perhaps a poem, perhaps (as he once said 

 playfully when condoled with on account of heavy 

 rain and absence of books, ' I don't care, I'll write an 

 essay on the freedom of the will ' ) an article for a 



magazine. 



A great deal of reviewing, chiefly in ' Nature,' 

 filled up some of his time, and he also turned his 

 attention more and more to poetry. 



In the postscript of a letter written in 1878 to 

 Mr. Darwin he says : ' I am beginning to write 

 poetry ! ' and poetry interested him more and more 

 as years went on. Of this, more later. 



He much enjoyed society ; he ceased to mingle 

 exclusively with scientific and philosophical people, 

 and as time went on he became acquainted with 

 many of the notabilities of the day. And, as has been 



