370 THE < LION ' LETTEES 



career. Its foundation is laid in honest school work, though 

 success may be in some subject not taught in school. 



A corollary to this is that his own teaching of his boys at 

 home was greatly in these very subjects omitted in school cur- 

 ricula, from Geography and Physiology onwards. In Botany 

 it had been chiefly by word of mouth and actual collection ; 

 as he remarks when regular botanical teaching is given the 

 boy at school : 



I have not bothered you yet with any introductory 

 books on Botany, because I think you have plenty to do 

 in the holidays in collecting and making up your Herbarium ; 

 but without study you will make poor progress in the long 

 run. 



This ' study ' means the voluntary intending of the mind 

 and the physical powers with patience and hard work. 



As to exercise and its relation to study, he praises swimming, 

 and considers cricket better than football, as being less violent 

 and unfitting for other work and mental exercise — not a 

 mere struggle. 



Work and play bring up chance references to his own 

 early doings. Apropos of a good walk taken at the age of 

 14J by Shoreham and Lancing, he writes : 



I hope you will inherit my powers of walking. When 

 I was a youth of 20 I thought nothing of 30 miles and have 

 done 60 in the day. My brother (who died in Jamaica) 

 once did 80 ! 



Sending 'Lyra Heroica ' as a birthday present in 1891, 

 he suggests learning as much as possible by heart. 



I have often found it a great pleasure when alone with 

 nothing to do, or when I cannot sleep at night, to recite 

 to myself the poetry which I learnt when I was a boy. 

 I dare say you do not know what sleepless nights are, but 

 your turn will come ! 



And in 1895, when the boy was preparing for Little Go with 

 their old friend Mr. La Touche, a very uneven set of mathe- 

 matical papers, where some of the work was good, some care- 



