CHAPTER IV 



eton (1845-1848) 



(Age 11-14) 



It was just before the future Lord Avebury, 

 then seven years of age, went to the private 

 school at Abingdon Abbey that there occurred 

 the event which perhaps more than any other 

 was destined to influence his life. It is noted, 

 by Lord Avebury himself, in the following words : 

 " My father came home one evening in 1841, 

 quite excited, and said he had a great piece of 

 news for me. He made us guess what it was, 

 and I suggested that he was going to give me 

 a pony. * Oh,' he said, ' it is much better than 

 that. Mr. Darwin is coming to live at Down.' 

 I confess I was much disappointed, though I 

 came afterwards to see how right he was." 



For the moment we may pass that by, with 

 the levity of the little boy himself, to whom 

 the pony would no doubt have been the source 

 of much keener immediate entertainment. 

 Down, it may be noted, is a village about a mile 

 from High Elms, and what the example and 

 the encouragement of the great naturalist meant 

 to him will be revealed in its due place. For 



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