14 



THE DARWIN FAMILY. 



it was very characteristic of my father that he said he could 

 not explain how it was. 



" The following story shows what good guesses my father 

 could make. Lord Shelburne, afterwards the first Marquis 

 of Lansdowne, was famous (as Macaulay somewhere remarks) 

 for his knowledge of the affairs of Europe, on which he great- 

 ly prided himself. He consulted my father medically, and 

 afterwards harangued him on the state of Holland. My 

 father had studied medicine at Leyden, and one day [while 

 there] went a long walk into the country with a friend who 

 took him to the house of a clergyman (we will say the Rev. 



Mr. A , for I have forgotten his name), who had married 



an Englishwoman. My father was very hungry, and there 

 was little for luncheon except cheese, which he could never 

 eat. The old lady was surprised and grieved at this, and as- 

 sured my father that it was an excellent cheese, and had been 

 sent her from Bowood, the seat of Lord Shelburne. My 

 father wondered why a cheese should be sent her from Bowood, 

 but thought nothing more about it until it flashed across his 

 mind many years afterwards, whilst Lord Shelburne was talk- 

 ing about Holland. So he answered, 'I should think from 



what I saw of the Rev. Mr, A , that he was a very able 



man, and well acquainted with the state of Holland.' My 

 father saw that the Earl, who immediately changed the con- 

 versation, was much startled. On the next morning my 

 father received a note from the Earl, saying that he had delayed 

 starting on his journey, and wished particularly to see my 

 father. When he called, the Earl said, ' Dr. Darwin, it is of 



the utmost importance to me and to the Rev. Mr. A to 



learn how you have discovered that he is the source of my 

 information about Holland.' So my father had to explain the 

 state of the case, and he supposed that Lord Shelburne was 

 much struck with his diplomatic skill in guessing, for during 

 many years afterwards he received many kind messages from 

 him through various friends. I think that he must have told 

 the story to his children ; for Sir C. Lyell, asked me many 

 years ago why the Marquis of Lansdowne (the son or grand- 



