240 ENGLISH MEN OF SCIENCE. [CHAP. 



Variety of subjects and attention to details. A 

 combination of home and school education, my 

 father having been head master of the school." 



(7) " My father being a schoolmaster, I was 

 at some sort of school work nearly all my life, 

 but from the age of 12 I was occupied more in 

 teaching than in learning. My education in- 

 cluded the various subjects usually taught in 

 English schools, with something of astronomy, 

 pneumatics, electricity, and mechanics. I learnt 

 much in conversation with my father, which 

 chiefly took an instructive form. Was led to 

 think and speak freely, also to engage frequently 

 in domestic discussions on questions of general 

 policy. I had also early access to tools and 

 materials." 



(8) "I was fortunate in obtaining at school 

 (set. 8-16) an insight into the phenomena of 

 nature, a subject entirely ignored at that time 

 in almost all schools. My peculiar bent for 

 experiment was encouraged at home by my 

 mother, and there were peculiar merits in my 



