2G4 OBITUARY X 



and a little shooting were by no means held, 

 at that time, to be incompatible with the 

 conscientious performance of the duties of a 

 country clergyman. But it is characteristic of the 

 man, that he asked time for consideration, in 

 order that he might satisfy himself that he could 

 sign the Thirty-nine Articles with a clear con- 

 science. However, the study of " Pearson on the 

 Creeds " and a few other books of divinity soon 

 assured him that his religious opinions left 

 nothing to be desired on the score of orthodoxy, 

 and he acceded to his father's proposition. 



The English University selected was Cambridge; 

 but an unexpected obstacle arose from the fact 

 that, within the two years which had elapsed, 

 since the young man who had enjoyed seven 

 years of the benefit of a strictly classical education 

 had left school, he had forgotten almost every- 

 thing he had learned there, " even to some few of 

 the Greek letters." (I. p. 46.) Three months 

 with a tutor, however, brought him back to the 

 point of translating Homer and the Greek Testa- 

 ment " with moderate facility," and Charles 

 Darwin commenced the third educational experi- 

 ment of which he was the subject, and was en- 

 tered on the books of Christ's College in October 

 1827. So far as the direct results of the academic 

 training thus received are concerned, the English 

 University was not more successful than the 

 Scottish. "During the three years which I spent 



