Charles Darwin. 



of character. They lived at the "Crescent," and 

 later at the " Mount," in Shrewsbury, where all but 

 one of their children were born. The old house, a 

 large red-brick building, is now owned by Mr. 

 Spencer Phillips. It stands on the banks of the 

 Severn, commanding a fine view, and supplied with 

 all the acceptable features of an English country 

 home. 



Dr. Darwin was something of a botanist, though 

 not in a scientific sense. He was tall, like his son 

 Charles, standing six feet two inches, and very large 

 and fleshy. His mental characteristics were similar 

 to those of his son, having a broad, tender nature, 

 with great sympathy for others. He was a man of 

 remarkable memory, and could recall the names of 

 so many persons and the date of their birth, mar- 

 riage, and death, that it was absolutely painful to 

 him. He was extremely skilful in prognosticating 

 disease, and was so prophetic in many of his sayings 

 that he was considered a wonder by the ignorant. 

 Dr. Darwin became the father of six children 

 Marianne, Caroline, Erasmus Alvey, Susan, Charles, 

 and Catherine, of whom Charles and Erasmus are 

 the best known. The latter studied medicine, taking 

 a degree at Cambridge, but never practised, living a 

 retired and single life in London. Carlyle thus refers 

 to him in his " Reminiscences " : 



" Erasmus Darwin, a most diverse kind of mortal, 

 came to seek us out very soon (' had heard of Car- 

 lyle in Germany, etc.'), and continues ever since to 

 be a quiet house-friend, honestly attached, though 

 his visits latterly have been rarer and rarer, health 



