DR. R. W. DARWIN. 15 



years afterwards, whilst Lord Shelburne was talking 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 conversation, 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 grandson of 

 the first marquis) felt so much interest about me, whom he 

 had never seen, and my family. When forty new members 

 (the forty thieves as they were then called) were added to the 

 Athenaeum Club, there was much canvassing to be one of 

 them ; and without my having asked any one, Lord Lans- 

 downe proposed me and got me elected. If I am right in my 

 supposition, it was a queer concatenation of events that my 

 father not eating cheese half-a-century before in Holland led 

 to my election as a member of the Athenaeum. 



" The sharpness of his observation led him to predict with 

 remarkable skill the course of any illness, and he suggested 

 endless small details of relief. I was told that a young doctor 

 in Shrewsbuiy, who disliked my father, used to say that he 

 was wholly unscientific, but owned that his power of predict- 

 ing the end of an illness was unparalleled. Formerly when 

 he thought that I should be a doctor, he talked much to me 

 about his patients. In the old days the practice of bleeding 



