462 Jenyns's Memoir of Hensloiv. 



They varied in age from eight to eighteen, and mostly entered 

 with great spirit into the work set before them, seeming 

 thoroughly to enjoy it." In dealing with his uneducated stu- 

 dents, the Professor displayed uncommon tact. So far as prac- 

 ticable, the difficulties were diminished, but those inherent to 

 the subject were as fairly met and as fully conquered as if the 

 village children had been members of his university class. 

 As technical terms could not be dispensed with, the boys and 

 girls who wished to learn botany, had to begin with spelling 

 dicotyledons, monocotyledons, angiospermous, and other 

 afflicting looking words, which in due course were practically 

 explained. Deal stands furnished with vials afforded the means 

 of displaying the wild flowers that could be obtained in blossom, 

 and which the children were encouraged to collect, in order that 

 they might be properly labelled and form the subjects of the 

 lesson to be conveyed. Bach pupil was supplied with a dis- 

 secting board " made of deal, twelve inches long and nine wide. 

 Across the upper half of each board was pasted a paper with 

 four compartments. Opposite these, the names of the four 

 floral whorls, and their subordinate parts, were printed, together 

 with the adjective terminations for expressing botanically the 

 numerical and other relations between them/' 



The children pulled their flowers to pieces, and wrote the 

 results of their examinations upon their slates, which were all 

 sent to the rectory to be looked over and corrected. For 

 further details of this admirable method of teaching, we must 

 refer to Mr. Jenyns's work, but we must not forget to allude to 

 the annual excursions, in which he conducted his pupils to some 

 pleasant place, and to the larger excursions in which the adult 

 villagers joined. In one instance he conducted a large party to 

 Ipswich, where they saw the town and the Museum which he 

 arranged. Another time they went to Harwich, and many had 

 there their first sight of the sea. In other years Norwich, 

 Cambridge, and Felixstowe received the happy parties, the 

 funds for their trip being provided partly by the Professor, who 

 thus appropriated the sum that his predecessor expended upon 

 a tithe dinner, partly by other donations, and partly by the sub- 

 scriptions of the people themselves. Such continued goodness, 

 guided by intelligence, converted even the farmers, and in 

 testimony of their estimation they presented their rector with 

 a silver cup. 



Such a man was Professor Henslow, as a teacher of science, 

 and a social reformer, of a type which had no existence in pre- 

 scientific days. We have regarded him under two aspects only, 

 and passing over his claims to honour as an original investi- 

 gator, or in his purely clerical capacity — subjects which would 

 exceed our limits — we find the spirit of knowledge strong in 



