CONTINUATION OF HOME LIFE. 39 



pushed knowledge and discovery to human limits, viewing his 

 labours with ' childlike humility ' and simplicity ? What if I 

 use the epithet ' Newtonic ' instead ? Newton's was indeed a 

 rightly cultivated mind, which produced a fine harvest of duties 

 performed. How many a fruitful olive-plant is almost choked 

 with a quantity of wild convolvulus ! But there is room enough 

 for the convolvulus to twine itself among the rose-bushes and 

 brambles without doing harm. Why then does it fasten itself 

 on the poor olive ? Alas ! why should I pursue the allegory." 



To J. Fennell, Esq. 



Ashbourne, March 12th, 1834. 

 We have very entertaining lectures just now going on in 

 chemistry by Professor Davy, a nephew of the great Sir 

 Humphry. I attend them, and feel something of my old 

 chemical fire revive. Some very curious facts relating to 

 electro-magnetism have particularly delighted me, especially 

 the vast magnetic power of the voltaic circuit. I purpose 

 giving up one morning every week to chemistry. Botany can 

 well spare this much time to her intellectual sister. 



March 19th. 



If I can leave home a mine of business awaits me in Dr. 

 Hooker's herbarium, both in exotic ferns and American mosses. 

 True, that I am not " au fait " at the latter, for I scarcely know 

 twenty of them, but it is to gain knowledge that I commence 

 writing on them. Do we not write essays at school ? 



When I began to write on algse I scarcely knew one tenth of 

 the British species ; but as I wrote I gathered knowledge, and 

 found it the pleasantest way, for you have thus two zests at 

 once — the pleasure of acquiring and the pleasure of imparting 

 knowledge. 'Tis in at the ear and out at the fingers' ends all 

 in a moment. 



I hope thy relish for science is not given up, and that thy 

 leisure time is spent — as I would say — profitably. How various 

 are the meanings of that word ! After leaving Clonmel is it to 

 be " otium cum dignitate," or business ? My otium days, I fear, 

 are over ; and now I must stick to the desk. However, we live 

 in hope, and while I have the mornings and evenings to pursue 



