Freeman s Life of Kir by. 3553 



bearing on the portions of each other, which were duly noted and 

 transmitted, and most generally adopted : and, if it have merit, this is 

 in a great degree owing to its being what it professes to be — a really 

 joint production of two variously-instructed minds, anxious only to 

 contribute to the perfection of their labour of love, — for such the work 

 truly was to them, — during the many years it occupied them." — P. 307. 



The letters interchanged between Mr. Kirby and Mr. Spence are 

 generally of a technical character, yet abounding throughout with 

 agreeable pleasantries and the milk of human kindness. The follow- 

 ing passage, in reference to Bernard Barton, is particularly worth pre- 

 serving, as being creditable alike to the poet and to the entomologist. 

 It exhibits no trace of little-mindedness — nothing approaching reli- 

 gious intolerance. It occurs in the letter wherein Mr. Kirby tells 

 his friend of the " happy and pleasant party " got up by his parishio- 

 ners to celebrate the fiftieth year of his residence at Barham. 



" Bernard Barton, the Quaker poet, a very friendly Friend, who be- 

 fore addressed some very pretty verses to me, inserted in our provin- 

 cial paper a very beautiful address to me, but above my deserts, but 

 which showed great liberality on his part to eulogize a receiver of 

 tithes, and to acknowledge him as a Minister of the Gospel." — P. 321. 



Indeed, throughout Mr. Spence's chapter, Kirby appears as the li- 

 beral-minded, kind-hearted Christian ; and we again repeat our regret 

 that his history was not altogether entrusted to such a biographer. 



The appearance of the i Introduction,' the most successful scientific 

 work ever published, while it confirmed the high position Mr. Kirby had 

 already attained, overwhelmed him with new correspondents, amongst 

 whom were men of considerable powers of observation, and intense 

 love of Nature ; such in particular is William Holme, of Preston, of 

 whom little information appears to have reached the present day, and 

 whose memory will perhaps be preserved from entire oblivion, by his 

 letters now forming part of a Memoir of Kirby. 



With regard to Mr. Kirby's own works, we have little to say. The 

 republic of naturalists has pronounced an unanimous verdict in their 

 favour : they invariably bear the marks of great care and patient stu- 

 dy : and vast as is their bulk taken collectively, they were produced 

 slowly, and at considerable intervals. Mr. Kirby neither possessed 

 the power for rapid production, nor the wish to produce rapidly : 

 everything he undertook he performed in the most methodical and 

 careful manner, neither hurrying nor procrastinating. The following 

 passages from the Memoir are selected as exhibiting pleasing traits in 

 the character of this great and good man. 



x. 2 i 



