1857-59 JOHN BROWN'S BEQUEST 89 



this morning to ask me to write the epitaph for 

 his father's monument in Westminster Abbey. 

 I shall try, to-night. . . . We have had severe 

 winter weather — thermometer at 20 — and have 

 been lighting coke fires in the sunk-pits, where 

 the most delicate flower plants are wintered.' 



On December 3, 1859, he sends a letter to his 

 sister Eliza, announcing the death of John Brown, 

 of Stanway, and stating that he has been be- 

 queathed some books, instruments, and collections, 

 and a legacy of 50/., and that he is going down 

 with the executor, Professor Henslow, to make 

 arrangements for the funeral. He continues : ' I 

 send Kate a " Times," in which a " leading article " 

 may amuse her. The ''Thunderer" proclaims to 

 the universe that he believes in your affectionate 

 brother, R. O.' 



Mr. John Brown's collection, amounting to 

 some 8,oco specimens, was bequeathed to Pro- 

 fessor Owen, who immediately transferred it to 

 the British Museum, ' with the view that a selec- 

 tion might be made of all such objects as were 

 found to be desiderata to the geological de- 

 partment' The National Collection was thus 

 enriched by a large number of interesting spe- 

 cimens relating to the Pleistocene geology of 

 Essex. 



In the latter part of 1859 Charles Darwin 

 published his ' Origin of Species,' and we gather 

 the value he set upon Owen's opinion from the 



