for which lie gained the second prize at the International Horticultural 

 Exhibition and Botanical Congress, held in London in 18G6.— C. T. 



George Grote was born on the 17th of Novemher, 1794, at Clayhill, 

 near Beckenham, Kent. His father was George Grote, son of Andrew 

 Grote, who, in the middle of last century, came to England from Bremen, 

 settled as a merchant in the city of London, and on the 1st of Jauuary, 1766, 

 in conjunction with George Prescott, established the banking-house that 

 still bears their joint names. His mother was Selina Mary, only daughter 

 of the Rev. Dr. Peckwell, of Chichester, who belonged to the connexion of 

 the Countess of Huntingdon, and, owing to his eminence as a preacher, 

 was selected by her as one of her chaplains. The wife of Dr. Peckwell 

 was an Irish lady, Miss Blosset, of an ancient French Protestant family 

 of Touraine, named De Blosset, some members of which came to this 

 country at the revocation of the Edict of Nantes, and purchased property 

 in the county of Meath. 



George Grote the younger obtained the first rudiments of learning from 

 his mother, who had an excellent understanding and good attainments, 

 especially in history, being at the same time severely pious. In his sixth 

 year he was sent to the Grammar School at Sevenoaks, kept by Mr. White- 

 head. In his tenth year he entered Charterhouse, then under the charge 

 of Dr. Raine, an excellent classical scholar ; but nothing appears to have 

 been taught there besides the learned languages. He had as companions 

 at Charterhouse, Connop Thirlwall (Bishop of St. David's), the two brothers 

 Waddington (one the late Dean of Durham, the other late Under-Secretary 

 at the Home Office), Henry Havelock, and Cresswell Cresswell ; with the 

 first three he maintained a warm friendship through life. He left Charter- 

 house in his sixteenth year, a good classical scholar, having been uniformly 

 at the top of his class. During his holidays he was provided with a teacher 

 at home for French and Mathematics. 



In 1809, on leaving school, he entered the banking-house as clerk, being 

 made a partner when, in 181 5, he reached the age of twenty-one. "While 

 devoting himself sedulously to business, he employed all his spare hours in 

 reading and study. He followed out his classical scholarship to a thorough 

 mastery of the great works of Greece and Rome. At the same time he 

 applied himself to modern literature, both in belles-lettres and in abstract 

 thought ; history in particular he always devoured with avidity. In no 

 very long time he showed a decided tendency towards the Political and 

 Mental Sciences, which tendency was fostered by his choice of companions. 

 In business he became acquainted with Ricardo, who directed his mind to 

 Political Economy, and introduced him to the still more powerful ascend- 

 ency of James Mill. He has publicly acknowledged his great obligations 

 to Mill ; through him he became acquainted with Bentham, and contracted 

 an intimacy with Mr. John Stuart Mill, which was sustained through life. 

 James Mill was himself a competent Greek scholar, and an admirer of the 



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