F. A. MALLE SON 
55 
Even in those early days he possessed some of that power of attracting friends 
which characterised his later life, for Burrer corresponded with him on botanical 
topics, and once when a critical species was in question, drove over to his village 
and took him away for a long day’s work in the field. Capital training, one 
would think, and evidently not lost, for he was a good botanist of the old school. 
Without much faith in the “ splitters up,” he could be very hard on the others, 
the “lumpers up,” when a well marked variety came in his way. The eighth 
edition of the “ London Catalogue” was by no means a thing of joy to him, and 
what he would have said to the ninth, there is, perhaps fortunately, nothing to 
show. He never saw it. I kept a copy to surprise him, but had no opportunity 
of doing so. The outcome of Borrer's influence was a MS.,“ Flora of Sussex." 
It was occasionally quoted by H. C. Watson in his “ Topographical Botany, ’ 
but never, I think, printed. After the exploration of the Broughton-in-Furness 
district, he contemplated a flora of the limited area of his parish, but the project 
was never realised. Possibly the change in the manner of such books caused by 
the publication of Trimen and Dyer's “ Flora of Middlesex,” and the difficulty 
of working up the old authorities (for unless this is done no writer can tell the 
value of his records) caused the subject to be put aside. 
When it was possible to do so he spent his holidays on the continent, so his 
early botanical bias was allowed full play throughout his life. At home much 
time and thought were spent on the garden, of which he gave the account men- 
tioned at the head of this notice. It amply rewarded hun, and was a place of 
pleasure to his friends. A tent on one of the lawns, close to a magnificent tulip- 
tree, was the writing room in which much of his work was done, but his occa- 
sional descriptive essays were almost entirely written on the spots described. 
Probably no Selbornian carried the love of “ out of doors” more thoroughly into 
practice than he, for when not obliged either to visit or write, and the youthful 
craving for exercise being a thing of the past, he was sure to be found somewhere 
in the garden, unless the weather was entirely unfit, and then there was the tent 
for a haven. 
Naturally, as time went on, and the band of lively young people who accom- 
panied him dispersed into the world, the walks which were once so enthusiastically 
enjoyed became shorter, but the teaching and example had not been in vain. Of 
that he had ample proof. He was a good geologist and knew a little about birds 
and insects. 
In all the time of our acquaintance I never heard him say a hard word about 
anyone. Once he wished that a troublesome person would migrate to another part 
of the county. A great reader and a book-buyer, he was not by any means a collec- 
tor. The books were bought for use, and from a collector’s point of view he 
was not careful enough as to the edition. As a Wordsworthian, he might have 
put to shame many of the officious dogmatisers on both the poems and the locali- 
ties. Living within a mile of the Duddon he knew the river from source to sea, 
and the last literary work on which he was engaged was on “ Wordsworth 
and the Duddon.” It was beautifully written and illustrated and well received, 
the number of the North Lonsdale Magazine containing it running rapidly out of 
print. It was reported, how truly I know not, that he intended to enlarge or 
partially re-write it, and re-publish in book form with more illustrations. If 
this be done it will be the best illustrated account of the river that has been placed 
before the public. This I write advisedly, as there is a series of sketches by the 
late William Hull, charming things. These are now guarded with care by their 
fortunate possessor, a Manchester gentleman. 
His friendship with Mr. Ruskin was a privilege which he highly valued. Ruskin’s 
“Letters to the Clergy” were addressed to Mr. Malleson as the representative 
of a local Clerical Society. They were edited by Mr. Malleson, and published 
together with essays and comments of his own, and numerous critical letters from 
others, under the title of “ The Lord’s Prayer and the Church, Letters to the 
Clergy, by John Ruskin, D.C.L.” The book is well known. 
S. L. Petty. 
