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TheAutobiographyofCharlesDarwin1TheAutobiographyofCharlesDarwin--FromTheLifeandLettersofCharlesDarwinEditedbyFrancisDarwinTheAutobiographyofCharlesDarwin2[Myfather'sautobiographicalrecollections,giveninthepresentchapter,werewrittenforhischildren,--andwrittenwithoutanythoughtthattheywouldeverbepublished.Tomanythismayseemanimpossibility;butthosewhoknewmyfatherwillunderstandhowitwasnotonlypossible,butnatural.Theautobiographybearstheheading,'RecollectionsoftheDevelopmentofmyMindandCharacter,'andendwiththefollowingnote:--Aug.3,1876.ThissketchofmylifewasbegunaboutMay28thatHopedene(Mr.HensleighWedgwood'shouseinSurrey.),andsincethenIhavewrittenfornearlyanhouronmostafternoons.Itwilleasilybeunderstoodthat,inanarrativeofapersonalandintimatekindwrittenforhiswifeandchildren,passagesshouldoccurwhichmustherebeomitted;andIhavenotthoughtitnecessarytoindicatewheresuchomissionsaremade.Ithasbeenfoundnecessarytomakeafewcorrectionsofobviousverbalslips,butthenumberofsuchalterationshasbeenkeptdowntotheminimum.--F.D.]AGermanEditorhavingwrittentomeforanaccountofthedevelopmentofmymindandcharacterwithsomesketchofmyautobiography,Ihavethoughtthattheattemptwouldamuseme,andmightpossiblyinterestmychildrenortheirchildren.Iknowthatitwouldhaveinterestedmegreatlytohavereadevensoshortanddullasketchofthemindofmygrandfather,writtenbyhimself,andwhathethoughtanddid,andhowheworked.Ihaveattemptedtowritethefollowingaccountofmyself,asifIwereadeadmaninanotherworldlookingbackatmyownlife.NorhaveIfoundthisdifficult,forlifeisnearlyoverwithme.Ihavetakennopainsaboutmystyleofwriting.IwasbornatShrewsburyonFebruary12th,1809,andmyearliestrecollectiongoesbackonlytowhenIwasafewmonthsoverfouryearsold,whenwewenttonearAbergeleforsea-bathing,andIrecollectsomeeventsandplacestherewithsomelittledistinctness.MymotherdiedinJuly1817,whenIwasalittleovereightyearsold,anditisoddthatIcanrememberhardlyanythingaboutherexceptherdeath-bed,herblackvelvetgown,andhercuriouslyconstructedwork-table.InthespringofthissameyearIwassenttoaday-schoolinTheAutobiographyofCharlesDarwin3Shrewsbury,whereIstayedayear.IhavebeentoldthatIwasmuchslowerinlearningthanmyyoungersisterCatherine,andIbelievethatIwasinmanywaysanaughtyboy.BythetimeIwenttothisday-school(KeptbyRev.G.Case,ministeroftheUnitarianChapelintheHighStreet.Mrs.DarwinwasaUnitarianandattendedMr.Case'schapel,andmyfatherasalittleboywenttherewithhiseldersisters.ButbothheandhisbrotherwerechristenedandintendedtobelongtotheChurchofEngland;andafterhisearlyboyhoodheseemsusuallytohavegonetochurchandnottoMr.Case's.Itappears(St.James'Gazette,Dec.15,1883)thatamuraltablethasbeenerectedtohismemoryinthechapel,whichisnowknownasthe'FreeChristianChurch.')mytastefornaturalhistory,andmoreespeciallyforcollecting,waswelldeveloped.Itriedtomakeoutthenamesofplants(Rev.W.A.Leighton,whowasaschoolfellowofmyfather'satMr.Case'sschool,remembershisbringingaflowertoschoolandsayingthathismotherhadtaughthimhowbylookingattheinsideoftheblossomthenameoftheplantcouldbediscovered.Mr.Leightongoeson,Thisgreatlyrousedmyattentionandcuriosity,andIenquiredofhimrepeatedlyhowthiscouldbedone?--buthislessonwasnaturallyenoughnottransmissible.--F.D.),andcollectedallsortsofthings,shells,seals,franks,coins,andminerals.Thepassionforcollectingwhichleadsamantobeasystematicnaturalist,avirtuoso,oramiser,wasverystronginme,andwasclearlyinnate,asnoneofmysistersorbrothereverhadthistaste.Onelittleeventduringthisyearhasfixeditselfveryfirmlyinmymind,andIhopethatithasdonesofrommyconsciencehavingbeenafterwardssorelytroubledbyit;itiscuriousasshowingthatapparentlyIwasinterestedatthisearlyageinthevariabilityofplants!Itoldanotherlittleboy(IbelieveitwasLeighton,whoafterwardsbecameawell-knownlichenologistandbotanist),thatIcouldproducevariouslycolouredpolyanthusesandprimrosesbywateringthemwithcertaincolouredfluids,whichwasofcourseamonstrousfable,andhadneverbeentriedbyme.ImayherealsoconfessthatasalittleboyIwasmuchgiventoinventingdeliberatefalsehoods,andthiswasalwaysdoneforthesakeofcausingexcitement.Forinstance,IoncegatheredmuchvaluablefruitfrommyTheAutobiographyofCharlesDarwin4father'streesandhiditintheshrubbery,andthenraninbreathlesshastetospreadthenewsthatIhaddiscoveredahoardofstolenfruit.ImusthavebeenaverysimplelittlefellowwhenIfirstwenttotheschool.AboyofthenameofGarnetttookmeintoacakeshoponeday,andboughtsomecakesforwhichhedidnotpay,astheshopmantrustedhim.WhenwecameoutIaskedhimwhyhedidnotpayforthem,andheinstantlyanswered,Why,doyounotknowthatmyuncleleftagreatsumofmoneytothetownonconditionthateverytradesmanshouldgivewhateverwaswantedwithoutpaymenttoanyonewhoworehisoldhatandmoved[it]inaparticularmanner?andhethenshowedmehowitwasmoved.Hethenwentintoanothershopwherehewastrusted,andaskedforsomesmallarticle,movinghishatinthepropermanner,andofcourseobtaineditwithoutpayment.Whenwecameouthesaid,Nowifyouliketogobyyourselfintothatcake-shop(howwellIrememberitsexactposition)Iwilllendyoumyhat,andyoucangetwhateveryoulikeifyoumovethehatonyourheadproperly.Igladlyacceptedthegenerousoffer,andwentinandaskedforsomecakes,movedtheoldhata