The life and letters of George John Romanes / written and edited by his wife.

Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The life and letters of George John Romanes / written and edited by his wife. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    1873 CAMBEI]:)GE said to him : ‘ Above all, Komanes, cultivate the habit of meditation,’ and Mr. liomanes always quoted this as a most valuable bit of advice. His intellectual development was rapid in these Cambridge years, and it is not improbable that bis slowly growing mind bad not been ill served by being allowed to mature in absolute freedom, altbougb be himself bitterly re- gretted and, through bis Avbole life, deplored the lack of early training, and of mental discipline. Through these early Cambridge years be still cherished the idea of Holy Orders, and with bis friend, Mr. Cautley, be bad many talks about the career they both intended to choose. They spent a part of one long vacation together, and occupied themselves in reading theology—such books as ‘Pearson on the Creed,’ Hooker’s ‘ Ecclesiastical Polity,’ Bishop Butler’s ‘ Analogy,’ and in writing sermons. Some of Mr. Eomanes’ are still extant, and are curious bits of bo}dsb composition—crude, unformed in style, and yet full of thought, and showing a remarkable know- ledge of the Bible. He seems to have been, for the rest, a bright, good- tempered, popular lad, always much chaffed for absent- minded mistakes, for bis long legs, for his peculiar name; and be certainly gave no one the faintest idea of any particular ability, any likelihood of future dis- tinction.^ Some slight chance, as it seemed, turned bis attention to natural science ; one or two friends were reading for the Natural Science Tripos, and George Eomanes ceased to read mathematics and began to work at natural science, competing for and winning a scholarship in that subject. Eighteen months only remained for him to work for his Tripos, and it is not surprising that be only ‘ Mr. Cautley writes : ‘ I Imve never seen Romanes, under the greatest provocation, out of temper. Always gentle, always kind, never over- bearing . . . never forgetful of friends.’