Memoirs of the life of Dr. Darwin : chiefly during his residence in Lichfield, with anecdotes of his friends, and criticisms on his writings / by Anna Seward.

  • Seward, Anna, 1742-1809.
Date:
1804
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Memoirs of the life of Dr. Darwin : chiefly during his residence in Lichfield, with anecdotes of his friends, and criticisms on his writings / by Anna Seward. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

    41/334
    and hunger. To the power of relieving them he nobly sacrificed all the parade of life, and all the pleasures of luxury. For that mass of human cha- racter which constitutes polished society, he avowed a sovereign contempt; above all things he expressed aversion to the modern plans of female education, attributing to their influence the fickleness which had stung him. He thought it, however, his duty to marry; nursed systematic ideas of the force of philosophic tuition to produce future virtue, and loved to mould the infant and youthful mind. Ever despicable in Mr. Day's estimation were the distinctions of birth, and the advantages of wealth; and he had learnt to look back with resent- ment to the allurements of the Graces. He re- solved, if possible, that his wife should have a taste for literature and science, for moral and patriotic philosophy.. So might she be his companion in that retirement, to which he had destined himself; and assist him in forming the minds of his chil- dren to stubborn virtue and high exertion. He resolved also, that she should be simple as a moun- tain girl, in her dress, her diet, and her manners; fearless and intrepid as the Spartan wives and Ro- man heroines....There was no finding such a crea- ture ready made; philosophical romance could not