Life and Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 1Darwin, Charles
History
Life and Letters of Charles Darwin — Volume 1
Darwin, Charles
Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882; Naturalists -- Great Britain -- Biography; Naturalists -- Great Britain -- Correspondence
"I went to Cambridge early in the year 1828, and soon became acquainted,
through some of my brother entomologists, with Professor Henslow, for
all who cared for any branch of natural history were equally encouraged
by him. Nothing could be more simple, cordial, and unpretending than the
encouragement which he afforded to all young naturalists. I soon became
intimate with him, for he had a remarkable power of making the young
feel completely at ease with him; though we were all awe-struck with the
amount of his knowledge. Before I saw him, I heard one young man sum up
his attainments by simply saying that he knew everything. When I reflect
how immediately we felt at perfect ease with a man older, and in every
way so immensely our superior, I think it was as much owing to the
transparent sincerity of his character as to his kindness of heart; and,
perhaps, even still more, to a highly remarkable absence in him of all
self-consciousness. One perceived at once that he never thought of his
own varied knowledge or clear intellect, but solely on the subject in
hand. Another charm, which must have struck every one, was that his
manner to old and distinguished persons and to the youngest student was
exactly the same: and to all he showed the same winning courtesy. He
would receive with interest the most trifling observation in any branch
of natural history; and however absurd a blunder one might make,
he pointed it out so clearly and kindly, that one left him no way
disheartened, but only determined to be more accurate the next time. In
short, no man could be better formed to win the entire confidence of the
young, and to encourage them in their pursuits.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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