The Autobiography of Charles DarwinDarwin, Charles
Science
The Autobiography of Charles Darwin
Darwin, Charles
Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882; Darwin, Charles, 1809-1882. On the origin of species; Naturalists -- Great Britain -- Biography
During the three years which I spent at Cambridge my time was wasted,
as far as the academical studies were concerned, as completely as at
Edinburgh and at school. I attempted mathematics, and even went during
the summer of 1828 with a private tutor (a very dull man) to Barmouth,
but I got on very slowly. The work was repugnant to me, chiefly from my
not being able to see any meaning in the early steps in algebra. This
impatience was very foolish, and in after years I have deeply regretted
that I did not proceed far enough at least to understand something of
the great leading principles of mathematics, for men thus endowed seem
to have an extra sense. But I do not believe that I should ever have
succeeded beyond a very low grade. With respect to Classics I did
nothing except attend a few compulsory college lectures, and the
attendance was almost nominal. In my second year I had to work for a
month or two to pass the Little-Go, which I did easily. Again, in my
last year I worked with some earnestness for my final degree of B.A.,
and brushed up my Classics, together with a little Algebra and Euclid,
which latter gave me much pleasure, as it did at school. In order to
pass the B.A. examination, it was also necessary to get up Paley’s
‘Evidences of Christianity,’ and his ‘Moral Philosophy.’ This was done
in a thorough manner, and I am convinced that I could have written out
the whole of the ‘Evidences’ with perfect correctness, but not of
course in the clear language of Paley. The logic of this book and, as I
may add, of his ‘Natural Theology,’ gave me as much delight as did
Euclid. The careful study of these works, without attempting to learn
any part by rote, was the only part of the academical course which, as
I then felt and as I still believe, was of the least use to me in the
education of my mind. I did not at that time trouble myself about
Paley’s premises; and taking these on trust, I was charmed and
convinced by the long line of argumentation. By answering well the
examination questions in Paley, by doing Euclid well, and by not
failing miserably in Classics, I gained a good place among the oi
polloi or crowd of men who do not go in for honours. Oddly enough, I
cannot remember how high I stood, and my memory fluctuates between the
fifth, tenth, or twelfth, name on the list. (Tenth in the list of
January 1831.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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