Godwin devoured books, and had a remarkable faculty for gaining solid information on any subject that took his fancy.

What might be the special bent of his mind one could not yet discover.

He read poetry with precocious gusto, but at the same time his aptitude for scientific pursuits was strongly marked.

In botany, chemistry, physics, he made progress which the people about him, including his schoolmaster, were incapable of appreciating; and already the collection of books left by his father, most of them out of date, failed to satisfy his curiosity.

It might be feared that tastes so discursive would be disadvantageous to a lad who must needs pursue some definite bread-study, and the strain of self-consciousness which grew strong in him was again a matter for concern.