autobiography and selected essays-第2节

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science　elsewhere　than　under　their　noses。　　What　they　want　to　know

is　that　their　'America　is　here；'　as　Wilhelm　Meister　has　it。〃

During　this　period；　also；　he　began　his　lectures　to　workingmen；

calling　them　Peoples'　Lectures。　　〃POPULAR　lectures；〃　he　said；　〃I

hold　to　be　an　abomination　unto　the　Lord。〃　　Working…men　attended

these　lectures　in　great　numbers；　and　to　them　Huxley　seemed　to　be

always　able　to　speak　at　his　best。　　His　purpose　in　giving　these

lectures　should　be　expressed　in　his　own　words：　〃I　want　the　working

class　to　understand　that　Science　and　her　ways　are　great　facts　for

themthat　physical　virtue　is　the　base　of　all　other；　and　that　they

are　to　be　clean　and　temperate　and　all　the　restnot　because　fellows

in　black　and　white　ties　tell　them　so；　but　because　there　are　plain

and　patent　laws　which　they　must　obey　'under　penalties。'〃



Toward　the　close　of　1859；　Darwin's　〃Origin　of　Species〃　was

published。　　It　raised　a　great　outcry　in　England；　and　Huxley

immediately　came　forward　as　chief　defender　of　the　faith　therein　set

forth。　　He　took　part　in　debates　on　this　subject；　the　most　famous　of

which　was　the　one　between　himself　and　Bishop　Wilberforce　at　Oxford。

The　Bishop　concluded　his　speech　by　turning　to　Huxley　and　asking；

〃Was　it　through　his　grandfather　or　grandmother　that　he　claimed

descent　from　a　monkey？〃　　Huxley；　as　is　reported　by　an　eye…witness；

〃slowly　and　deliberately　arose。　　A　slight　tall　figure；　stern　and

pale；　very　quiet　and　grave；　he　stood　before　us　and　spoke　those

tremendous　words。　。　。　。　　He　was　not　ashamed　to　have　a　monkey　for　an

ancestor；　but　he　would　be　ashamed　to　be　connected　with　a　man　who

used　great　gifts　to　obscure　the　truth。〃　　Another　story　indicates

the　temper　of　that　time。　　Carlyle；　whose　writing　had　strongly

influenced　Huxley；　and　whom　Huxley　had　come　to　know；　could　not

forgive　him　for　his　attitude　toward　evolution。　　One　day；　years

after　the　publication　of　Man's　Place　in　Nature；　Huxley；　seeing

Carlyle　on　the　other　side　of　the　street；　a　broken；　pathetic　figure；

walked　over　and　spoke　to　him。　　The　old　man　merely　remarked；　〃You're

Huxley；　aren't　you？　the　man　that　says　we　are　all　descended　from

monkeys；〃　and　passed　on。　　Huxley；　however；　saw　nothing　degrading　to

man's　dignity　in　the　theory　of　evolution。　　In　a　wonderfully　fine

sentence　he　gives　his　own　estimate　of　the　theory　as　it　affects

man's　future　on　earth。　　〃Thoughtful　men　once　escaped　from　the

blinding　influences　of　traditional　prejudices；　will　find　in　the

lowly　stock　whence　man　has　sprung　the　best　evidence　of　the

splendour　of　his　capacities；　and　will　discover；　in　his　long

progress　through　the　past；　a　reasonable　ground　of　faith　in　his

attainment　of　a　nobler　future。〃　　As　a　result　of　all　these

controversies　on　The　Origin　of　Species　and　of　investigations　to

uphold　Darwin's　theory；　Huxley　wrote　his　first　book；　already

mentioned；　Man's　Place　in　Nature。



To　read　a　list　of　the　various　kinds　of　work　which　Huxley　was　doing

from　1870　to　1875　is　to　be　convinced　of　his　abundant　energy　and

many　interests。　　At　about　this　time　Huxley　executed　the　plan　which

he　had　had　in　mind　for　a　long　time；　the　establishment　of

laboratories　for　the　use　of　students。　　His　object　was　to　furnish　a

more　exact　preliminary　training。　　He　complains　that　the　student　who

enters　the　medical　school　is　〃so　habituated　to　learn　only　from

books；　or　oral　teaching；　that　the　attempt　to　learn　from　things　and

to　get　his　knowledge　at　first　hand　is　something　new　and　strange。〃

To　make　this　method　of　teaching　successful　in　the　schools；　Huxley

gave　practical　instruction　in　laboratory　work　to　school…masters。



〃If　I　am　to　be　remembered　at　all；〃　Huxley　once　wrote；　〃I　would

rather　it　should　be　as　a　man　who　did　his　best　to　help　the　people

than　by　any　other　title。〃　　Certainly　as　much　of　his　time　as　could

be　spared　from　his　regular　work　was　given　to　help　others。　　His

lectures　to　workingmen　and　school…masters　have　already　been

mentioned。　　In　addition；　he　lectured　to　women　on　physiology　and　to

children　on　elementary　science。　　In　order　to　be　of　greater　service

to　the　children；　Huxley；　in　spite　of　delicate　health；　became　a

member　of　the　London　School　Board。　　His　immediate　object　was　〃to

temper　book…learning　with　something　of　the　direct　knowledge　of

Nature。〃　　His　other　purposes　were　to　secure　a　better　physical

training　for　children　and　to　give　them　a　clearer　understanding　of

social　and　moral　law。　　He　did　not　believe；　on　the　one　hand；　in

overcrowding　the　curriculum；　but；　on　the　other　hand；　he　〃felt　that

all　education　should　be　thrown　open　to　all　that　each　man　might　know

to　what　state　in　life　he　was　called。〃　　Another　statement　of　his

purpose　and　beliefs　is　given　by　Professor　Gladstone；　who　says　of

his　work　on　the　board：　〃He　resented　the　idea　that　schools　were　to

train　either　congregations　for　churches　or　hands　for　factories。　　He

was　on　the　Board　as　a　friend　of　children。　　What　he　sought　to　do　for

the　child　was　for　the　child's　sake；　that　it　might　live　a　fuller；

truer；　worthier　life。〃



The　immense　amount　of　work　which　Huxley　did　in　these　years　told

very　seriously　on　his　naturally　weak　constitution。　　It　became

necessary　for　him　finally　for　two　successive　years　to　stop　work

altogether。　　In　1872　he　went　to　the　Mediterranean　and　to　Egypt。

This　was　a　holiday　full　of　interest　for　a　man　like　Huxley　who

looked　upon　the　history　of　the　world　and　man's　place　in　the　world

with　a　keen　scientific　mind。　　Added　to　this　scientific　bent　of

mind；　moreover；　Huxley　had　a　deep　appreciation　for　the　picturesque

in　nature　and　life。　　Bits　of　description　indicate　his　enjoyment　in

this　vacation。　　He　writes　of　his　entrance　to　the　Mediterranean；　〃It

was　a　lovely　morning；　and　nothing　could　be　grander　than　Ape　Hill　on

one　side　and　the　Rock　on　the　other；　looking　like　great　lions　or

sphinxes　on　each　side　of　a　gateway。〃　　In　Cairo；　Huxley　found　much

to　interest　him　in　archaeology；　geology；　and　the　every…day　life　of

the　streets。　　At　the　end　of　a　month；　he　writes　that　he　is　very　well

and　very　grateful　to　Old　Nile　for　all　that　he　has　done　for　him；　not

the　least　〃for　a　whole　universe　of　new　thoughts　and　pictures　of

life。〃　　The　trip；　however；　did　no　lasting　good。　　In　1873　Huxley　was

again　very　ill；　but　was　under　such　heavy　costs　at　this　time　that

another　vacation　was　impossible。　　At　this　moment；　a　critical　one　in

his　life；　some　of　his　close　scientific　friends　placed　to　his　credit

twenty…one　hundred　pounds　to　enable　him　to　take　the　much　needed

rest。　　Darwin　wrote　to　Huxley　concerning　the　gift：　〃In　doing　this

we　are　convinced　that　we　act　for　the　public　interest。〃　　He　assured

Huxley　that　the　friends　who　gave　this　felt　toward　him　as　a　brother。

〃I　am　sure　that　you　will　return　this　feeling　and　will　therefore　be

glad　to　give　us　the　opportunity　of　aiding　you　in　some　degree；　as

this　will　be　a　happiness　to　us　to　the　last　day　of　our　lives。〃　　The

gift　made　it　possible　for　Huxley　to　take　another　long　vacation；

part　of　which　was　spent　with　Sir　Joseph　Hooker；　a　noted　English

botanist；　visiting　the　volcanoes　of　Auvergne。　　After　this　trip　he

steadily　improved　in　health；　with　no　other　serious　illness　for　ten

years。



In　1876　Huxley　was　invited　to　visit　America　and　to　deliver　the

inaugural　address　at　Johns　Hopkins　University。　　In　July　of　this

year　accordingly；　in　company　with　his　wife；　he　crossed　to　New　York。

Everywhere　Huxley　was　received　with　enthusiasm；　for　his　name　was　a

very　familiar　one。　　Two　quotations　from　his　address　at　Johns

Hopkins　are　especially　worthy　of　attention　as　a　part　of　his　message

to　Americans。　　〃It　has　been　my　fate　to　see　great　educational　funds

fossilise　into　mere　bricks　and　mortar　in　the　petrifying　springs　of

architecture；　with　nothing　left　to　work　them。　　A　great　warrior　is

said　to　have　made　a　desert　and　called　it　peace。　　Trustees　have

sometimes　made　a　palace　and　called　it　a　university。〃



The　second　quotation　is　as　follows：





I　cannot　say　that　I　am　in　the　slightest　degree　impressed　by　your

bigness　or　your　material　resources；　as　such。　　Size　is　not　grandeur；

territory　does　not　make　a　nation。　　The　great　issue；　about　which

hangs　true　sublimity；　and　the　terror　of　overhanging　fate；　is；　what

are　you　going　to　do　with　all　these　things？　。　。　。



The　one　condition　of　success；　your　sole　safeguard；　is　the　moral

worth　and　intellectual　clearness　of　the　individual　citizen。

Education　cannot　give　these；　but　it　can　cherish　them　and　bring　them

to　the　front　in　whatever　station　of　society　they　are　to　be　found；

and　the　universities　ought　to　be；　and　may　be；　the　fortresses　of　the

higher　life　of　the　nation。





After　the　return　from　America；　the　same　innumerable　occupations

were　continued。　　It　would　be　impossible　in　short　space　even　to

enumerate　all　Huxley's　various　publications　of　the　next　ten　years。

His　work；　however；　changed　gradually　from　scientific　investigation

to　administrative　work；　not　the　least　important　of　which　was　the

office　of　Inspector　of　Fisheries。　　A　second　importa