autobiography and selected essays-第3节

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office　of　Inspector　of　Fisheries。　　A　second　important　office　was

the　Presidency　of　the　Royal　Society。　　Of　the　work　of　this　society

Sir　Joseph　Hooker　writes：　〃The　duties　of　the　office　are　manifold

and　heavy；　they　include　attendance　at　all　the　meetings　of　the

Fellows；　and　of　the　councils；　committees；　and　sub…committees　of　the

Society；　and　especially　the　supervision　of　the　printing　and

illustrating　all　papers　on　biological　subjects　that　are　published

in　the　Society's　Transactions　and　Proceedings；　the　latter　often

involving　a　protracted　correspondence　with　the　authors。　　To　this

must　be　added　a　share　in　the　supervision　of　the　staff　officers；　of

the　library　and　correspondence；　and　the　details　of　house…keeping。〃

All　the　work　connected　with　this　and　many　other　offices　bespeaks　a

life　too　hard…driven　and　accounts　fully　for　the　continued　ill…

health　which　finally　resulted　in　a　complete　break…down。



Huxley　had　always　advocated　that　the　age　of　sixty　was　the　time　for

〃official　death；〃　and　had　looked　forward　to　a　peaceful　〃Indian

summer。〃　　With　this　object　in　mind　and　troubled　by　increasing　ill…

health；　he　began　in　1885　to　give　up　his　work。　　But　to　live　even　in

comparative　idleness；　after　so　many　years　of　activity；　was

difficult。　　〃I　am　sure；〃　he　says；　〃that　the　habit　of　incessant　work

into　which　we　all　drift　is　as　bad　in　its　way　as　dram…drinking。　　In

time　you　cannot　be　comfortable　without　stimulus。〃　　But　continued

bodily　weakness　told　upon　him　to　the　extent　that　all　work　became

distasteful。　　An　utter　weariness　with　frequent　spells　of　the　blues

took　possession　of　him；　and　the　story　of　his　life　for　some　years　is

the　story　of　the　long　pursuit　of　health　in　England；　Switzerland；

and　especially　in　Italy。



Although　Huxley　was　wretchedly　ill　during　this　period；　he　wrote

letters　which　are　good　to　read　for　their　humor　and　for　their

pictures　of　foreign　cities。　　Rome　he　writes　of　as　an　idle；

afternoony　sort　of　place　from　which　it　is　difficult　to　depart。　　He

worked　as　eagerly　over　the　historic　remains　in　Rome　as　he　would

over　a　collection　of　geological　specimens。　　〃I　begin　to　understand

Old　Rome　pretty　well　and　I　am　quite　learned　in　the　Catacombs；　which

suit　me；　as　a　kind　of　Christian　fossils　out　of　which　one　can

reconstruct　the　body　of　the　primitive　Church。〃　　Florence；　for　a　man

with　a　conscience　and　ill…health；　had　too　many　picture　galleries。

〃They　are　a　sore　burden　to　the　conscience　if　you　don't　go　to　see

them；　and　an　awful　trial　to　the　back　and　legs　if　you　do；〃　he

complained。　　He　found　Florence；　nevertheless；　a　lovely　place　and

full　of　most　interesting　things　to　see　and　do。　　His　letters　with

reference　to　himself　also　are　vigorously　and　entertainingly

expressed。　　He　writes　in　a　characteristic　way　of　his　growing

difficulty　with　his　hearing。　　〃It　irritates　me　not　to　hear；　it

irritates　me　still　more　to　be　spoken　to　as　if　I　were　deaf；　and　the

absurdity　of　being　irritated　on　the　last　ground　irritates　me　still

more。〃　　And　again　he　writes　in　a　more　hopeful　strain；　〃With　fresh

air　and　exercise　and　careful　avoidance　of　cold　and　night　air　I　am

to　be　all　right　again。〃　　He　then　adds：　〃I　am　not　fond　of　coddling；

but　as　Paddy　gave　his　pig　the　best　corner　in　his　cabinbecause

'shure；　he　paid　the　rint'I　feel　bound　to　take　care　of　myself　as　a

household　animal　of　value；　to　say　nothing　of　other　points。〃



Although　he　was　never　strong　after　this　long　illness；　Huxley　began

in　1889　to　be　much　better。　　The　first　sign　of　returning　vigor　was

the　eagerness　with　which　he　entered　into　a　controversy　with

Gladstone。　　Huxley　had　always　enjoyed　a　mental　battle；　and　some　of

his　fiercest　tilts　were　with　Gladstone。　　He　even　found　the　cause　of

better　health　in　this　controversy；　and　was　grateful　to　the　〃Grand

Old　Man〃　for　making　home　happy　for　him。　　From　this　time　to　his

death；　Huxley　wrote　a　number　of　articles　on　politics；　science；　and

religion；　many　of　which　were　published　in　the　volume　called

Controverted　Questions。　　The　main　value　of　these　essays　lies　in　the

fact　that　Huxley　calls　upon　men　to　give　clear　reasons　for　the　faith

which　they　claim　as　theirs；　and　makes；　as　a　friend　wrote　of　him；

hazy　thinking　and　slovenly；　half…formed　conclusions　seem　the　base

thing　they　really　are。



The　last　years　of　Huxley's　life　were　indeed　the　longed…for　Indian

summer。　　Away　from　the　noise　of　London　at　Eastbourne　by　the　sea；　he

spent　many　happy　hours　with　old…time　friends　and　in　his　garden；

which　was　a　great　joy　to　him。　　His　large　family　of　sons　and

daughters　and　grandchildren　brought　much　cheer　to　his　last　days。

Almost　to　the　end　he　was　working　and　writing　for　publication。

Three　days　before　his　death　he　wrote　to　his　old　friend；　Hooker；

that　he　didn't　feel　at　all　like　〃sending　in　his　checks〃　and　hoped

to　recover。　　He　died　very　quietly　on　June　29；　1895。　　That　he　met

death　with　the　same　calm　faith　and　strength　with　which　he　had　met

life　is　indicated　by　the　lines　which　his　wife　wrote　and　which　he

requested　to　be　his　epitaph：





Be　not　afraid；　ye　waiting　hearts　that　weep；

For　still　He　giveth　His　beloved　sleep；

And　if　an　endless　sleep　He　wills；　so　best。





To　attempt　an　analysis　of　Huxley's　character；　unique　and　bafflingly

complex　as　it　is；　is　beyond　the　scope　of　this　sketch；　but　to　give

only　the　mere　facts　of　his　life　is　to　do　an　injustice　to　the　vivid

personality　of　the　man　as　it　is　revealed　in　his　letters。　　All　his

human　interest　in　people　and　thingspets；　and　flowers；　and　family…

…brightens　many　pages　of　the　two　ponderous　volumes。　　Now　one　reads

of　his　grief　over　some　backward…going　plant；　or　over　some　garden

tragedy；　as　〃A　lovely　clematis　in　full　flower；　which　I　had　spent

hours　in　nailing　up；　has　just　died　suddenly。　　I　am　more

inconsolable　than　Jonah！〃　　Now　one　is　amused　with　a　nonsense　letter

to　one　of　his　children；　and　again　with　an　account　of　a　pet。　　〃I

wish　you　would　write　seriously　to　M。　　She　is　not　behaving　well

to　Oliver。　　I　have　seen　handsomer　kittens；　but　few　more　lively；　and

energetically　destructive。　　Just　now　he　scratched　away　at　something

M　says　cost　13s。　6d。　a　yard　and　reduced　more　or　less　of　it　to

combings。　　M　therefore　excludes　him　from　the　dining…room　and

all　those　opportunities　of　higher　education　which　he　would　have　in

MY　house。〃　　Frequently　one　finds　a　description　of　some　event；　so

vividly　done　that　the　mere　reading　of　it　seems　like　a　real

experience。　　An　account　of　Tennyson's　burial　in　Westminster　is　a

typical　bit　of　description：





Bright　sunshine　streamed　through　the　windows　of　the　nave；　while　the

choir　was　in　half　gloom；　and　as　each　shaft　of　light　illuminated　the

flower…covered　bier　as　it　slowly　travelled　on；　one　thought　of　the

bright　succession　of　his　works　between　the　darkness　before　and　the

darkness　after。　　I　am　glad　to　say　that　the　Royal　Society　was

represented　by　four　of　its　chief　officers；　and　nine　of　the

commonalty；　including　myself。　　Tennyson　has　a　right　to　that；　as　the

first　poet　since　Lucretius　who　has　understood　the　drift　of　science。





No　parts　of　the　Life　and　Letters　are　more　enjoyable　than　those

concerning　the　〃Happy　Family；〃　as　a　friend　of　Huxley's　names　his

household。　　His　family　of　seven　children　found　their　father　a　most

engaging　friend　and　companion。　　He　could　tell　them　wonderful　sea

stories　and　animal　stories　and　could　draw　fascinating　pictures。

His　son　writes　of　how　when　he　was　ill　with　scarlet　fever　he　used　to

look　forward　to　his　father's　home…coming。　　〃The　solitary　daysfor

I　was　the　first　victim　in　the　familywere　very　long；　and　I　looked

forward　with　intense　interest　to　one　half…hour　after　dinner；　when

he　would　come　up　and　draw　scenes　from　the　history　of　a　remarkable

bull…terrier　and　his　family　that　went　to　the　seaside　in　a　most

human　and　child…delighting　manner。　　I　have　seldom　suffered　a

greater　disappointment　than　when；　one　evening；　I　fell　asleep　just

before　this　fairy　half…hour；　and　lost　it　out　of　my　life。〃



The　account　of　the　comradeship　between　Huxley　and　his　wife　reads

like　a　good　old…time　romance。　　He　was　attracted　to　her　at　first　by

her　〃simplicity　and　directness　united　with　an　unusual　degree　of

cultivation；〃　Huxley's　son　writes。　　On　her　he　depended　for　advice

in　his　work；　and　for　companionship　at　home　and　abroad　when

wandering　in　search　of　health　in　Italy　and　Switzerland。　　When　he

had　been　separated　from　her　for　some　time；　he　wrote；　〃Nobody；

children　or　anyone　else；　can　be　to　me　what　you　are。　　Ulysses

preferred　his　old　woman　to　immortality；　and　this　absence　has　led　me

to　see　that　he　was　as　wise　in　that　as　in　other　things。〃　　Again　he

writes；　〃Against　all　trouble　（and　I　have　had　my　share）　I　weigh　a

wife…comrade　'trew　and　fest'　in　all　emergencies。〃



The　letters　also　give　one　a　clear　idea　of　the　breadth　of　Huxley's

interests；　particularly　of　his　appreciation　of　the　various　forms　of

art。　　Huxley　believed　strongly　in　the　arts　as　a　refining　and

helpful　influence　in　education。　　He　keenly　enjoyed　good　music。

Professor　H