autobiography and selected essays-第36节
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purpose of the papers is given by Warburton and Spence in the
following extracts quoted from the Preface to the Memoirs of the
Extraordinary Life； Works and Discoveries of Martinus Scriblerus in
Elwin and Courthope's edition of Pope's works； vol。 x； p。 273：
〃Mr。 Pope； Dr。 Arbuthnot； and Dr。 Swift； in conjunction； formed the
project of a satire on the abuses of human learning； and to make it
better received； proposed to execute it in the manner of Cervantes
（the original author of this species of satire） under a continued
narrative of feigned adventures。 They had observed that those
abuses still kept their ground against all that the ablest and
gravest authors could say to discredit them； they concluded；
therefore； the force of ridicule was wanting to quicken their
disgrace； and ridicule was here in its place； when the abuses had
been already detected by sober reasoning； and truth in no danger to
suffer by the premature use of so powerful an instrument。〃
〃The design of this work； as stated by Pope himself； is to ridicule
all the false tastes in learning under the character of a man of
capacity enough； that had dipped into every art and science； but
injudiciously in each。 It was begun by a club of some of the
greatest wits of the ageLord Oxford； the Bishop of Rochester；
Pope； Congreve； Swift； Arbuthnot； and others。 Gay often held the
pen； and Addison liked it very well； and was not disinclined to
come into it。〃
＇108＇
accounted for the operation of the meat…jack： from the paper 〃To
the learned inquisitor into nature； Martinus Scriblerus： the
society of free thinkers greeting。〃 Elwin and Courthope； Pope's
works； vol。 ？； p。 332。
＇109＇
The remainder of the essay endeavors to meet the charge of
materialism。 The following is the conclusion：
〃In itself it is of little moment whether we express the phaenomena
of matter in terms of spirit； or the phaenomena of spirit in terms
of matter： matter may be regarded as a form of thought； thought may
be regarded as a property of mattereach statement has a certain
relative truth。 But with a view to the progress of science； the
materialistic terminology is in every way to be preferred。 For it
connects thought with the other phaenomena of the universe； and
suggests inquiry into the nature of those physical conditions； or
concomitants of thought； which are more or less accessible to us；
and a knowledge of which may； in future； help us to exercise the
same kind of control over the world of thought； as we already
possess in respect of the material world； whereas； the alternative；
or spiritualistic； terminology is utterly barren； and leads to
nothing but obscurity and confusion of ideas。
〃Thus there can be little doubt； that the further science advances；
the more extensively and consistently will all the phaenomena of
Nature be represented by materialistic formulae and symbols。 But
the man of science； who； forgetting the limits of philosophical
inquiry； slides from these formulae and symbols into what is
commonly understood by materialism； seems to me to place himself on
a level with the mathematician； who should mistake the x's and y's
with which he works his problems； for real entitiesand with this
further disadvantage； as compared with the mathematician； that the
blunders of the latter are of no practical consequence； while the
errors of systematic materialism may paralyze the energies and
destroy the beauty of a life。〃
ON CORAL AND CORAL REEFS （1870）
＇110＇
On Coral and Coral Reefs： from Critiques and Addresses。 The essay
was published in 1870。
＇111＇
Sic et curalium： Thus also the coral； as soon as it touches the air
turns hard。 It was a soft plant under the water。
＇112＇
Boccone （1633…1704）： a noted Sicilian naturalist。
＇113＇
Marsigli （1658…1730）： an Italian soldier and naturalist。 He wrote
A Physical History of the Sea。
＇114＇
〃Traite du Corail〃： 〃I made the coral bloom in vases full of sea…
water； and I noticed that what we believe to be the flower of this
so…called plant was in reality only an insect similar to a little
nettle or polype。 I had the pleasure to see the paws or feet of
this nettle move； and having placed the vase full of water in which
the coral was； near the fire； at a moderate heat； all the little
insects expanded； the nettle stretched out its feet and formed what
M。 de Marsigli and I had taken for the petals of the flower。 The
calyx of this so…called flower is the very body of the animal
issued from its cell。〃
＇115＇
Reaumur （1683…1757）： a French physiologist and naturalist； best
known as the inventor of the Reaumur thermometer。 He was a member
of the French Academy of Science。
＇116＇
Bishop Wilson： Thomas Wilson （1663…1755）； bishop of the Isle of
Man。 Details of his life are given in the folio edition of his
works （1782）。 An appreciation of his religious writings is given
by Matthew Arnold in Culture and Anarchy。 Bishop Wilson's words；
〃To make reason and the will of God prevail；〃 are the theme of
Arnold's essay； Sweetness and Light。
＇117＇
An eminent modern writer： Matthew Arnold （1822…1888）； eldest son of
Thomas Arnold； headmaster of Rugby； a distinguished critic and
poet； and professor of poetry at Oxford。 The allusion is to
Arnold's essay； Sweetness and Light。 The phrase； 〃sweetness and
light；〃 is one which Aesop uses in Swift's Battle of the Books to
sum up the superiority of the ancients over the moderns。 〃As for
us； the ancients； we are content； with the bee； to pretend to
nothing of our own beyond our wings and our voice； that is to say；
our flights and our language； for the rest； whatever we have got
has been by infinite labor and search； and ranging through every
corner of nature； the difference is； that instead of dirt and
poison we have rather chose to fill our hives with honey and wax；
thus furnishing mankind with the two noblest things； which are
sweetness and light。〃 Arnold's purpose in the essay is to define
the cultured man as one who endeavors to make beauty and
intelligence prevail everywhere。
＇118＇
Abbe Trembley （1700…1784）： a Swiss naturalist。 He wrote 〃Memoires
pour servir a l'histoire d'un genre de polypes d'eau douce； a bras
en forme de cornes。〃
＇119＇
Bernard de Jussieu （1699…1776）： a French botanist； founder of the
natural classification of plants。 He was superintendent of the
Trianon Gardens。
＇120＇
Guettard （1715…1786）： a French naturalist。
＇121＇
Monte Nuovo within the old crater of Somma： Monte Nuovo； a mountain
west of Naples； Somma； a mountain north of Vesuvius which with its
lofty； semicircular cliff encircles the active cone of Vesuvius。
＇122＇
Mauritius： an island in the Indian Ocean； Huxley visited the island
when on the voyage with the Rattlesnake。 He wrote to his mother of
his visit： 〃This island is； you know； the scene of Saint Pierre's
beautiful story of Paul and Virginia； over which I suppose most
people have sentimentalized at one time or another of their lives。
Until we reached here I did not know that the tale was like the
lady's improvera fiction founded on fact； and that Paul and
Virginia were at one time flesh and blood； and that their veritable
dust was buried at Pamplemousses in a spot considered as one of the
lions of the place； and visited as classic ground。〃
＇123＇
Mr。 Darwin's coral reefs： The Structure and Distribution of Coral
Reefs； published in 1848。
＇124＇
Professor Jukes （1811…1869）： an English geologist。
＇125＇
Mr。 Dana （1813…1895）： a well…known American geologist and
mineralogist； a professor at Yale from 1845。 He wrote a number of
books among which is Coral and Coral Reefs。
＇126＇
Jurassic period： that part of the geological series which is older
than the Cretaceous and newer than the Triassic； so called from the
predominance of rocks of this age in the Jura Mountains。 The three
great divisions of fossiliferous rocks are called the Triassic； the
Jurassic； and the Cretaceous。
REFERENCE BOOKS
The following reference books are suggested for a more complete
treatment of various points in the text：
Andrews' History of England。
Green's Short History of the English People。
Traill's Social England。
Roger's A Student's History of Philosophy。
Royce's The Spirit of Modern Philosophy。
Huxley's Life and Letters。
Smalley's Mr。 Huxley； in Scribner's Magazine for October； 1905。
Darwin's Life and Letters。
End
