autobiography and selected essays-第4节

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

helpful　influence　in　education。　　He　keenly　enjoyed　good　music。

Professor　Hewes　writes　of　him　that　one　breaking　in　upon　him　in　the

afternoon　at　South　Kensington　would　not　infrequently　be　met　〃with　a

snatch　of　some　melody　of　Bach's　fugue。〃　　He　also　liked　good

pictures；　and　always　had　among　his　friends　well…known　artists；　as

Alma…Tadema；　Sir　Frederick　Leighton；　and　Burne…Jones。　　He　read

poetry　widely；　and　strongly　advocated　the　teaching　of　poetry　in

English　schools。　　As　to　poetry；　his　own　preferences　are

interesting。　　Wordsworth　he　considered　too　discursive；　Shelley　was

too　diffuse；　Keats；　he　liked　for　pure　beauty；　Browning　for

strength；　and　Tennyson　for　his　understanding　of　modern　science；　but

most　frequently　of　all　he　read　Milton　and　Shakespeare。



As　to　Huxley's　appearance；　and　as　to　the　impression　which　his

personality　made　upon　others；　the　description　of　a　friend；　Mr。　G。

W。　Smalley；　presents　him　with　striking　force。　　〃The　square

forehead；　the　square　jaw；　the　tense　lines　of　the　mouth；　the　deep

flashing　dark　eyes；　the　impression　of　something　more　than　strength

he　gave　you；　an　impression　of　sincerity；　of　solid　force；　of

immovability；　yet　with　the　gentleness　arising　from　the　serene

consciousness　of　his　strengthall　this　belonged　to　Huxley　and　to

him　alone。　　The　first　glance　magnetized　his　audience。　　The　eyes

were　those　of　one　accustomed　to　command；　of　one　having　authority；

and　not　fearing　on　occasion　to　use　it。　　The　hair　swept　carelessly

away　from　the　broad　forehead　and　grew　rather　long　behind；　yet　the

length　did　not　suggest；　as　it　often　does；　effeminacy。　　He　was

masculine　in　everythinglook；　gesture；　speech。　　Sparing　of

gesture；　sparing　of　emphasis；　careless　of　mere　rhetorical　or

oratorical　art；　he　had　nevertheless　the　secret　of　the　highest　art

of　all；　whether　in　oratory　or　whatever　elsehe　had　simplicity。〃



Simplicity；　directness；　sincerity；all　these　qualities　describe

Huxley；　but　the　one　attribute　which　distinguishes　him　above　all

others　is　love　of　truth。　　A　love　of　truth；　as　the　phrase

characterizes　Huxley；　would　necessarily　produce　a　scholarly　habit

of　mind。　　It　was　the　zealous　search　for　truth　which　determined　his

method　of　work。　　In　science；　Huxley　would　〃take　at　second　hand

nothing　for　which　he　vouched　in　teaching。〃　　Some　one　reproached　him

for　wasting　time　verifying　what　another　had　already　done。　　〃If　that

is　his　practice；〃　he　commented；　〃his　work　will　never　live。〃　　The

same　motive　made　him　a　master　of　languages。　　To　be　able　to　read　at

first　hand　the　writings　of　other　nations；　he　learned　German；

French；　Italian；　and　Greek。　　One　of　the　chief　reasons　for　learning

to　read　Greek　was　to　see　for　himself　if　Aristotle　really　did　say

that　the　heart　had　only　three　chambersan　error；　he　discovered；

not　of　Aristotle；　but　of　the　translator。　　It　was；　moreover；　the

scholar　in　Huxley　which　made　him　impatient　of　narrow；　half…formed；

foggy　conclusions。　　His　own　work　has　all　the　breadth　and　freedom

and　universality　of　the　scholar；　but　it　has；　also；　a　quality

equally　distinctive　of　the　scholar；　namely；　an　infinite　precision

in　the　matter　of　detail。



If　love　of　truth　made　Huxley　a　scholar；　it　made　him；　also；　a

courageous　fighter。　　Man's　first　duty；　as　he　saw　it；　was　to　seek

the　truth；　his　second　was　to　teach　it　to　others；　and；　if　necessary；

to　contend　valiantly　for　it。　　To　fail　to　teach　what　you　honestly

know　to　be　true；　because　it　may　harm　your　reputation；　or　even

because　it　may　give　pain　to　others；　is　cowardice。　　〃I　am　not

greatly　concerned　about　any　reputation；〃　Huxley　writes　to　his　wife；

〃except　that　of　being　entirely　honest　and　straightforward。〃

Regardless　of　warnings　that　the　publication　of　Man's　Place　in

Nature　would　ruin　his　career；　Huxley　passed　on　to　others　what

nature　had　revealed　to　him。　　He　was　regardless；　also；　of　the

confusion　and　pain　which　his　view　would　necessarily　bring　to　those

who　had　been　nourished　in　old　traditions。　　To　stand　with　a　man　or

two　and　to　do　battle　with　the　world　on　the　score　of　its　old

beliefs；　has　never　been　an　easy　task　since　the　world　began。

Certainly　it　required　fearlessness　and　determination　to　wrestle

with　the　prejudices　against　science　in　the　middle　of　the　nineteenth

centuryhow　much　may　be　gathered　from　the　reading　of　Darwin's　Life

and　Letters。　　The　attitude　of　the　times　toward　science　has　already

been　indicated。　　One　may　he　allowed　to　give　one　more　example　from

the　reported　address　of　a　clergyman。　　〃O　ye　men　of　science；　ye　men

of　science；　leave　us　our　ancestors　in　paradise；　and　you　may　have

yours　in　Zoological　gardens。〃　　The　war　was；　for　the　most　part；

between　the　clergy　and　the　men　of　science；　but　it　is　necessary　to

remember　that　Huxley　fought　not　against　Christianity；　but　against

dogma；　that　he　fought　not　against　the　past；he　had　great　reverence

for　the　accomplishment　of　the　past；but　against　unwillingness　to

accept　the　new　truth　of　the　present。



A　scholar　of　the　highest　type　and　a　fearless　defender　of　true　and

honest　thinking；　Huxley　certainly　was：　but　the　quality　which　gives

meaning　to　his　work；　which　makes　it　live；　is　a　certain　human

quality　due　to　the　fact　that　Huxley　was　always　keenly　alive　to　the

relation　of　science　to　the　problems　of　life。　　For　this　reason；　he

was　not　content　with　the　mere　acquirement　of　knowledge；　and　for

this　reason；　also；　he　could　not　quietly　wait　until　the　world　should

come　to　his　way　of　thinking。　　Much　of　the　time；　therefore；　which　he

would　otherwise　naturally　have　spent　in　research；　he　spent　in

contending　for　and　in　endeavoring　to　popularize　the　facts　of

science。　　It　was　this　desire　to　make　his　ideas　prevail　that　led

Huxley　to　work　for　a　mastery　of　the　technique　of　speaking　and

writing。　　He　hated　both；　but　taught　himself　to　do　both　well。　　The

end　of　all　his　infinite　pains　about　his　writing　was　not　because

style　for　its　own　sake　is　worth　while；　but　because　he　saw　that　the

only　way　to　win　men　to　a　consideration　of　his　message　was　to　make

it　perfectly　clear　and　attractive　to　them。　　Huxley's　message　to　the

people　was　that　happiness；　usefulness；　and　even　material　prosperity

depend　upon　an　understanding　of　the　laws　of　nature。　　He　also　taught

that　a　knowledge　of　the　facts　of　science　is　the　soundest　basis　for

moral　law；　that　a　clear　sense　of　the　penalties　which　Nature

inflicts　for　disobedience　of　her　laws　must　eventually　be　the

greatest　force　for　the　purification　of　life。　　If　he　was　to　be

remembered；　therefore；　he　desired　that　he　should　be　remembered

primarily　as　one　who　had　helped　the　people　〃to　think　truly　and　to

live　rightly。〃　　Huxley's　writing　is；　then；　something　more　than　a

scholarly　exposition　of　abstruse　matter；　for　it　has　been　further

devoted　to　the　increasing　of　man's　capacity　for　usefulness；　and　to

the　betterment　of　his　life　here　on　earth。





II



SUBJECT…MATTER；　STRUCTURE；　AND　STYLE





From　the　point　of　view　of　subject…matter；　structure；　and　style；

Huxley's　essays　are　admirably　adapted　to　the　uses　of　the　student　in

English。　　The　themes　of　the　essays　are　two；　education　and　science。

In　these　two　subjects　Huxley　earnestly　sought　to　arouse　interest

and　to　impart　knowledge；　because　he　believed　that　intelligence　in

these　matters　is　essential　for　the　advancement　of　the　race　in

strength　and　morality。　　Both　subjects；　therefore；　should　be

valuable　to　the　student。　　In　education；　certainly；　he　should　be

interested；　since　it　is　his　main　occupation；　if　not　his　chief

concern。　　Essays　like　A　Liberal　Education　and　The　Principal

Subjects　of　Education　may　suggest　to　him　the　meaning　of　all　his

work；　and　may　suggest；　also；　the　things　which　it　would　be　well　for

him　to　know；　and；　even　more；　a　consideration　of　these　subjects　may

arouse　him　to　a　greater　interest　and　responsibility　than　he　usually

assumes　toward　his　own　mental　equipment。　　Of　greater　interest

probably　will　be　the　subjects　which　deal　with　nature；　for　the　ways

of　nature　are　more　nearly　within　the　range　of　his　real　concerns

than　are　the　wherefores　of　study。　　The　story　of　the　formation　of　a

piece　of　chalk；　the　substance　which　lies　at　the　basis　of　all　life；

the　habits　of　sea　animals；　are　all　subjects　the　nature　of　which　is

akin　to　his　own　eager　interest　in　the　world。



Undoubtedly　the　subjects　about　which　Huxley　writes　will　〃appeal〃　to

the　student；　but　it　is　in　analysis　that　the　real　discipline　lies。

For　analysis　Huxley's　essays　are　excellent。　　They　illustrate　〃the

clear　power　of　exposition；〃　and　such　power　is；　as　Huxley　wrote　to

Tyndall；　the　one　quality　the　people　want；exposition　〃so　clear

that　they　may　think　they　understand　even　if　they　don't。〃　　Huxley

obtains　that　perfect　clearness　in　his　own　work　by　simple

definition；　by　keeping　steadily　before　his　audience　his　intention；

and　by　making　plain　throughout　his　lecture　a　well…defined　organic

structure。　　No　X…ray　machine　is　needful　to　make　the　skeleton

visible；　it　stands　forth　with　the　parts　all　nic