autobiography and selected essays-第8节

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stopped　me；　and　heaped　coals　of　fire　on　my　head　by　telling　me　that

he　had　tried　to　get　me　one　of　the　resident　appointments；　much

coveted　by　the　assistant　surgeons；　but　that　the　Admiralty　had　put

in　another　man。　　〃However；〃　said　he；　〃I　mean　to　keep　you　here　till

I　can　get　you　something　you　will　like；〃　and　turned　upon　his　heel

without　waiting　for　the　thanks　I　stammered　out。　　That　explained　how

it　was　I　had　not　been　packed　off　to　the　West　Coast　of　Africa　like

some　of　my　juniors；　and　why；　eventually；　I　remained　altogether

seven　months　at　Haslar。



After　a　long　interval；　during　which　〃Old　John〃　ignored　my　existence

almost　as　completely　as　before；　he　stopped　me　again　as　we　met　in　a

casual　way；　and　describing　the　service　on　which　the　Rattlesnake　was

likely　to　be　employed；　said　that　Captain　Owen　Stanley；　who　was　to

command　the　ship；　had　asked　him　to　recommend　an　assistant　surgeon

who　knew　something　of　science；　would　I　like　that？　　Of　course　I

jumped　at　the　offer。　　〃Very　well；　I　give　you　leave；　go　to　London　at

once　and　see　Captain　Stanley。〃　　I　went；　saw　my　future　commander；

who　was　very　civil　to　me；　and　promised　to　ask　that　I　should　be

appointed　to　his　ship；　as　in　due　time　I　was。　　It　is　a　singular

thing　that；　during　the　few　months　of　my　stay　at　Haslar；　I　had　among

my　messmates　two　future　Directors…General　of　the　Medical　Service　of

the　Navy　（Sir　Alexander　Armstrong　and　Sir　John　Watt…Reid）；　with　the

present　President　of　the　College　of　Physicians　and　my　kindest　of

doctors；　Sir　Andrew　Clark。



Life　on　board　Her　Majesty's　ship　in　those　days　was　a　very　different

affair　from　what　it　is　now；　and　ours　was　exceptionally　rough；　as　we

were　often　many　months　without　receiving　letters　or　seeing　any

civilised　people　but　ourselves。　　In　exchange；　we　had　the　interest

of　being　about　the　last　voyagers；　I　suppose；　to　whom　it　could　be

possible　to　meet　with　people　who　knew　nothing　of　fire…armsas　we

did　on　the　south　coast　of　New　Guineaand　of　making　acquaintance

with　a　variety　of　interesting　savage　and　semi…civilised　people。

But；　apart　from　experience　of　this　kind　and　the　opportunities

offered　for　scientific　work；　to　me；　personally；　the　cruise　was

extremely　valuable。　　It　was　good　for　me　to　live　under　sharp

discipline；　to　be　down　on　the　realities　of　existence　by　living　on

bare　necessaries；　to　find　out　how　extremely　well　worth　living　life

seemed　to　be　when　one　woke　up　from　a　night's　rest　on　a　soft　plank；

with　the　sky　for　canopy　and　cocoa　and　weevilly　biscuit　the　sole

prospect　for　breakfast；　and；　more　especially；　to　learn　to　work　for

the　sake　of　what　I　got　for　myself　out　of　it；　even　if　it　all　went　to

the　bottom　and　I　along　with　it。　　My　brother　officers　were　as　good

fellows　as　sailors　ought　to　be　and　generally　are；　but；　naturally；

they　neither　knew　nor　cared　anything　about　my　pursuits；　nor

understood　why　I　should　be　so　zealous　in　pursuit　of　the　objects

which　my　friends；　the　middies；＇10＇　christened　〃Buffons；〃　after　the

title　conspicuous　on　a　volume　of　the　Suites　a　Buffon；＇11＇　which

stood　on　my　shelf　in　the　chart　room。



During　the　four　years　of　our　absence；　I　sent　home　communication

after　communication　to　the　〃Linnean　Society；〃＇12＇　with　the　same

result　as　that　obtained　by　Noah　when　he　sent　the　raven　out　of　his　ark。

Tired　at　last　of　hearing　nothing　about　them；　I　determined　to　do　or

die；　and　in　1849　I　drew　up　a　more　elaborate　paper　and　forwarded　it

to　the　Royal　Society。＇13＇　　This　was　my　dove；　if　I　had　only　known　it。

But　owing　to　the　movements　of　the　ship；　I　heard　nothing　of　that

either　until　my　return　to　England　in　the　latter　end　of　the　year

1850；　when　I　found　that　it　was　printed　and　published；　and　that　a

huge　packet　of　separate　copies　awaited　me。　　When　I　hear　some　of　my

young　friends　complain　of　want　of　sympathy　and　encouragement；　I　am

inclined　to　think　that　my　naval　life　was　not　the　least　valuable

part　of　my　education。



Three　years　after　my　return　were　occupied　by　a　battle　between　my

scientific　friends　on　the　one　hand　and　the　Admiralty　on　the　other；

as　to　whether　the　latter　ought；　or　ought　not；　to　act　up　to　the

spirit　of　a　pledge　they　had　given　to　encourage　officers　who　had

done　scientific　work　by　contributing　to　the　expense　of　publishing

mine。　　At　last　the　Admiralty；　getting　tired；　I　suppose；　cut　short

the　discussion　by　ordering　me　to　join　a　ship；　which　thing　I

declined　to　do；　and　as　Rastignac；＇14＇　in　the　Pere　Goriot　＇15＇　says

to　Paris；　I　said　to　London　〃a　nous　deux。〃　　I　desired　to　obtain　a

Professorship　of　either　Physiology　or　Comparative　Anatomy；　and　as

vacancies　occurred　I　applied；　but　in　vain。　　My　friend；　Professor

Tyndall；＇16＇　and　I　were　candidates　at　the　same　time；　he　for　the　Chair

of　Physics　and　I　for　that　of　Natural　History　in　the　University　of

Toronto；　which；　fortunately；　as　it　turned　out；　would　not　look　at

either　of　us。　　I　say　fortunately；　not　from　any　lack　of　respect　for

Toronto；　but　because　I　soon　made　up　my　mind　that　London　was　the

place　for　me；　and　hence　I　have　steadily　declined　the　inducements　to

leave　it；　which　have　at　various　times　been　offered。　　At　last；　in

1854；　on　the　translation　of　my　warm　friend　Edward　Forbes；　to

Edinburgh；　Sir　Henry　de　la　Beche；　the　Director…General　of　the

Geological　Survey；　offered　me　the　post　Forbes　vacated　of

Paleontologist　and　Lecturer　on　Natural　History。　　I　refused　the

former　point　blank；　and　accepted　the　latter　only　provisionally；

telling　Sir　Henry　that　I　did　not　care　for　fossils；　and　that　I

should　give　up　Natural　History　as　soon　as　I　could　get　a

physiological　post。　　But　I　held　the　office　for　thirty…one　years；

and　a　large　part　of　my　work　has　been　paleontological。



At　that　time　I　disliked　public　speaking；　and　had　a　firm　conviction

that　I　should　break　down　every　time　I　opened　my　mouth。　　I　believe　I

had　every　fault　a　speaker　could　have　（except　talking　at　random　or

indulging　in　rhetoric）；　when　I　spoke　to　the　first　important

audience　I　ever　addressed；　on　a　Friday　evening　at　the　Royal

Institution；　in　1852。　　Yet；　I　must　confess　to　having　been　guilty；

malgre　moi；　of　as　much　public　speaking　as　most　of　my

contemporaries；　and　for　the　last　ten　years　it　ceased　to　be　so　much

of　a　bugbear　to　me。　　I　used　to　pity　myself　for　having　to　go　through

this　training；　but　I　am　now　more　disposed　to　compassionate　the

unfortunate　audiences；　especially　my　ever　friendly　hearers　at　the

Royal　Institution；　who　were　the　subjects　of　my　oratorical

experiments。



The　last　thing　that　it　would　be　proper　for　me　to　do　would　be　to

speak　of　the　work　of　my　life；　or　to　say　at　the　end　of　the　day

whether　I　think　I　have　earned　my　wages　or　not。　　Men　are　said　to　be

partial　judges　of　themselves。　　Young　men　may　be；　I　doubt　if　old　men

are。　　Life　seems　terribly　foreshortened　as　they　look　back　and　the

mountain　they　set　themselves　to　climb　in　youth　turns　out　to　be　a

mere　spur　of　immeasurably　higher　ranges　when；　by　failing　breath；

they　reach　the　top。　　But　if　I　may　speak　of　the　objects　I　have　had

more　or　less　definitely　in　view　since　I　began　the　ascent　of　my

hillock；　they　are　briefly　these：　To　promote　the　increase　of　natural

knowledge　and　to　forward　the　application　of　scientific　methods　of

investigation　to　all　the　problems　of　life　to　the　best　of　my

ability；　in　the　conviction　which　has　grown　with　my　growth　and

strengthened　with　my　strength；　that　there　is　no　alleviation　for　the

sufferings　of　mankind　except　veracity　of　thought　and　of　action；　and

the　resolute　facing　of　the　world　as　it　is　when　the　garment　of　make…

believe　by　which　pious　hands　have　hidden　its　uglier　features　is

stripped　off。



It　is　with　this　intent　that　I　have　subordinated　any　reasonable；　or

unreasonable；　ambition　for　scientific　fame　which　I　may　have

permitted　myself　to　entertain　to　other　ends；　to　the　popularization

of　science；　to　the　development　and　organisation　of　scientific

education；　to　the　endless　series　of　battles　and　skirmishes　over

evolution；　and　to　untiring　opposition　to　that　ecclesiastical

spirit；＇17＇　that　clericalism；　which　in　England；　as　everywhere　else；

and　to　whatever　denomination　it　may　belong；　is　the　deadly　enemy　of

science。



In　striving　for　the　attainment　of　these　objects；　I　have　been　but

one　among　many；　and　I　shall　be　well　content　to　be　remembered；　or

even　not　remembered；　as　such。　　Circumstances；　among　which　I　am

proud　to　reckon　the　devoted　kindness　of　many　friends；　have　led　to

my　occupation　of　various　prominent　positions；　among　which　the

Presidency　of　the　Royal　Society　is　the　highest。　　It　would　be　mock

modesty　on　my　part；　with　these　and　other　scientific　honours　which

have　been　bestowed　upon　me；　to　pretend　that　I　have　not　succeeded　in

the　career　which　I　have　followed；　rather　because　I　was　driven　into

it　than　of　my　own　free　will；　but　I　am　afraid　I　should　not　count

even　these　things　as　marks　of　success　if　I　could　not　hope　that　I

had　somewhat　helped　that　movement　of　opinion　which　has　been　called

the　New　Reformation。＇18＇







ON　THE　ADVISABLENESS　OF　IMPROVING　NATURAL　KNOW