autobiography and selected essays-第1章

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Autobiography　and　Selected　Essays



by　Thomas　Henry　Huxley








Edited；　with　introduction　and　notes　by　Ada　L。　F。　Snell

Associate　Professor　Of　English

Mount　Holyoke　College







CONTENTS





PREFACE



INTRODUCTION



　　　The　Life　of　Huxley



　　　Subject…matter；　Structure；　and　Style　of　Essays



　　　Suggested　Studies



AUTOBIOGRAPHY



ON　IMPROVING　NATURAL　KNOWLEDGE



A　LIBERAL　EDUCATION



ON　A　PIECE　OF　CHALK



THE　PRINCIPAL　SUBJECTS　OF　EDUCATION



THE　METHOD　OF　SCIENTIFIC　INVESTIGATION



ON　THE　PHYSICAL　BASIS　OF　LIFE



ON　CORAL　AND　CORAL　REEFS



NOTES







PREFACE





The　purpose　of　the　following　selections　is　to　present　to　students

of　English　a　few　of　Huxley's　representative　essays。　　Some　of　these

selections　are　complete；　others　are　extracts。　　In　the　latter　case；

however；　they　are　not　extracts　in　the　sense　of　being　incomplete

wholes；　for　each　selection　given　will　be　found　to　have；　in

Aristotle's　phrase；　〃a　beginning；　a　middle；　and　an　end。〃　　That　they

are　complete　in　themselves；　although　only　parts　of　whole　essays；　is

due　to　the　fact　that　Huxley；　in　order　to　make　succeeding　material

clear；　often　prepares　the　way　with　a　long　and　careful　definition。

Such　is　the　nature　of　the　extract　A　Liberal　Education；　in　reality　a

definition　to　make　distinct　and　forcible　his　ideas　on　the

shortcomings　of　English　schools。　　Such　a　definition；　also；　is　The

Method　of　Scientific　Investigation。



The　footnotes　are　those　of　the　author。　Other　notes　on　the　text　have

been　included　for　the　benefit　of　schools　inadequately　equipped　with

reference　books。　　It　is　hoped；　however；　that　the　notes　may　be　found

not　to　be　so　numerous　as　to　prevent　the　training　of　the　student　in

a　self…reliant　and　scholarly　use　of　dictionaries　and　reference

books；　it　is　hoped；　also；　that　they　may　serve　to　stimulate　him　to

trace　out　for　himself　more　completely　any　subject　connected　with

the　text　in　which　he　may　feel　a　peculiar　interest。　　It　should　be

recognized　that　notes　are　of　value　only　as　they　develop　power　to

read　intelligently。　　If　unintelligently　relied　upon；　they　may　even

foster　indifference　and　lazy　mental　habits。



I　wish　to　express　my　obligation　to　Miss　Flora　Bridges；　whose

careful　reading　of　the　manuscript　has　been　most　helpful；　and　to

Professor　Clara　F。　Stevens；　the　head　of　the　English　Department　at

Mount　Holyoke　College；　whose　very　practical　aid　made　this　volume

possible。



A。　L。　F。　S。







INTRODUCTION





I



THE　LIFE　OF　HUXLEY





Of　Huxley's　life　and　of　the　forces　which　moulded　his　thought；　the

Autobiography　gives　some　account；　but　many　facts　which　are

significant　are　slighted；　and　necessarily　the　later　events　of　his

life　are　omitted。　　To　supplement　the　story　as　given　by　him　is　the

purpose　of　this　sketch。　　The　facts　for　this　account　are　gathered

entirely　from　the　Life　and　Letters　of　Thomas　Henry　Huxley；　by　his

son。　　For　a　real　acquaintance　with　Huxley；　the　student　should

consult　this　source　for　himself；　he　will　count　the　reading　of　the

Life　and　Letters　among　the　rare　pleasures　which　have　come　to　him

through　books。



Thomas　Henry　Huxley　was　born　on　May　4；　1825。　　His　autobiography

gives　a　full　account　of　his　parents；　his　early　boyhood；　and　his

education。　　Of　formal　education；　Huxley　had　little；　but　he　had　the

richer　schooling　which　nature　and　life　give　an　eager　mind。　　He　read

widely；　he　talked　often　with　older　people；　he　was　always

investigating　the　why　of　things。　　He　kept　a　journal　in　which　he

noted　thoughts　gathered　from　books；　and　ideas　on　the　causes　of

certain　phenomena。　　In　this　journal　he　frequently　wrote　what　he　had

done　and　had　set　himself　to　do　in　the　way　of　increasing　his

knowledge。　　Self…conducted；　also；　was　his　later　education　at　the

Charing　Cross　Hospital。　　Here；　like　Stevenson　in　his　university

days；　Huxley　seemed　to　be　idle；　but　in　reality；　he　was　always　busy

on　his　own　private　end。　　So　constantly　did　he　work　over　the

microscope　that　the　window　at　which　he　sat　came　to　be　dubbed　by　his

fellow　students　〃The　Sign　of　the　Head　and　Microscope。〃　　Moreover；

in　his　regular　courses　at　Charing　Cross；　he　seems　to　have　done　work

sufficiently　notable　to　be　recognized　by　several　prizes　and　a　gold

medal。



Of　his　life　after　the　completion　of　his　medical　course；　of　his

search　for　work；　of　his　appointment　as　assistant　surgeon　on　board

the　Rattlesnake；　and　of　his　scientific　work　during　the　four　years'

cruise；　Huxley　gives　a　vivid　description　in　the　autobiography。　　As

a　result　of　his　investigations　on　this　voyage；　he　published　various

essays　which　quickly　secured　for　him　a　position　in　the　scientific

world　as　a　naturalist　of　the　first　rank。　　A　testimony　of　the　value

of　this　work　was　his　election　to　membership　in　the　Royal　Society。



Although　Huxley　had　now；　at　the　age　of　twenty…six；　won　distinction

in　science；　he　soon　discovered　that　it　was　not　so　easy　to　earn

bread　thereby。　　Nevertheless；　to　earn　a　living　was　most　important

if　he　were　to　accomplish　the　two　objects　which　he　had　in　view。　　He

wished；　in　the　first　place；　to　marry　Miss　Henrietta　Heathorn　of

Sydney；　to　whom　he　had　become　engaged　when　on　the　cruise　with　the

Rattlesnake；　his　second　object　was　to　follow　science　as　a

profession。　　The　struggle　to　find　something　connected　with　science

which　would　pay　was　long　and　bitter；　and　only　a　resolute

determination　to　win　kept　Huxley　from　abandoning　it　altogether。

Uniform　ill…luck　met　him　everywhere。　　He　has　told　in　his

autobiography　of　his　troubles　with　the　Admiralty　in　the　endeavor　to

get　his　papers　published；　and　of　his　failure　there。　　He　applied　for

a　position　to　teach　science　in　Toronto；　being　unsuccessful　in　this

attempt；　he　applied　successively　for　various　professorships　in　the

United　Kingdom；　and　in　this　he　was　likewise　unsuccessful。　　Some　of

his　friends　urged　him　to　hold　out；　but　others　thought　the　fight　an

unequal　one；　and　advised　him　to　emigrate　to　Australia。　　He　himself

was　tempted　to　practice　medicine　in　Sydney；　but　to　give　up　his

purpose　seemed　to　him　like　cowardice。　　On　the　other　hand；　to

prolong　the　struggle　indefinitely　when　he　might　quickly　earn　a

living　in　other　ways　seemed　like　selfishness　and　an　injustice　to

the　woman　to　whom　he　had　been　for　a　long　time　engaged。　　Miss

Heathorn；　however；　upheld　him　in　his　determination　to　pursue

science；　and　his　sister　also；　he　writes；　cheered　him　by　her　advice

and　encouragement　to　persist　in　the　struggle。　　Something　of　the

man's　heroic　temper　may　be　gathered　from　a　letter　which　he　wrote　to

Miss　Heathorn　when　his　affairs　were　darkest。　　〃However　painful　our

separation　may　be；〃　he　says；　〃the　spectacle　of　a　man　who　had　given

up　the　cherished　purpose　of　his　life　。　。　。　would；　before　long　years

were　over　our　heads；　be　infinitely　more　painful。〃　　He　declares　that

he　is　hemmed　in　by　all　sorts　of　difficulties。　　〃Nevertheless　the

path　has　shown　itself　a　fair　one；　neither　more　difficult　nor　less

so　than　most　paths　in　life　in　which　a　man　of　energy　may　hope　to　do

much　if　he　believes　in　himself；　and　is　at　peace　within。〃　　Thus

relieved　in　mind；　he　makes　his　decision　in　spite　of　adverse　fate。

〃My　course　of　life　is　taken；　I　will　not　leave　LondonI　WILL　make

myself　a　name　and　a　position　as　well　as　an　income　by　some　kind　of

pursuit　connected　with　science　which　is　the　thing　for　which　Nature

has　fitted　me　if　she　has　ever　fitted　any　one　for　anything。〃



But　suddenly　the　long　wait；　the　faith　in　self；　were　justified；　and

the　turning　point　came。　　〃There　is　always　a　Cape　Horn　in　one's　life

that　one　either　weathers　or　wrecks　one's　self　on；〃　he　writes　to　his

sister。　　〃Thank　God；　I　think　I　may　say　I　have　weathered　minenot

without　a　good　deal　of　damage　to　spars　and　rigging　though；　for　it

blew　deuced　hard　on　the　other　side。〃　　In　1854　a　permanent

lectureship　was　offered　him　at　the　Government　School　of　Mines；

also；　a　lectureship　at　St。　Thomas'　Hospital；　and　he　was　asked　to