autobiography and selected essays-第37章

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are　sometimes　standing　on　the　rocks　in　the　position　they　had　when

growing：　others　are　lying　in　fragments；　as　they　were　broken　and

heaped　by　the　waves；　and　others　were　reduced　to　a　compact　limestone

by　the　finer　trituration　before　consolidation　into　rock。　　This

compact　variety　is　the　most　common　kind　among　the　coral　reef　rocks

of　the　present　seas；　and　it　often　contains　but　few　distinct

fossils；　although　formed　in　water　that　abounded　in　life。　　At　the

fall　of　the　Ohio；　near　Louisville；　there　is　a　magnificent　display

of　the　old　reef。　　Hemispherical　Favosites；　five　or　six　feet　in

diameter；　lie　there　nearly　as　perfect　as　when　they　were　covered　by

their　flowerlike　polypes；　and　besides　these；　there　are　various

branching　corals；　and　a　profusion　of　Cyathophyllia；　or　cup…

corals。〃*





*　Dana；　Manual　of　Geology；　p。　272。





Thus；　in　all　the　great　periods　of　the　earth's　history　of　which　we

know　anything；　a　part　of　the　then　living　matter　has　had　the　form　of

polypes；　competent　to　separate　from　the　water　of　the　sea　the

carbonate　of　lime　necessary　for　their　own　skeletons。　　Grain　by

grain；　and　particle　by　particle；　they　have　built　up　vast　masses　of

rock；　the　thickness　of　which　is　measured　by　hundreds　of　feet；　and

their　area　by　thousands　of　square　miles。　　The　slow　oscillations　of

the　crust　of　the　earth；　producing　great　changes　in　the　distribution

of　land　and　water；　have　often　obliged　the　living　matter　of　the

coral…builders　to　shift　the　locality　of　its　operations；　and；　by

variation　and　adaptation　to　these　modifications　of　condition；　its

forms　have　as　often　changed。　　The　work　it　has　done　in　the　past　is；

for　the　most　part；　swept　away；　but　fragments　remain；　and；　if　there

were　no　other　evidence；　suffice　to　prove　the　general　constancy　of

the　operations　of　Nature　in　this　world；　through　periods　of　almost

inconceivable　duration。







NOTES





AUTOBIOGRAPHY



＇1＇

Autobiography：　Huxley's　account　of　this　sketch；　written　in　1889；　is

as　follows：　〃A　man　who　is　bringing　out　a　series　of　portraits　of

celebrities；　with　a　sketch　of　their　career　attached；　has　bothered

me　out　of　my　life　for　something　to　go　with　my　portrait；　and　to

escape　the　abominable　bad　taste　of　some　of　the　notices；　I　have　done

that。〃



＇2＇

pre…Boswellian　epoch：　the　time　before　Boswell。　　James　Boswell

（1740…1795）　wrote　the　famous　Life　of　Samuel　Johnson。　　Mr。　Leslie

Stephen　declares　that　this　book　〃became　the　first　specimen　of　a　new

literary　type。〃　　〃It　is　a　full…length　portrait　of　a　man's　domestic

life　with　enough　picturesque　detail　to　enable　us　to　see　him　through

the　eyes　of　private　friendship。　。　。　。〃　　A　number　of　biographers

since　Boswell　have　imitated　his　method；　and　Leslie　Stephen　believes

that　〃we　owe　it　in　some　degree　to　his　example　that　we　have　such

delightful　books　as　Lockhart's　Life　of　Scott　or　Mr。　Trevelyan's

Life　of　Macaulay。〃



＇3＇

〃Bene　qui　latuit；　bene　vixit〃：　from　Ovid。　　He　who　has　kept　himself

well　hidden；　has　lived　well。



＇4＇

Prince　George　of　Cambridge：　the　grandson　of　King　George　III；　second

Duke　of　Cambridge；　and　Commander…in…chief　of　the　British　Army。



＇5＇

Mr。　Herbert　Spencer　（18201903）：　a　celebrated　English　philosopher

and　powerful　advocate　of　the　doctrine　of　evolution。　　Spencer　is

regarded　as　one　of　the　most　profound　thinkers　of　modern　times。　　He

was　one　of　Huxley's　closest　friends。



＇6＇

in　partibus　infidelium：　in　the　domain　of　the　unbelievers。



＇7＇

〃sweet　south　upon　a　bed　of　violets。〃　　Cf。　Twelfth　Night；　Act　I；　sc。

I；　l。　5。



O；　it　came　o'er　my　ear　like　the　sweet　sound

That　breathes　upon　a　bank　of　violets；

Stealing　and　giving　odour。



For　the　reading　〃sweet　south〃　instead　of　〃sweet　sound；〃　see　Rolfe's

edition　of　Twelfth　Night。



＇8＇

〃Lehrjahre〃：　apprenticeship。



Charing　Cross　School　of　Medicine：　a　school　connected　with　the

Charing　Cross　Hospital　in　the　Strand；　London。



＇9＇

Nelson：　Horatio　Nelson；　a　celebrated　English　Admiral　born　in

Norfolk；　England；　1758；　and　died　on　board　the　Victory　at　Trafalgar；

1805。　　It　was　before　the　battle　off　Cape　Trafalgar　that　Nelson

hoisted　his　famous　signal；　〃England　expects　every　man　will　do　his

duty。〃　　Cf。　Tennyson's　Ode　to　the　Duke　of　Wellington；　stanza　VI；

for　a　famous　tribute　to　Nelson。



＇10＇

middies：　abbreviated　form　for　midshipmen。



＇11＇

Suites　a　Buffon：　sequels　to　Buffon。　　Buffon　（1707…1781）　was　a

French　naturalist　who　wrote　many　volumes　on　science。



＇12＇

Linnean　Society：　a　scientific　society　formed　in　1788　under　the

auspices　of　several　fellows　of　the　Royal　Society。



＇13＇

Royal　Society：　The　Royal　Society　for　Improving　Natural　Knowledge；

the　oldest　scientific　society　in　Great　Britain；　and　one　of　the

oldest　in　Europe。　　It　was　founded　by　Charles　II；　in　1660；　its

nucleus　being　an　association　of　learned　men　already　in　existence。

It　is　supposed　to　be　identical　with　the　Invisible　College　which

Boyle　mentions　in　1646。　　It　was　incorporated　under　the　name　of　The

Royal　Society　in　1661。　　The　publications　of　the　Royal　Society　are

called　Philosophical　Transactions。　　The　society　has　close

connection　with　the　government；　and　has　assisted　the　government　in

various　important　scientific　undertakings　among　which　may　be

mentioned　Parry's　North　Pole　expedition。　　The　society　also

distributes　20；000　yearly　for　the　promotion　of　scientific

research。



＇14＇


Rastignac：　a　character　in　Le　Pere　Goriot。　　At　the　close　of　the

story　Rastignac　says；　〃A　nous　deux；　maintenant〃：Henceforth　there

is　war　between　us。



＇15＇

Pere　Goriot：　a　novel　of　Balzac's　with　a　plot　similar　to　King　Lear。



＇16＇

Professor　Tyndall　（1820…1893）：　a　distinguished　British　physicist

and　member　of　the　Royal　Society。　　He　explored　with　Huxley　the

glaciers　of　Switzerland。　　His　work　in　electricity；　radiant　heat；

light　and　acoustics　gave　him　a　foremost　place　in　science。



＇17＇

Ecclesiastical　spirit：　the　spirit　manifested　by　the　clergy　of

England　in　Huxley's　time　against　the　truths　of　science。　　The　clergy

considered　scientific　truth　to　be　disastrous　to　religious　truth。

Huxley's　attitude　toward　the　teaching　of　religious　truth　is

illuminated　by　this　quotation；　which　he　uses　to　explain　his　own

position：　〃I　have　the　fullest　confidence　that　in　the　reading　and

explaining　of　the　Bible；　what　the　children　will　be　taught　will　be

the　great　truths　of　Christian　Life　and　conduct；　which　all　of　us

desire　they　should　know；　and　that　no　effort　will　be　made　to　cram

into　their　poor　little　minds；　theological　dogmas　which　their　tender

age　prevents　them　from　understanding。〃　　Huxley　defines　his　idea　of

a　church　as　a　place　in　which；　〃week　by　week；　services　should　be

devoted；　not　to　the　iteration　of　abstract　propositions　in　theology；

but　to　the　setting　before　men's　minds　of　an　ideal　of　true；　just　and

pure　living；　a　place　in　which　those　who　are　weary　of　the　burden　of

daily　cares　should　find　a　moment's　rest　in　the　contemplation　of　the

higher　life　which　is　possible　for　all；　though　attained　by　so　few；　a

place　in　which　the　man　of　strife　and　of　business　should　have　time

to　think　how　small；　after　all；　are　the　rewards　he　covets　compared

with　peace　and　charity。〃



＇18＇

New　Reformation：　Huxley　writes：　〃We　are　in　the　midst　of　a　gigantic

movement　greater　than　that　which　preceded　and　produced　the

Reformation；　and　really　only　the　continuation　of　that　movement。　。　。　。

But　this　organization　will　be　the　work　of　generations　of　men；

and　those　who　further　it　most　will　be　those　who　teach　men　to　rest

in　no　lie；　and　to　rest　in　no　verbal　delusion。〃







ON　THE　ADVISABLENESS　OF　IMPROVING　NATURAL　KNOWLEDGE　（1866）





＇19＇

On　the　Advisableness　of　Improving　Natural　Knowledge：　from　Method

and　Results：　also　published　in　Lay　Sermons；　Addresses　and　Reviews。



For　the　history　of　the　times　mentioned　in　this　essay；　see　Green's

Short　History　of　the　English　People。



＇20＇

The　very　spot：　St。　Martin's　Borough　Hall　and　Public　Library；　on

Charing　Cr