autobiography and selected essays-第4章

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to　Oliver。　　I　have　seen　handsomer　kittens；　but　few　more　lively；　and

energetically　destructive。　　Just　now　he　scratched　away　at　something

M　says　cost　13s。　6d。　a　yard　and　reduced　more　or　less　of　it　to

combings。　　M　therefore　excludes　him　from　the　dining…room　and

all　those　opportunities　of　higher　education　which　he　would　have　in

MY　house。〃　　Frequently　one　finds　a　description　of　some　event；　so

vividly　done　that　the　mere　reading　of　it　seems　like　a　real

experience。　　An　account　of　Tennyson's　burial　in　Westminster　is　a

typical　bit　of　description：





Bright　sunshine　streamed　through　the　windows　of　the　nave；　while　the

choir　was　in　half　gloom；　and　as　each　shaft　of　light　illuminated　the

flower…covered　bier　as　it　slowly　travelled　on；　one　thought　of　the

bright　succession　of　his　works　between　the　darkness　before　and　the

darkness　after。　　I　am　glad　to　say　that　the　Royal　Society　was

represented　by　four　of　its　chief　officers；　and　nine　of　the

commonalty；　including　myself。　　Tennyson　has　a　right　to　that；　as　the

first　poet　since　Lucretius　who　has　understood　the　drift　of　science。





No　parts　of　the　Life　and　Letters　are　more　enjoyable　than　those

concerning　the　〃Happy　Family；〃　as　a　friend　of　Huxley's　names　his

household。　　His　family　of　seven　children　found　their　father　a　most

engaging　friend　and　companion。　　He　could　tell　them　wonderful　sea

stories　and　animal　stories　and　could　draw　fascinating　pictures。

His　son　writes　of　how　when　he　was　ill　with　scarlet　fever　he　used　to

look　forward　to　his　father's　home…coming。　　〃The　solitary　daysfor

I　was　the　first　victim　in　the　familywere　very　long；　and　I　looked

forward　with　intense　interest　to　one　half…hour　after　dinner；　when

he　would　come　up　and　draw　scenes　from　the　history　of　a　remarkable

bull…terrier　and　his　family　that　went　to　the　seaside　in　a　most

human　and　child…delighting　manner。　　I　have　seldom　suffered　a

greater　disappointment　than　when；　one　evening；　I　fell　asleep　just

before　this　fairy　half…hour；　and　lost　it　out　of　my　life。〃



The　account　of　the　comradeship　between　Huxley　and　his　wife　reads

like　a　good　old…time　romance。　　He　was　attracted　to　her　at　first　by

her　〃simplicity　and　directness　united　with　an　unusual　degree　of

cultivation；〃　Huxley's　son　writes。　　On　her　he　depended　for　advice

in　his　work；　and　for　companionship　at　home　and　abroad　when

wandering　in　search　of　health　in　Italy　and　Switzerland。　　When　he

had　been　separated　from　her　for　some　time；　he　wrote；　〃Nobody；

children　or　anyone　else；　can　be　to　me　what　you　are。　　Ulysses

preferred　his　old　woman　to　immortality；　and　this　absence　has　led　me

to　see　that　he　was　as　wise　in　that　as　in　other　things。〃　　Again　he

writes；　〃Against　all　trouble　（and　I　have　had　my　share）　I　weigh　a

wife…comrade　'trew　and　fest'　in　all　emergencies。〃



The　letters　also　give　one　a　clear　idea　of　the　breadth　of　Huxley's

interests；　particularly　of　his　appreciation　of　the　various　forms　of

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　certain