autobiography and selected essays-第5章

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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　nicely　related　and

compactly　joined。　　In　reference　to　structure；　his　son　and

biographer　writes；　〃He　loved　to　visualize　his　object　clearly。　　The

framework　of　what　he　wished　to　say　would　always　be　drawn　out

first。〃　　Professor　Ray　Lankester　also　mentions　Huxley's　love　of

form。　　〃He　deals　with　form　not　only　as　a　mechanical　engineer　IN

PARTIBUS　（Huxley's　own　description　of　himself）；　but　also　as　an

artist；　a　born　lover　of　form；　a　character　which　others　recognize　in

him　though　he　does　not　himself　set　it　down　in　his　analysis。〃

Huxley's　own　account　of　his　efforts　to　shape　his　work　is

suggestive。　　〃The　fact　is　that　I　have　a　great　love　and　respect　for

my　native　tongue；　and　take　great　pains　to　use　it　properly。

Sometimes　I　write　essays　half…a…dozen　times　before　I　can　get　them

into　proper　shape；　and　I　believe　I　become　more　fastidious　as　I　grow

older。〃　　And；　indeed；　there　is　a　marked　difference　in　firmness　of

structure　between　the　earlier　essays；　such　as　On　the　Educational

Value　of　the　Natural　History　Sciences；　written；　as　Huxley

acknowledges；　in　great　haste；　and　the　later　essays；　such　as　A

Liberal　Education　and　The　Method　of　Scientific　Investigation。　　To

trace　and　to　define　this　difference　will　be　most　helpful　to　the

student　who　is　building　up　a　knowledge　of　structure　for　his　own

use。



According　to　Huxley's　biographer　in　the　Life　and　Letters　of　Thomas

Henry　Huxley；　the　essays　which　represent　him　at　his　best　are　those

published　in　1868。　　They　are　A　Piece　of　Chalk；　A　Liberal　Education；

and　On　the　Physical　Basis　of　Life。　　In　connection　with　the　comment

on　these　essays　is　the　following　quotation　which　gives　one

interesting　information　as　to　Huxley's　method　of　obtaining　a　clear

style：





This　lecture　on　A　Piece　of　Chalk　together　with　two　others　delivered

this　year；　seems　to　me　to　mark　the　maturing　of　his　style　into　that

mastery　of　clear　expression　for　which　he　deliberately　labored；　the

saying　exactly　what　he　meant；　neither　too　much　nor　too　little；

without　confusion　and　without　obscurity。　　Have　something　to　say；

and　say　it；　was　the　Duke　of　Wellington's　theory　of　style；　Huxley's

was　to　say　that　which　has　to　be　said　in　such　language　that　you　can

stand　cross…examination　on　each　word。　　Be　clear；　though　you　may　be

convicted　of　error。　　If　you　are　clearly　wrong；　you　will　run　up

against　a　fact　sometime　and　get　set　right。　　If　you　shuffle　with

your　subject；　and　study　chiefly　to　use　language　which　will　give　a

loophole　of　escape　either　way；　there　is　no　hope　for　you。



This　was　the　secret　of　his　lucidity。　　In　no　one　could　Buffon's

aphorism　on　style　find　a　better　illustration；　Le　style　c'est

l'homme　meme。　　In　him　science　and　literature；　too　often　divorced；

were　closely　united；　and　literature　owes　him　a　debt　for　importing

into　it　so　much　of　the　highest　scientific　habit　of　mind；　for

showing　that　truthfulness　need　not　be　bald；　and　that　real　power

lies　more　in　exact　accuracy　than　in　luxuriance　of　diction。





Huxley's　own　theory　as　to　how　clearness　is　to　be　obtained　gets　at

the　root　of　the　matter。　　〃For　my　part；　I　venture　to　doubt　the

wisdom　of　attempting　to　mould　one's　style　by　any　other　process　than

that　of　striving　after　the　clear　and　forcible　expression　of

definite　conceptions；　in　which　process　the　Glassian　precept；　first

catch　your　definite　conception；　is　probably　the　most　difficult　to

obey。〃



Perfect　clearness；　above　every　other　quality　of　style；　certainly　is

characteristic　of　Huxley；　but　clearness　alone　does　not　make

subject…matter　literature。　　In　addition　to　this　quality；　Huxley's

writing　wins　the　reader　by　the　racy　diction；　the　homely

illustration；　the　plain；　honest　phrasing。　　All　these　and　other

qualities　bring　one　into　an　intimate　relationship　with　his　subject。

A　man　of　vast　technical　learning；　he　is　still　so　interested　in　the

relation　of　his　facts　to　the　problems　of　men　that　he　is　always　able

to　infuse　life　into　the　driest　of　subjects；　in　other　words；