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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
give various other lecture courses。 He thus found himself able to
establish the home for which he had waited eight years。 In July；
1855； he was married to Miss Heathorn。
The succeeding years from 1855 to 1860 were filled with various
kinds of work connected with science： original investigation；
printing of monographs； and establishing of natural history
museums。 His advice concerning local museums is interesting and
characteristically expressed。 〃It ＇the local museum if properly
arranged＇ will tell both natives and strangers exactly what they
want to know； and possess great scientific interest and importance。
Whereas the ordinary lumber…room of clubs from New Zealand； Hindu
idols； sharks' teeth； mangy monkeys； scorpions； and conch shells
who shall describe the weary inutility of it？ It is really worse
than nothing； because it leads the unwary to look for objects of
science elsewhere than under their noses。 What they want to know
is that their 'America is