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AUTOBIOGRAPHYANDSELECTEDESSAYS1AUTOBIOGRAPHYANDSELECTEDESSAYSByTHOMASHENRYHUXLEYAUTOBIOGRAPHYANDSELECTEDESSAYS2PREFACEThepurposeofthefollowingselectionsistopresenttostudentsofEnglishafewofHuxley'srepresentativeessays.Someoftheseselectionsarecomplete;othersareextracts.Inthelattercase,however,theyarenotextractsinthesenseofbeingincompletewholes,foreachselectiongivenwillbefoundtohave,inAristotle'sphrase,abeginning,amiddle,andanend.Thattheyarecompleteinthemselves,althoughonlypartsofwholeessays,isduetothefactthatHuxley,inordertomakesucceedingmaterialclear,oftenpreparesthewaywithalongandcarefuldefinition.SuchisthenatureoftheextractALiberalEducation,inrealityadefinitiontomakedistinctandforciblehisideasontheshortcomingsofEnglishschools.Suchadefinition,also,isTheMethodofScientificInvestigation.Thefootnotesarethoseoftheauthor.Othernotesonthetexthavebeenincludedforthebenefitofschoolsinadequatelyequippedwithreferencebooks.Itishoped,however,thatthenotesmaybefoundnottobesonumerousastopreventthetrainingofthestudentinaself-reliantandscholarlyuseofdictionariesandreferencebooks;itishoped,also,thattheymayservetostimulatehimtotraceoutforhimselfmorecompletelyanysubjectconnectedwiththetextinwhichhemayfeelapeculiarinterest.Itshouldberecognizedthatnotesareofvalueonlyastheydeveloppowertoreadintelligently.Ifunintelligentlyreliedupon,theymayevenfosterindifferenceandlazymentalhabits.IwishtoexpressmyobligationtoMissFloraBridges,whosecarefulreadingofthemanuscripthasbeenmosthelpful,andtoProfessorClaraF.Stevens,theheadoftheEnglishDepartmentatMountHolyokeCollege,whoseverypracticalaidmadethisvolumepossible.A.L.F.S.AUTOBIOGRAPHYANDSELECTEDESSAYS3INTRODUCTIONITHELIFEOFHUXLEYOfHuxley'slifeandoftheforceswhichmouldedhisthought,theAutobiographygivessomeaccount;butmanyfactswhicharesignificantareslighted,andnecessarilythelatereventsofhislifeareomitted.Tosupplementthestoryasgivenbyhimisthepurposeofthissketch.ThefactsforthisaccountaregatheredentirelyfromtheLifeandLettersofThomasHenryHuxley,byhisson.ForarealacquaintancewithHuxley,thestudentshouldconsultthissourceforhimself;hewillcountthereadingoftheLifeandLettersamongtherarepleasureswhichhavecometohimthroughbooks.ThomasHenryHuxleywasbornonMay4,1825.Hisautobiographygivesafullaccountofhisparents,hisearlyboyhood,andhiseducation.Offormaleducation,Huxleyhadlittle;buthehadthericherschoolingwhichnatureandlifegiveaneagermind.Hereadwidely;hetalkedoftenwitholderpeople;hewasalwaysinvestigatingthewhyofthings.Hekeptajournalinwhichhenotedthoughtsgatheredfrombooks,andideasonthecausesofcertainphenomena.Inthisjournalhefrequentlywrotewhathehaddoneandhadsethimselftodointhewayofincreasinghisknowledge.Self-conducted,also,washislatereducationattheCharingCrossHospital.Here,likeStevensoninhisuniversitydays,Huxleyseemedtobeidle,butinreality,hewasalwaysbusyonhisownprivateend.SoconstantlydidheworkoverthemicroscopethatthewindowatwhichhesatcametobedubbedbyhisfellowstudentsTheSignoftheHeadandMicroscope.Moreover,inhisregularcoursesatCharingCross,heseemstohavedoneworksufficientlynotabletoberecognizedbyseveralprizesandagoldmedal.Ofhislifeafterthecompletionofhismedicalcourse,ofhissearchforwork,ofhisappointmentasassistantsurgeononboardtheRattlesnake,AUTOBIOGRAPHYANDSELECTEDESSAYS4andofhisscientificworkduringthefouryears'cruise,Huxleygivesavividdescriptionintheautobiography.Asaresultofhisinvestigationsonthisvoyage,hepublishedvariousessayswhichquicklysecuredforhimapositioninthescientificworldasanaturalistofthefirstrank.AtestimonyofthevalueofthisworkwashiselectiontomembershipintheRoyalSociety.AlthoughHuxleyhadnow,attheageoftwenty-six,wondistinctioninscience,hesoondiscoveredthatitwasnotsoeasytoearnbreadthereby.Nevertheless,toearnalivingwasmostimportantifheweretoaccomplishthetwoobjectswhichhehadinview.Hewished,inthefirstplace,tomarryMissHenriettaHeathornofSydney,towhomhehadbecomeengagedwhenonthecruisewiththeRattlesnake;hissecondobjectwastofollowscienceasaprofession.Thestruggletofindsomethingconnectedwithsciencewhichwouldpaywaslongandbitter;andonlyaresolutedeterminationtowinkeptHuxleyfromabandoningitaltogether.Uniformill-luckmethimeverywhere.HehastoldinhisautobiographyofhistroubleswiththeAdmiraltyintheendeavortogethispaperspublished,andofhisfailurethere.HeappliedforapositiontoteachscienceinToronto;beingunsuccessfulinthisattempt,heappliedsuccessivelyforvariousprofessorshipsintheUnitedKingdom,andinthishewaslikewiseunsuccessful.Someofhisfriendsurgedhimtoholdout,butothersthoughtthefightanunequalone,andadvisedhimtoemigratetoAustralia.HehimselfwastemptedtopracticemedicineinSydney;buttogiveuphispurposeseemedtohimlikecowardice.Ontheotherhand,toprolongthestruggleindefinitelywhenhemightquicklyearnalivinginotherwaysseemedlikeselfishnessandaninjusticetothewomantowhomhehadbeenforalongtimeengaged.MissHeathorn,however,upheldhiminhisdeterminationtopursuescience;andhissisteralso,hewrites,cheeredhimbyheradviceandencouragementtopersistinthestruggle.Somethingoftheman'sheroictempermaybegatheredfromaletterwhichhewrotetoMissHeathornwhenhisaffairsweredarkest.However