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