244 LIFE OF PROFESSOR HUXLEY 



CHAP. X 



The technical education act goes a long way to meet 

 the second claim of the State; so far as scientific and 

 industrial capacities are concerned. In a few years there 

 win be no reason why any potential Whitworth or 

 Faraday, in the three kingdoms, should not readily obtain 

 the best education that is to be had, scientific or technical 

 The same wiU hold good for Art. So the question that 

 arises seems to me to be whether the State ought or 

 ought not to do something of the same kind for Literature, 

 Philosophy, History, and Philology. 



I am inclined to think not, on the ground that the 

 universities and public schools ought to do this very 

 work, and that as soon as they cease to be clericalised 

 seminaries they probably will do it. 



If the present government would only give up their 

 Irish fad — and bring in a bill to make it penal for any 

 parson to hold any office in a public school or university 

 or to presume to teach outside the pulpit — they should 

 have my valuable support ! 



I should not wonder if Gladstone's mind is open on 

 the subject. Pity I am not sufficiently a persona 

 grata with him to offer to go to Hawarden and dis- 

 cuss it. 



I quite agree with you, therefore, that it yviU. play 

 the deuce if intermediate education is fossilised as it would 

 be by any Act prepared under present influences. The 

 most I shoiUd like to see done, would be to help the 

 youth of special literary, linguistic and so forth, capacity, 

 to get the best training in their special line. 



It was lucky we did not go to you. My wife got an 

 awful dose of neuralgia and general upset, and was laid 

 up at the Hotel. The house was not quite finished 

 inside, but we came in on Tuesday, and she has been 

 getting better ever since in spite of the gale. 



I am sorry to hear of the recurrence of influenza. It 

 is a beastly thing. Lord Justice Bowen told me he has 

 had it every time it has been in the country. You must 



