282 Thomas Henry Huxley 



contain the exact gist of the writers. These qualities, 

 admirable in scientific work, became at once admirable 

 and terrible in his controversial writings. His own ex- 

 actness made him ruthless in exposing any inexactness 

 in his adversaries, and there were few disputants who 

 left an argument with Huxle}- in an undamaged condi- 

 tion. The consciousness which he had of his own care- 

 ful methods, added to a natural pugnacit}-, gave him an 

 intellectual courage of a very high order. As he knew 

 himself to have made sure of his premisses, he did not 

 care whither his conclusions might lead him, against 

 whatsoever established doctrine or accepted axiom. 



There was, however, a strong spice of natural com- 

 bativeness in his nature, the direct result of his native 

 and highly trained critical faculty. He tells us that in 

 the pre-Darwinian days he was accustomed to defend 

 the fixity of species in the company of evolutionists 

 and in the presence of the orthodox to attack the same 

 doctrine. Later in life, when evolution had become 

 fashionable, and the principles of Darwinism were be- 

 ing elevated into a new dogmatism, he was as read}- 

 to criticise the loose adherents of his own views as he 

 had been to expose the weakness of the conventional 

 dogmatists. 



Perhaps the most striking feature of Huxley's work 

 as a whole was its infectious nature. His vigorous 

 and decided personality was reflected on all the sub- 

 jects to which he gave attention, and in the same 

 fashion as his presence infected persons with a personal 

 enthusiasm so his writings stimulated readers to efforts 

 along the same lines. His great influence is clear 

 in the number and distinction of the biologists who 

 came under his personal care, and in the great army of 

 writers and thinkers who have been inspired by his 



