CAMBRIDGE DOCTORATE 151 



give effect to some of his views regarding secondary 

 education. 



One of the most interesting personal events of 1879 

 took place at Cambridge on June 10, when he received 

 the degree of LL.D. {honoris causa). The following 

 speech was delivered on the occasion by Mr. Sandys, the 

 Public Orator : — 



" Academi inter silvas qui verum quserunt, non modo ipsi 

 veritatis lumine vitam hanc umbratilem illustrare conantur, sed 

 illustrissimum quemque veritatis investigatorem aliunde delatum 

 ea qua par est comitate excipiunt. Adest vir cui in veritate 

 exploranda ampla sane provincia contigit, qui sive in animantium 

 sive in arborum et herbarum genere quicquid vivit investigat, 

 ipsum illud vivere quid sit, quali ex origine natum sit : qui 

 exquirit quse cognationis necessitudo inter priores illas viventium 

 species et has quas etiam nunc supersunt, intercedat. Olim in 

 Oceano Australi, ubi rectis, ' oculis monstra natantia ' vidit, 

 victoriam prope primam, velut alter Perseus, a Medusa reportavit ; 

 varias deinceps animantium formas quasi ab ipsa Gorgone in 

 saxum versas sagacitate singulari explicavit ; vitas denique uni- 

 versae explorandas vitam suam totam dedicavit. Physicorum 

 inter principes diu honoratus, idem (ut verbum mutuemur a 

 Cartesio illo cujus laudes ipse in hac urbe quondam praedicavit) 

 etiam ' metaphysica ' honore debito prosecutus est. Ilium demum 

 liberalitur educatum esse existimat qui cum ceteris animi et 

 corporis dotibus instructus sit, tum praesertim quicquid turpe sit 

 oderit, quicquid sive in arte sive in rerum natura pulchrum sit 

 diligat ; neque tamen ipse (ut ait Aristoteles) ♦ animalium parum 

 pulchrorum contemplationem fastidio puerili reformidat ; ' sed in 

 perpetua animantium serie hominis vestigia perscrutari conatus, 

 satis ampla liberalitate in universa rerum natura ' humani nihil a 

 se alienum putat.' Duco ad vos virum intrepidum, facundum, 

 propositi tenacem, Thomam Henricum Huxley" (Life, ii, p. 4). 



By a somewhat curious coincidence one of the de- 

 scriptive expressions at the end of the speech embodied 

 the Huxley motto, " Propositi tenax." The academic 

 recognition from Cambridge would appear to have given 



