176 THOMAS HENRY HUXLEY 



sophy and sociology Huxley devoted most of his last ten 

 years of life. Dissection, and particularly microscopic 

 work, involved such physical discomfort that they had to 

 be practically abandoned. 



1885. 



Despite his precarious health, he took a keen interest 

 in current events, and was deeply grieved to hear of the 

 death of General Gordon, of whom he thus speaks in a 

 letter to Sir John Donnelly (dated February 16): — 



" Poor fellow ! I wonder if he has entered upon the 'larger 

 sphere of action ' which he told me was reserved for him in case 

 of such a trifling accident as death. Of all the people whom I 

 have met with in my life, he and Darwin are the two in whom 

 I have found something bigger than ordinary humanity — an 

 unequalled simplicity and directness of purpose — a sublime 

 unselfishness. 



" Horrible as it is to us, I imagine that the manner of his 

 death was not unwelcome to himself. Better wear out than rust 

 out, and better break than wear out. The pity is that he could 

 not know the feeling of his countrymen about him. 



" I shall be curious to see what defence the superingenious 

 Premier has to offer for himself in Parliament. I suppose, as 

 usual, the question will drift into a brutal party fight, when the 

 furious imbecility of the Tories will lead them to spoil their 

 case. That is where we are ; on the one side, timid imbecility 

 ' waiting for instructions from the constituencies ' ; furious im- 

 becility on the other, looking out for party advantage. Oh ! 

 for a few months of WiUiam Pitt " (Life, ii, pp. 94-5). 



The Italian visit was extended into late spring, 

 but the result was only a modified success. Venice, 

 Rome, Naples and Florence had all proved more or less 

 unsatisfactory ; most benefit being apparently derived at 

 Siena, allusion to which is made in a letter to his 

 youngest daughter (dated February 23, 1885) : — 



