THE BIOCOSMOS PRELIMINARY. 



He often notes its activity as the architectonic 

 principle of the cell, the hidden builder or 

 demiurge thereof; but its origin as well as 

 its character lie in the dark chaos outside of 

 his world, branded often as useless, if not for- 

 bidden themes of thought. Still even he can- 

 not help pursuing them, if only to damn them. 

 It may well be here added that the fighting 

 biologist has somewhat receded into the back- 

 ground since the days of Huxley, who took 

 such delight in exhibiting his expert swords- 

 manship of speech against his antagonists, es- 

 pecially the Anglican clergy. Even Tyndall, 

 naturally a gentle, lovable soul welters in a 

 good deal of controversy with his peculiar 

 devil, whom he often genially larrups but can- 

 not quite put down. Meanwhile he gives us 

 much important knowledge in a very agree- 

 able way. Some of his scientific writings rise 

 into the realm of Literature through their 

 beautiful, or at least, very neat-fitting form. 

 Huxley, on the other hand, is grandly pugna- 

 cious, when the full power is on, which the 

 sight of a bishop seemingly can excite in him ; 

 that famous speech of his on The Physical 

 Basis of Life for it is an oration in spirit 

 and expression smites at times with the ring 

 of Thor's hammer, through which we can 

 often hear the undertone of self-contradic- 

 tion; it has in passages a furious Demosthe- 



