1870 THE LONDON SCHOOL BOARD 27 



side the Board as to how Huxley would work with the 

 old educationists, the clergy, dissenting ministers, and the 

 miscellaneous body of eminent men that comprised the 

 first Board. His antagonism to many of the methods 

 employed in elementary schools was well known from his 

 various discourses, which had been recently published 

 together under the title of Lay Sermons, Addresses, and 

 Reviews. I watched his course with interest at the time ; 

 but for the purpose of this sketch I have lately sought 

 information from such of the old. members of the Board 

 as are still living, especially the Earl of Harrowby, 

 Bishop Barry, the Eev. Dr. Angus, and Mr. Edward 

 North Buxton, together with Mr. Croad, the Clerk of the 

 Board. They soon found proof of his great energy, and 

 his power of expressing his views in clear and forcible 

 language ; but they also found that with all his strong 

 convictions and lofty ideals he was able and willing to 

 enter into the views of others, and to look at a practical 

 question from its several sides. He could construct as 

 well as criticise. Having entered a public arena some- 

 what late in life, and being of a sensitive nature, he had 

 scarcely acquired that calmness and pachydermatous 

 quality which is needful for one's personal comfort ; but 

 his colleagues soon came to respect him as a perfectly 

 honest antagonist or supporter, and one who did not 

 allow differences of conviction to interfere with friendly 

 intercoursa 



The various sections of the clerical party indeed 

 looked forward with great apprehension to his 

 presence on the Board, but the more liberal amongst 

 them ventured to find ground for hoping that they 

 and he would not be utterly opposed so far as the 

 work of practical organisation was concerned, in the 

 declaration of his belief that true education was 

 impossible without " religion," of which he declared 



