1879 HONORARY DEGREE AT CAMBRIDGE 267 



A curious coincidence occurred here. Mr. Sandys, 

 the public orator, 1 in his speech presenting him for 

 the degree, picked out one of his characteristics for 

 description in the Horatian phrase, "Propositi tenax." 

 Now this was the family motto ; and Huxley wrote 

 to point out the coincidence : 



SCIENCE AND ART DEPARTMENT, 

 SOUTH KENSINGTON, June 11, 1879. 



MY DEAR MR. SANDYS I beg your acceptance of the 

 inclosed photograph, which is certainly the best ever 

 executed of me. 



And by way of a memento of the claim which you 



1 The speech delivered by the public orator on this occasion 

 (June 10, 1879) ran as follows : Academi inter silvas qui verum 

 quaerunt, non modo ipsi veritatis lumine vitam hanc umbratilem 

 illustrare conantur, sed illustrissimum quemque veritatis investi- 

 gatorem 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 quae cognationis necessitudo inter priores illas 

 viventium species et has quae etiam nunc supersunt, intercedat. 

 Olim in Oceano Australi, ubi rectis " oculis monstra natautia " 

 vidit, victoriam prope primam, velut alter Perseus, a Medusa 

 reportavit ; varias deinceps animantium formas quasi ab ipsa 

 Gorgone in saxum versas sagacitate singulari explicavit ; vitae 

 denique universae explorandae 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 " lionore debito prosecutus est. 

 Ilium demum liberaliter educatum esse existimat qui cum ceteris 

 animi et corporis dotibus instructus sit, turn 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, Thomaui Henricum Huxley. 



