BIOGRAPHICAL (1854-1870) 31 



This year saw the foundation of the X Club, which 

 began with eight members, and included Hooker 

 and Sir John Lubbock (afterwards Lord Avebury), 

 Herbert Spencer and Tyndall. What a galaxy of 

 brilliant brains ! A shorthand reporter of the con- 

 versations of their meetings could surely have formed 

 one of the most successful books possible to publish. 

 The club existed until 1892, and died simply because 

 the reason of its original existence, namely, the per- 

 sonal attachment of its original members, was no 

 longer completely operative, owing to the deaths of 

 various members. 



In 1865 we find Huxley taking a great interest 

 in the American Civil War, which, indeed, he could 

 hardly help doing, seeing that one of his own nephews 

 was fighting with the forces of the south. The ques- 

 tion of the emancipation of the negro suggested to 

 him one of his famous articles, namely, that entitled 

 " Emancipation — Black and Wliite," to which we 

 shall refer again later. 



The year 1866 was marked by the publication 

 of many scientific monographs, and on April 2 of 

 that year Huxley received his first academic honour, 

 as far as Britain was concerned, the University of 

 Edinburgh conferring upon him the degree of LL.D. 

 Curiously enough, Tyndall was also among the re- 

 cipients on that occasion, and Carlyle was installed 

 Rector. Huxley on many occasions has testified to 

 his debt to Carlyle, who, in his very early youth, 

 inspired him with that passion for absolute truth 

 which marks his whole life, but Carlyle, on the other 

 hand, never forgave Huxley for the views stated in 

 MavCs Place in Nature. 



The same year found Huxley president of Section 



