GO AS REGARDS PROTOPLASM, ETC. 



third, of externality, or an external world. The evaugile, 

 according to Mr Huxley, consequently, is that, lost by knowledye, 

 we may be saved by ignorance I Indeed, it must be allowed that 

 the whole matter stands there very clear, consistent, definite, 

 irrefutable, satisfactory, before Mr Huxley's own consciousness. 

 The progress of knowledge generally, he is sure, has been ever 

 more and more towards the reduction of all phenomena into 

 the series and successions of material antecedents and conse- 

 quents ; and there cannot be a doubt but that life, and will, and 

 thought, must, in the end, be all similarly tucked in. These, 

 too, when explained, will only be explained as " results of the 

 disposition of material molecules." It does not follow, for all 

 that, is Mr Huxley's further thought, that what is called 

 materialism is true, or that " there is nothing in the world but 

 matter, force, and necessity ;" I indeed have reduced all, we may 

 further figure him to say, into material terms, and connected 

 all in material sequence ; but this system of a world may con- 

 ceivably lie all the same, so to speak, in the drop of water 

 in the hollow of an Arab boy's hand. That is, firstly, I know 

 not any necessity of connection in the ph enomena of the world, 

 though I know the fact of it ; and so volition may be free. 

 Secondly, I know not what anything is in itself, whether it be 

 named of matter, or whether it be named of mind ; and so 

 matter, as matter is not established, and mind as mind is not 

 destroyed. Thirdly, there is no doubt but that the system 

 all that we know the whole world does lie, not indeed in the 

 hollow of an Arab boy's hand, but in consciousness : all that we 

 know are but modes of consciousness bundles of our own 

 consciousnesses. In this way, while there is a most pleasing 

 definiteness for our knowledge, there is also a most pleasing 

 indefiniteness, for our ignorance. Or in this way, while, in know- 

 ledge, science is secured its rights, and thought its freedom, we 

 may quite satisfactorily limn God, free will, immortality, and 

 all that sort of thing (if we really do want it) in the mist of 

 our ignorance ! 



This is Mr Huxley's relative position even to the irony, 

 though that is not so certain. It is just possible in that respect, 

 namely, that Mr Huxley is as simple and serious on the one 

 side, as he is simple and serious on the other as simple and 

 serious and self-complacent in regard to ignorance, as he is 

 simple, serious, and self-complacent in regard to knowledge. 

 For my part, indeed, I must confess myself to find Mr Huxley, 

 however valuable in his knowledge, much more interesting in 

 his ignorance in his ignorance and in the faith that is born of it. 

 I don't know anything about cause, he seems to say to himself, 

 or substance, or actual externality ; and therefore there is all that 

 dream possible! What a comfort, when the prose of know- 



