1892 LONDON UNIVERSITY REFORM / 333 



Hodeslea, Eastbourne, June 27, 1892. 



My dear Flower — I had quite given up the hope that any- 

 thing but some wretched compromise would come of the Univer- 

 sity Commission, when I found, to my surprise, no less than 

 gratification, that a strong party among the younger men were 

 vigorously taking the matter up in the right (that is, my) sense. 



In spite of all my good resolves to be a " hermit old in 

 mossy cell," I have enlisted — for ambulance service if nothing 

 better. 



The move is too important to spare oneself if one can be of 

 any good. — Ever yours very faithfully, T. H. Huxley. 



Of his work in this position Professor Karl Pearson says, 

 in a letter to me : — ■ 



Professor Huxley gallantly came to lead a somewhat forlorn 

 hope, — that of establishing a really great university in London. 

 He worked, as may naturally be supposed, with energy and per- 

 sistence, and one, who like myself was not in full sympathy with 

 the lines he took, can but admire the vigour he threw into the 

 movement. Nothing came of it practically; . . . but Professor 

 Huxley's leadership did, at any rate, a great deal to unite the 

 London teachers, and raise their ideal of a true university, while 

 at the same time helping to repress the self-interests of many 

 persons and institutions which had been before very much to the 

 front. 



Clearly this is the sort of thing referred to in a letter of 

 December 20 : — 



Got through the Association business very well, but had to 

 show that I am the kind of head that does not lend itself to 

 wagging by the tail. 



The Senate of the University of London showed practi- 

 cal unanimity in accepting the idea of taking on teaching 

 functions if the Commission should think it desirable, 

 though the Medical Schools were still desirous of getting 

 their degree granted on the mere license examination of the 

 Royal Colleges, without any evidence of general culture or 

 academical training, and on July 28 Huxley writes : — 



The decision of the representatives of the Medical Schools 

 is just such as I should have expected. I always told my col- 

 leagues in the Senate of the University of London that such 



