1842 AT CHARING CROSS HOSPITAL 2 1 



be appointed meanwhile to keep the place until he re- 

 turned. 



The opportunity to which both the brothers looked 

 came in the shape of the Free Scholarships offered by the 

 Charing Cross Hospital to students whose parents were 

 unable to pay for their education. Testimonials as to the 

 position and general education of the candidates were re- 

 quired, and it is curious that one of the persons applied 

 to by the elder Huxley was J. H. Newman, at that time 

 Vicar of Littlemore, who had been educated at Dr. Nicholas' 

 School at Ealing. 



The application for admission to the lectures and other 

 teaching at the Hospital states of the young T. H. Huxley 

 that " He has a fair knowledge of Latin, reads French with 

 facility, and knows something of German. He has also 

 made considerable progress in the Mathematics, having, 

 as far as he has advanced, a thorough not a superficial 

 knowledge of the subject." The document ends in the 

 following confident words : — 



I appeal to the certificates and testimonials that will be here- 

 with submitted for evidence of their past conduct, offering pro- 

 spectively that these young men, if elected to the Free Scholar- 

 ships of the Charing Cross Hospital and Medical College, will 

 be diligent students, and in all things submit themselves to the 

 controul and guidance of the Director and Medical Officers of 

 the establishment. A father may be pardoned, perhaps, for add- 

 ing his belief that these young men will hereafter reflect credit 

 on any institution from which they may receive their education. 



The authorities replied that " although it is not usual to 

 receive two members of the same family at the same time, 

 the officers taking into consideration the age of Mr. Huxley, 

 sen., the numerous and satisfactory testimonials of his re- 

 spectability, and of the good conduct and merits of the 

 candidates, have decided upon admitting Mr. J. E. and Mr. 

 T. Huxley on this occasion." 



The brothers began their hospital course on October i, 

 1842. Here, after a time, my father seems to have begun 

 working more steadily and systematically than he had done 

 before, under the influence of a really good teacher. 



