1868 STYLE 



319 



This incident, one may suspect, was in his mind when 

 he wrote in his Autobiography of the rapidity of thought 

 characteristic of his mother :- — 



That characteristic has been passed on to me in full 

 strength ; it has often stood me in good stead, it has sometimes 

 played me sad tricks, and it has always been a danger. 



At the Norwich meeting of the Association he also de- 

 livered his well-known lecture to working men " On a 

 Piece of Chalk," a perfect example of the handling of a 

 common and trivial subject, so as to make it " a window 

 into the Infinite." He was particularly interested in the 

 success of the meeting, as his friend Hooker was President, 

 and writes to Darwin, September 12: — 



We had a capital meeting at Norwich, and dear old Hooker 

 came out in great force as he always does in emergencies. 



The only fault was the terrible " Darwinismus " which 

 spread over the section and crept out when you least expected 

 it, even in Fergusson's lecture on " Buddhist Temples." 



You will have the rare happiness to see your ideas tri- 

 umphant during your lifetime. 



PS. — I am preparing to go into opposition ; I can't stand it. 



This lecture " On a Piece of Chalk," together with two 

 others delivered this year, seem to me to mark the matur- 

 ing of his style into that mastery of clear expression for 

 which he deliberately laboured, the saying exactly what he 

 meant, neither too much nor too little, without confusion 

 and without obscurity. Have something to say, and say it, 

 was the Duke of Wellington's theory of style ; Huxley's was 

 to say that which has to be said in such language thaf you 

 can stand cross-examination on each word. Be clear, 

 though you may be convicted of error. If you are clearly 

 wrong, you will run up against a fact some time and get set 

 right. If you shuffle with your subject, and study chiefly to 

 use language which will give a loophole of escape either 

 way, there is no hope for you. 



This was the secret of his lucidity. In no one could 

 Bufifon's aphorism on style find a better illustration, Lc style 

 c'cst I'homme mcnte. In him science and literature, too often 



