Ixvi 



The world at large knew Huxley best perhaps in his special cha- 

 racter as the fearless and effective exponent of Mr. Darwin's views, 

 and the minds who love to dwell on the " might have been " might 

 linger long questioning how soon those views would have moved the 

 world as they have done had there been no Huxley to expound them. 

 It knew him, too, in his more general character as one who taught to 

 the multitude the power and value of scientific thought in words 

 which, whether spoken or written, while flashing with wit, cut deep 

 with incisive power, reaching ear and eye in the shape of pure manly 

 English, the outcome of a strong, honest, clear-seeing mind; it 

 listened gladly to high themes of science touched by him with an 

 artist's hand ; and if, at the close of the century, science stands high 

 in public estimation, that is in no small measure due to Huxley's 

 public utterances, and the close accord which his life showed to his 

 words. But his influence on the world at large formed, as it were, 

 only the diffusion circles of more direct rays of influence concentrated 

 on the narrower field of science and the still narrower field of biology. 

 The foregoing imperfect words have attempted to point out some of 

 the more important steps in the advancement of biologic knowledge 

 which are directly due to him ; but these form only a part of what 

 we owe to him. Whatever bit of life he touched in his search, 

 protozoan, polyp, mollusc, crustacean, fish, reptile, beast, and man — and 

 there were few living things he did not touch — he shed light on it, 

 and left his mark. There is not one, or hardly one, of the many 

 things which he has written which may not be read again to-day with 

 pleasure and with profit ; and, not once or twice only in such a read- 

 ing, it will be felt that the progress of science has given to words 

 written long ago, a strength and meaning even greater than that 

 which they seemed to have when first they were read. There is not 

 a biologist of the latter half of this century who has not been helped 

 on his way, directly or indirectly, by some research or by some word 

 of Huxley's. And though those who are coming after can never be 

 fully aware of how great was the personal influence of the man out- 

 side his recorded words, the writings which do remain will serve to 

 keep alive the memory of one who, while with his own hand he added 

 many chambers to the growing building of biologic science, did 

 almost as much by a life which taught both his comrades and lookers 

 on the beauty, dignity, and power of natural knowledge. 



His record within the annals of the Society is unique. Admitted 

 a Fellow in 1851, he received a Royal Medal in 1852. From 1871 to 

 1880 he was one of the general secretaries. From 1883 to 1885 he 

 was President. In 1888 the Copley, and in 1894 the Darwin, Medal 

 were given him. The Society could no further go. 



M. F. 



