e to which the greater
part of his life was devoted, with the dubious and involved treatment
given such questions by the professional politicians to whom the
English races tend to entrust their destinies, is a useful comment on
that value of science as discipline to which Huxley so strenuously
called attention.

There can be no better way of ending this sketch of Huxley's life and
work than by quoting his own account of the objects to which he had
devoted himself consciously. These were:

"To promote the increase of natural knowledge and to forward the
application of scientific methods of investigation to all the
problems of life to the best of my ability, in the conviction
which has grown with my growth and strengthened with my strength,
that there is no alleviation for the sufferings of mankind except
veracity of thought and of action, and the resolute facing of the
world as it is when the garment of make-believe by which pious
hands have hidden its uglier features is stripped off.

"It is with this intent that I have subordinated any reasonable
or unreasonable ambition for scientific fame which I may have
permitted myself to entertain to other ends; to the
popularisation of science; to the development and organisation of
scientific education; to the endless series of battles and
skirmishes over evolution; and to untiring opposition to that
ecclesiastical spirit, that clericalism, which in England, as
everywhere else, and to whatever denomination it may belong, is
the deadly enemy of science.

"In striving for the attainment of these objects, I have been
but one among many, and I shall be well content to be remembered,
or even not remembered, as such. Circumstances, among which I am
proud to reckon the devoted kindness of many friends, have led to
my occupation of various prominent positions, among which the
presidency of the Royal Society is the highest. It would be mock
modesty on my part, with these and other scientific honours which
have been bestowed upon me, to pretend that I have not succeeded
in the career which I have followed, rather because I was driven
into it than of my own free will; but I am afraid I should not
count even these things as marks of success if I could not hope
that I had not somewhat helped that movement of opinion which has
been calle