New-York tribune., 1894-10-09

poin. od the direction in which. in my convic-'
.,,nn frmer grouhd ho'
., that the tone of man VINO mates Chris
49,. or who has spent his life in trying TO
w mon away from their faiths? Mr.. Huxley
'''" 80, claim TO have taken any great share in
the ground or in solving the great prob
~ w. ubicb he defines in a suggestive sentence.
w. ro,.self I must confess that the problem N
-, origin Of such very remarkable historical
the theon,ena as the doctrines and the social organ
phenne vhich I'm their broad features. certainly
I's,eJ and were in state OF rapid development
eNH.bin a hundred years of the crucitiXion of
- and which have steadlly prevailed against
Jesus s,.aIs among the most intelligent and civil
~. sa NATIONS in the world ever since, Is and always
he len profoundly interesting and considering
how recent the really scientlhc study or that
huoh,eno and how great the progress made during
I,s, half century In supplying the conditions
the nostive solution Of the problem. ! cannot
ior ,,bt that the attainment Of such a solution is
osre question Of time.
81, himself he is content to have done some
.,,,r toward the preparation Of those who have
'".sed 10 be contented with the old. and find no
..,s,ac,ion in half measures; and something
.a.,ard lessenng the number of those who do find
,,r satisfaction in half measures But what he
.na others have done may be described far more
.,oadv than this. They have put forward the
s.rand for evidence until they have forced
..un. 10 comply with their demand. If Science
IA done nothing else or performed no work OF
..n,fulness in its own particular domain. it
-ou,d still have done this. 1t would have created
.ss condition Of mind which with reference to
,bs solution Of any great problem. can be
s.,,s6ed with evidence. and with evidence only
rh modern mind is saturated with the convic-
,,on Of the necessity of evidence in the investiga-
iS
md rational principles Of inquiry into all matters
h,ch have or profess to have. a historical basis
.oyo taken a firm hold upon the community. 1t
&c Mr. Huxley's merit to have contributed largely
:, that process of education.
Indeed il is Mr.. Huxleys profound concern in
.,uca,on. in the large sense of the word and
,,s unceasing struggle to promote it which has
,.,, a deep mark upon his life and the effort
- his ufe In science proper. in strictly scien-
,,sc investigation and teaching, he has done
vost work-one which the general word, little
oognizant Of such matters. is too apt to forget
Ills associates in science assuredly do not for-
90, II. But since he has resigned his professor
s.ir. and other scientific functions. he has taken
line which may be called peculiar to himself
oror several reasons" he says in his latest
preface. my attention. during number OF
modern scientific thought on the problems Of
morals and Of politics" Some Of the results of
,ba, attention will be found in these volumes.
The last in which he reverts 10 older ground
includes the memorable discourse on Evolution
and Ethics delivered last year before the Uni
rors,,v Of oxford wherein is set forth 'the ap-
,.ren, naradox that ethical nature. while born of
cosmic nature is necessarily at enmity with us
na,ent" This seeming paradox Mr.. Huxley
holds To be a truth the recognition Of which Is
fundamental for the ethical philosopher 1t is
stated and discussed with the lucid energy and
with the resource Of style which make of Mi
Huxley one Of the first writer's Of his day, as We'll
as one Of the first thinkers.
These Essays are published in the form which
Messrs Macmillan denominated the tversley
Series. from the accident that the series be-
gan with Charles Kingsley. II will not mislead
many readers but It Is odd 10 find under such
title and as If standing il some flial relation To
Kingsley such writers az Emerson, Milton ana
Goethe and In a different way. hardly less odd,
that Gray and Charles Lamb should be or the
number. However. it is for publishing and book
selling purposes a convenient name, and 1t lndl-
Gates nothing more than that all these writers
are printed and published in globe Svo and bound
in red cloth at shillings a volume. lheE are
handy and weN-printed volumes but the punctu-
alton Of the text is in too many cases. the final
expression Of proof-reading pedantry. Il IS IN
other words. a strictly mechanical system. car
ried out with slight reference to the sense IN
hind adherence to set Of rules drawn up
when the education ana intelligence Of printer
and proof-reader were less than they are now
To no volume. nor 10 the edition as whole, rs
there an index. A good index t. essays such as
these is not easy to make, but Mr.. Huxley would
be the last man 10 use such plea as that Pos
sjbv he thinks the helps 70 scientific and other
knowledge are in these days already too nuiner-
ous and that reference 10 the treasure-houses OF
learning is too readily within the reach OF those
who have neither science nor any real learning
Of anv kind But that. again, Is not a reason Tor
Withholding an index to books Of which me
avowed object has been. very largely. the pro-
motion Of the increase Of national knowledge,
and in the good sense, the popuiaflZauoh I'll
science. matchmaking does not now deVoINe
upon the author II Is d trade by tsel1' ana
though In the present case II would nave 70 De
done by some one rot devoid Of scientific tram
ing that again is no reason for not doing H. Inc
ninth volume one % the thinnest OF the series
ought 70 b. recalled by the publishers ana re-
issued with an index They would then reap
the full reward and credit Of their enterprise
c. w. S.