New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-07-01
GREAT THINKERS HONESTY.

From The Tribune. July q. 1892.
There IL no more honest thinker than Nj. hux-
10y, the re- is In our time none WAC has more o.tsh
shown himself resolved 70 get 10 the root Oh e.le
matter wherever II may cad num- none io' Sig9sr
Intellectual energy his own word las "'E'e'
r. him. also it has been given to say what ne ne
his STYLE is the more admire Die because the sub
ibonrht obscurity permitted 10 them. Not so, Mr..
Huxley lie allows himself some Liberties, Dut hos
that Ills opponents think. no doubt, or son'e ~, gl
them think that he takes Liberties with them. ne
j. resnecter ~ persons as you nav, SSen , III
a. We. as humor. and nowhere in these encounters;
or after them is there trace OF nia ale b ~
does IL in a judicial spirit The sufferer likes II no
better for that but the reader likes 1t better: likes
smile on his face. and without hardening his heart.
\ QUESTION OF EMOLUMENTs.
From The Tribune. August l. 1891.
Nobody disputes that Professor Hux,ey s,anas IN II,
the very front rank OF living men OF science. III
his own depariment ne Ii Mrs 'oo nn ,ns notice mas
nnv m.arirr IL is this: that when man OF the
highest capacity and Industry gives ms We 10 SCI,
cncc he is ovcrpaid IN setting after twenty-seSveh
years service $50 a year HIS inspeci3rsnip.
nm his yaarlv saiarv ard the fees now renowned
were about 5000 The highest sum is about haif
II IL a litte more than onc-quarter the pay OF any
English judge. 1t IS not more man H v, ,, 1tre
canuo; be- many persons who would say that me
work u judge or a Law officer OF the .rown o.,
Whole more beneficial to tho world than the scien-
the work to which Professor HuNiey his even Zen
the whole Of his energies during the whole OF Ms
career.
HUXLEY THE EXPOsIToR or SCIENCE
From The Tribune June g. 1891.
Mr. Huxley possesses. among other arts, a..
manly the art OF writing prefaces me yql.sceea
clifton Of his works wncn ' cennlsii" NH al
WAYS be interesting FOR It's prefaces. They are
to some extent. judgments, or at least comments
history Of his mind. which Hes recorded in these
y seatmc his latest Which lets the word into
the secret part of the secret OF that excellence
and to which so few men Of science ever attain.
ne has found h. says me task 81 putting SCI,
n,idc truths IN popular language one that taxed
his literary and scientific faculty u the utmost.
But the task has helped him as we'll as his read
ter corrective Of tha, tendency scholastic pedan
try which bosets all ihcie who are ABSORBED IN
pursuits remote from the common ways OF men.
ana VINO become habtuated to speak IN the tech
meal da.cct OF their own little weird. as II there
In that sentence you can hear the ring o. voice
which belongs to man OF no one word, but or
the world And that Of itself helps to explain why
Nh Huxley has reached the ear and the intelli-
sence Of such 10 wn9m mere n sSe'e
written az man 10 men; never-nevsr, That Is.
than those composed OF fciowstudents In science
II the mere lecturer or pedagogue. science
and does a vast deal OF invaluable work IN her
silent unprstentious. sincere and devoted way.
APPRECIATION. But when she does care TO appea,
TO the general public. she ~ fortunate II she can
command the pen OF a Huxley, for II Is clear 10
anybody who reads page Of nm ihat II ne nad
have been great writer. He says:
Il have no; been one OF those fortunate per
sons who able 10 regard popular lecture as
a mere hors d'oeuvre unworthy OF being ranked
among the serious efforts Of n philosopher and
who keep their fame scientific hierophants un-
sullied BY attcmpts-at least OF the successful sort
t be understanded Of the people" -.
The lecture has been 10 him "a self-discip.inc y
as much as to his pupils a discipline Of another
kind But it has not given him a high notion OF
the average capacity Of the average audi
once. Il venture 70 doubt" says the
great professor. whether more than one in
notion OF what the speaker has been driving at.
The fact that he thinks this disparag.ng eslmat tie
equally true of the oratOry OF the hustinrs. OF the
House Of Commons and even" OF the pulpit. does
that he considers audiences attending scientific
lectures worse than others But we must re-
member that he is speaking OF English audiences
HUxLEY's ESTIMATE OF TyNDALL.
From The Tribune. December 81. 1888
Professor Huxey's article on Tyndall in the
January Nineteenth Century u the Testimony OF
an intimate friend and acute judge or Character.
Incapable even for affections sake OF any but
a truthful and scientific estimate. No one knew
Tyndall better no one Is better qualified 70 do JUS
tice those powerful faculties and high purpose
which after all left says Professor Huxley; a
less vivid impression than the warmth and tender
OF his nature. This Is at once testimony and
a tribute. because Of its transparent honesty and
OF the writer's obvious conviction that the most
honorable homage to his friend Ia to tell the whole
truth about him There delightful "reminiscences
well OF scientific. social and Alpine lie. and the
whole Is. as far as Is possible within the limits
az eleven pages. masterpiece OF portraiture.