Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley — Volume 3Huxley, Thomas Henry
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Life and Letters of Thomas Henry Huxley — Volume 3
Huxley, Thomas Henry
Huxley, Thomas Henry, 1825-1895; Naturalists -- England -- Biography
On the other hand, if any one maintains that the material substance of
the wafer persists, while its accidents change, within the body, and
that this identical substance is sooner or later voided, I do not see
how he is to be driven out of that position by any scientific
reasoning. On the contrary, there is every reason to believe that the
elementary particles of the wafer and of the wine which enter the body
never lose their identity, or even alter their mass. If one could see
one of the atoms of carbon which enter into the composition of the
wafer, I conceive it could be followed the whole way--from the mouth to
the organ by which it escapes--just as a bit of floating charcoal might
be followed into, through, and out of a whirlpool.
[On October 6, 1892, died Lord Tennyson. In the course of his busy
life, Huxley had not been thrown very closely into contact with him;
they would meet at the Metaphysical Society, of which Tennyson was a
silent member; and in the "Life of Tennyson" two occasions are recorded
on which Huxley visited him.
November 11, 1871.
Mr. Huxley and Mr. Knowles arrived here (Aldworth) on a visit. Mr.
Huxley was charming. We had much talk. He was chivalrous, wide, and
earnest, so that one could not but enjoy talking with him. There was a
discussion on George Eliot's humility. Huxley and A. both thought her a
humble woman, despite a dogmatic manner of assertion that had come upon
her latterly in her writings. (Op. cit. 2 110.)
March 17, 1873.
Professor Tyndall and Mr. Huxley called. Mr. Huxley seemed to be
universal in his interest, and to have keen enjoyment of life. He spoke
of "In Memoriam". (Ibid. 2 143.)
With this may be compared one of Mr. Wilfrid Ward's reminiscences
("Nineteenth Century" August
1896).
"Huxley once spoke strongly of the insight into scientific method shown
in Tennyson's 'In Memoriam', and pronounced it to be quite equal to
that of the greatest experts."
This view of Tennyson appears again in a letter to Sir M. Foster, the
Secretary of the Royal Society:--]
Was not Tennyson a Fellow of the Royal Society? If so, should not the
President and Council take some notice of his death and delegate some
one to the funeral to represent them? Very likely you have thought of
it already.
He was the only modern poet, in fact I think the only poet since the
time of Lucretius, who has taken the trouble to understand the work and
tendency of the men of science.
[But this was not the only side from which he regarded poetry. He had a
keen sense for beauty, the artistic perfection of expression, whether
in poetry, prose, or conversation. Tennyson's talk he described thus:
"Doric beauty is its characteristic--perfect simplicity, without any
ornament or anything artificial." And again, to quote Mr. Wilfrid
Ward's reminiscences:--
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