The purpose of the following selections is to present to students
of English a few of Huxley's representative essays. Some of these
selections are complete; others are extracts. In the latter case,
however, they are not extracts in the sense of being incomplete wholes,
for each selection given will be found to have, in Aristotle's
phrase, "a beginning, a middle, and an end." That they are complete in
themselves, although only parts of whole essays, is due to the fact that
Huxley, in order to make succeeding material clear, often prepares
the way with a long and careful definition. Such is the nature of the
extract A Liberal Education, in reality a definition to make distinct
and forcible his ideas on the shortcomings of English schools. Such a
definition, also, is The Method of Scientific Investigation.

The footnotes are those of the author. Other notes on the text have been
included for the benefit of schools inadequately equipped with reference
books. It is hoped, however, that the notes may be found not to be so
numerous as to prevent the training of the student in a self-reliant and
scholarly use of dictionaries and reference books; it is hoped, also,
that they may serve to stimulate him to trace out for himself more
completely any subject connected with the text in which he may feel a
peculiar interest. It should be recognized that notes are of value only
as they develop power to read intelligently. If unintelligently relied
upon, they may even foster indifference and lazy mental habits.

I wish to express my obligation to Miss Flora Bridges, whose careful
reading of the manuscript has been most helpful, and to Professor Clara
F. Stevens, the head of the English Department at Mount Holyoke College,
whose very practical aid made this volume possible.