Soliloquy

Verse by Edward Forbes
Illustrations by T. H. Huxley

Composed by a R[ed] L[ion] who came
down to Andertons, July 15th 1852
Therm 108 degrees in the sun and
suffered a Coup de Soleil or
something very like it on
the top of a bus.

Fyte I

I’ve been boiling, I’ve been boiling
Till my soul is almost fried,
Yet thank God I'm here and smiling
By the true Red Lions's side–
Whilst our Land-lord's meat is spoiling

II
Up in that street of Jermyn
We've been lecturing every night
Such Mammoniferous Sermons
With the room at 98°:–
Him to get gold they demanded
(As if we poor chaps could tell
By whom that same is wanted)
Yet we told them – very well!

III
If they find it – if they find it
The Quartz we bade them grind it
Methinks I see them now
With the sweat upon their brow
Grubbing down there in the lodes
Of the distant Antipodes,
And if Diamond – jolly jewel
Should in the diggins shine
Of that palæozoic fuel
I will claim a share as mine
By Gum!

IV
Don't wish that I may get it
Well – I'm very happy here
As long as my Muzzle's wetted
With Mr. Clement's beer.
But if the heat continues
I'll go mad and lowly cry
For Lord Derby & Protection
And with Disraeli die,
And sure that if we do
The devil will have his Jew!

V
Yet is there consolation
Though boiled like roasted skate
Mild is my situation
To our colleague Ramsay’s fate
Doomed to the marriage halter
When the mercury’s so high
The thought – it makes me falter
Bring me Cobbler or I die
For straws and drink I call
Bring me Cobbler – that is all.

Got any Gold Jim?
Gold I wish I’d
got that ‘ere a
Jermyn Professor
as told me ‘ere
I should find it
I’d stick my pick
into him –


PREVIEW

TABLE of CONTENTS

BIBLIOGRAPHIES
1.   THH Publications
2.   Victorian Commentary
3.   20th Century Commentary

INDICES
1.   Letter Index
2.   Illustration Index

TIMELINE
FAMILY TREE
Gratitude and Permissions


C. Blinderman & D. Joyce
Clark University
1998
THE HUXLEY FILE



GUIDES
§ 1. THH: His Mark
§ 2. Voyage of the Rattlesnake
§ 3. A Sort of Firm
§ 4. Darwin's Bulldog
§ 5. Hidden Bond: Evolution
§ 6. Frankensteinosaurus
§ 7. Bobbing Angels: Human Evolution
§ 8. Matter of Life: Protoplasm
§ 9. Medusa
§ 10. Liberal Education
§ 11. Scientific Education
§ 12. Unity in Diversity
§ 13. Agnosticism
§ 14. New Reformation
§ 15. Verbal Delusions: The Bible
§ 16. Miltonic Hypothesis: Genesis
§ 17. Extremely Wonderful Events: Resurrection and Demons
§ 18. Emancipation: Gender and Race
§ 19. Aryans et al.: Ethnology
§ 20. The Good of Mankind
§ 21.  Jungle Versus Garden