1882 A PAGE FROM A PRIVATE DIARY 327 

 EXTRACT FROM JOURNAL 



Nov. 25, 1882. 



In the evening we dined at the 's, chiefly a family 



party with the addition of Professor Huxley and his wife 

 and ourselves. Much lively conversation, after dinner, 

 begun among the ladies, but continued after the gentlemen 

 appeared, on the subjects of Truth, Education, and 

 Women's Rights, or, more strictly speaking, women's 



capabilities. Our hostess (Lady ) was, if possible, 



more vehement and paradoxical than her wont, and 

 vigorously maintained that truth was no virtue in itself, 

 but must be inculcated for expediency's sake. The 

 opposite view found a champion in Professor Huxley, 

 who described himself as "almost a fanatic for the 



sanctity of truth." Lady urged that truth was often 



a very selfish virtue, and that a man of noble and un- 

 selfish character might lie for the sake of a friend, to 

 which some one replied that after a course of this un- 

 selfish lying the noble character was pretty sure to 

 deteriorate, while the Professor laughingly suggested that 

 the owner had a good chance of finding himself landed 

 ultimately in Botany Bay. 



The celebrated instance of John Inglesant's perjury 

 for the sake of Charles I. was then brought forward, and 

 it was this which led Professor Huxley to say that in his 

 judgment no one had the right passively to submit to a 

 false accusation, and that " moral suicide " was as blame- 

 worthy as physical suicide. " He may refuse to commit 

 another, but he ought not to allow himself to be believed 

 worse than he actually is. It is a loss to the world of 

 moral force, which cannot be afforded." 



. . . Then as regards women's powers. The Professor 

 said he did not believe in their ever succeeding in a 

 competition with men. Then he went on : " I can't 

 help looking at women with something of the eye of a 

 physiologist. Twenty years ago I thought the woman- 



