CORRESPONDENCE, 1867-70. 383 



has a list of errata, and an announcement that the corrections 1868. 

 are all made in their proper places. But in my copy the cor- 

 rection is thus made. The correct figures are cut out and 

 pasted over the incorrect ones, with a written announcement 

 in English t signed G. Townsend, stating what has been done ; 

 he says it was done in the edition, but perhaps he only means 

 the copy. The editors have modestly concealed their names. 

 They were three industrious priests, Pezenas, Dumas, and 

 Blanchard, who would probably have remained unknown if 

 Lalande, who had been a pupil of Dumas, and who was in com- 

 munication with them, had not preserved their names in his 

 gossip. 



If there should be any local science at Avignon I dare say 

 you will know some one who will be able to tell whether any 

 tradition of the three editors remains. Of course there will be 

 a copy in some public library, and it will be seen whether G. 

 Townsend's performance appears there. Pray do not trouble 

 yourself further than to make any local antiquary acquainted 

 with what is wanted. I suppose Avignon must now be what 

 people would call an out-of-the-way place ; but such places very 

 often have people who, like Captain Clutterbuck, spend their 

 whole time in illustrating their locality. 



A nice job you will have made for the courts. Some ladies 

 have actually passed the revising barrister because there was 

 no opposition. The B. B. was right; he is not bound to know 

 that Jane Smith is a woman, nor could he raise the question. I 

 have a cousin whose wife is David. When the poll clerk sees a 

 female claimant, I suppose he will be bound to say, ' Madam, you 

 cannot be the Jane Smith on the list, for the law says that voters 

 are all men. I must wait until some man comes forward and 

 declares he is the person described.' Then the poll clerk may 

 perhaps be subjected to an action. But if he should admit the 

 claim, there may be a scrutiny demanded, and perhaps a petition 

 against the return. The question will raise some logic. The 

 world of concepts being divided into man and non-man, if man 

 mean male person, and only man can vote, non-man equally 

 excludes Jane and her pussy and her pianoforte. They all come 

 under the contra-positive All voters are men. All voters are 

 men, i.e. all non-men are non- voters. There is but one answer 

 to Jane, the cat, and the pianoforte, i.e. non-man. I hope you 

 will push the point and get rid of the bother ; it infests the 

 house. But, in justice, let no woman be placed on the register 



