1882 A PAGE FROM A PRIVATE DIARY 49 



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 speak- 

 ing, women's capabilities. Our hostess (Lady ) was, if pos- 

 sible, more vehement and paradoxical than her wont, and vigor- 

 ously 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 " al- 

 most a fanatic for the sanctity of truth." Lady urged that 



truth was often a very selfish virtue, and that a man of noble 

 and unselfish character might lie for the sake of a friend, to 

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

 ish 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 blameworthy 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 womanhood of England was going to the dogs," 

 but now, he said, he observed a wonderful change for the better. 

 We asked to what he attributed it. Was it to lawn tennis and 

 the greater variety of bodily exercises ? " Partly," he answered, 

 " but much more to their having more pursuits — more to in- 

 terest them and to occupy their thoughts and time." 



The following letter bears upon the question of employ- 

 ing retired engineer officers in administrative posts in the 



Science and Art Department : — ■ 

 40 



