144 GEOEGE JOHN EOMANES I88I- 



May. — Met Shorthouse, author of ' John Ingle- 

 sant,' at the F. Pollocks'. He spoke of Mr. Scott- 

 Holland's review of his book. Sir T. Bramwell 

 lectured the other day at the Eoyal Institution on 

 the making of the Channel tunnel, and was as 

 amusing as usual. 



June. — Interesting talk with Mr. J. E. Green. 

 Both J. E. G. and G. J. E. agreed that Herbert 

 Spencer, Professor Huxley, and Leslie Stephen only 

 represented one side of the question, i.e. that conduct 

 can only be called moral when it is beneficial to the 

 race, and that the ethical quality of an action is 

 determined solely by its effects as beneficial or 

 injurious. This purely mechanical view of morality 

 deprives morality of what both speakers considered 

 the essential elements of morality as such, i.e. the 

 feeling of right and wrong, so that, e.g., ants and 

 bees, according to this canon, have a right to be con- 

 sidered more truly moral than men. 



The view taken by J. E. G. and G. J. E. was that 

 the essential element of morality resided in feeling 

 and incKnation. 



To Miss C. E. Bomanes. 



18 Cornwall Terrace : June 9. 



My dearest Charlotte, — We are all well and lively. 

 Ascot and an ' at home ' yesterday ; to-day artists' 

 studios, dinner at the Pagets', and Sanderson's 

 lecture ; to-morrow. College of Surgeons' reception 

 and dinner party of our own ; and next week, one,^ 

 two, or three engagements for every day. ' Babylon ' 

 is in full swing, and I heard yesterday, from the head 



