The Romance of Mathematics: Being the Original Researches of a Lady Professor of Girtham College in Polemical Science, with some Account of the Social Properties of a Conic; Equations to Brain Waves; Social Forces; and the Laws of Political Motion.Ditchfield, P. H. (Peter Hampson)
Science
The Romance of Mathematics: Being the Original Researches of a Lady Professor of Girtham College in Polemical Science, with some Account of the Social Properties of a Conic; Equations to Brain Waves; Social Forces; and the Laws of Political Motion.
Ditchfield, P. H. (Peter Hampson)
Satire, English; Women -- Education -- Great Britain
[Editorial Note.]--The next letter is not of quite the same pleasing
nature as the foregoing, and shows that it is impossible to please
everyone, even if that happy consummation were desirable. This letter
was evidently called forth by some remarks which the learned Lady
Professor had made in her third lecture with reference to eccentricity
in dress. Our readers will recollect that the professor pointed out that
an extravagant 'bloomer' costume--half male, half female--was no more a
sign of genius than æsthetic dresses, always betokened the artist.[5]
This latter statement evidently gave great offence to the members of a
society which called itself the 'Æsthetic and Dress Improvement
Association,' and the following letter is the result of one of their
solemn conclaves:
Oscar Villa, South Kensington,
June, 18--.
The Secretary of the Æsthetic and Dress Improvement Association presents
his compliments to the Lady Professor of Girtham College, and begs to
contradict emphatically her statements with regard to a subject upon
which she is evidently in entire and lamentable ignorance, and to
protest against her aspersions upon the artistic studies of this and
kindred societies. He begs to state that true æsthetes are _not_
eccentric (they leave that to lady professors and her Philistine
followers); that to dress becomingly is one of the principal objects of
life, and that true greatness is achieved as much by the study of the
art of dress as by any other noble pursuit or graceful accomplishment.
Are not Horatio Postlethwaite, Leonara Saffronia Gillan, Vandyke
Smithson entitled to greatness? And yet their laurels have been won
solely by the art of dress. Perhaps the lady professor has never read
'Sartor Resartus'! In conclusion, he would ask the Lady Professor to
refrain from casting obloquy upon the work of the Association which he
has the honour to represent; to prevail upon her pupils to abandon the
unfeminine attire which some of them have assumed, contrary to the first
principles of art; to array themselves in flowing robes of sage-green
and other choice colours (patterns enclosed), and to study art, instead
of absurd mathematics, which no one can understand, and do no one any
good.
(Approved by the Committee of the Æsthetic and Dress
Improvement Association.)
June, 18--.
[Editorial Note.]--The next letter, written by a pupil of the Lady
Professor, requires no explanation, and speaks for itself.
Jesus College, Cambridge,
March, 18--.
My dear Tutor,
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