Emily Davies to Mme Bodichon, London, 20 November 1867
Title
Emily Davies to Mme Bodichon, London, 20 November 1867
Title
Emily Davies to Mme Bodichon, London, 20 November 1867
Sender
Emily Davies
Recipient
Mme Bodichon
Date(s)
- 1867-11-20
Place
London
Letter Content
Emily Davies to Mme Bodichon, London, 20 November 1867
MS: Girton College, Cambridge. Envelope: Miss Davies | 17 Cunningham Place | N.W. Postmark: ST. JOHNS WOOD. SO | NO 20 | 67.
7 Cunningham Place. N.W.
November 20th 1867.
My dear Mrs. Bodichon
I went to see Mrs. Lewes yesterday, and we had a long and most interesting talk about the College. The first thing she touched upon was the religious question, on which we very quickly came to an understanding. I told her my idea was that if we kept on the same platform as Cambridge, we should share any changes which might be made as public opinion changes, and that we could not have a better security for liberality. She quite agreed and repeated it all afterwards to Mr. Lewes who also agreed. They thought it desirable however that a sentence should be inserted in the Programme about prayers, by way of showing that we do not intend to have a Chapel or Chaplain. She thought it most desirable that we should attach ourselves to Cambridge and get their Degrees if possible, but at the same time approved of the proviso that the exam[inatio]ns should not be compulsory. She also strongly approves of having women only as resident authorities, and thought that people who recommended a man and his wife could not have much knowledge of life. It was delightful to find her taking such a warm interest in the whole thing. She said she thought the higher education of women was the thing about which there could be no doubt.
I told Mrs. Lewes what Emily Blackwell 766 had proposed to you, about your £1000, namely to withdraw the condition about Miss Blackwell, and to substitute two, first that the £1000 should not be paid till the whole £30,000 had been received, and second that a promise should be made to provide for teaching hygiene. The first condition we both thought very good. The second is more difficult. Miss E. Blackwell told me that she should think it a sufficient security if the Committee would pass the enclosed Resolution. I doubt very much however whether they would, and Mrs. Lewes thinks that they ought not. She says that the principles of
Hygiene are so few and so simple that anybody could learn them from a book like Combe, 767 without a teacher, and that the sanitary influence of the College must depend upon the resident authorities. Of course she holds as strongly as anybody the necessity of obedience to the laws of health, especially for women. The only question is about the means. She thinks that it is by the formation of habits in the College, not by direct teaching.
After we had been talking about this for some time, she fetched Mr. Lewes, who took exactly the same view. He thought it desirable to have some teaching of the laws of life, but that, he said, would come under Zoology. They both said we could not have a Professor of Hygiene, and that the reason people make themselves ill is that they wilfully do what they know to be unhealthy. Mr. Lewes thought the only thing we could do would be to insert a sentence in the Programme, to the effect that we do not mean to infringe the laws of health, and Mrs. Lewes suggested that it might be brought in among the duties of the resident authorities. I think I see my way to putting in a sentence of this sort, in the last paragraph but one.
I am anxious that it should be possible to accept your £1000 at the outset, because this is the only way, as you will not be on the Committee, 768 that you can be counted among the founders of the College. If you wait to see whether we do things in a proper manner, we shall not be able to reckon you among the believing few, who walk by faith and not by sight. It is quite clear to me that if the thing is to be done at all, there must be, not only faith in the idea, but trust in the people who are to carry it out. I have no doubt at all now that we shall do it. It is only a question of a little sooner or later and a more or less beautiful building, and so on. But you know how much pleasure it would give me to feel to be doing it with you, who have believed in this idea from the very first. . . . [About two pages omitted.]
I will not trouble you with a longer letter. Miss Blackwell gave a pretty good account of you. It is something to be getting on, however slowly.
The bit of blue was a little darker than the Cambridge blue. 769
Ever y[ou]rs affec[tionate]ly,
Emily Davies.
MS: Girton College, Cambridge. Envelope: Miss Davies | 17 Cunningham Place | N.W. Postmark: ST. JOHNS WOOD. SO | NO 20 | 67.
7 Cunningham Place. N.W.
November 20th 1867.
My dear Mrs. Bodichon
I went to see Mrs. Lewes yesterday, and we had a long and most interesting talk about the College. The first thing she touched upon was the religious question, on which we very quickly came to an understanding. I told her my idea was that if we kept on the same platform as Cambridge, we should share any changes which might be made as public opinion changes, and that we could not have a better security for liberality. She quite agreed and repeated it all afterwards to Mr. Lewes who also agreed. They thought it desirable however that a sentence should be inserted in the Programme about prayers, by way of showing that we do not intend to have a Chapel or Chaplain. She thought it most desirable that we should attach ourselves to Cambridge and get their Degrees if possible, but at the same time approved of the proviso that the exam[inatio]ns should not be compulsory. She also strongly approves of having women only as resident authorities, and thought that people who recommended a man and his wife could not have much knowledge of life. It was delightful to find her taking such a warm interest in the whole thing. She said she thought the higher education of women was the thing about which there could be no doubt.
I told Mrs. Lewes what Emily Blackwell 766 had proposed to you, about your £1000, namely to withdraw the condition about Miss Blackwell, and to substitute two, first that the £1000 should not be paid till the whole £30,000 had been received, and second that a promise should be made to provide for teaching hygiene. The first condition we both thought very good. The second is more difficult. Miss E. Blackwell told me that she should think it a sufficient security if the Committee would pass the enclosed Resolution. I doubt very much however whether they would, and Mrs. Lewes thinks that they ought not. She says that the principles of
Hygiene are so few and so simple that anybody could learn them from a book like Combe, 767 without a teacher, and that the sanitary influence of the College must depend upon the resident authorities. Of course she holds as strongly as anybody the necessity of obedience to the laws of health, especially for women. The only question is about the means. She thinks that it is by the formation of habits in the College, not by direct teaching.
After we had been talking about this for some time, she fetched Mr. Lewes, who took exactly the same view. He thought it desirable to have some teaching of the laws of life, but that, he said, would come under Zoology. They both said we could not have a Professor of Hygiene, and that the reason people make themselves ill is that they wilfully do what they know to be unhealthy. Mr. Lewes thought the only thing we could do would be to insert a sentence in the Programme, to the effect that we do not mean to infringe the laws of health, and Mrs. Lewes suggested that it might be brought in among the duties of the resident authorities. I think I see my way to putting in a sentence of this sort, in the last paragraph but one.
I am anxious that it should be possible to accept your £1000 at the outset, because this is the only way, as you will not be on the Committee, 768 that you can be counted among the founders of the College. If you wait to see whether we do things in a proper manner, we shall not be able to reckon you among the believing few, who walk by faith and not by sight. It is quite clear to me that if the thing is to be done at all, there must be, not only faith in the idea, but trust in the people who are to carry it out. I have no doubt at all now that we shall do it. It is only a question of a little sooner or later and a more or less beautiful building, and so on. But you know how much pleasure it would give me to feel to be doing it with you, who have believed in this idea from the very first. . . . [About two pages omitted.]
I will not trouble you with a longer letter. Miss Blackwell gave a pretty good account of you. It is something to be getting on, however slowly.
The bit of blue was a little darker than the Cambridge blue. 769
Ever y[ou]rs affec[tionate]ly,
Emily Davies.
Signature
Emily Davies.
Citation
Emily Davies, Emily Davies to Mme Bodichon, London, 20 November 1867, Complete George Eliot Letters(2026), George Eliot Archive, edited by Beverley Park Rilett. https://GeorgeEliotArchive.org, Accessed September 7, 2026. https://georgeeliotarchive.org/items/show/91828