New-York tribune., 1874-07-21
BRITISH TOPICS.
NOTES FROM LONDON.


REMBRANDT's HUNDRED GUIIDER PIECE
IrRox THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
LONDON, July S.-A singular controversy
going on between Miss Jex- Blake and the Edinburgh
University Examiners, who refused her a medical
degree has had the effect of eGciting letter from
Prof. Huxley bearing on a wider question. Miss
lex Blake accused the Examiners of prejudice ana
unfairness and says implies that the cause OF her
failure was not her ignorance, but her sex. The TX
aminers replied, justfyng themselves. Miss JeN-
Blake rejOned, and alleged among other thhgs 'haV
copies of her examination papers had oeeh SUI
,ntted 70 four experts in the particular sub
jects dealt with; that three OF the 1our
thought them up to the average and that the fourth,
Prof Huxley was unacquainted with the ordinary
requirements of this University and in pronouncing
against the paper submitted to him. judged 1t by an
unusual and unreasonable standard. Whatever be
thcmers of Miss JexBlakes case, it is certain that
she committed an 1mprudence when she threw down
challenge to so formidable a master of the arts of
controversy as Prof Huxley. He appears this morn
ing with letter which dispOses of Miss JeX-Blake,
10 far as he is concerned. DR.. Wyyille Thompson,
saws Prot. Huxley in refusing to pass Miss JeX-
Blakc's paper on Natural History, simply did his
duty take il therei is really no appeal from that
judcmCnt-none. l mean, to that public opinion
which Miss Jex Blake wishes to constitute into
tribunal in her case.
PROT Huxley's letter, however, would probably
never have been written merely for the sake OF
siloncing Miss Jex-Blake (which is probably beyond
mortal pOwer 1t is in fact manifesto in favor of
higher education for women, professional or other,
and the discussion which DR.. MaudSley entered upon
here in The FOrtRigkIy, with his remarkable physio-
logical argument against the effort for the cO-eduea
On of the sexes is certain to take fresh start frc4
Prof Huxleys standpoint He explains TO Miss
D al, l., Il IL, .f-faa
against her carse that if he has prejudice 1t lies
in the opposite direction. l suspect however, that
neither side will be entirely pleased with Prof.
Huxley's position. He will amaze and disgust
the extremists on one side by his declaration that
h. sees no reason to believe that are on the
average so strong physically intellectually or
morally. as men. He viii equally surprise the ex-
usoust by his refusal to shut his eyes, as he says,
~ the obvious fact that many women are much bet
Ter endowed in all these respects than many men,
and his failure 10 understand on what grounds of
justice public policy career which is open to the
weakest and most foolish of the male sex should be
forcbly closed to women of vigor and capacity
The concluding paragraph of Prof. Huxleys letter
is as follows:
We have heard a great deal lately about the physical
disabilities OF women Some OF these alleged impedi-
DO lbt. really nherentn their organization
but ninetenths Of them are artIia-the products OF
their mode of lie. believe that nothing would tend
efcctualy get rid OF these creations of ideness,
wcariness and that overstmulauOn of the emotions
which palmer spoken days, used TO be called wantOn-
than far share OF healthy work directed towards
definite object, combined with equally fair share OF
healthy play during the Of adOlecence and those
who best acquainted with the requirements of an
average medical practitioner will fnd hardest TO be-
leyc that the attempt that standard is likely to
prove cxhaustng to ordinarily Intelligent and we'll
educated young woman.
Ii is jast possible that the average medical pTac-
tiioner7 Will understand that Prof Huxley respect
dor lim has Its limits.
When spoke in recent letter Of Nr. Whistler's
surpassing power as etcher, did not quite mean
that ne surpassed everybody now living He is GER
tainly among the first, but certainly not the first
iu European reputation. In England alone it would
he rash 10 say that Whistler stands quite level
with Seymour Hllen, while If we 90 across the
channel there are Foruuv, Meissonier, Jules Jacque-
mart. Bracquemond. and 4lameug, TO mention no
Others to whom Mr.. Whistler himself would coRcede
awdcr if not higher fame than his own. Probably
nothing done in this century surpaSses in technical
power Fllmengs copy, OF rather reproduction Of
Rembraudts famous Hundred Gullder Piece.
The original, always celebrated, has acquired an
exceptional reuown since proof in the first state
came to be sold in 1861 for El19J the highe, price
which any print had then lor has sincel fetched az
public sale. OF Tlameng's copy, NJ. Charles Blanc
said lately that if an early impression were placed
side by side with equally good impression of the
original, Rembrandt himself might be puzzled to say
which was his own work ana which was that of his
imItat0r And | have seen q well-known cOnuOis-
seur coming suddenly upon Flameng proof, stand
lost in wonder that an example OF the original
which he for a moment believed il to be-Shoud
occur in such fine condition. The same artist has
lust issued proofs of his etching of Rem
brandts Ronde de Mutt" picture which
for generations has been the admiration and
despair of artists and critics. and which
from the unsolyed puzzle OF the Of the light
IN it, and its wonderful effects of light peculiarly
fitted TO test the powers of an etcher. Early i'm
pressions of either OF these already difficult to
procure even at the extraordinary prices asked for
them might 60 to speak of some recent work
exhibited in Paris, but am getting beyond my pur-
pose What wish to make clear is only that Mr.
Whistler has yet to place himself above men like
those have mentioned. We have abundant reason
TO be satisfied with the fame he has achieved and
10 be proud of him American. without antici-
pating what higher rank he may hereafter win.
LIDO not hear of any English party being made up
for the Iceandic Millennal As usual Americans are
more interested in a European novelty than the
Europeans themselves, and-again as usual-Mr.
Cyrus Field finds energy aud leisure TO organize
expedition The means of communication between
Denmark OF Scotland and Iceland are always scanty.
A steamer sails twice month during the Summer,
but on the occasion of the jubilee the service has
been ingeniously arranged to prevent as many
people as possible from going. To be present
at all it would be necessary to be absent
nearly or quite two months. Possibly the
Danish Government have something to do with this,
for they preserve a ludicrous mystery about the