Daily Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1876-1884, 1882-02-10
THE INNER PENETRALIA.
a Reporter Of the Herald Attends, in Disguise,
Mrs. DR.. Pottss Lectures to Ladies Only
Interesting Disquisition.

| heporter Oh the deraid Attends, IN DISGUISE
Mrs. DR.. Potts's Lectures to Ladies Only
Interesting Disquisition.
Readers of the HERALD know
that, yesterday afternoon, the
gifted lady psychologist, Mrs. DR..
Anna M. L. Potts, was advertised to
deliver lecture to ladies only, in
the Fort street Methodist Episco-
pal Church. On consultation in
this office 1t was determined that,
at all hazards, u representative of
the HERALD should be present.
How to accomplish this much de-
sired object was subject for de-
bate with the very robust and ro-
tund staff, until, finally, it was re-
membered that Miss Losee was of
marked rotunaity, which favored
the Disguise. Personating Miss
Losee, who is now in San Diego,
the HERALD was fully represented.
1t would perhaps be invidious to
take advantage of this subterfuge
to the extent of reproducing DR..
Potts's lecture in its minuti@. Our
reporter has therefore discreetly
cOntented himself with special
and interesting phase of this most
notable discourse.
DR.. Potts began her observations
pertaining to the fairer portion of
mankind by stating that woman,
in all highly intellectual phases of
civilization, was u conseerated and
eclectic being. The very weakness
which, in certain European coun-
tries, like Germany, Russia aud
portions Of France and Scandins-
via, made the sex the slave of the
robust and calleus portion Of the
race, known as man, In highly re.
fined eras and amongst the more
refined populations made her the
arbiter in politics, and the dicta-
tress in all matters Of moment.
Even in the height of the Athen.
ian age the greatest philosophers
of Greece and the world had
been content to cit at the feet of
Aspasis, Socrates being Of the
number. At time when the Re-
man Empire was at it's zenith Zs-
nobia, the Queen Of Palmyra, was
the most Interesting feature of an
era characterized by virility and
enterprise. She referred to the
chronicles of Gibbon to show how
absolutely this matchless ruler
kept her husband in subjection.
Not being disposed to ignore de-
scendants of the Angle-Saxon race,
she alluded to the robust Boadicea;
and, In the same vein, she pointed
out how the Grecian chronicles had
anticipated this British paragon in
Pentbesiles, the Queen of the Am
azons, who rode q horse, spear in
hand, In way that made the ira
ditl0n of the Centaur seem q pro-
saic reality. Pursuing her histor-
zeal parallels, DR.. Potts came down
to the age in which Christianity
encountered Mohammeda nism, and
gave the dominion of Europe to
the Cross. Sine pointed out how,
by the union Of the giantess Der.
tha-a thorough woman in every
respect-with the robust dwaiiI
Pepin, sprang Charlemagne. the
great character of all HI. ury,
Julius Cesar and the Great NapO.
leon excepted.
After a brief review of the phe-
nomenal and glorious career OF the
Maid OF Orleans, Mrs. DR.. Potts
showed, by a remarkable series of
characters, embracing Mary Queen
OF SCOTS, Queen Elizabeth and
Catharine de Medicis, how thor
oughly woman has impressed her.
self upon the gravest phases of hu.
man history. When regard is had
to the succession OF powerful wo-
men, embracing even such Ques-
tiOnable characters as the Duchess
Du Barry, the Duchess de POM
padour and the Russian Empires
Catharine, with admirable women
like Madame de Maintenon. the
morganatic wife Of Louis XIV.
ssndwiched between them, it is
small wonder that It has grown
into an axiom, when any trouble
has occurred, that there Is
woman in it. The lecturer con.
graduated herself upon the fact
that, Of later days, women, instead
of being the prime movers in in
trigues and affairs of state, have
gone into the Held Of philanthropy
and physics. There they have de.
veloped energies which throw into
the background the Phrynnes,
Aspasias, Zenobias, Bondiceas OF
old, and their later sisterhood, of
the court and camp.
The eloquent lecturer showed
that she had q thorough grasp of
the possibilities of her sex, and the
purely physiological portions Of
her lecture we suppose. They are
her property and we would not for
the world invade this sacred do
main. OF one thing We may be
certain, and that Is that DR.. Potts's
lectures, from the opening sentence