It is pleasant to record that this woman of masculine mind, masculine energy and masculine genius, far from being mannish or unwomanly, was, on the contrary, a woman of a truly feminine heart; and that, although a giantess in intellectual attainments, she was in grace and charm and delicacy of sentiment one of the noblest types of beautiful womanhood. She could with the greatest ease turn from a lecture on Abel's Functions or a research on Saturn's rings to the writing of verse in French or of a novel in Russian or to collaborating with her friend, the Duchess of Cajanello, on a drama in Swedish, or to making a lace collar for her little daughter, Fouzi, to whom she was most tenderly attached.[133]
Little more than a quarter of a century has elapsed since Strindberg, expressing the sentiment of the great majority of the men of his time, declared that a woman professor of mathematics is a monstrosity. But during this short period what a change has been effected in the attitude of the world toward women who devote themselves to the study and the teaching of science! Women mathematicians are found to-day in all civilized countries, and no sane person now considers it any more "unwomanly" or more "monstrous" for them to study or teach mathematics than for them to teach music or needlework. Yet more. They are now frequent contributors to mathematical magazines and to the official bulletins of learned societies, and not infrequently they are on the editorial staffs of publications devoted exclusively to mathematics. They are also found as computers in some of the largest astronomical observatories, where the speed and accuracy of their work have evoked the most favorable comment.
Of women in America, who have distinguished themselves by their work in the higher mathematics, it suffices to mention the name of Miss Charlotte Angas Scott, recently deceased, who was for years professor of mathematics in the College of Bryn Mawr. Her writings on various problems of the higher mathematics show that she faithfully followed in the footsteps of her illustrious predecessors,—Hypatia, Agnesi, du Châtelet, Germain, Somerville and Kovalévsky.
FOOTNOTES:
[108] "Ipse mulieres Philosophas in libris Veterum sexaginta quinque reperi," Historia Mulierum Philosopharum, p. 3, Amstelodami, 1692.
[109] Plato had inscribed above the entrance of his school, Ουδεις αγεωμετρητος εισιτη. Let no one enter here who is not a geometer.
[110] Menagius in referring to this matter, op. cit., p. 37, writes as follows: "Meritrices Græcas plerasque humanioribus literis et mathematicis disciplinis operam dedisse notat Athenæus."
[111] The sentiment of the Greek epigram is well expressed in the following Latin verses:
"Quando intueor te, adoro, et sermones,
Virginis domum sideream intuens.
E coelis enim tua sunt opera,
Hypatia casta, sermonum venustas,
Impollutum astrum sapientis doctrinæ."
[112] Among modern works on Hypatia may be mentioned Hypatia, die Philosophin von Alexandria, by St. Wolt, Vienna, 1879; Hypatia von Alexandria, by W. A. Meyer, Heidelberg, 1886; Ipazia Alessandrina, by D. Guido Bigoni, Venize, 1887, and De Hypatia, by B. Ligier, Dijon, 1879.