: fondness for him this would be a profanation of love and a woman capable of fuch abject deceit, I thould look upon as capable of the most determined bafenefs. If his crimes have hardened hin, it will be in vain for you to attempt his reformation : but while you lament his depravity, you are left at liberty to spend your own time as you think proper. The gratifications of fociety, and the fecrecy of folitude, are now equally in your power; please yourself and be content. If gaiety and diffi-. pation are your purfuits; it cannot be denied that they are flight counterpoifes for domeftic felicity but as the latter is entirely out of your reach, you should endeavour to make yourself eafy. It is your own judgment alone that muft lead you to obtaining that tranquility: which you may poffibly find in the exulting joy of fuccouring virtue in diftrefs, merit in indigence and obfcurity; in wiping tears from the eyes of affliction, and in making the widow's heart to leap for joy. The ferene complacency which fprings in a good mind, on the exertion of benevolent principles, cannot be defcribed; like the peace of God, it paffeth knowledge. The poet fays, It is a joy poffefs'd by few indeed! Dame Fortune has fo many fools to feed, ARMSTRONG. Thus you may evince the reality of your feelings, whilft it is in vain for others in lefs affluent circumftances to manifeft their benevolence as they wish Thus alfo, may you torn your husband's (ill-acquired) perishable goods of fortune, into real bleffings. Wealth not only gilds the prefent moments as they pafs; but like the fun, conftantly fupplies thofe rays which cherish all on whom they fall, and conftitute an uninterrupted series of felicity in the bofom of that perfon from whom they proceed : whilft, on the contrary, the weight of poverty not only diftreffes a perfon for the prefent, but may perhaps prevent him from emerging into happiness, and others from participating of that benevolence, which warrants the means of exemplifying its fincerity. What must the poor man fuffer, when the eye of friendship becomes inverted by his misfortunes in the world, and where he looks in vain around him for the benevolence of fympathy, and the confolations of human attachment." Thefe Letters in general difcover the author to have great knowledge of the world, and that her observations have been made with much difcernment, She feems to have improved a natural acutenefs of judgment both by reading and reflection, Confidered as a female writer, (we beg pardon of the ladies for this diftinction) her acquaintance with ancient authors is extraordinary, and the folidity of her remarks might do honour to those of the other fex. From the approbation which this production will probably receive from the public, we cannot but entertain a hope of being foon informed to whom we are indebted for a novel in which virtue and good fenfe are fo confpicuously blended, and where entertainment is fo much enriched with juft and useful obfervations on human life. VII, The Character and Conduct of the Female Sex, and the Ad- Cadell, Lo ORD Chesterfield, among other reflections on women, has very farcaftically obferved, that their converfation is only an entertaining tattle" that is, we are to fuppofe, a little frivolous difcourfe on the weather, the news of the day, the faux pas of ladies in the confpicuous walks of life, the bon ton, the public places, the fashions of the feafon; and when thefe general topics are exhaufted, the elegance of a gown, an apron, a muff, a cap, or a feather. He therefore tells us, that." a man of fenfe only trifles with them, plays with them, flatters and humours them; treating them as he does a prightly forward child." Women then, according to his lordship's ideas, are only what Dryden, with equal propriety, calls the men,"children of a larger growth;" and confequently, the employment of the two fexes, when they meet, can be only trifling, or playing, or infignificant chit-chat †. But the fage divine in thefe difcourfes, endeavours to raise the minds of his young difciples above thefe levities, affuring them that there is an intellectual, moral, and spiritual intercourse, which ought to fubfift between the two fexes." This, we confefs, is a fublime, but, we are afraid, a fruitlefs attempt. It is indeed hardly poffible, in any degree, to - confine the young, gay, giddy, feathered part of our fpecies to a spiritual intercourse. It will be an extraordinary acquifition, if he can promote fuch an intellectual communication between their grandfathers and grandmothers. # Let, 129: That is, the chat of chits. But But be this as it may, the ladies are obliged to Dr. Fordyce for his vindication of their character and conduct. It is certain, he fays, that favages, and those who are but little removed from their condition, have feldom behaved to women with much refpect or tenderness. On the other hand, it is known, that in civilized nations they have ever been ob jects of both; that, in the most heroic ftates of antiquity, their judgement was often honoured as the ftandard, and their fuffrages often fought as the reward, of merit; and though in those ftates the allurement of feminine foftnefs was perhaps not always fufficiently understood, owing probably to that paffion for public interefts, and extenfive fame, which feems to have overpowered all other emotions; it muft yet be acknowledged, that the ladies of ancient days frequently poffeffed a wonderful influence in what concerned the political welfare, and private affections, of the people to whom they belonged. But fay, my friends, does it not reflect fome luftre on the fair fex, thất their talents and virtues have ftill been moft revered in periods of the greatest renown? And tell me, I beseech you, what age or country, diftinguished in the annals of fame, has not received a part of that diftinction from the numbers of women, whom it produced, confpicuous for their virtues and their talents? Look at this, in which you live; does it not derive a very confiderable fhare of its reputation from the female pens, that eminently adorn it? Look into the hiftory of the world at large; do not you find, that the female fex have, in a variety of ways, contributed largely to many of its most important events? Look into the great machine of fociety, as it moves before you do not you perceive, that they are ftill among its principal fprings? Do not their characters and manners deeply affect the paffions of men, the interefts of education, and those domestic scenes, where fo much of life is past, and with which its happiness or mifery is fo intimately blended? Confult your own experience, and confefs, whether you are not touched by almost every thing they do, or fay, or look: confefs, whether their very foibles, and follies, do not often intereft, and fometimes please you?' In this extract some of the author's arguments, in favour of women, are unguarded and equivocal. It is allowed, that a general tenderness and refpect for the fair fex is a criterion of national politenefs and refinement of manners. It is admitted, that this country is adorned by the writings of many ingenious ladies now living; fuch as, Macaulay, Carter, Montagu, Brooke, Lennox, Barbauld, and many others. But when our author obferves, that women have contributed largely to many of the most important events,' the lampooners of the fex will be apt to reply: it is true, women have been the cause of many memorable revolutions, "Who "Who was't betray'd the capitol? a woman. You are touched, fays the author, by almost every thing they do, or fay, or look: their very foibles and follies often intereft and fometimes please you.'-Granted. But this obfervation only proves, that women are often pleafing trifiers, and men fimple inamoratos. The doctor indeed feems to have had an early partiality for the ladies; but he was not one of thofe fimple fwains, who are pleafed with foibles and follies.' His admiration was founded on fublimer principles. • As for ourselves, fays he, we do not think it requires much fortitude to confefs our having felt an early predilection for good and amiable women. It proceeded from an early observation of the modefty which always adorns their deportment, of the ele gance and vivacity which often diftinguish their converfation, and of that delightful intereft which the tender affections, and attractive manners, found among the most valuable of the fex, are peculiarly adapted to create in hearts of the least feeling. Nor has our opinion in their favour, or our attachment to their fociety, been leffened, by longer experience, in any greater proportion than there is reafon to apprehend the pleafing fenfibilities, and flattering ideas, of youth on most other fubjects, will naturally be lowered in the progrefs of life.' In this paragraph the author defcribes the pleasing fenfibilities, which he has occafionally felt in a Spiritual intercourfe with good and amiable women: in the following paffage he contrafts thefe fine perceptions with the fordid pleasures, which libertines enjoy in the fociety of courtezans. Tell us, ye votaries of Vice, ye who paint her with the fmiling afpect of pleasure, poffeffed of unrivalled attractions, furrounded with inexhaustible ftores of delight, tell us, we con, jure you, what he has to offer, as a proper compenfation for the abfence of that ineffable charm which attends the image of female innocence and fweetness? But we appeal to more competent judges; to fuch as have tried both fides, made the comparifon, and fixed their choice for the better part. Let them decide, whether, next to the joy arifing from a consciousness of virtue in their own breafts, there be any equal to the contemplation of her faireft forms in the behaviour of others; of thofe women in particular, from whofe powers to please, to captivate, in nameless irresistible ways, the derives an additional lovelinefs. • Have any of you, my young auditors, worn away, by a courfe of riot, your fenfibility to the enchantment you formerly found found in fuch company? I pity you from my foul. I fay not merely, that you have loft one of the finest perceptions of the mind: I go farther, and aver, that you are eftranged from the moft elegant enjoyments of the heart, from its tendereft wishes, its fofteft anxieties, its fweeteft hopes. The fuperior endearments of female friendship, the triumphant fenfe of poffeffing the affection of an intelligent and worthy woman, you, fir, you are condemned never to know. Go, thou wretched man, and try if thou canst fill up their place by the mercenary careffes of prostitutes, and the applaufes of unattached, unfeeling, hollow-hearted libertines. But I turn from fo fad a furvey to thofe happy youths who have hitherto escaped fuch contaminating influence, As it is probable, that most of you will, after the confinement of the fchool, of the college, of an apprenticeship, or of whatever other early ftudy, pafs much of your time in the company of women, it deeply imports you to confider, with what fort of women you fhould affociate. The infinite mischiefs attendant on communication with thofe miferable females, who have forfeited their honour, I will not now attempt to relate. At present I will take it for granted, that the fons of reafon fhould converfe only with the daughters of virtue.' Our author, having ftigmatized the profligate part of the fair fex, and cautioned his young friends against their contaminating influence, makes the following juft remark, in extenuation of their criminality. With regard to the greater part of them, is it not some mitigation of their guilt, and fhould it not obtain fome compaffion for their frailty, that their natural folicitude to engage the attention and tenderness of the men has been turned into a handle for their deftruction? Their fond imaginations have been set on fire by obfequioufnefs, and courtship, and adulation, and promifes, and proteftations, and prefents, and vows without end. And all the while, perhaps, they have been without a parent to protect, or a friend to warn them. Of those who have parents, and friends as they are called, how few are the happier for that circumftance! how many are much the more to be pitied! thofe very perfons, God knows, being frequently fo worthlefs, as to encourage, if not to inftruct them in vice and impiety.. That women, who have gone aftray, fhould fometimes run to exceffes, beyond the ordinary limits of male tranfgreffion, may perhaps be accounted for from the vivacity peculiar to the fex; from a wish to efcape, by the violence and rapidity of their career, that reflection which men have many more ways of eluding; and, may we not add, from that paffion for attracting notice by fome means or other, which, after burfling the bounds of duty and decorum, hopes to effect its purpofe by fugularity in wickedness, and audacity of manners ? |