the climate, and the conftitutions, genius, and natural difpofition of the inhabitants.

2.

The women in Turkey, Perfia, and all the Eaft are married at nine years of age, and are past child-bearing at twenty. I am ftrongly convinced, that in those countries, where, from the heat of the climate, the paflions of the men are violent to an extreme, it is a great happiness that the women are marriageable fo early, and are in the prime of their beauty, before their reafon is in its full ftrength; for what would be the confequence if the charms of their perfons and, their understanding were to bloom together ? By the united force of both, whole ftates and kingdoms would be overturned, and no government under fuch circumftances could ever be fixed on a folid founda tion. The great revolution in Perfia that happened in the last century, was brought about by, the intrigues, of the Sultana-mother, an old woman of eighteen, who most uncommonly had fome charms remaining. Nature however has in general provided better for the inhabitants of thofe countries, and the laws wifaly take care to confine the education of the women, that they fhould never be taught to read and write, bit that the whole fhould confift of mufic, dancing and embroidery.

was led into this train of reflections by the following letter, but cannot entirely agree with the writer; for as the paffions of the men in this cold climate are not quite fo ungovernable, there may not be fo much danger in cultivating the minds of the women. But, I forefee with terror, that the prefent mode of education will undoubtedly increase that empire of the females, which is too confpicuous in every family.

To

SIR,

To Mr. FLYN.

I think my felf a man of as good fenfe as the generality of those I converfe with. I carry on an extenfive bufinefs, and it I may judge by the profits, there is no deficiency in my understanding. As a friend, fon, brother, and mafter I am irreproachable, as well as in the common occurrences of life. The effect of all this was that I was happy till you intruded your curfed Speculations on the town; fince which I have not enjoyed one quiet day. I have never read a page except in a News-paper or Magazine fince I efcaped the hands of a barbarous mafter; I confefs the very fight of a book makes me fick in my ftomach.

I have unfortunately a ftrong fenfe of fhame and fome defire of fuperiority, if it could be obtained without too much trouble; yet I honeftly own I could be fully fatisfied with that comfortable feel, that repletion which good meat and old claret caufes, if I were not perpetually galled by the vociferous fupe-riority of other men, whofe conve: fation always takes its rife from your Speculations; and what is ftill worfe the plague is fpreading among the women, where I flattered my felf I could always find an agreeable refource, and raise myself as high by comparison as I was lowered by the men. How many hours of reft, little less refreshing than fleep, have I spent in their dear fociety; for the poor things did inceffantly talk of dancing, drefs, and domeftic occurrences, yet it was so pleasing an uniformity, fo grateful an inferiority, that I verily believe the opium the Turks chew, produces a less agreeable dulnefs; but fince the formidable THALESTRIS, and the infinuating AMANDA X 3 have

have broken the barrier of nature, it is become the fathion of every pert Mifs who scalds you by spilling her tea, or puts out your eye with her needle or fhuttle to excufe herfeif by declaring fle was fpecur lating. Nay, I am told,. the wives of mechanics are infected, and I can affure you the woman in whose houfe I lodge, leaves her children uncombed, hungry. and dirty, till she reads your paper, and then commits. fuch numerous mifnomers you would fwear fhe was a lunatic; the rest of the day is employed in goffiping. that he may communicate her fentiments to her neighbours,

fure to be in

In all the former part of my life never met with but one woman of this caft, and to do her justice fhe was pleafing from nature, if she had not been mired by what you call cultivating her underftanding. I never went to her house but with the greatest depreffion of fpirits, except when I met with two or three of my companions, who were doomed to spend the day there; and then the condor ling with them, and having a certainty of being kept in countenance gave me fome heat. If we escaped Larned fubjects at dinner, they were troduced with the bottle and glaffes. and confufion I was then in is not to be described; alhamed to fit filent, and dreading every moment she would make fome malicious application to me, till at length I found out an admirable expedient, the difcovery of which, I do not doubt, may highly contribute to the happiness of numbers, though from pride I never expect to reap the benefit of gratitude. It was to fiok my hands under the table, and turn my thumbs round each other, reckoning the times, and by my attention to the numbers, diverting it from the

The uneafiness

converfation

converfation in which I had too little inclination or ability to join; and now if I am not pleased in her söciety, I am at least not miferable.

I beseech you to confider that the bulk of mankind are at least as illiterate as I am, and by perfuading parents to give their daughters learning, you contribute to the happiness of a few, you destroy that of millions, as well as your

very humble fervant, T. FEARFUL...

*

No. 48. Thursday, September 13, 1770.

Non in fpecies fuccedere quatuor annum

Afpicis, ætatis peragentem imitamina noftræ ?

OVID.

To Mr. FLYN.

SIR,

A

r

*FTER having toiled for whole days through the pleafures of the Affizes week, I went to bed, heartily fick of a tiresome round of the faine amufements. ExcefLive weariness often prevents fleep, instead of producing it; and as I found this to be the cafe with me at that time, I fell into a train of reflections, moralizing on the different pursuits of mankind at the different ages of life, from childhood to old age: But this ftate did not laft long; fportive FANCY perfonified my ideas, and the chaos of images fleeting before ny eyes were foon reduced into form, order and regularity.

I thought

I thought myself in a vaft defert, which at firft fight appeared the mol barren, that could be conceived; but upon clofer examination I obferved violets, primrofes, daffodils and flowers of various kinds, fpringing up under my feet. The fun had juft rifen, and the scene became more agreeable every inftant. Extending my view further, 1 obferved young trees fhooting forth their leaves, the birds began to chirp on every bough, and cool zephyrs fanned the air. All nature fmiled, and the whole brought to my mind many beautiful defcriptions of the SPRING, IR which feafon the poets fuppofe all things to have been created.

At fome diftance I obferved a group of perfons, whom I fuppofed to be the inhabitants of the place. Approaching nearer, I faw in the midst a naked child. with the unmeaning finile of puerility ftrongly dif played in his countenance. His walk was unfteady, though he had two fupporters, whom I found were IGNORANCE and DOUBT. A band of motley beings, more gaudy than the painted wings of the butterfly, the FANCIES, led on by INNOCENCE and WONDER danced before him. There followed flowly behind two perfonages in grave habits, whom from their diftance I could hardly distinguish: They appeared afterwards to be REASON and TRUTH.

As I proceeded, the temperature of the air grew warmer, and the fun, advancing to his meridian altitude, darted his rays fiercely on me. Every thing had the appearance of SUMMER. The trees were in full bloom, and on every fide hung fruit of the moft tempting ripeness;

Each