and intelligent Chriftians are not, when they join in fociety, to confider themselves as entering the lifts like intellectual prize-fighters, in order to exhibit their own vigour and dexterity, to difcomfit their adversary, and to bear away the palm of victory. Truth and not triumph fhould be the invariable obje; and there are few occafions in life, in which we are more unremittingly called upon to watch ourfelves narrowly, and to refift the affaults of various temptations, than in converfation. Vanity, jealoufy, envy, mifrepresentation, refentment, disdain, levity, impatience, infincerity, and pride, will in turn folicit to be gratified. Conftantly to struggle against the defire of being thought more wife, more witty, and more knowing, than those with whom we affociate, demands the inceffant exertion of Chriftian vigilance; a vigilance which the generality are far from fufpecting to be at all neceffary in the intercourfe of common fociety. On the contrary, cheerful converfation is rather confidered as an exemption and release from watchfulness, than as an additional obligation to it. But a circumfpect foldier of Chrift will never be off his poft; even when he is not called to public combat by the open affaults of his great fpiritual enemy, he must still be acting as a centinel, for the dangers of an ordinary Christian will arife more from thefe little fkirmishes which are daily happening in the warfare of human life, than from thofe pitched battles which more rarely occur, and for which he will probably think it fufficient to be armed.

But fociety, as was observed before, is not a ftage on which to throw down our gauntlet, and prove our own prowess by the number of falls we give to our adverfary; fo far from it, true good-breeding as well as Christianity, confiders as an indifpenfable requifite for converfation, the difpofition to bring forward to notice any talent in others, which their own modefty, or confcious inferiority, would lead them to keep back. To do this with effect requires a penetration exercifed to difcern merit, and a generous candour which delights in drawing it out. There are few who cannot converfe tolerably on fome one topic; what that is, we should try to discover, and in general introduce that topic,

though to the fuppreffion of any one in which we our felves are fuppofed to excel and however fuperior we may be in other refpects to the perfons in question, we may, perhaps, in that particular point, improve by them, or if we do not gain information, we fhall at leaft gain a wholefome exercife to our humility and felf-denial; we fhall be reftraining our own impetuofity; we fhall, if we take this course on juft occafions only, and fo as to beware left we gratify the vanity of others, be giving confidence to a doubting, or cheerfulness to a depreffed fpirit. And to place a just remark, hazarded by the diffident, in the moft advantageous point of view; to call the attention of the inattentive, the forward, and the felf fufficient, to the unobtrusive merit of fome quiet perfon in the company, who, though of much worth, is perhaps of little note; thefe are requifites for converfation, lefs brilliant, but far more valuable, than the power of exciting bursts of laughter by the brighteft wit, or of extorting admiration by the most poignant fallies of ridicule.

Wit is, of all the qualities of the female mind, that which requires the fevereft caftigation; yet the temperate exercife of this fafcinating quality throws an additional luftre round the character of an amiable woman; for to manage with difcreet modefty a dangerous talent, confers an higher praife than can be claimed by thofe from whom the abfence of the talent removes the temptation to mifemploy it. To women, wit is a peculiarly perilous poffeffion, which nothing fhort of the fober-mindedness of Religion can keep in fubjection; and perhaps there is fcarcely any one or der of human beings that requires the powerful curb of Christian control more than women whofe genius has this tendency. Intemperate wit craves admiration as its natural aliment;, it lives on flattery as its daily bread. The profeffed wit is an hungry beggar, fubfift ing on the extorted alms of perpetual panegyric; and like the vulture in the Grecian fable, the appetite increases by indulgence. Simple truth and fober approbation become taftelefs and infipid to the palate daily. vitiated by the delicious poignancies of exaggerated commendation. Under the above restrictions, how

ever, wit may be fafely and pleasantly exercifed; for chuftifed wit is an elegant and well-bred, and not unfeminine quality. But bumour, efpecially if it degenerate into imitation, or mimicry, is very fparingly to be ventured on; for it is fo difficult totally to detach it from the fufpicion of buffoonery, that a woman will be likely to lofe more of that delicacy which is her appropriate grace, and without which every other quality lofes its charm, than fhe will gain in another way in the eyes of the judicious, by the moft fuccessful dif play of humour.

A woman of genius, if the have true humility, will not defpife thofe leffer arts which she may not happen to poffefs, even though the be fometimes put to the trial of having her fuperior mental endowments overlooked, while she is held cheap for being deftitute of fome more ordinary accomplishment. Though the rebuke of Themistocles was just to one who thought that fo great a General and politician fhould employ his time like an effeminate Lutinift, yet he would probably have made a different anfwer if he had happened: to understand music.

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If it be true that fome women are too apt to affect brilliancy and display in their own difcourfe, and to undervalue the more humble pretenfions of lefs fhowy characters; it must be confeffed alfo, that fome of more ordinary abilities are now and then guilty of the oppofite error, and foolishly affect to value themfelves on not making ufe of the understanding they really posfefs; and affect to be thought even more filly than - they are. They exhibit no fmall fatisfaction in ridiculing women of high intellectual endowments, while they exclaim with much affected humility, and much real envy, that "they are thankful they are not geni "ufes." Now, though we are glad to hear gratitude expreffed on any occafion, yet the want of fenfe is really no fuch great mercy to be thankful for; and it would indicate a better fpirit, were they to pray to be enabled to make a right ufe of the moderate under

Can you play on the lute?" faid a certain Athenian to Themif Encles. "No," replied he, but I can make a little village a great City"!

ftanding they poffefs, than to expose with a too visible pleasure the imaginary or real defects of their more thining acquaintance. Women of the brighteft facul ties fhould not only "bear thofe faculties meekly," but fhould confider it as no derogation, cheerfully to fulfil thofe humbler offices which make up the business and the duties of common life, while they fhould always take into the account the nobler exertions as well as the higher refponibility attached to higher gifts. In the mean time women of lower attainments should exert to the utmost fuch abilities as Providence has af-. figned them; and while they fhould not deride excellencies which are above their reach, they fhould not defpond at an inferiority which did not depend on themselves; nor, becaufe God has denied them ten talente, fhould they forget that they are equally refponfible for the one he has allotted them, but fet about devoting that one with humble diligence to the glory of the Giver.

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Vanity, however, is not the monopoly of talents. Let not a young lady, therefore, fancy that she is humble, merely because the is not ingenious, or confider the abfence of talents as the criterion of worth. mility is not the exclufive privilege of dullness. Folly is as conceited as wit, and ignorance many a time outftrips knowledge in the race of vanity. Equally earneft competitions fpring from causes lefs worthy to excite them than wit and genius. Vanity infinuates itfelf into the female heart under a variety of unfufpected forms, and is on the watch to enter it by feizing on many a little pafs which was not thought worth guarding.

Who has not feen as reftlefs emotion agitate the features of an anxious matron, while peace and fame hung trembling in doubtful suspence on the fuccefs of a foup or a fauce, on which fentence was about to be pronounced by fome confummate critic, as could have been excited by any competition for literary renown, or any ftruggle for contefted wit? Anxiety for fame is by no means measured by the real value of the object purfued, but by the degree of eftimation in which it is held by the purfuer. Nor was the illuftrious hero

of Greece more effectually hindered from fleeping by the trophies of Miltiades, than many a modifh damfel by the eclipfing fuperiority of fome newer decoration exhibited by her more fuccefsful friend.

There is another fpecies of vanity in fome women which difguifes itfelf under the thin vail of an affected humility; they will accufe themselves of fome fault from which they are remarkably exempt, and lament the want of fome talent which they are rather notorious for poffeffing. Now though the wifeft are commonly the most humble, and those who are freest from faults are moft forward in confeffing error; yet the practice we are cenfuring is not only a clumfy trap for praife, but there is a difingenuous intention, by renouncing a quality they eminently poffefs, to gain credit for others in which they are really deficient. All affectation involves a fpecies of deceit. The Apostle when he enjoins, "not to think of ourselves "more highly than we ought," does not exhort us to think falfely of ourselves, but to think "foberly;" and it is worth obferving that in this injunction he does not ufe the word speak, but think, inferring poffibly, that it would be fafer to speak little of ourselves or not at all; for it is fo far from being an unequivocal proof of our humility to talk even of our defects, that while we make felf the fubject, (in whatever way,) felf-love contrives to be gratified, and will even be content that our faults fhould be talked of, rather than that we should not be talked of at all. Some are alfo attacked with fuch proud fits of humility, that while they are ready to accuse themselves of almost every fin in the lump, they yet take fire at the imputation of the flighteft individual fault; and inftantly enter upon their own vindication as warmly as if you, and not themselves, had brought forward the charge. The truth is, they ventured to condemn themfelves, in the full confidence that you would contradict their felf-accufation; the laft thing they intended was that you fhould believe them, and they are never fo much piqued and difappointed as when they are taken at their word.

Of the various thapes and undefined forms into which vanity branches out in converfation, there is no

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