"exquifite happiness or exquifite mifery;" this, though not equally finful, is equally delufive for marriage is only one modification of human life, and human life is not commonly in itself a state of exquifite extremes; but is for the moft part that mixed and moderate ftate, fo naturally dreaded by those who set out with fancying this world a state of raptures, and fo naturally expected by thofe who know it to be a ftate of probation and difcipline. Marriage, therefore, is only one condition, and often the best condition, of that imperfect state of being, which, though feldom very exquifite, is often very tolerable; and which may yield much comfort to thofe who do not look for conftant tranfport. But unfortunately, those who find themselves disappointed of the unceasing raptures they had anticipated in marriage, difdaining to fet down with fo poor a provifion as comfort, and fcorning the acceptance of that moderate lot which Providence commonly beftows with a view to check defpondency, and to reprefs prefumption; give themfelves up to the other alternative; and, by abandoning their hearts to difcontent, make to themselves that mifery with which their fervid imaginations had filled the oppofite scale.

The truth is, these young ladies are very apt to pick up their opinions, lefs from the divines than the poets; and the poets, though it must be confeffed they are fome of the best embellifhers of life, are not quite the fafeft conductors through it. In travelling through a wildernefs, though we avail ourselves of the harmony of finging birds to render the groves delightful, yet we never think of following them as guides to conduct us through its labyrinths.

Those women, in whom the natural defects of a warm temper have been ftrengthened by an education which fofters their faults, are very dexterous in availing themfelves of a hint, when it favours a ruling inclination, fooths vanity, indulges indolence, or gratifies their love of power. They have heard fo often from their favourite fentimental authors, and their more flattering male friends, "that when Nature denied them "ftrength, the gave them fafcinating graces in compen "fation that their strength consists in their weak

nefs;" and that "they are endowed with arts of perfuafion which fupply the abfence of force, and the place of reafon ;" that they learn, in time to pride hemselves on that very weaknefs, and to become vain of their imperfections; till at length they begin to claim for their defects, not only pardon, but admiration. Hence they acquire an habit of cherishing a species of feeling, which if not checked, terminates in exceffive selfishnefs; they learn to produce their inability to bear contradiction as a proof of their tenderness; and to indulge in that fort of irritability in all that relates to themselves, which inevitably leads to the utter exclufion of all intereft in the fufferings of others. Instead of exercising their fenfibility in the wholefome duty of relieving diftrefs, and vifiting fcenes of forrow, that fenfibility itself is pleaded as a reason for their not being able to endure fights of woe, and for fhunning the diftrefs it fhould be exerted in removing. That exquifite fenfe of feeling which God implanted in the heart as a ftimulus to quicken us in relieving the miseries of others, is thus introverted, and learns to confider felf not as the agent, but the object of compaffion. Tenderness is made an excuse for being hard-hearted; and instead of drying the weeping eyes of others, this falfe delicacy referves its felfish and ready tears for the more elegant and less expenfive forrows of the melting novel, or the pathetic tragedy.

When feeling ftimulates only to felf-indulgence; when the more exquifite affections of fympathy and pity evaporate in fentiment, inftead of flowing out in active charity, and affording affiftance, protection, or confolation to every fpecies of diftrefs within its reach; it is an evidence that the feeling is of a fpurious kind; and instead of being nourished as an amiable tenderness, it fhould be fubdued as a fond and base self-love.

That idleness, to whofe cruel inroads many women of fortune are unhappily expofed, from not having been trained to confider wholefome occupation, vigorous exertion, and fyftematic employment, as making part of the indifpenfable duties and pleasures of life, lays them open to a thousand evils of this kind, from T·

which the useful and the bufy are exempted; and, perhaps, it would not be easy to find a more pitiable object than a woman with a great deal of time and a great deal of money on her hands, who, never having been taught the confcientious use of either, fquanders both at random, or rather moulders both away, without plan, without principle, and without pleafure; all whofe projects begin and terminate in felf; who confiders the rest of the world only as they may be fubfervient to her gratification; and to whom it never occurred, that both her time and money were given for the grat ification and good of others."

It is not much to the credit of the other fex, that they now and then lend themselves to the indulgence of this felfifh fpirit in their wives, and cherish by a kind of false fondness, those faults which fhould be combated by good fenfe and a reasonable counteraction: flothfully preferring a little falfe peace, the pur. chafe of precarious quiet, and the popular reputation of good-nature, to the higher duty of forming the mind, fixing the principles, and strengthening the character of her with whom they are connected. Perhaps too, a little vanity in the hufband helps out his goodnature; he fecretly rewards himself for his facrifice by the conscioufnefs of his fuperiority; he feels a feif-complacency in his patient condefcenfion to her weakness, which tacitly flatters his own ftrength and he is, as it were paid for ftooping, by the increased sense of his own tallnefs. Seeing alfo, perhaps, but little of other women, he is taught to believe that they are all pretty much alike, and that as a man of fenfe, he must content himself with what he takes to be the common lot. Whereas, in truth, by his misplaced indulgence, he has rather made his own lot than drawn it; and thus, through an indolent despair in the husband of being able to affect any amendment by oppofition, and through the want of that found affection which labours to improve and exalt the character of its object; it happens that many a helplefs, fretful, and dandling wife, acquires a more powerful afcendancy than the moft difcreet and amiable woman; and that the most

bfolute female tyranny is eftablished by these fickly and capricious humours.

The poets again, who, to do them justice, are always ready to lend an helping hand when any mischief s to be done, have contributed their full fhare towards confirming these feminine follies: they have ftrengthened by adulatory maxims, fung in feducing ftrains,. hofe faults which their talents and their influence Thould have been employed in correcting. By fair and youthful females, an argument drawn from found experience and real life, is commonly repelled by a ftanza or a fonnet; and a couplet is confidered as nearly of the fame validity with a text. When ladies are complimented with being.

Fine by defect, and delicately weak!

is not a standard of feeblenefs held out to them, to which vanity will gladly refort, and to which foftnefsand indolence can easily act up, or rather act down, if Imay be allowed the expreffion?

When ladies are told by the fame misleading, but to them high, authority, that "fmiles and tears are the "irrefiftible arms with which Nature has furnished "the weak for conquering the ftrong," will they not eagerly fly to this cheap and ready artillery, inftead of labouring to furnish themselves with a reasonable mind, an equable temper, and a meek and quiet fpirit?

Every animal is endowed by Providence with the peculiar powers adapted to its nature and its wants ;. while none, except the human, by grafting art on natural fagacity, injures or mars the gift. Spoilt women, who fancy there is fomething more piquent and alluring in the mutable graces of caprice, than in the monotonous smoothnefs of an even temper; and who allo having heard much, as was observed before, about their "amiable weaknefs," learn to look about them for the best fuccedaneum to ftrength, the fuppofed ab-fence of which they fometimes endeavour to supply by artifice. By this engine the weakest woman frequently furnishes the converfe to the famous reply of the French minifter, who, when he was accufed of governing the mind of that feeble Queen Mary de Medicis by forcery, replied, "that the only forcery he:

"had used, was that influence which ftrong minds "naturally have over weak ones."

But though it be fair fo to ftudy the tempers, defects, and weakneffes of others, as to convert our knowledge of them to the promotion of their benefit and our own; and though it be making a lawful ufe of our penetration to avail ourselves of the faults of others for "their good to edification;" yet all deviations from the straight line of truth and fimplicity; every plot infidicufly to turn influence to unfair account; all contrivances to extort from a bribed complaifance what reafon and justice would refuse to our wishes; these are some of the operations of that lowest and molt defpicable engine, felfifh cunning, by which little minds fometimes govern great ones.

And, unfortunately, women from their natural defire to pleafe, and from their fometimes doubting by what means this grand end may be beft effected, are in more danger of being led into diffimulation than nen; for diffimulation is the refult of weakness; it is the refuge of doubt and diftruft, rather than of conicious ftrength, the dangers of which lie another way. Frankaefs, truth, and fimplicity, therefore, as they are inexpreffibly charming, fo are they peculiarly commendable in women; and nobly evince that while the poffeffors of them with to pleafe, (and why) thould they not with it?) they difdain to have recourte to any thing but what is fair, and juft, and honourable to effect it; that they scorn to attain the most desired end by any but the moft lawful means. The beauty of fimplicity is indeed fo intimately felt and generally acknowledged by all who have a true tafte for perfonal, moral, or intellectual beauty, that women of the deepeft diffimulation often find their account in affuming an exterior the most foreign to their character, and exhibiting the most engaging naivete. It is curious to fee how much art they put in practice in order to appear natu ral; and the deep defign which is fet at work to difplay fimplicit. And indeed this feigned fimplicity is the moft mifchievous, because the moft engaging of all the Proteus forms which Artifice can put on. For the most free and bold fentiments have been fome