ell　worked　on　the　sensibility　of　a　young　encomiast。　　〃What　signifies　it；〃　pursues　this　rhapsodist；　〃to　women；　that　his　reason　disputes　with　them　the　empire；　when　his　heart　is　devotedly　theirs。〃　　It　is　not　empirebut　equality；　that　they　should　contend　for。　　Yet；　if　they　only　wished　to　lengthen　out　their　sway；　they　should　not　entirely　trust　to　their　persons；　for　though　beauty　may　gain　a　heart；　it　cannot　keep　it；　even　while　the　beauty　is　in　full　bloom；　unless　the　mind　lend；　at　least；　some　graces。　When　women　are　once　sufficiently　enlightened　to　discover　their　real　interest；　on　a　grand　scale；　they　will；　I　am　persuaded；　be　very　ready　to　resign　all　the　prerogatives　of　love；　that　are　not　mutual；　（speaking　of　them　as　lasting　prerogatives；）　for　the　calm　satisfaction　of　friendship；　and　the　tender　confidence　of　habitual　esteem。　　Before　marriage　they　will　not　assume　any　insolent　airs；　nor　afterward　abjectly　submit；　but；　endeavouring　to　act　like　reasonable　creatures；　in　both　situations；　they　will　not　be　tumbled　from　a　throne　to　a　stool。　Madame　Genlis　has　written　several　entertaining　books　for　children；　and　her　letters　on　Education　afford　many　useful　hints；　that　sensible　parents　will　certainly　avail　themselves　of；　but　her　views　are　narrow；　and　her　prejudices　as　unreasonable　as　strong。　I　shall　pass　over　her　vehement　argument　in　favour　of　the　eternity　of　future　punishments；　because　I　blush　to　think　that　a　human　being　should　ever　argue　vehemently　in　such　a　cause；　and　only　make　a　few　remarks　on　her　absurd　manner　of　making　the　parental　authority　supplant　reason。　　For　every　where　does　she　inculcate　not　only　BLIND　submission　to　parents；　but　to　the　opinion　of　the　world。*　（*Footnote。　　A　person　is　not　to　act　in　this　or　that　way；　though　convinced　they　are　right　in　so　doing；　because　some　equivocal　circumstances　may　lead　the　world　to　SUSPECT　that　they　acted　from　different　motives。　　This　is　sacrificing　the　substance　for　a　shadow。　Let　people　but　watch　their　own　hearts；　and　act　rightly　as　far　as　they　can　judge；　and　they　may　patiently　wait　till　the　opinion　of　the　world　comes　round。　　It　is　best　to　be　directed　by　a　simple　motivefor　justice　has　too　often　been　sacrificed　to　propriety；another　word　for　convenience。）　She　tells　a　story　of　a　young　man　engaged　by　his　father's　express　desire　to　a　girl　of　fortune。　　Before　the　marriage　could　take　place　she　is　deprived　of　her　fortune；　and　thrown　friendless　on　the　world。　The　father　practises　the　most　infamous　arts　to　separate　his　son　from　her；　and　when　the　son　detects　his　villany；　and；　following　the　dictates　of　honour；　marries　the　girl；　nothing　but　misery　ensues；　because　forsooth　he　married　WITHOUT　his　father's　consent。　　On　what　ground　can　religion　or　morality　rest；　when　justice　is　thus　set　at　defiance？　　In　the　same　style　she　represents　an　accomplished　young　woman；　as　ready　to　marry　any　body　that　her　MAMMA　pleased　to　recommend；　and；　as　actually　marrying　the　young　man　of　her　own　choice；　without　feeling　any　emotions　of　passion；　because　that　a　well　educated　girl　had　not　time　to　be　in　love。　　Is　it　possible　to　have　much　respect　for　a　system　of　education　that　thus　insults　reason　and　nature？　Many　similar　opinions　occur　in　her　writings；　mixed　with　sentiments　that　do　honour　to　her　head　and　heart。　　Yet　so　much　superstition　is　mixed　with　her　religion；　and　so　much　worldly　wisdom　with　her　morality；　that　I　should　not　let　a　young　person　read　her　works；　unless　I　could　afterwards　converse　on　the　subjects；　and　point　out　the　contradictions。　Mrs。　Chapone's　Letters　are　written　with　such　good　sense；　and　unaffected　humility；　and　contain　so　many　useful　observations；　that　I　only　mention　them　to　pay　the　worthy　writer　this　tribute　of　respect。　　I　cannot；　it　is　true；　always　coincide　in　opinion　with　her；　but　I　always　respect　her。　The　very　word　respect　brings　Mrs。　Macaulay　to　my　remembrance。　　The　woman　of　the　greatest　abilities；　undoubtedly；　that　this　country　has　ever　produced。　　And　yet　this　woman　has　been　suffered　to　die　without　sufficient　respect　being　paid　to　her　memory。　Posterity；　however；　will　be　more　just；　and　remember　that　Catharine　Macaulay　was　an　example　of　intellectual　acquirements　supposed　to　be　incompatible　with　the　weakness　of　her　sex。　　In　her　style　of　writing；　indeed；　no　sex　appears；　for　it　is　like　the　sense　it　conveys；　strong　and　clear。　I　will　not　call　her's　a　masculine　understanding；　because　I　admit　not　of　such　an　arrogant　assumption　of　reason；　but　I　contend　that　it　was　a　sound　one；　and　that　her　judgment；　the　matured　fruit　of　profound　thinking；　was　a　proof　that　a　woman　can　acquire　judgment；　in　the　full　extent　of　the　word。　　Possessing　more　penetration　than　sagacity；　more　understanding　than　fancy；　she　writes　with　sober　energy；　and　argumentative　closeness；　yet　sympathy　and　benevolence　give　an　interest　to　her　sentiments；　and　that　vital　heat　to　arguments；　which　forces　the　reader　to　weigh　them。*　（*Footnote。　　Coinciding　in　opinion　with　Mrs。　Macaulay　relative　to　many　branches　of　education；　I　refer　to　her　valuable　work；　instead　of　quoting　her　sentiments　to　support　my　own。）　When　I　first　thought　of　writing　these　strictures　I　anticipated　Mrs。　Macaulay's　approbation　with　a　little　of　that　sanguine　ardour　which　it　has　been　the　business　of　my　life　to　depress；　but　soon　heard　with　the　sickly　qualm　of　disappointed　hope；　and　the　still　seriousness　of　regretthat　she　was　no　more！　SECTION　5。5。　Taking　a　view　of　the　different　works　which　have　been　written　on　education；　Lord　Chesterfield's　Letters　must　not　be　silently　passed　over。　　Not　that　I　mean　to　analyze　his　unmanly；　immoral　system；　or　even　to　cull　any　of　the　useful　shrewd　remarks　which　occur　in　his　frivolous　correspondenceNo；　I　only　mean　to　make　a　few　reflections　on　the　avowed　tendency　of　themthe　art　of　acquiring　an　early　knowledge　of　the　world。　　An　art；　I　will　venture　to　assert；　that　preys　secretly；　like　the　worm　in　the　bud；　on　the　expanding　powers；　and　turns　to　poison　the　generous　juices　which　should　mount　with　vigour　in　the　youthful　frame；　inspiring　warm　affections　and　great　resolves。　For　every　thing；　saith　the　wise　man；　there　is　reason；　and　who　would　look　for　the　fruits　of　autumn　during　the　genial　months　of　spring？　But　this　is　mere　declamation；　and　I　mean　to　reason　with　those　worldly…wise　instructors；　who；　instead　of　cultivating　the　judgment；　instil　prejudices；　and　render　hard　the　heart　that　gradual　experience　would　only　have　cooled。　　An　early　acquaintance　with　human　infirmities；　or；　what　is　termed　knowledge　of　the　world；　is　the　surest　way；　in　my　opinion；　to　contract　the　heart　and　damp　the　natural　youthful　ardour　which　produces　not　only　great　talents；　but　great　virtues。　　For　the　vain　attempt　to　bring　forth　the　fruit　of　experience；　before　the　sapling　has　thrown　out　its　leaves；　only　exhausts　its　strength；　and　prevents　its　assuming　a　natural　form；　just　as　the　form　and　strength　of　subsiding　metals　are　injured　when　the　attraction　of　cohesion　is　disturbed。　　Tell　me；　ye　who　have　studied　the　human　mind；　is　it　not　a　strange　way　to　fix　principles　by　showing　young　people　that　they　are　seldom　stable？　　And　how　can　they　be　fortified　by　habits　when　they　are　proved　to　be　fallacious　by　example？　　Why　is　the　ardour　of　youth　thus　to　be　damped；　and　the　luxuriancy　of　fancy　cut　to　the　quick？　　This　dry　caution　may；　it　is　true；　guard　a　character　from　worldly　mischances；　but　will　infallibly　preclude　excellence　in　either　virtue　or　knowledge。　　The　stumbling…block　thrown　across　every　path　by　suspicion；　will　prevent　any　vigorous　exertions　of　genius　or　benevolence；　and　life　will　be　stripped　of　its　most　alluring　charm　long　before　its　calm　evening；　when　man　should　retire　to　contemplation　for　comfort　and　support。　A　young　man　who　has　been　bred　up　with　domestic　friends；　and　led　to　store　his　mind　with　as　much　speculative　knowledge　as　can　be　acquired　by　reading　and　the　natural　reflections　which　youthful　ebullitions　of　animal　spirits　and　instinctive　feelings　inspire；　will　enter　the　world　with　warm　and　erroneous　expectations。　　But　this　appears　to　be　the　course　of　nature；　and　in　morals；　as　well　as　in　works　of　taste；　we　should　be　observant　of　her　sacred　indications；　and　not　presume　to　lead　when　we　ought　obsequiously　to　follow。　In　the　world　few　people　act　from　principle；　present　feelings；　and　early　habits；　are　the　grand　springs：　　but　how　would　the　former　be　deadened；　and　the　latter　rendered　iron　corroding　fetters；　if　the　world　were　shown　to　young　people　just　as　it　is；　when　no　knowledge　of　mankind　or　their　own　hearts；　slowly　obtained　by　experience　rendered　them　forbearing？　　Their　fellow　creatures　would　not　then　be　viewed　as　frail　beings；　like　themselves；　condemned　to　struggle　with　human　infirmities；　and　sometimes　displaying　the　light　and　sometimes　the　dark　side　of　their　character；　extorting　alternate　feelings　of　love　and　disgust；　but　guarded　against　as　beasts　of　prey；　till　every　enlarged　social　feeling；　in　a　wordhumanity；　was　eradicated。　In　life；　on　the　contrary；　as　we　gradually　discover　the　imperfections　of　our　nature；　we　discover　virtues；　and　various　circumstances　attach　us　to　our　fellow　creatures；　when　we　mix　with　them；　and　view　the　same　objects；　that　are　never　thought　of　in　acquiring　a　hasty　unnatural　knowledge　of　the　world。　　We　see　a　folly　swell　into　a　vice；　by　almost　imperceptible　degrees；　and　pity　while　we　blame；　but；　if　the　hideous　monster　burst　suddenl