er　first　wish　should　be　to　make　herself　respectable；　and　not　rely　for　all　her　happiness　on　a　being　subject　to　like　infirmities　with　herself。　The　amiable　Dr。　Gregory　fell　into　a　similar　error。　　I　respect　his　heart；　but　entirely　disapprove　of　his　celebrated　Legacy　to　his　Daughters。　He　advises　them　to　cultivate　a　fondness　for　dress；　because　a　fondness　for　dress；　he　asserts；　is　natural　to　them。　　I　am　unable　to　comprehend　what　either　he　or　Rousseau　mean；　when　they　frequently　use　this　indefinite　term。　　If　they　told　us；　that　in　a　pre…existent　state　the　soul　was　fond　of　dress；　and　brought　this　inclination　with　it　into　a　new　body；　I　should　listen　to　them　with　a　half　smile；　as　I　often　do　when　I　hear　a　rant　about　innate　elegance。　　But　if　he　only　meant　to　say　that　the　exercise　of　the　faculties　will　produce　this　fondness；　I　deny　it。　　It　is　not　natural；　but　arises；　like　false　ambition　in　men；　from　a　love　of　power。　Dr。　Gregory　goes　much　further；　he　actually　recommends　dissimulation；　and　advises　an　innocent　girl　to　give　the　lie　to　her　feelings；　and　not　dance　with　spirit；　when　gaiety　of　heart　would　make　her　feet　eloquent；　without　making　her　gestures　immodest。　　In　the　name　of　truth　and　common　sense；　why　should　not　one　woman　acknowledge　that　she　can　take　more　exercise　than　another？　or；　in　other　words；　that　she　has　a　sound　constitution；　and　why　to　damp　innocent　vivacity；　is　she　darkly　to　be　told；　that　men　will　draw　conclusions　which　she　little　thinks　of？　　Let　the　libertine　draw　what　inference　he　pleases；　but；　I　hope；　that　no　sensible　mother　will　restrain　the　natural　frankness　of　youth；　by　instilling　such　indecent　cautions。　　Out　of　the　abundance　of　the　heart　the　mouth　speaketh；　and　a　wiser　than　Solomon　hath　said；　that　the　heart　should　be　made　clean；　and　not　trivial　ceremonies　observed；　which　it　is　not　very　difficult　to　fulfill　with　scrupulous　exactness　when　vice　reigns　in　the　heart。　Women　ought　to　endeavour　to　purify　their　hearts；　but　can　they　do　so　when　their　uncultivated　understandings　make　them　entirely　dependent　on　their　senses　for　employment　and　amusement；　when　no　noble　pursuit　sets　them　above　the　little　vanities　of　the　day；　or　enables　them　to　curb　the　wild　emotions　that　agitate　a　reed　over　which　every　passing　breeze　has　power？　　To　gain　the　affections　of　a　virtuous　man；　is　affectation　necessary？　Nature　has　given　woman　a　weaker　frame　than　man；　but；　to　ensure　her　husband's　affections；　must　a　wife；　who；　by　the　exercise　of　her　mind　and　body；　whilst　she　was　discharging　the　duties　of　a　daughter；　wife；　and　mother；　has　allowed　her　constitution　to　retain　its　natural　strength；　and　her　nerves　a　healthy　tone；　is　she；　I　say；　to　condescend；　to　use　art；　and　feign　a　sickly　delicacy；　in　order　to　secure　her　husband's　affection？　Weakness　may　excite　tenderness；　and　gratify　the　arrogant　pride　of　man；　but　the　lordly　caresses　of　a　protector　will　not　gratify　a　noble　mind　that　pants　for　and　deserves　to　be　respected。　　Fondness　is　a　poor　substitute　for　friendship！　In　a　seraglio；　I　grant；　that　all　these　arts　are　necessary；　the　epicure　must　have　his　palate　tickled；　or　he　will　sink　into　apathy；　but　have　women　so　little　ambition　as　to　be　satisfied　with　such　a　condition？　　Can　they　supinely　dream　life　away　in　the　lap　of　pleasure；　or　in　the　languor　of　weariness；　rather　than　assert　their　claim　to　pursue　reasonable　pleasures；　and　render　themselves　conspicuous；　by　practising　the　virtues　which　dignify　mankind？　Surely　she　has　not　an　immortal　soul　who　can　loiter　life　away；　merely　employed　to　adorn　her　person；　that　she　may　amuse　the　languid　hours；　and　soften　the　cares　of　a　fellow…creature　who　is　willing　to　be　enlivened　by　her　smiles　and　tricks；　when　the　serious　business　of　life　is　over。　Besides；　the　woman　who　strengthens　her　body　and　exercises　her　mind　will；　by　managing　her　family　and　practising　various　virtues；　become　the　friend；　and　not　the　humble　dependent　of　her　husband；　and　if　she　deserves　his　regard　by　possessing　such　substantial　qualities；　she　will　not　find　it　necessary　to　conceal　her　affection；　nor　to　pretend　to　an　unnatural　coldness　of　constitution　to　excite　her　husband's　passions。　　In　fact；　if　we　revert　to　history；　we　shall　find　that　the　women　who　have　distinguished　themselves　have　neither　been　the　most　beautiful　nor　the　most　gentle　of　their　sex。　Nature；　or　to　speak　with　strict　propriety　God；　has　made　all　things　right；　but　man　has　sought　him　out　many　inventions　to　mar　the　work。　I　now　allude　to　that　part　of　Dr。　Gregory's　treatise；　where　he　advises　a　wife　never　to　let　her　husband　know　the　extent　of　her　sensibility　or　affection。　　Voluptuous　precaution；　and　as　ineffectual　as　absurd。　　Love；　from　its　very　nature；　must　be　transitory。　　To　seek　for　a　secret　that　would　render　it　constant；　would　be　as　wild　a　search　as　for　the　philosopher's　stone；　or　the　grand　panacea；　and　the　discovery　would　be　equally　useless；　or　rather　pernicious　to　mankind。　　The　most　holy　band　of　society　is　friendship。　　It　has　been　well　said；　by　a　shrewd　satirist；　〃that　rare　as　true　love　is；　true　friendship　is　still　rarer。〃　This　is　an　obvious　truth；　and　the　cause　not　lying　deep；　will　not　elude　a　slight　glance　of　inquiry。　Love；　the　common　passion；　in　which　chance　and　sensation　take　place　of　choice　and　reason；　is　in　some　degree；　felt　by　the　mass　of　mankind；　for　it　is　not　necessary　to　speak；　at　present；　of　the　emotions　that　rise　above　or　sink　below　love。　　This　passion；　naturally　increased　by　suspense　and　difficulties；　draws　the　mind　out　of　its　accustomed　state；　and　exalts　the　affections；　but　the　security　of　marriage；　allowing　the　fever　of　love　to　subside；　a　healthy　temperature　is　thought　insipid；　only　by　those　who　have　not　sufficient　intellect　to　substitute　the　calm　tenderness　of　friendship；　the　confidence　of　respect；　instead　of　blind　admiration；　and　the　sensual　emotions　of　fondness。　This　is；　must　be；　the　course　of　naturefriendship　or　indifference　inevitably　succeeds　love。　　And　this　constitution　seems　perfectly　to　harmonize　with　the　system　of　government　which　prevails　in　the　moral　world。　　Passions　are　spurs　to　action；　and　open　the　mind；　but　they　sink　into　mere　appetites；　become　a　personal　momentary　gratification；　when　the　object　is　gained；　and　the　satisfied　mind　rests　in　enjoyment。　　The　man　who　had　some　virtue　whilst　he　was　struggling　for　a　crown；　often　becomes　a　voluptuous　tyrant　when　it　graces　his　brow；　and；　when　the　lover　is　not　lost　in　the　husband；　the　dotard　a　prey　to　childish　caprices；　and　fond　jealousies；　neglects　the　serious　duties　of　life；　and　the　caresses　which　should　excite　confidence　in　his　children　are　lavished　on　the　overgrown　child；　his　wife。　In　order　to　fulfil　the　duties　of　life；　and　to　be　able　to　pursue　with　vigour　the　various　employments　which　form　the　moral　character；　a　master　and　mistress　of　a　family　ought　not　to　continue　to　love　each　other　with　passion。　　I　mean　to　say；　that　they　ought　not　to　indulge　those　emotions　which　disturb　the　order　of　society；　and　engross　the　thoughts　that　should　be　otherwise　employed。　　The　mind　that　has　never　been　engrossed　by　one　object　wants　vigourif　it　can　long　be　so；　it　is　weak。　A　mistaken　education；　a　narrow；　uncultivated　mind；　and　many　sexual　prejudices；　tend　to　make　women　more　constant　than　men；　but；　for　the　present；　I　shall　not　touch　on　this　branch　of　the　subject。　　I　will　go　still　further；　and　advance；　without　dreaming　of　a　paradox；　that　an　unhappy　marriage　is　often　very　advantageous　to　a　family；　and　that　the　neglected　wife　is；　in　general；　the　best　mother。　　And　this　would　almost　always　be　the　consequence；　if　the　female　mind　was　more　enlarged；　for；　it　seems　to　be　the　common　dispensation　of　Providence；　that　what　we　gain　in　present　enjoyment　should　be　deducted　from　the　treasure　of　life；　experience；　and　that　when　we　are　gathering　the　flowers　of　the　day　and　revelling　in　pleasure；　the　solid　fruit　of　toil　and　wisdom　should　not　be　caught　at　the　same　time。　　The　way　lies　before　us；　we　must　turn　to　the　right　or　left；　and　he　who　will　pass　life　away　in　bounding　from　one　pleasure　to　another；　must　not　complain　if　he　neither　acquires　wisdom　nor　respectability　of　character。　Supposing　for　a　moment；　that　the　soul　is　not　immortal；　and　that　man　was　only　created　for　the　present　scene；　I　think　we　should　have　reason　to　complain　that　love；　infantine　fondness；　ever　grew　insipid　and　palled　upon　the　sense。　　Let　us　eat；　drink；　and　love；　for　to…morrow　we　die；　would　be　in　fact　the　language　of　reason；　the　morality　of　life；　and　who　but　a　fool　would　part　with　a　reality　for　a　fleeting　shadow？　　But；　if　awed　by　observing　the　improvable　powers　of　the　mind；　we　disdain　to　confine　our　wishes　or　thoughts　to　such　a　comparatively　mean　field　of　action；　that　only　appears　grand　and　important　as　it　is　connected　with　a　boundless　prospect　and　sublime　hopes；　what　necessity　is　there　for　falsehood　in　conduct；　and　why　must　the　sacred　majesty　of　truth　be　violated　to　detain　a　deceitful　good　that　saps　the　very　foundation　of　virtue？　　Why　must　the　female　mind　be　tainted　by　coquetish　arts　to　gratify　the　sensualist；　and　prevent　love　from　subsiding　into　friendship　or　compassionate　tenderness；　when　there　are　not　qualities　on　which　friendship　can　be　built？　　Let　the　honest　heart　show　itself；　and　REASON　teach　passion　to　submit　to　necessity；　or；　let　the　dignified　pursuit　of　virtue　and　knowledge　raise　the　mind　above　those　emotions　which　rather