；　let　the　dignified　pursuit　of　virtue　and　knowledge　raise　the　mind　above　those　emotions　which　rather　imbitter　than　sweeten　the　cup　of　life；　when　they　are　not　restrained　within　due　bounds。　I　do　not　mean　to　allude　to　the　romantic　passion；　which　is　the　concomitant　of　genius。　　Who　can　clip　its　wings？　　But　that　grand　passion　not　proportioned　to　the　puny　enjoyments　of　life；　is　only　true　to　the　sentiment；　and　feeds　on　itself。　　The　passions　which　have　been　celebrated　for　their　durability　have　always　been　unfortunate。　　They　have　acquired　strength　by　absence　and　constitutional　melancholy。　　The　fancy　has　hovered　round　a　form　of　beauty　dimly　seenbut　familiarity　might　have　turned　admiration　into　disgust；　or；　at　least；　into　indifference；　and　allowed　the　imagination　leisure　to　start　fresh　game。　　With　perfect　propriety；　according　to　this　view　of　things；　does　Rousseau　make　the　mistress　of　his　soul；　Eloisa；　love　St。　Preux；　when　life　was　fading　before　her；　but　this　is　no　proof　of　the　immortality　of　the　passion。　Of　the　same　complexion　is　Dr。　Gregory's　advice　respecting　delicacy　of　sentiment；　which　he　advises　a　woman　not　to　acquire；　if　she　has　determined　to　marry。　　This　determination；　however；　perfectly　consistent　with　his　former　advice；　he　calls　INDELICATE；　and　earnestly　persuades　his　daughters　to　conceal　it；　though　it　may　govern　their　conduct：　　as　if　it　were　indelicate　to　have　the　common　appetites　of　human　nature。　Noble　morality！　and　consistent　with　the　cautious　prudence　of　a　little　soul　that　cannot　extend　its　views　beyond　the　present　minute　division　of　existence。　　If　all　the　faculties　of　woman's　mind　are　only　to　be　cultivated　as　they　respect　her　dependence　on　man；　if；　when　she　obtains　a　husband　she　has　arrived　at　her　goal；　and　meanly　proud；　is　satisfied　with　such　a　paltry　crown；　let　her　grovel　contentedly；　scarcely　raised　by　her　employments　above　the　animal　kingdom；　but；　if　she　is　struggling　for　the　prize　of　her　high　calling；　let　her　cultivate　her　understanding　without　stopping　to　consider　what　character　the　husband　may　have　whom　she　is　destined　to　marry。　　Let　her　only　determine；　without　being　too　anxious　about　present　happiness；　to　acquire　the　qualities　that　ennoble　a　rational　being；　and　a　rough；　inelegant　husband　may　shock　her　taste　without　destroying　her　peace　of　mind。　　She　will　not　model　her　soul　to　suit　the　frailties　of　her　companion；　but　to　bear　with　them：　　his　character　may　be　a　trial；　but　not　an　impediment　to　virtue。　If　Dr。　Gregory　confined　his　remark　to　romantic　expectations　of　constant　love　and　congenial　feelings；　he　should　have　recollected；　that　experience　will　banish　what　advice　can　never　make　us　cease　to　wish　for；　when　the　imagination　is　kept　alive　at　the　expence　of　reason。　I　own　it　frequently　happens；　that　women　who　have　fostered　a　romantic　unnatural　delicacy　of　feeling；　waste　their　lives　in　IMAGINING　how　happy　they　should　have　been　with　a　husband　who　could　love　them　with　a　fervid　increasing　affection　every　day；　and　all　day。　　But　they　might　as　well　pine　married　as　single；　and　would　not　be　a　jot　more　unhappy　with　a　bad　husband　than　longing　for　a　good　one。　　That　a　proper　education；　or；　to　speak　with　more　precision；　a　well　stored　mind；　would　enable　a　woman　to　support　a　single　life　with　dignity；　I　grant；　but　that　she　should　avoid　cultivating　her　taste；　lest　her　husband　should　occasionally　shock　it；　is　quitting　a　substance　for　a　shadow。　　To　say　the　truth；　I　do　not　know　of　what　use　is　an　improved　taste；　if　the　individual　be　not　rendered　more　independent　of　the　casualties　of　life；　if　new　sources　of　enjoyment；　only　dependent　on　the　solitary　operations　of　the　mind；　are　not　opened。　　People　of　taste；　married　or　single；　without　distinction；　will　ever　be　disgusted　by　various　things　that　touch　not　less　observing　minds。　　On　this　conclusion　the　argument　must　not　be　allowed　to　hinge；　but　in　the　whole　sum　of　enjoyment　is　taste　to　be　denominated　a　blessing？　The　question　is；　whether　it　procures　most　pain　or　pleasure？　　The　answer　will　decide　the　propriety　of　Dr。　Gregory's　advice；　and　show　how　absurd　and　tyrannic　it　is　thus　to　lay　down　a　system　of　slavery；　or　to　attempt　to　educate　moral　beings　by　any　other　rules　than　those　deduced　from　pure　reason；　which　apply　to　the　whole　species。　Gentleness　of　manners；　forbearance；　and　long　suffering；　are　such　amiable　godlike　qualities；　that　in　sublime　poetic　strains　the　Deity　has　been　invested　with　them；　and；　perhaps；　no　representation　of　his　goodness　so　strongly　fastens　on　the　human　affections　as　those　that　represent　him　abundant　in　mercy　and　willing　to　pardon。　　Gentleness；　considered　in　this　point　of　view；　bears　on　its　front　all　the　characteristics　of　grandeur；　combined　with　the　winning　graces　of　condescension；　but　what　a　different　aspect　it　assumes　when　it　is　the　submissive　demeanour　of　dependence；　the　support　of　weakness　that　loves；　because　it　wants　protection；　and　is　forbearing；　because　it　must　silently　endure　injuries；　smiling　under　the　lash　at　which　it　dare　not　snarl。　　Abject　as　this　picture　appears；　it　is　the　portrait　of　an　accomplished　woman；　according　to　the　received　opinion　of　female　excellence；　separated　by　specious　reasoners　from　human　excellence。　　Or；　they　（Vide　Rousseau；　and　Swedenborg）　kindly　restore　the　rib；　and　make　one　moral　being　of　a　man　and　woman；　not　forgetting　to　give　her　all　the　〃submissive　charms。〃　How　women　are　to　exist　in　that　state　where　there　is　to　be　neither　marrying　nor　giving　in　marriage；　we　are　not　told。　　For　though　moralists　have　agreed；　that　the　tenor　of　life　seems　to　prove　that　MAN　is　prepared　by　various　circumstances　for　a　future　state；　they　constantly　concur　in　advising　WOMAN　only　to　provide　for　the　present。　　Gentleness；　docility；　and　a　spaniel…like　affection　are；　on　this　ground；　consistently　recommended　as　the　cardinal　virtues　of　the　sex；　and；　disregarding　the　arbitrary　economy　of　nature；　one　writer　has　declared　that　it　is　masculine　for　a　woman　to　be　melancholy。　　She　was　created　to　be　the　toy　of　man；　his　rattle；　and　it　must　jingle　in　his　ears；　whenever；　dismissing　reason；　he　chooses　to　be　amused。　To　recommend　gentleness；　indeed；　on　a　broad　basis　is　strictly　philosophical。　　A　frail　being　should　labour　to　be　gentle。　　But　when　forbearance　confounds　right　and　wrong；　it　ceases　to　be　a　virtue；　and；　however　convenient　it　may　be　found　in　a　companion；　that　companion　will　ever　be　considered　as　an　inferior；　and　only　inspire　a　vapid　tenderness；　which　easily　degenerates　into　contempt。　　Still；　if　advice　could　really　make　a　being　gentle；　whose　natural　disposition　admitted　not　of　such　a　fine　polish；　something　toward　the　advancement　of　order　would　be　attained；　but　if；　as　might　quickly　be　demonstrated；　only　affectation　be　produced　by　this　indiscriminate　counsel；　which　throws　a　stumbling　block　in　the　way　of　gradual　improvement；　and　true　melioration　of　temper；　the　sex　is　not　much　benefited　by　sacrificing　solid　virtues　to　the　attainment　of　superficial　graces；　though　for　a　few　years　they　may　procure　the　individual's　regal　sway。　As　a　philosopher；　I　read　with　indignation　the　plausible　epithets　which　men　use　to　soften　their　insults；　and；　as　a　moralist；　I　ask　what　is　meant　by　such　heterogeneous　associations；　as　fair　defects；　amiable　weaknesses；　etc。？　If　there　is　but　one　criterion　of　morals；　but　one　archetype　for　man；　women　appear　to　be　suspended　by　destiny；　according　to　the　vulgar　tale　of　Mahomet's　coffin；　they　have　neither　the　unerring　instinct　of　brutes；　nor　are　allowed　to　fix　the　eye　of　reason　on　a　perfect　model。　　They　were　made　to　be　loved；　and　must　not　aim　at　respect；　lest　they　should　be　hunted　out　of　society　as　masculine。　But　to　view　the　subject　in　another　point　of　view。　　Do　passive　indolent　women　make　the　best　wives？　　Confining　our　discussion　to　the　present　moment　of　existence；　let　us　see　how　such　weak　creatures　perform　their　part？　　Do　the　women　who；　by　the　attainment　of　a　few　superficial　accomplishments；　have　strengthened　the　prevailing　prejudice；　merely　contribute　to　the　happiness　of　their　husbands？　Do　they　display　their　charms　merely　to　amuse　them？　　And　have　women；　who　have　early　imbibed　notions　of　passive　obedience；　sufficient　character　to　manage　a　family　or　educate　children？　　So　far　from　it；　that；　after　surveying　the　history　of　woman；　I　cannot　help　agreeing　with　the　severest　satirist；　considering　the　sex　as　the　weakest　as　well　as　the　most　oppressed　half　of　the　species。　　What　does　history　disclose　but　marks　of　inferiority；　and　how　few　women　have　emancipated　themselves　from　the　galling　yoke　of　sovereign　man？　　So　few；　that　the　exceptions　remind　me　of　an　ingenious　conjecture　respecting　Newton：　　that　he　was　probably　a　being　of　a　superior　order；　accidentally　caged　in　a　human　body。　　In　the　same　style　I　have　been　led　to　imagine　that　the　few　extraordinary　women　who　have　rushed　in　eccentrical　directions　out　of　the　orbit　prescribed　to　their　sex；　were　MALE　spirits；　confined　by　mistake　in　a　female　frame。　　But　if　it　be　not　philosophical　to　think　of　sex　when　the　soul　is　mentioned；　the　inferiority　must　depend　on　the　organs；　or　the　heavenly　fire；　which　is　to　ferment　the　clay；　is　not　given　in　equal　portions。　But　avoiding；　as　I　have　hitherto　done；　any　direct　comparison　of　the　two　sexes　collectively；　or　frankly　acknowledging　the　inferiority　of　woman；　according　to　the　present　appearance　of　things；　I　shall　only　insist；　that