necessary　indeed；　is　that　reserve　and　cleanliness　which　indolent　women　too　often　neglect；　that　I　will　venture　to　affirm；　that　when　two　or　three　women　live　in　the　same　house；　the　one　will　be　most　respected　by　the　male　part　of　the　family；　who　reside　with　them；　leaving　love　entirely　out　of　the　question；　who　pays　this　kind　of　habitual　respect　to　her　person。　When　domestic　friends　meet　in　a　morning；　there　will　naturally　prevail　an　affectionate　seriousness；　especially；　if　each　look　forward　to　the　discharge　of　daily　duties；　and　it　may　be　reckoned　fanciful；　but　this　sentiment　has　frequently　risen　spontaneously　in　my　mind。　　I　have　been　pleased　after　breathing　the　sweet　bracing　morning　air；　to　see　the　same　kind　of　freshness　in　the　countenances　I　particularly　loved；　I　was　glad　to　see　them　braced；　as　it　were；　for　the　day；　and　ready　to　run　their　course　with　the　sun。　　The　greetings　of　affection　in　the　morning　are　by　these　means　more　respectful；　than　the　familiar　tenderness　which　frequently　prolongs　the　evening　talk。　　Nay；　I　have　often　felt　hurt；　not　to　say　disgusted；　when　a　friend　has　appeared；　whom　I　parted　with　full　dressed　the　evening　before；　with　her　clothes　huddled　on；　because　she　chose　to　indulge　herself　in　bed　till　the　last　moment。　Domestic　affection　can　only　be　kept　alive　by　these　neglected　attentions；　yet　if　men　and　women　took　half　as　much　pains　to　dress　habitually　neat；　as　they　do　to　ornament；　or　rather　to　disfigure　their　persons；　much　would　be　done　towards　the　attainment　of　purity　of　mind。　　But　women　only　dress　to　gratify　men　of　gallantry；　for　the　lover　is　always　best　pleased　with　the　simple　garb　that　sits　close　to　the　shape。　　There　is　an　impertinence　in　ornaments　that　rebuffs　affection；　because　love　always　clings　round　the　idea　of　home。　As　a　sex；　women　are　habitually　indolent；　and　every　thing　tends　to　make　them　so。　　I　do　not　forget　the　starts　of　activity　which　sensibility　produces；　but　as　these　flights　of　feeling　only　increase　the　evil；　they　are　not　to　be　confounded　with　the　slow；　orderly　walk　of　reason。　　So　great；　in　reality；　is　their　mental　and　bodily　indolence；　that　till　their　body　be　strengthened　and　their　understanding　enlarged　by　active　exertions；　there　is　little　reason　to　expect　that　modesty　will　take　place　of　bashfulness。　　They　may　find　it　prudent　to　assume　its　semblance；　but　the　fair　veil　will　only　be　worn　on　gala　days。　Perhaps　there　is　not　a　virtue　that　mixes　so　kindly　with　every　other　as　modesty。　　It　is　the　pale　moon…beam　that　renders　more　interesting　every　virtue　it　softens；　giving　mild　grandeur　to　the　contracted　horizon。　　Nothing　can　be　more　beautiful　than　the　poetical　fiction；　which　makes　Diana　with　her　silver　crescent；　the　goddess　of　chastity。　　I　have　sometimes　thought；　that　wandering　with　sedate　step　in　some　lonely　recess；　a　modest　dame　of　antiquity　must　have　felt　a　glow　of　conscious　dignity；　when；　after　contemplating　the　soft　shadowy　landscape；　she　has　invited　with　placid　fervour　the　mild　reflection　of　her　sister's　beams　to　turn　to　her　chaste　bosom。　A　Christian　has　still　nobler　motives　to　incite　her　to　preserve　her　chastity　and　acquire　modesty；　for　her　body　has　been　called　the　Temple　of　the　living　God；　of　that　God　who　requires　more　than　modesty　of　mien。　　His　eye　searcheth　the　heart；　and　let　her　remember；　that　if　she　hopeth　to　find　favour　in　the　sight　of　purity　itself；　her　chastity　must　be　founded　on　modesty；　and　not　on　worldly　prudence；　or　verily　a　good　reputation　will　be　her　only　reward；　for　that　awful　intercourse；　that　sacred　communion；　which　virtue　establishes　between　man　and　his　Maker；　must　give　rise　to　the　wish　of　being　pure　as　he　is　pure！　After　the　foregoing　remarks；　it　is　almost　superfluous　to　add；　that　I　consider　all　those　feminine　airs　of　maturity；　which　succeed　bashfulness；　to　which　truth　is　sacrificed；　to　secure　the　heart　of　a　husband；　or　rather　to　force　him　to　be　still　a　lover　when　nature　would；　had　she　not　been　interrupted　in　her　operations；　have　made　love　give　place　to　friendship；　as　immodest。　　The　tenderness　which　a　man　will　feel　for　the　mother　of　his　children　is　an　excellent　substitute　for　the　ardour　of　unsatisfied　passion；　but　to　prolong　that　ardour　it　is　indelicate；　not　to　say　immodest；　for　women　to　feign　an　unnatural　coldness　of　constitution。　　Women　as　well　as　men　ought　to　have　the　common　appetites　and　passions　of　their　nature；　they　are　only　brutal　when　unchecked　by　reason：　　but　the　obligation　to　check　them　is　the　duty　of　mankind；　not　a　sexual　duty。　　Nature；　in　these　respects；　may　safely　be　left　to　herself；　let　women　only　acquire　knowledge　and　humanity；　and　love　will　teach　them　modesty。　There　is　no　need　of　falsehoods；　disgusting　as　futile；　for　studied　rules　of　behaviour　only　impose　on　shallow　observers；　a　man　of　sense　soon　sees　through；　and　despises　the　affectation。　The　behaviour　of　young　people；　to　each　other；　as　men　and　women；　is　the　last　thing　that　should　be　thought　of　in　education。　　In　fact；　behaviour　in　most　circumstances　is　now　so　much　thought　of；　that　simplicity　of　character　is　rarely　to　be　seen；　　yet；　if　men　were　only　anxious　to　cultivate　each　virtue；　and　let　it　take　root　firmly　in　the　mind；　the　grace　resulting　from　it；　its　natural　exteriour　mark；　would　soon　strip　affectation　of　its　flaunting　plumes；　because；　fallacious　as　unstable；　is　the　conduct　that　is　not　founded　upon　truth！　（Footnote。　　The　behaviour　of　many　newly　married　women　has　often　disgusted　me。　　They　seem　anxious　never　to　let　their　husbands　forget　the　privilege　of　marriage；　and　to　find　no　pleasure　in　his　society　unless　he　is　acting　the　lover。　　Short；　indeed；　must　be　the　reign　of　love；　when　the　flame　is　thus　constantly　blown　up；　without　its　receiving　any　solid　fuel。）　Would　ye；　O　my　sisters；　really　possess　modesty；　ye　must　remember　that　the　possession　of　virtue；　of　any　denomination；　is　incompatible　with　ignorance　and　vanity！　ye　must　acquire　that　soberness　of　mind；　which　the　exercise　of　duties；　and　the　pursuit　of　knowledge；　alone　inspire；　or　ye　will　still　remain　in　a　doubtful　dependent　situation；　and　only　be　loved　whilst　ye　are　fair！　the　downcast　eye；　the　rosy　blush；　the　retiring　grace；　are　all　proper　in　their　season；　but　modesty；　being　the　child　of　reason；　cannot　long　exist　with　the　sensibility　that　is　not　tempered　by　reflection。　　Besides；　when　love；　even　innocent　love；　is　the　whole　employ　of　your　lives；　your　hearts　will　be　too　soft　to　afford　modesty　that　tranquil　retreat；　where　she　delights　to　dwell；　in　close　union　with　humanity。
  CHAPTER　8。　MORALITY　UNDERMINED　BY　SEXUAL　NOTIONS　OF　THE　IMPORTANCE　OF　A　GOOD　REPUTATION。　It　has　long　since　occurred　to　me；　that　advice　respecting　behaviour；　and　all　the　various　modes　of　preserving　a　good　reputation；　which　have　been　so　strenuously　inculcated　on　the　female　world；　were　specious　poisons；　that　incrusting　morality　eat　away　the　substance。　And；　that　this　measuring　of　shadows　produced　a　false　calculation；　because　their　length　depends　so　much　on　the　height　of　the　sun；　and　other　adventitious　circumstances。　》From　whence　arises　the　easy　fallacious　behaviour　of　a　courtier？　》From　this　situation；　undoubtedly：　　for　standing　in　need　of　dependents；　he　is　obliged　to　learn　the　art　of　denying　without　giving　offence；　and；　of　evasively　feeding　hope　with　the　chameleon's　food；　　thus　does　politeness　sport　with　truth；　and　eating　away　the　sincerity　and　humanity　natural　to　man；　produce　the　fine　gentleman。　Women　in　the　same　way　acquire；　from　a　supposed　necessity；　an　equally　artificial　mode　of　behaviour。　　Yet　truth　is　not　with　impunity　to　be　sported　with；　for　the　practised　dissembler；　at　last；　becomes　the　dupe　of　his　own　arts；　loses　that　sagacity　which　has　been　justly　termed　common　sense；　namely；　a　quick　perception　of　common　truths：　　which　are　constantly　received　as　such　by　the　unsophisticated　mind；　though　it　might　not　have　had　sufficient　energy　to　discover　them　itself；　when　obscured　by　local　prejudices。　The　greater　number　of　people　take　their　opinions　on　trust；　to　avoid　the　trouble　of　exercising　their　own　minds；　and　these　indolent　beings　naturally　adhere　to　the　letter；　rather　than　the　spirit　of　a　law；　divine　or　human。　　〃Women；〃　says　some　author；　I　cannot　recollect　who；　〃mind　not　what　only　heaven　sees。〃　　Why；　indeed　should　they？　it　is　the　eye　of　man　that　they　have　been　taught　to　dreadand　if　they　can　lull　their　Argus　to　sleep；　they　seldom　think　of　heaven　or　themselves；　because　their　reputation　is　safe；　and　it　is　reputation　not　chastity　and　all　its　fair　train；　that　they　are　employed　to　keep　free　from　spot；　not　as　a　virtue；　but　to　preserve　their　station　in　the　world。　To　prove　the　truth　of　this　remark；　I　need　only　advert　to　the　intrigues　of　married　women；　particularly　in　high　life；　and　in　countries　where　women　are　suitably　married；　according　to　their　respective　ranks　by　their　parents。　　If　an　innocent　girl　become　a　prey　to　love；　she　is　degraded　forever；　though　her　mind　was　not　polluted　by　the　arts　which　married　women；　under　the　convenient　cloak　of　marriage；　practise；　nor　has　she　violated　any　dutybut　the　duty　of　respecting　herself。　　The　married　woman；　on　the　contrary；　breaks　a　most　sacred　engagement；　and　becomes　a　cruel　mother　when　she　is　a　false　and　faithless　wife。　　If　her　husband　has　still　an　affection　for　her；　the　arts　which　she　must　practise　to　deceive　him；　will　render　her　the　most　contemptible　of　human　beings；　and　at　any　rate