,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,education ,,of ,,daughters3 ,,with ,,reflections ,,on ,,female ,,conduct1 ,,in ,the more important ,,duties of ,,life1 ,by ,,mary ,,wollstonecraft4 ,,london3 ,,printed ,,for ,j4 ,,johnson1 ,no #gb1 ,,st4 ,,paul',s ,,church-,,yard4 ,m ,,dcc ,,lxxxvii4 ,,preface4 ,in the following pages ,i have endeavoured to point out some important things with respect to female education4 ,it is true1 many treatises have been already written2 yet it occurred to me1 that much still remained to be said4 ,i shall not swell these sheets by writing apologies for my attempt4 ,i am afraid1 indeed1 the reflections will1 by some1 be thought too grave2 but ,i could not make them less so without writing affectedly2 yet1 though they may be insipid to the gay1 others may not think them so2 and if they should prove useful to one fellow-creature1 and beguile any hours1 which sorrow has made heavy1 ,i shall think ,i have not been employed in vain4 ,,contents ,,preface ,the ,,nursery ,,moral ,,discipline ,,exterior ,,accomplishments ,,artificial ,,manners ,,dress ,the ,,fine ,,arts ,,reading ,,boarding-,,schools ,the ,,temper ,unfortunate ,situation of ,females1 fashionably educated1 and left without a ,fortune ,,love ,,matrimony ,,desultory ,,thoughts ,,the ,,benefits ,,which ,,arise ,,from ,,disappointments ,,on ,,the ,,treatment ,,of ,,servants ,,the ,,observance ,,of ,,sunday ,,on ,,the ,,misfortune ,,of ,,fluctuating ,,principles ,,benevolence ,,card-,,playing ,,the ,,theatre ,,public ,,places ,,thoughts ,,on ,,the ,,education ,,of ,,daughters4 ,,the ,,nursery4 ,as ,i conceive it to be the duty of every rational creature to attend to its offspring1 ,i am sorry to observe1 that reason and duty together have not so powerful an influence over human conduct1 as instinct has in the brute creation4 ,indolence1 and a thoughtless disregard of every thing1 except the present indulgence1 make many mothers1 who may have momentary starts of tenderness1 neglect their children4 ,they follow a pleasing impulse1 and never reflect that reason should cultivate and govern those instincts which are implanted in us to render the path of duty pleasant--for if they are not governed they will run wild2 and strengthen the passions which are ever endeavouring to obtain dominion--,i mean vanity and self-love4 ,the first thing to be attended to1 is laying the foundation of a good constitution4 ,the mother 7if there are not very weighty reasons to prevent her7 ought to suckle her children4 ,her milk is their proper nutriment1 and for some time is quite sufficient4 ,were a regular mode of suckling adopted1 it would be far from being a laborious task4 ,children1 who are left to the care of ignorant nurses1 have their stomachs overloaded with improper food1 which turns acid1 and renders them very uncomfortable4 ,we should be particularly careful to guard them in their infant state from bodily pain2 as their minds can then afford them no amusement to alleviate it4 ,the first years of a child's life are frequently made miserable through negligence or ignorance4 ,their complaints are mostly in their stomach or bowels2 and these complaints generally arise from the quality and quantity of their food4 ,the suckling of a child also excites the warmest glow of tenderness--,its dependant1 helpless state produces an affection1 which may properly be termed maternal4 ,i have even felt it1 when ,i have seen a mother perform that office2 and am of opinion1 that maternal tenderness arises quite as much from habit as instinct4 ,it is possible1 ,i am convinced1 to acquire the affection of a parent for an adopted child2 it is necessary1 therefore1 for a mother to perform the office of one1 in order to produce in herself a rational affection for her offspring4 ,children very early contract the manners of those about them4 ,it is easy to distinguish the child of a well-bred person1 if it is not left entirely to the nurse's care4 ,these women are of course ignorant1 and to keep a child quiet for the moment1 they humour all its little caprices4 ,very soon does it begin to be perverse1 and eager to be gratified in every thing4 ,the usual mode of acting is complying with the humours sometimes1 and contradicting them at others--just according to the dictates of an uncorrected temper4 ,this the infant finds out earlier than can be imagined1 and it gives rise to an affection devoid of respect4 ,uniformity of conduct is the only feasible method of creating both4 ,an inflexible adherence to any rule that has been laid down makes children comfortable1 and saves the mother and nurse much trouble1 as they will not often contest1 if they have not once conquered4 ,they will1 ,i am sure1 love and respect a person who treats them properly1 if some one else does not indiscreetly indulge them4 ,i once heard a judicious father say1 8,he would treat his child as he would his horse3 first convince it he was its master1 and then its friend40 ,but yet a rigid style of behaviour is by no means to be adopted2 on the contrary1 ,i wish to remark1 that it is only in the years of childhood that the happiness of a human being depends entirely on others--and to embitter those years by needless restraint is cruel4 ,to conciliate affection1 affection must be shown1 and little proofs of it ought always to be given--let them not appear weaknesses1 and they will sink deep into the young mind1 and call forth its most amiable propensities4 ,the turbulent passions may be kept down till reason begins to dawn4 ,in the nursery too1 they are taught to speak2 and there they not only hear nonsense1 but that nonsense retailed out in such silly1 affected tones as must disgust2--yet these are the tones which the child first imitates1 and its innocent playful manner renders them tolerable1 if not pleasing2 but afterwards they are not easily got the better of--nay1 many women always retain the pretty prattle of the nursery1 and do not forget to lisp1 when they have learnt to languish4 ,children are taught revenge and lies in their very cradles4 ,if they fall down1 or strike their heads against any thing1 to quiet them they are bid return the injury1 and their little hands held out to do it4 ,when they cry1 or are troublesome1 the cat or dog is chastised1 or some bugbear called to take them away2 which only terrifies them at first1 for they soon find out that the nurse means nothing by these dreadful threatenings4 ,indeed1 so well do they discover the fallacy1 that ,i have seen little creatures1 who could scarcely speak1 play over the same tricks with their doll or the cat4 ,how1 then1 when the mind comes under discipline1 can precepts of truth be inforced1 when the first examples they have had would lead them to practice the contrary8 ,,moral ,,discipline4 ,it has been asserted1 8,that no being1 merely human1 could properly educate a child40 ,i entirely coincide with this author2 but though perfection cannot be attained1 and unforeseen events will ever govern human conduct1 yet still it is our duty to lay down some rule to regulate our actions by1 and to adhere to it1 as consistently as our infirmities will permit4 ,to be able to follow ,mr4 ,locke's system 7and this may be said of almost all treatises on education7 the parents must have subdued their own passions1 which is not often the case in any considerable degree4 ,the marriage state is too often a state of discord2 it does not always happen that both parents are rational1 and the weakest have it in their power to do most mischief4 ,how then are the tender minds of children to be cultivated8--,mamma is only anxious that they should love her best1 and perhaps takes pains to sow those seeds1 which have produced such luxuriant weeds in her own mind4 ,or1 what still more frequently occurs1 the children are at first made play-things of1 and when their tempers have been spoiled by indiscreet indulgence1 they become troublesome1 and are mostly left with servants2 the first notions they imbibe1 therefore1 are mean and vulgar4 ,they are taught cunning1 the wisdom of that class of people1 and a love of truth1 the foundation of virtue1 is soon obliterated from their minds4 ,it is1 in my opinion1 a well-proved fact1 that principles of truth are innate4 ,without reasoning we assent to many truths2 we feel their force1 and artful sophistry can only blunt those feelings which nature has implanted in us as instinctive guards to virtue4 ,dissimulation and cunning will soon drive all other good qualities before them1 and deprive the mind of that beautiful simplicity1 which can never be too much cherished4 ,indeed it is of the utmost consequence to make a child artless1 or to speak with more propriety1 not to teach them to be otherwise2 and in order to do so we must keep them out of the way of bad examples4 ,art is almost always practiced by servants1 and the same methods which children observe them to use1 to shield themselves from blame1 they will adopt--and cunning is so nearly allied to falsehood1 that it will infallibly lead to it--or some foolish prevaricating subterfuge will occur2 to silence any reproaches of the mind which may arise1 if an attention to truth has been inculcated4 ,another cause or source of art is injudicious correction4 ,accidents or giddy tricks are too frequently punished1 and if children can conceal these1 they will1 to avoid chastisement4 ,restrain them1 therefore1 but never correct them without a very sufficient cause2 such as a violation of truth1 cruelty to animals1 inferiors1 or those kind of follies which lead to vice4 ,children should be permitted to enter into conversation2 but it requires great discernment to find out such subjects as will gradually improve them4 ,animals are the first objects which catch their attention2 and ,i think little stories about them would not only amuse but instruct at the same time1 and have the best effect in forming the temper and cultivating the good dispositions of the heart4 ,there are many little books which have this tendency4 ,one in particular ,i recollect3 ,the ,perambulations of a ,mouse4 ,i cannot here help mentioning a book of hymns1 in measured prose1 written by the ingenious author of many other proper lessons for children4 ,these hymns1 ,i imagine1 would contribute to fill the heart with religious sentiments and affections2 and1 if ,i may be allowed the expression1 make the ,deity obvious to the senses4 ,the understanding1 however1 should not be overloaded any more than the stomach4 ,intellectual improvements1 like the growth and formation of the body1 must be gradual--yet there is no reason why the mind should lie fallow1 while its 8frail tenement0 is imperceptibly fitting itself for a more reasonable inhabitant4 ,it will not lie fallow2 promiscuous seeds will be sown by accident1 and they will shoot up with the wheat1 and perhaps never be eradicated4 ,whenever a child asks a question1 it should always have a reasonable answer given it4 ,its little passions should be engaged4 ,they are mostly fond of stories1 and proper ones would improve them even while they are amused4 ,instead of these1 their heads are filled with improbable tales1 and superstitious accounts of invisible beings1 which breed strange prejudices and vain fears in their minds4 ,the lisp of the nursery is confirmed1 and vulgar phrases are acquired2 which children1 if possible1 should never hear4 ,to be able to express the thoughts with facility and propriety1 is of great consequence in life1 and if children were never led astray in this particular1 it would prevent much trouble4 ,the riot too of the kitchen1 or any other place where children are left only with servants1 makes the decent restraint of the parlour irksome4 ,a girl1 who has vivacity1 soon grows a romp2 and if there are male servants1 they go out a walking with them1 and will frequently take little freedoms with ,miss1 the bearing with which gives a forwardness to her air1 and makes her pert4 ,the becoming modesty1 which being accustomed to converse with superiors1 will give a girl1 is entirely done away4 ,i must own1 ,i am quite charmed when ,i see a sweet young creature1 shrinking as it were from observation1 and listening rather than talking4 ,it is possible a girl may have this manner without having a very good understanding4 ,if it should be so1 this diffidence prevents her from being troublesome4 ,it is the duty of a parent to preserve a child from receiving wrong impressions4--,as to prejudices1 the first notions we have deserve that name2 for it is not till we begin to waver in our opinions1 that we exert our reason to examine them--and then1 if they are received1 they may be called our own4 ,the first things1 then1 that children ought to be encouraged to observe1 are a strict adherence to truth2 a proper submission to superiors2 and condescension to inferiors4 ,these are the main articles2 but there are many others1 which compared to them are trivial1 and yet are of importance4 ,it is not pleasing to see a child full of bows and grimaces2 yet they need not be suffered to be rude4 ,they should be employed1 and such fables and tales may be culled out for them as would excite their curiosity4 ,a taste for the beauties of nature should be very early cultivated3 many things1 with respect to the vegetable and animal world1 may be explained in an amusing way2 and this is an innocent source of pleasure within every one's reach4 ,above all1 try to teach them to combine their ideas4 ,it is of more use than can be conceived1 for a child to learn to compare things that are similar in some respects1 and different in others4 ,i wish them to be taught to think--thinking1 indeed1 is a severe exercise1 and exercise of either mind or body will not at first be entered on1 but with a view to pleasure4 ,not that ,i would have them make long reflections2 for when they do not arise from experience1 they are mostly absurd4 ,,exterior ,,accomplishments4 ,under this head may be ranked all those accomplishments which merely render the person attractive2 and those half-learnt ones which do not improve the mind4 8,a little learning of any kind is a dangerous thing20 and so far from making a person pleasing1 it has the contrary effect4 ,parents have mostly some weighty business in hand1 which they make a pretext to themselves for neglecting the arduous task of educating their children2 they are therefore sent to school1 and the allowance for them is so low1 that the person who undertakes the charge must have more than she can possibly attend to2 of course1 the mechanical parts of education can only be observed4 ,i have known children who could repeat things in the order they learnt them1 that were quite at a loss when put out of the beaten track4 ,if the understanding is not exercised1 the memory will be employed to little purpose4 ,girls learn something of music1 drawing1 and geography2 but they do not know enough to engage their attention1 and render it an employment of the mind4 ,if they can play over a few tunes to their acquaintance1 and have a drawing or two 7half done by the master7 to hang up in their rooms1 they imagine themselves artists for the rest of their lives4 ,it is not the being able to execute a trifling landscape1 or any thing of the kind1 that is of consequence--,these are at best but trifles1 and the foolish1 indiscriminate praises which are bestowed on them only produce vanity4 ,but what is really of no importance1 when considered in this light1 becomes of the utmost1 when a girl has a fondness for the art1 and a desire of excellence4 ,whatever tends to make a person in some measure independent of the senses1 is a prop to virtue4 ,amusing employments must first occupy the mind2 and as an attention to moral duties leads to piety1 so whoever weighs one subject will turn to others1 and new ideas will rush into the mind4 ,the faculties will be exercised1 and not suffered to sleep1 which will give a variety to the character4 ,dancing and elegance of manners are very pleasing1 if too great a stress is not laid on them4 ,these acquirements catch the senses1 and open the way to the heart2 but unsupported by solid good qualities1 their reign is short4 ,the lively thoughtlessness of youth makes every young creature agreeable for the time2 but when those years are flown1 and sense is not substituted in the stead of vivacity1 the follies of youth are acted over1 and they never consider1 that the things which please in their proper season1 disgust out of it4 ,it is very absurd to see a woman1 whose brow time has marked with wrinkles1 aping the manners of a girl in her teens4 ,i do not think it foreign to the present subject to mention the trifling conversations women are mostly fond of4 ,in general1 they are prone to ridicule4 ,as they lay the greatest stress on manners1 the most respectable characters will not escape its lash1 if deficient in this article4 ,ridicule has been1 with some people1 the boasted test of truth--if so1 our sex ought to make wonderful improvements2 but ,i am apt to think1 they often exert this talent till they lose all perception of it themselves4 ,affectation1 and not ignorance1 is the fair game for ridicule2 and even affectation some good-natured persons will spare4 ,we should never give pain without a design to amend4 ,exterior accomplishments are not to be despised1 if the acquiring of them does not satisfy the possessors1 and prevent their cultivating the more important ones4 ,,artificial ,,manners4 ,it may be thought1 that artificial manners and exterior accomplishments are much the same2 but ,i think the former take a far wider range1 and are materially different4 ,the one arises from affectation1 and the other seems only an error in judgment4 ,the emotions of the mind often appear conspicuous in the countenance and manner4 ,these emotions1 when they arise from sensibility and virtue1 are inexpressibly pleasing4 ,but it is easier to copy the cast of countenance1 than to cultivate the virtues which animate and improve it4 ,how many people are like whitened sepulchres1 and careful only about appearances6 yet if we are too anxious to gain the approbation of the world1 we must often forfeit our own4 ,how bewitching is that humble softness of manners which humility gives birth to1 and how faint are the imitations of affectation6 ,that gentleness of behaviour1 which makes us courteous to all1 and that benevolence1 which makes us loth to offend any1 and studious to please every creature1 is sometimes copied by the polite2 but how aukward is the copy6 ,the warmest professions of regard are prostituted on all occasions4 ,no distinctions are made1 and the esteem which is only due to merit1 appears to be lavished on all--,nay1 affection is affected2 at least1 the language is borrowed1 when there is no glow of it in the heart4 ,civility is due to all1 but regard or admiration should never be expressed when it is not felt4 ,as humility gives the most pleasing cast to the countenance1 so from sincerity arises that artlessness of manners which is so engaging4 ,she who suffers herself to be seen as she really is1 can never be thought affected4 ,she is not solicitous to act a part2 her endeavour is not to hide2 but correct her failings1 and her face has of course that beauty1 which an attention to the mind only gives4 ,i never knew a person really ugly1 who was not foolish or vicious2 and ,i have seen the most beautiful features deformed by passion and vice4 ,it is true1 regular features strike at first2 but it is a well ordered mind which occasions those turns of expression in the countenance1 which make a lasting impression4 ,feeling is ridiculous when affected2 and even when felt1 ought not to be displayed4 ,it will appear if genuine2 but when pushed forward to notice1 it is obvious vanity has rivalled sorrow1 and that the prettiness of the thing is thought of4 ,let the manners arise from the mind1 and let there be no disguise for the genuine emotions of the heart4 ,things merely ornamental are soon disregarded1 and disregard can scarcely be borne when there is no internal support4 ,to have in this uncertain world some stay1 which cannot be undermined1 is of the utmost consequence2 and this stay it is1 which gives that dignity to the manners1 which shews that a person does not depend on mere human applause for comfort and satisfaction4 ,,dress4 ,many able pens have dwelt on the peculiar foibles of our sex4 ,we have been equally desired to avoid the two extremes in dress1 and the necessity of cleanliness has been insisted on1 8,as from the body's purity the mind receives a sympathetic aid40 ,by far too much of a girl's time is taken up in dress4 ,this is an exterior accomplishment2 but ,i chose to consider it by itself4 ,the body hides the mind1 and it is1 in its turn1 obscured by the drapery4 ,i hate to see the frame of a picture so glaring1 as to catch the eye and divide the attention4 ,dress ought to adorn the person1 and not rival it4 ,it may be simple1 elegant1 and becoming1 without being expensive2 and ridiculous fashions disregarded1 while singularity is avoided4 ,the beauty of dress 7,i shall raise astonishment by saying so7 is its not being conspicuous one way or the other2 when it neither distorts1 or hides the human form by unnatural protuberances4 ,if ornaments are much studied1 a consciousness of being well dressed will appear in the face--and surely this mean pride does not give much sublimity to it4 8,out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh40 ,and how much conversation does dress furnish1 which surely cannot be very improving or entertaining4 ,it gives rise to envy1 and contests for trifling superiority1 which do not render a woman very respectable to the other sex4 ,arts are used to obtain money2 and much is squandered away1 which if saved for charitable purposes1 might alleviate the distress of many poor families1 and soften the heart of the girl who entered into such scenes of woe4 ,in the article of dress may be included the whole tribe of beauty-washes1 cosmetics1 ,olympian dew1 oriental herbs1 liquid bloom1 and the paint which enlivened ,ninon's face1 and bid defiance to time4 ,these numerous and essential articles are advertised in so ridiculous a style1 that the rapid sale of them is a very severe reflection on the understanding of those females who encourage it4 ,the dew and herbs1 ,i imagine1 are very harmless1 but ,i do not know whether the same may be said of the paint4 ,white is certainly very prejudicial to the health1 and never can be made to resemble nature4 ,the red1 too1 takes off from the expression of the countenance1 and the beautiful glow which modesty1 affection1 or any other emotion of the mind1 gives1 can never be seen4 ,it is not 8a mind-illumined face40 8,the body does not charm1 because the mind is seen10 but just the contrary2 and if caught by it a man marries a woman thus disguised1 he may chance not to be satisfied with her real person4 ,a made-up face may strike visitors1 but will certainly disgust domestic friends4 ,and one obvious inference is drawn1 truth is not expected to govern the inhabitant of so artificial a form4 ,the false life with which rouge animates the eyes1 is not of the most delicate kind2 nor does a woman's dressing herself in a way to attract languishing glances1 give us the most advantageous opinion of the purity of her mind4 ,i forgot to mention powder among the deceptions4 ,it is a pity that it should be so generally worn4 ,the most beautiful ornament of the features is disguised1 and the shade it would give to the countenance entirely lost4 ,the color of every person's hair generally suits the complexion1 and is calculated to set it off4 ,what absurdity then do they run into1 who use red1 blue1 and yellow powder6--,and what a false taste does it exhibit6 ,the quantity of pomatum is often disgusting4 ,we laugh at the ,hottentots1 and in some things adopt their customs4 ,simplicity of ,dress1 and unaffected manners1 should go together4 ,they demand respect1 and will be admired by people of taste1 even when love is out of the question4 ,,the ,,fine ,,arts4 ,music and painting1 and many other ingenious arts1 are now brought to great perfection1 and afford the most rational and delicate pleasure4 ,it is easy to find out if a young person has a taste for them4 ,if they have1 do not suffer it to lie dormant4 ,heaven kindly bestowed it1 and a great blessing it is2 but1 like all other blessings1 may be perverted3 yet the intrinsic value is not lessened by the perversion4 ,should nature have been a niggard to them in this respect1 persuade them to be silent1 and not feign raptures they do not feel2 for nothing can be more ridiculous4 ,in music ,i prefer expression to execution4 ,the simple melody of some artless airs has often soothed my mind1 when it has been harrassed by care2 and ,i have been raised from the very depths of sorrow1 by the sublime harmony of some of ,handel's compositions4 ,i have been lifted above this little scene of grief and care1 and mused on ,him1 from whom all bounty flows4 ,a person must have sense1 taste1 and sensibility1 to render their music interesting4 ,the nimble dance of the fingers may raise wonder1 but not delight4 ,as to drawing1 those cannot be really charmed by it1 who do not observe the beauties of nature1 and even admire them4 ,if a person is fond of tracing the effects of the passions1 and marking the appearances they give to the countenance1 they will be glad to see characters displayed on canvass1 and enter into the spirit of them2 but if by them the book of nature has not been read1 their admiration is childish4 ,works of fancy are very amusing1 if a girl has a lively fancy2 but if she makes others do the greatest part of them1 and only wishes for the credit of doing them1 do not encourage her4 ,writing may be termed a fine art2 and1 ,i am sure1 it is a very useful one4 ,the style in particular deserves attention4 ,young people are very apt to substitute words for sentiments1 and clothe mean thoughts in pompous diction4 ,industry and time are necessary to cure this1 and will often do it4 ,children should be led into correspondences1 and methods adopted to make them write down their sentiments1 and they should be prevailed on to relate the stories they have read in their own words4 ,writing well is of great consequence in life as to our temporal interest1 and of still more to the mind2 as it teaches a person to arrange their thoughts1 and digest them4 ,besides1 it forms the only true basis of rational and elegant conversation4 ,reading1 and such arts as have been already mentioned1 would fill up the time1 and prevent a young person's being lost in dissipation1 which enervates the mind1 and often leads to improper connections4 ,when habits are fixed1 and a character in some measure formed1 the entering into the busy world1 so far from being dangerous1 is useful4 ,knowledge will imperceptibly be acquired1 and the taste improved1 if admiration is not more sought for than improvement4 ,for those seldom make observation who are full of themselves4 ,,reading4 ,it is an old1 but a very true observation1 that the human mind must ever be employed4 ,a relish for reading1 or any of the fine arts1 should be cultivated very early in life2 and those who reflect can tell1 of what importance it is for the mind to have some resource in itself1 and not to be entirely dependant on the senses for employment and amusement4 ,if it unfortunately is so1 it must submit to meanness1 and often to vice1 in order to gratify them4 ,the wisest and best are too much under their influence2 and the endeavouring to conquer them1 when reason and virtue will not give their sanction1 constitutes great part of the warfare of life4 ,what support1 then1 have they who are all senses1 and who are full of schemes1 which terminate in temporal objects8 ,reading is the most rational employment1 if people seek food for the understanding1 and do not read merely to remember words2 or with a view to quote celebrated authors1 and retail sentiments they do not understand or feel4 ,judicious books enlarge the mind and improve the heart1 though some1 by them1 8are made coxcombs whom nature meant for fools40 ,those productions which give a wrong account of the human passions1 and the various accidents of life1 ought not to be read before the judgment is formed1 or at least exercised4 ,such accounts are one great cause of the affectation of young women4 ,sensibility is described and praised1 and the effects of it represented in a way so different from nature1 that those who imitate it must make themselves very ridiculous4 ,a false taste is acquired1 and sensible books appear dull and insipid after those superficial performances1 which obtain their full end if they can keep the mind in a continual ferment4 ,gallantry is made the only interesting subject with the novelist2 reading1 therefore1 will often co-operate to make his fair admirers insignificant4 ,i do not mean to recommend books of an abstracted or grave cast4 ,there are in our language many1 in which instruction and amusement are blended2 the ,adventurer is of this kind4 ,i mention this book on account of its beautiful allegories and affecting tales1 and similar ones may easily be selected4 ,reason strikes most forcibly when illustrated by the brilliancy of fancy4 ,the sentiments which are scattered may be observed1 and when they are relished1 and the mind set to work1 it may be allowed to chuse books for itself1 for every thing will then instruct4 ,i would have every one try to form an opinion of an author themselves1 though modesty may restrain them from mentioning it4 ,many are so anxious to have the reputation of taste1 that they only praise the authors whose merit is indisputable4 ,i am sick of hearing of the sublimity of ,milton1 the elegance and harmony of ,pope1 and the original1 untaught genius of ,shakespear4 ,these cursory remarks are made by some who know nothing of nature1 and could not enter into the spirit of those authors1 or understand them4 ,a florid style mostly passes with the ignorant for fine writing2 many sentences are admired that have no meaning in them1 though they contain 8words of thundering sound10 and others that have nothing to recommend them but sweet and musical terminations4 ,books of theology are not calculated for young persons2 religion is best taught by example4 ,the ,bible should be read with particular respect1 and they should not be taught reading by so sacred a book2 lest they might consider that as a task1 which ought to be a source of the most exalted satisfaction4 ,it may be observed1 that ,i recommend the mind's being put into a proper train1 and then left to itself4 ,fixed rules cannot be given1 it must depend on the nature and strength of the understanding2 and those who observe it can best tell what kind of cultivation will improve it4 ,the mind is not1 cannot be created by the teacher1 though it may be cultivated1 and its real powers found out4 ,the active spirits of youth may make time glide away without intellectual enjoyments2 but when the novelty of the scene is worn off1 the want of them will be felt1 and nothing else can fill up the void4 ,the mind is confined to the body1 and must sink into sensuality2 for it has nothing to do but to provide for it1 8how it shall eat and drink1 and wherewithal it shall be clothed40 ,all kinds of refinement have been found fault with for increasing our cares and sorrows2 yet surely the contrary effect also arises from them4 ,taste and thought open many sources of pleasure1 which do not depend on fortune4 ,no employment of the mind is a sufficient excuse for neglecting domestic duties1 and ,i cannot conceive that they are incompatible4 ,a woman may fit herself to be the companion and friend of a man of sense1 and yet know how to take care of his family4 ,,boarding-,,schools4 ,if a mother has leisure and good sense1 and more than one daughter1 ,i think she could best educate them herself2 but as many family reasons render it necessary sometimes to send them from home1 boarding-schools are fixed on4 ,i must own it is my opinion1 that the manners are too much attended to in all schools2 and in the nature of things it cannot be otherwise1 as the reputation of the house depends upon it1 and most people can judge of them4 ,the temper is neglected1 the same lessons are taught to all1 and some get a smattering of things they have not capacity ever to understand2 few things are learnt thoroughly1 but many follies contracted1 and an immoderate fondness for dress among the rest4 ,to prepare a woman to fulfil the important duties of a wife and mother1 are certainly the objects that should be in view during the early period of life2 yet accomplishments are most thought of1 and they1 and all-powerful beauty1 generally gain the heart2 and as the keeping of it is not considered of until it is lost1 they are deemed of the most consequence4 ,a sensible governess cannot attend to the minds of the number she is obliged to have4 ,she may have been many years struggling to get established1 and when fortune smiles1 does not chuse to lose the opportunity of providing for old age2 therefore continues to enlarge her school1 with a view to accumulate a competency for that purpose4 ,domestic concerns cannot possibly be made a part of their employment1 or proper conversations often entered on4 ,improper books will by stealth be introduced1 and the bad example of one or two vicious children1 in the play-hours1 infect a number4 ,their gratitude and tenderness are not called forth in the way they might be by maternal affection4 ,many miseries does a girl of a mild disposition suffer1 which a tender parent could guard her from4 ,i shall not contest about the graces1 but the virtues are best learnt at home1 if a mother will give up her time and thoughts to the task2 but if she cannot1 they should be sent to school2 for people who do not manage their children well1 and have not large fortunes1 must leave them often with servants1 where they are in danger of still greater corruptions4 ,,the ,,temper4 ,the forming of the temper ought to be the continual thought1 and the first task of a parent or teacher4 ,for to speak moderately1 half the miseries of life arise from peevishness1 or a tyrannical domineering temper4 ,the tender1 who are so by nature1 or those whom religion has moulded with so heavenly a disposition1 give way for the sake of peace--yet still this giving way undermines their domestic comfort1 and stops the current of affection2 they labor for patience1 and labor is ever painful4 ,the governing of our temper is truly the business of our whole lives2 but surely it would very much assist us if we were early put into the right road4 ,as it is1 when reason gains some strength1 she has mountains of rubbish to remove1 or perhaps exerts all her powers to justify the errors of folly and passion1 rather than root them out4 ,a constant attention to the management of the temper produces gentleness and humility1 and is practised on all occasions1 as it is not done 8to be seen of men40 ,this meek spirit arises from good sense and resolution1 and should not be confounded with indolence and timidity2 weaknesses of mind1 which often pass for good nature4 ,she who submits1 without conviction1 to a parent or husband1 will as unreasonably tyrannise over her servants2 for slavish fear and tyranny go together4 ,resentment1 indeed1 may and will be felt occasionally by the best of human beings2 yet humility will soon conquer it1 and convert scorn and contempt into pity1 and drive out that hasty pride which is always guarding ,self from insult2 which takes fire on the most trivial occasions1 and which will not admit of a superior1 or even an equal4 ,with such a temper is often joined that bashful aukwardness which arises from ignorance1 and is frequently termed diffidence2 but which does not1 in my opinion1 deserve such a distinction4 ,true humility is not innate1 but like every other good quality must be cultivated4 ,reflections on miscarriages of conduct1 and mistakes in opinion1 sink it deep into the mind2 especially if those miscarriages and mistakes have been a cause of pain--when we smart for our folly we remember it4 ,few people look into their own hearts1 or think of their tempers1 though they severely censure others1 on whose side they say the fault always lies4 ,now ,i am apt to believe1 that there is not a temper in the world which does not need correction1 and of course attention4 ,those who are termed good-humored1 are frequently giddy1 indolent1 and insensible2 yet because the society they mix with appear seldom displeased with a person who does not contest1 and will laugh off an affront1 they imagine themselves pleasing1 when they are only not disagreeable4 ,warm tempers are too easily irritated4 ,the one requires a spur1 the other a rein4 ,health of mind1 as well as body1 must in general be obtained by patient submission to self-denial1 and disagreeable operations4 ,if the presence of the ,deity be inculcated and dwelt on till an habitual reverence is established in the mind1 it will check the sallies of anger and sneers of peevishness1 which corrode our peace1 and render us wretched1 without any claim to pity4 ,the wisdom of the ,almighty has so ordered things1 that one cause produces many effects4 ,while we are looking into another's mind1 and forming their temper1 we are insensibly correcting our own2 and every act of benevolence which we exert to our fellow-creatures1 does ourselves the most essential services4 ,active virtue fits us for the society of more exalted beings4 ,our philanthrophy is a proof1 we are told1 that we are capable of loving our ,creator4 ,indeed this divine love1 or charity1 appears to me the principal trait that remains of the illustrious image of the ,deity1 which was originally stampt on the soul1 and which is to be renewed4 ,exalted views will raise the mind above trifling cares1 and the many little weaknesses1 which make us a torment to ourselves and others4 ,our temper will gradually improve1 and vanity1 which 8the creature is made subject to10 has not an entire dominion4 ,but ,i have digressed4 ,a judicious parent can only manage a child in this important article2 and example will best enforce precept4 ,be careful1 however1 not to make hypocrites2 smothered flames will blaze out with more violence for having been kept down4 ,expect not to do all yourself2 experience must enable the child to assist you2 you can only lay the foundation1 or prevent bad propensities from settling into habits4 ,,unfortunate ,,situation ,,of ,,females1 ,,fashionably ,,educated1 ,,and ,,left ,,without ,a ,,fortune4 ,i have hitherto only spoken of those females1 who will have a provision made for them by their parents4 ,but many who have been well1 or at least fashionably educated1 are left without a fortune1 and if they are not entirely devoid of delicacy1 they must frequently remain single4 ,few are the modes of earning a subsistence1 and those very humiliating4 ,perhaps to be an humble companion to some rich old cousin1 or what is still worse1 to live with strangers1 who are so intolerably tyrannical1 that none of their own relations can bear to live with them1 though they should even expect a fortune in reversion4 ,it is impossible to enumerate the many hours of anguish such a person must spend4 ,above the servants1 yet considered by them as a spy1 and ever reminded of her inferiority when in conversation with the superiors4 ,if she cannot condescend to mean flattery1 she has not a chance of being a favorite2 and should any of the visitors take notice of her1 and she for a moment forget her subordinate state1 she is sure to be reminded of it4 ,painfully sensible of unkindness1 she is alive to every thing1 and many sarcasms reach her1 which were perhaps directed another way4 ,she is alone1 shut out from equality and confidence1 and the concealed anxiety impairs her constitution2 for she must wear a cheerful face1 or be dismissed4 ,the being dependant on the caprice of a fellow-creature1 though certainly very necessary in this state of discipline1 is yet a very bitter corrective1 which we would fain shrink from4 ,a teacher at a school is only a kind of upper servant1 who has more work than the menial ones4 ,a governess to young ladies is equally disagreeable4 ,it is ten to one if they meet with a reasonable mother2 and if she is not so1 she will be continually finding fault to prove she is not ignorant1 and be displeased if her pupils do not improve1 but angry if the proper methods are taken to make them do so4 ,the children treat them with disrespect1 and often with insolence4 ,in the mean time life glides away1 and the spirits with it2 8and when youth and genial years are flown10 they have nothing to subsist on2 or1 perhaps1 on some extraordinary occasion1 some small allowance may be made for them1 which is thought a great charity4 ,the few trades which are left1 are now gradually falling into the hands of the men1 and certainly they are not very respectable4 ,it is hard for a person who has a relish for polished society1 to herd with the vulgar1 or to condescend to mix with her former equals when she is considered in a different light4 ,what unwelcome heart-breaking knowledge is then poured in on her6 ,i mean a view of the selfishness and depravity of the world2 for every other acquirement is a source of pleasure1 though they may occasion temporary inconveniences4 ,how cutting is the contempt she meets with6--,a young mind looks round for love and friendship2 but love and friendship fly from poverty3 expect them not if you are poor6 ,the mind must then sink into meanness1 and accommodate itself to its new state1 or dare to be unhappy4 ,yet ,i think no reflecting person would give up the experience and improvement they have gained1 to have avoided the misfortunes2 on the contrary1 they are thankfully ranked amongst the choicest blessings of life1 when we are not under their immediate pressure4 ,how earnestly does a mind full of sensibility look for disinterested friendship1 and long to meet with good unalloyed4 ,when fortune smiles they hug the dear delusion2 but dream not that it is one4 ,the painted cloud disappears suddenly1 the scene is changed1 and what an aching void is left in the heart6 a void which only religion can fill up--and how few seek this internal comfort6 ,a woman1 who has beauty without sentiment1 is in great danger of being seduced2 and if she has any1 cannot guard herself from painful mortifications4 ,it is very disagreeable to keep up a continual reserve with men she has been formerly familiar with2 yet if she places confidence1 it is ten to one but she is deceived4 ,few men seriously think of marrying an inferior2 and if they have honor enough not to take advantage of the artless tenderness of a woman who loves1 and thinks not of the difference of rank1 they do not undeceive her until she has anticipated happiness1 which1 contrasted with her dependant situation1 appears delightful4 ,the disappointment is severe2 and the heart receives a wound which does not easily admit of a compleat cure1 as the good that is missed is not valued according to its real worth3 for fancy drew the picture1 and grief delights to create food to feed on4 ,if what ,i have written should be read by parents1 who are now going on in thoughtless extravagance1 and anxious only that their daughters may be genteelly educated1 let them consider to what sorrows they expose them2 for ,i have not over-coloured the picture4 ,though ,i warn parents to guard against leaving their daughters to encounter so much misery2 yet if a young woman falls into it1 she ought not to be discontented4 ,good must ultimately arise from every thing1 to those who look beyond this infancy of their being2 and here the comfort of a good conscience is our only stable support4 ,the main business of our lives is to learn to be virtuous2 and ,he who is training us up for immortal bliss1 knows best what trials will contribute to make us so2 and our resignation and improvement will render us respectable to ourselves1 and to that ,being1 whose approbation is of more value than life itself4 ,it is true1 tribulation produces anguish1 and we would fain avoid the bitter cup1 though convinced its effects would be the most salutary4 ,the ,almighty is then the kind parent1 who chastens and educates1 and indulges us not when it would tend to our hurt4 ,he is compassion itself1 and never wounds but to heal1 when the ends of correction are answered4 ,,love4 ,i think there is not a subject that admits so little of reasoning on as love2 nor can rules be laid down that will not appear to lean too much one way or the other4 ,circumstances must1 in a great measure1 govern the conduct in this particular2 yet who can be a judge in their own case8 ,perhaps1 before they begin to consider the matter1 they see through the medium of passion1 and its suggestions are often mistaken for those of reason4 ,we can no other way account for the absurd matches we every day have an opportunity of observing2 for in this respect1 even the most sensible men and women err4 ,a variety of causes will occasion an attachment2 an endeavour to supplant another1 or being by some accident confined to the society of one person4 ,many have found themselves entangled in an affair of honor1 who only meant to fill up the heavy hours in an amusing way1 or raise jealousy in some other bosom4 ,it is a difficult task to write on a subject when our own passions are likely to blind us4 ,hurried away by our feelings1 we are apt to set those things down as general maxims1 which only our partial experience gives rise to4 ,though it is not easy to say how a person should act under the immediate influence of passion1 yet they certainly have no excuse who are actuated only by vanity1 and deceive by an equivocal behaviour in order to gratify it4 ,there are quite as many male coquets as female1 and they are far more pernicious pests to society1 as their sphere of action is larger1 and they are less exposed to the censure of the world4 ,a smothered sigh1 downcast look1 and the many other little arts which are played off1 may give extreme pain to a sincere1 artless woman1 though she cannot resent1 or complain of1 the injury4 ,this kind of trifling1 ,i think1 much more inexcusable than inconstancy2 and why it is so1 appears so obvious1 ,i need not point it out4 ,people of sense and reflection are most apt to have violent and constant passions1 and to be preyed on by them4 ,neither can they1 for the sake of present pleasure1 bear to act in such a manner1 as that the retrospect should fill them with confusion and regret4 ,perhaps a delicate mind is not susceptible of a greater degree of misery1 putting guilt out of the question1 than what must arise from the consciousness of loving a person whom their reason does not approve4 ,this1 ,i am persuaded1 has often been the case2 and the passion must either be rooted out1 or the continual allowances and excuses that are made will hurt the mind1 and lessen the respect for virtue4 ,love1 unsupported by esteem1 must soon expire1 or lead to depravity2 as1 on the contrary1 when a worthy person is the object1 it is the greatest incentive to improvement1 and has the best effect on the manners and temper4 ,we should always try to fix in our minds the rational grounds we have for loving a person1 that we may be able to recollect them when we feel disgust or resentment2 we should then habitually practise forbearance1 and the many petty disputes which interrupt domestic peace would be avoided4 ,a woman cannot reasonably be unhappy1 if she is attached to a man of sense and goodness1 though he may not be all she could wish4 ,i am very far from thinking love irresistible1 and not to be conquered4 8,if weak women go astray10 it is they1 and not the stars1 that are to be blamed4 ,a resolute endeavour will almost always overcome difficulties4 ,i knew a woman very early in life warmly attached to an agreeable man1 yet she saw his faults2 his principles were unfixed1 and his prodigal turn would have obliged her to have restrained every benevolent emotion of her heart4 ,she exerted her influence to improve him1 but in vain did she for years try to do it4 ,convinced of the impossibility1 she determined not to marry him1 though she was forced to encounter poverty and its attendants4 ,it is too universal a maxim with novelists1 that love is felt but once2 though it appears to me1 that the heart which is capable of receiving an impression at all1 and can distinguish1 will turn to a new object when the first is found unworthy4 ,i am convinced it is practicable1 when a respect for goodness has the first place in the mind1 and notions of perfection are not affixed to constancy4 ,many ladies are delicately miserable1 and imagine that they are lamenting the loss of a lover1 when they are full of self-applause1 and reflections on their own superior refinement4 ,painful feelings are prolonged beyond their natural course1 to gratify our desire of appearing heroines1 and we deceive ourselves as well as others4 ,when any sudden stroke of fate deprives us of those we love1 we may not readily get the better of the blow2 but when we find we have been led astray by our passions1 and that it was our own imaginations which gave the high colouring to the picture1 we may be certain time will drive it out of our minds4 ,for we cannot often think of our folly without being displeased with ourselves1 and such reflections are quickly banished4 ,habit and duty will co-operate1 and religion may overcome what reason has in vain combated with2 but refinement and romance are often confounded1 and sensibility1 which occasions this kind of inconstancy1 is supposed to have the contrary effect4 ,nothing can more tend to destroy peace of mind1 than platonic attachments4 ,they are begun in false refinement1 and frequently end in sorrow1 if not in guilt4 ,the two extremes often meet1 and virtue carried to excess will sometimes lead to the opposite vice4 ,not that ,i mean to insinuate that there is no such thing as friendship between persons of different sexes2 ,i am convinced of the contrary1 ,i only mean to observe1 that if a woman's heart is disengaged1 she should not give way to a pleasing delusion1 and imagine she will be satisfied with the friendship of a man she admires1 and prefers to the rest of the world4 ,the heart is very treacherous1 and if we do not guard its first emotions1 we shall not afterwards be able to prevent its sighing for impossibilities4 ,if there are any insuperable bars to an union in the common way1 try to dismiss the dangerous tenderness1 or it will undermine your comfort1 and betray you into many errors4 ,to attempt to raise ourselves above human beings is ridiculous2 we cannot extirpate our passions1 nor is it necessary that we should1 though it may be wise sometimes not to stray too near a precipice1 lest we fall over before we are aware4 ,we cannot avoid much vexation and sorrow1 if we are ever so prudent2 it is then the part of wisdom to enjoy those gleams of sunshine which do not endanger our innocence1 or lead to repentance4 ,love gilds all the prospects of life1 and though it cannot always exclude apathy1 it makes many cares appear trifling4 ,dean ,swift hated the world1 and only loved particular persons2 yet pride rivalled them4 ,a foolish wish of rising superior to the common wants and desires of the human species made him singular1 but not respectable4 ,he sacrificed an amiable woman to his caprice1 and made those shun his company who would have been entertained and improved by his conversation1 had he loved any one as well as himself4 ,universal benevolence is the first duty1 and we should be careful not to let any passion so engross our thoughts1 as to prevent our practising it4 ,after all the dreams of rapture1 earthly pleasures will not fill the mind1 or support it when they have not the sanction of reason1 or are too much depended on4 ,the tumult of passion will subside1 and even the pangs of disappointment cease to be felt4 ,but for the wicked there is a worm that never dies--a guilty conscience4 ,while that calm satisfaction which resignation produces1 which cannot be described1 but may be attained1 in some degree1 by those who try to keep in the strait1 though thorny path which leads to bliss1 shall sanctify the sorrows1 and dignify the character of virtue4 ,,matrimony4 ,early marriages are1 in my opinion1 a stop to improvement4 ,if we were born only 8to draw nutrition1 propagate and rot10 the sooner the end of creation was answered the better3 but as women are here allowed to have souls1 the soul ought to be attended to4 ,in youth a woman endeavours to please the other sex1 in order1 generally speaking1 to get married1 and this endeavour calls forth all her powers4 ,if she has had a tolerable education1 the foundation only is laid1 for the mind does not soon arrive at maturity1 and should not be engrossed by domestic cares before any habits are fixed4 ,the passions also have too much influence over the judgment to suffer it to direct her in this most important affair2 and many women1 ,i am persuaded1 marry a man before they are twenty1 whom they would have rejected some years after4 ,very frequently1 when the education has been neglected1 the mind improves itself1 if it has leisure for reflection1 and experience to reflect on2 but how can this happen when they are forced to act before they have had time to think1 or find that they are unhappily married8 ,nay1 should they be so fortunate as to get a good husband1 they will not set a proper value on him2 he will be found much inferior to the lovers described in novels1 and their want of knowledge makes them frequently disgusted with the man1 when the fault is in human nature4 ,when a woman's mind has gained some strength1 she will in all probability pay more attention to her actions than a girl can be expected to do2 and if she thinks seriously1 she will chuse for a companion a man of principle2 and this perhaps young people do not sufficiently attend to1 or see the necessity of doing4 ,a woman of feeling must be very much hurt if she is obliged to keep her children out of their father's company1 that their morals may not be injured by his conversation2 and besides1 the whole arduous task of education devolves on her1 and in such a case it is not very practicable4 ,attention to the education of children must be irksome1 when life appears to have so many charms1 and its pleasures are not found fallacious4 ,many are but just returned from a boarding-school1 when they are placed at the head of a family1 and how fit they are to manage it1 ,i leave the judicious to judge4 ,can they improve a child's understanding1 when they are scarcely out of the state of childhood themselves8 ,dignity of manners1 too1 and proper reserve are often wanting4 ,the constant attendant on too much familiarity is contempt4 ,women are often before marriage prudish1 and afterwards they think they may innocently give way to fondness1 and overwhelm the poor man with it4 ,they think they have a legal right to his affections1 and grow remiss in their endeavours to please4 ,there are a thousand nameless decencies which good sense gives rise to1 and artless proofs of regard which flow from the heart1 and will reach it1 if it is not depraved4 ,it has ever occurred to me1 that it was sufficient for a woman to receive caresses1 and not bestow them4 ,she ought to distinguish between fondness and tenderness4 ,the latter is the sweetest cordial of life2 but1 like all other cordials1 should be reserved for particular occasions2 to exhilarate the spirits1 when depressed by sickness1 or lost in sorrow4 ,sensibility will best instruct4 ,some delicacies can never be pointed out or described1 though they sink deep into the heart1 and render the hours of distress supportable4 ,a woman should have so proper a pride1 as not easily to forget a deliberate affront2 though she must not too hastily resent any little coolness4 ,we cannot always feel alike1 and all are subject to changes of temper without an adequate cause4 ,reason must often be called in to fill up the vacuums of life2 but too many of our sex suffer theirs to lie dormant4 ,a little ridicule and smart turn of expression1 often confutes without convincing2 and tricks are played off to raise tenderness1 even while they are forfeiting esteem4 ,women are said to be the weaker vessel1 and many are the miseries which this weakness brings on them4 ,men have in some respects very much the advantage4 ,if they have a tolerable understanding1 it has a chance to be cultivated4 ,they are forced to see human nature as it is1 and are not left to dwell on the pictures of their own imaginations4 ,nothing1 ,i am sure1 calls forth the faculties so much as the being obliged to struggle with the world2 and this is not a woman's province in a married state4 ,her sphere of action is not large1 and if she is not taught to look into her own heart1 how trivial are her occupations and pursuits6 ,what little arts engross and narrow her mind6 8,cunning fills up the mighty void of sense10 and cares1 which do not improve the heart or understanding1 take up her attention4 ,of course1 she falls a prey to childish anger1 and silly capricious humors1 which render her rather insignificant than vicious4 ,in a comfortable situation1 a cultivated mind is necessary to render a woman contented2 and in a miserable one1 it is her only consolation4 ,a sensible1 delicate woman1 who by some strange accident1 or mistake1 is joined to a fool or a brute1 must be wretched beyond all names of wretchedness1 if her views are confined to the present scene4 ,of what importance1 then1 is intellectual improvement1 when our comfort here1 and happiness hereafter1 depends upon it4 ,principles of religion should be fixed1 and the mind not left to fluctuate in the time of distress1 when it can receive succour from no other quarter4 ,the conviction that every thing is working for our good will scarcely produce resignation1 when we are deprived of our dearest hopes4 ,how they can be satisfied1 who have not this conviction1 ,i cannot conceive2 ,i rather think they will turn to some worldly support1 and fall into folly1 if not vice4 ,for a little refinement only leads a woman into the wilds of romance1 if she is not religious2 nay1 more1 there is no true sentiment without it1 nor perhaps any other effectual check to the passions4 ,,desultory ,,thoughts4 ,as every kind of domestic concern and family business is properly a woman's province1 to enable her to discharge her duty she should study the different branches of it4 ,nothing is more useful in a family than a little knowledge of physic1 sufficient to make the mistress of it a judicious nurse4 ,many a person1 who has had a sensible physician to attend them1 have been lost for want of the other2 for tenderness1 without judgment1 sometimes does more harm than good4 ,the ignorant imagine there is something very mysterious in the practice of physic4 ,they expect a medicine to work like a charm1 and know nothing of the progress and crisis of disorders4 ,the keeping of the patient low appears cruel1 all kind of regimen is disregarded1 and though the fever rages1 they cannot be persuaded not to give them inflammatory food4 8,how 7say they7 can a person get well without nourishment80 ,the mind1 too1 should be soothed at the same time2 and indeed1 whenever it sinks1 soothing is1 at first1 better than reasoning4 ,the slackened nerves are not to be braced by words4 ,when a mind is worried by care1 or oppressed by sorrow1 it cannot in a moment grow tranquil1 and attend to the voice of reason4 ,st4 ,paul says1 8,no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous2 but grievous3 nevertheless1 afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby40 ,it is plain1 from these words of the ,apostle1 and from many other parts of ,scripture1 that afflictions are necessary to teach us true wisdom1 and that in spite of this conviction1 men would fain avoid the bitter draught1 though certain that the drinking of it would be conducive to the purifying of their hearts4 ,he who made us must know what will tend to our ultimate good2 yet still all this is grievous1 and the heart will throb with anguish when deprived of what it loves1 and the tongue can scarcely faulter out an acquiescence to the ,divine ,will1 when it is so contrary to our own4 ,due allowance ought then to be made for human infirmities1 and the unhappy should be considered as objects of compassion1 rather than blame4 ,but in a very different stile does consolatory advice generally run2 for instead of pouring oil or wine into the wound1 it tends to convince the unfortunate persons that they are weak as well as unhappy4 ,i am apt to imagine1 that sorrow and resignation are not incompatible2 and that though religion cannot make some disappointments pleasant1 it prevents our repining1 even while we smart under them4 ,did our feelings and reason always coincide1 our passage through this world could not justly be termed a warfare1 and faith would no longer be a virtue4 ,it is our preferring the things that are not seen1 to those which are1 that proves us to be the heirs of promise4 ,on the sacred word of the ,most ,high1 we rely with firm assurance1 that the sufferings of the present life will work out a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory2 yet still they are allowed to be afflictions1 which1 though temporary1 must still be grievous4 ,the difference between those who sorrow without hope1 and those who look up to ,heaven1 is not that the one feel more than the other1 for they may be both equally depressed2 but the latter think of the peaceable fruits which are to result from the discipline1 and therefore patiently submit4 ,i have almost run into a sermon1--and ,i shall not make an apology for it4 ,whatever contributes to make us compassionate and resolute1 is of the utmost consequence2 both these qualities are necessary1 if we are confined to a sick chamber4 ,various are the misfortunes of life1 and it may be the lot of most of us to see death in all its terrors1 when it attacks a friend2 yet even then we must exert our friendship1 and try to chear the departing spirit4 ,,the ,,benefits ,,which ,,arise ,,from ,,disappointments4 ,most women1 and men too1 have no character at all4 ,just opinions and virtuous passions appear by starts1 and while we are giving way to the love and admiration which those qualities raise1 they are quite different creatures4 ,it is reflection which forms habits1 and fixes principles indelibly on the heart2 without it1 the mind is like a wreck drifted about by every squall4 ,the passion that we think most of will soon rival all the rest2 it is then in our power1 this way1 to strengthen our good dispositions1 and in some measure to establish a character1 which will not depend on every accidental impulse4 ,to be convinced of truths1 and yet not to feel or act up to them1 is a common thing4 ,present pleasure drives all before it1 and adversity is mercifully sent to force us to think4 ,in the school of adversity we learn knowledge as well as virtue2 yet we lament our hard fate1 dwell on our disappointments1 and never consider that our own wayward minds1 and inconsistent hearts1 require these needful correctives4 ,medicines are not sent to persons in health4 ,it is a well-known remark1 that our very wishes give us not our wish4 ,i have often thought it might be set down as a maxim1 that the greatest disappointment we can meet with is the gratification of our fondest wishes4 ,but truth is sometimes not pleasant2 we turn from it1 and doat on an illusion2 and if we were not in a probationary state1 we should do well to thicken the cloud1 rather than dispel it4 ,there are some who delight in observing moral beauty1 and their souls sicken when forced to view crimes and follies which could never hurt them4 ,how numerous are the sorrows which reach such bosoms6 ,they may truly be called human creatures2 on every side they touch their fellow-mortals1 and vibrate to the touch4 ,common humanity points out the important duties of our station2 but sensibility 7a kind of instinct1 strengthened by reflection7 can only teach the numberless minute things which give pain or pleasure4 ,a benevolent mind often suffers more than the object it commiserates1 and will bear an inconvenience itself to shelter another from it4 ,it makes allowance for failings though it longs to meet perfection1 which it seems formed to adore4 ,the ,author of all good continually calls himself1 a ,god long-suffering2 and those most resemble him who practice forbearance4 ,love and compassion are the most delightful feelings of the soul1 and to exert them to all that breathe is the wish of the benevolent heart4 ,to struggle with ingratitude and selfishness is grating beyond expression3 and the sense we have of our weakness1 though useful1 is not pleasant4 ,thus it is with us1 when we look for happiness1 we meet with vexations3 and if1 now and then1 we give way to tenderness1 or any of the amiable passions1 and taste pleasure1 the mind1 strained beyond its usual tone1 falls into apathy4 ,and yet we were made to be happy6 ,but our passions will not contribute much to our bliss1 till they are under the dominion of reason1 and till that reason is enlightened and improved4 ,then sighing will cease1 and all tears will be wiped away by that ,being1 in whose presence there is fulness of joy4 ,a person of tenderness must ever have particular attachments1 and ever be disappointed2 yet still they must be attached1 in spite of human frailty2 for if the mind is not kept in motion by either hope or fear1 it sinks into the dreadful state before-mentioned4 ,i have very often heard it made a subject of ridicule1 that when a person is disappointed in this world1 they turn to the next4 ,nothing can be more natural than the transition2 and it seems to me the scheme of ,providence1 that our finding things unsatisfactory here1 should force us to think of the better country to which we are going4 ,,on ,,the ,,treatment ,,of ,,servants4 ,the management of servants is a great part of the employment of a woman's life2 and her own temper depends very much on her behaviour to them4 ,servants are1 in general1 ignorant and cunning2 we must consider their characters1 if we would treat them properly1 and continually practise forbearance4 ,the same methods we use with children may be adopted with regard to them4 ,act uniformly1 and never find fault without a just cause2 and when there is1 be positive1 but not angry4 ,a mind that is not too much engrossed by trifles1 will not be discomposed by every little domestic disaster2 and a thinking person can very readily make allowance for those faults which arise from want of reflection and education4 ,i have seen the peace of a whole family disturbed by some trivial1 cross accident1 and hours spent in useless upbraidings about some mistake which would never have been thought of1 but for the consequences that arose from it4 ,an error in judgment or an accident should not be severely reprehended4 ,it is a proof of wisdom to profit by experience1 and not lament irremediable evils4 ,a benevolent person must ever wish to see those around them comfortable1 and try to be the cause of that comfort4 ,the wide difference which education makes1 ,i should suppose1 would prevent familiarity in the way of equality2 yet kindness must be shewn1 if we are desirous that our domestics should be attached to our interest and persons4 ,how pleasing it is to be attended with a smile of willingness1 to be consulted when they are at a loss1 and looked up to as a friend and benefactor when they are in distress4 ,it is true we may often meet with ingratitude1 but it ought not to discourage us2 the refreshing showers of heaven fertilize the fields of the unworthy1 as well as the just4 ,we should nurse them in illness1 and our superior judgment in those matters would often alleviate their pains4 ,above all1 we owe them a good example4 ,the ceremonials of religion1 on their account1 should be attended to2 as they always reverence them to a superstitious degree1 or else neglect them4 ,we should not shock the faith of the meanest fellow-creature2 nay more1 we should comply with their prejudices2 for their religious notions are so over-run with them1 that they are not easily separated2 and by trying to pluck up the tares1 we may root up the wheat with them4 ,the woman who gives way to caprice and ill-humour in the kitchen1 cannot easily smooth her brow when her husband returns to his fire-side2 nay1 he may not only see the wrinkles of anger1 but hear the disputes at second-hand4 ,i heard a ,gentleman say1 it would break any man's heart to hear his wife argue such a case4 ,men who are employed about things of consequence1 think these affairs more insignificant than they really are2 for the warmth with which we engage in any business increases its importance1 and our not entering into them has the contrary effect4 ,the behaviour of girls to servants is generally in extremes2 too familiar or haughty4 ,indeed the one often produces the other1 as a check1 when the freedoms are troublesome4 ,we cannot make our servants wise or good1 but we may teach them to be decent and orderly2 and order leads to some degree of morality4 ,,the ,,observance ,,of ,,sunday4 ,the institution of keeping the seventh day holy was wisely ordered by ,providence for two purposes4 ,to rest the body1 and call off the mind from the too eager pursuit of the shadows of this life1 which1 ,i am afraid1 often obscure the prospect of futurity1 and fix our thoughts on earth4 ,a respect for this ordinance is1 ,i am persuaded1 of the utmost consequence to national religion4 ,the vulgar have such a notion of it1 that with them1 going to church1 and being religious1 are almost synonymous terms4 ,they are so lost in their senses1 that if this day did not continually remind them1 they would soon forget that there was a ,god in the world4 ,some forms are necessary to support vital religion1 and without them it would soon languish1 and at last expire4 ,it is unfortunate1 that this day is either kept with puritanical exactness1 which renders it very irksome1 or lost in dissipation and thoughtlessness4 ,either way is very prejudicial to the minds of children and servants1 who ought not to be let run wild1 not confined too strictly2 and1 above all1 should not see their parents or masters indulge themselves in things which are generally thought wrong4 ,i am fully persuaded1 that servants have such a notion of card-playing1 that where-ever it is practised of a ,sunday their minds are hurt2 and the barrier between good and evil in some measure broken down4 ,servants1 who are accustomed to bodily labour1 will fall into as laborious pleasures1 if they are not gently restrained1 and some substitute found out for them4 ,such a close attention to a family may appear to many very disagreeable2 but the path of duty will be found pleasant after some time2 and the passions being employed this way1 will1 by degrees1 come under the subjection of reason4 ,i mean not to be rigid1 the obstructions which arise in the way of our duty1 do not strike a speculatist2 ,i know1 too1 that in the moment of action1 even a well-disposed mind is often carried away by the present impulse1 and that it requires some experience to be able to distinguish the dictates of reason from those of passion4 ,the truth is seldom found out until the tumult is over2 we then wake as from a dream1 and when we survey what we have done1 and feel the folly of it1 we might call on reason and say1 why sleepest thou8 ,yet though people are led astray by their passions1 and even relapse after the most bitter repentance1 they should not despair1 but still try to regain the right road1 and cultivate such habits as may assist them4 ,i never knew much social virtue to reside in a house where the sabbath was grossly violated4 ,,on ,,the ,,misfortune ,,of ,,fluctuating ,,principles4 ,if we look for any comfort in friendship or society1 we must associate with those who have fixed principles with respect to religion2 for without them1 repeated experience convinces me1 the most shining qualities are unstable1 and not to be depended on4 ,it has often been a matter of surprise to me1 that so few people examine the tenets of the religion they profess1 or are christians through conviction4 ,they have no anchor to rest on1 nor any fixed chart to direct them in the doubtful voyage of life2 how then can they hope to find the 8haven of rest80 ,but they think not of it1 and cannot be expected to forego present advantages4 ,noble actions must arise from noble thoughts and views2 when they are confined to this world1 they must be groveling4 ,faith1 with respect to the promise of eternal happiness1 can only enable us to combat with our passions1 with a chance of victory4 ,there are many who pay no attention to revelation1 and more1 perhaps1 who have not any fixed belief in it4 ,the sure word of comfort is neglected2 and how people can live without it1 ,i can scarcely conceive4 ,for as the sun renews the face of nature1 and chases away darkness from the world1 so does this1 still greater blessing1 have the same effect on the mind1 and enlightens and cheers it when every thing else fails4 ,a true sense of our infirmities is the way to make us christians in the most extensive sense of the word4 ,a mind depressed with a weight of weaknesses can only find comfort in the promises of the ,gospel4 ,the assistance there offered must raise the humble soul2 and the account of the atonement that has been made1 gives a rational ground for resting in hope until the toil of virtue is over1 and faith has nothing to be exercised on4 ,it is the fashion now for young men to be deists4 ,and many a one has improper books sent adrift in a sea of doubts--of which there is no end4 ,this is not a land of certainty2 there is no confining the wandering reason1 and but one clue to prevent its being lost in endless researches4 ,reason is indeed the heaven-lighted lamp in man1 and may safely be trusted when not entirely depended on2 but when it pretends to discover what is beyond its ken1 it certainly stretches the line too far1 and runs into absurdity4 ,some speculations are idle and others hurtful1 as they raise pride1 and turn the thoughts to subjects that ought to be left unexplored4 ,with love and awe we should think of the ,high and ,lofty ,one1 that inhabiteth eternity6 and not presume to say how ,he must exist who created us4 ,how unfortunate it is1 that man must sink into a brute1 and not employ his mind1 or else1 by thinking1 grow so proud1 as often to imagine himself a superior being6 ,it is not the doubts of profound thinkers that ,i here allude to1 but the crude notions which young men sport away when together1 and sometimes in the company of young women1 to make them wonder at their superior wisdom6 ,there cannot be any thing more dangerous to a mind1 not accustomed to think1 than doubts delivered in a ridiculing way4 ,they never go deep enough to solve them1 of course they stick by them2 and though they might not influence their conduct1 if a fear of the world prevents their being guilty of vices1 yet their thoughts are not restrained1 and they should be observed diligently1 8,for out of them are the issues of life40 ,a nice sense of right and wrong ought to be acquired1 and then not only great vices will be avoided1 but every little meanness2 truth will reign in the inward parts1 and mercy will attend her4 ,i have indeed so much compassion for those young females who are entering into the world without fixed principles1 that ,i would fain persuade them to examine a little into the matter4 ,for though in the season of gaiety they may not feel the want of them1 in that of distress where will they fly for succour8 ,even with this support1 life is a labor of patience--a conflict2 and the utmost we can gain is a small portion of peace1 a kind of watchful tranquillity1 that is liable to continual interruptions4 8,then keep each passion down1 however dear2 8,trust me1 the tender are the most severe4 8,guard1 while 'tis thine1 thy philosophic ease1 8,and ask no joy but that of virtuous peace2 8,that bids defiance to the storms of fate3 8,high bliss is only for a higher state40 ,,thomson4 ,,benevolence4 ,this first1 and most amiable virtue1 is often found in young persons that afterwards grow selfish2 a knowledge of the arts of others1 is an excuse to them for practicing the same2 and because they have been deceived once1 or have found objects unworthy of their charity--if any one appeals to their feelings1 the formidable word ,imposture instantly banishes the compassionate emotions1 and silences conscience4 ,i do not mean to confine the exercise of benevolence to alms-giving1 though it is a very material part of it4 ,faith1 hope1 and charity ought to attend us in our passage through this world2 but the two first leave us when we die1 while the other is to be the constant inmate of our breast through all eternity4 ,we ought not to suffer the heavenly spark to be quenched by selfishness2 if we do1 how can we expect it to revive1 when the soul is disentangled from the body1 and should be prepared for the realms of love8 ,forbearance and liberality of sentiment are the virtues of maturity4 ,children should be taught every thing in a positive way2 and their own experience can only teach them afterwards to make distinctions and allowances4 ,it is then the inferior part of benevolence that comes within their sphere of action1 and it should not be suffered to sleep4 ,some part of the money that is allowed them for pocket-money1 they should be encouraged to lay out this way1 and the short-lived emotions of pity continually retraced 'till they grow into habits4 ,i knew a child that would1 when very young1 sit down and cry if it met a poor person1 after it had laid out its money in cakes2 this occurred once or twice1 and the tears were shed with additional distress every time2 till at last it resisted the temptation1 and saved the money4 ,i think it a very good method for girls to have a certain allowance for cloaths4 ,a mother can easily1 without seeming to do it1 observe how they spend it1 and direct them accordingly4 ,by these means they would learn the value of money1 and be obliged to contrive4 ,this would be a practical lesson of conomy superior to all the theories that could be thought of4 ,the having a fixed stipend1 too1 would enable them to be charitable1 in the true sense of the word1 as they would then give their own2 and by denying themselves little ornaments1 and doing their own work1 they might increase the sum appropriated to charitable purposes4 ,a lively principle of this kind would also overcome indolence2 for ,i have known people wasteful and penurious at the same time2 but the wastefulness was to spare themselves trouble1 and others only felt the effects of their penury1 to make the balance even4 ,women too often confine their love and charity to their own families4 ,they fix not in their minds the precedency of moral obligations1 or make their feelings give way to duty4 ,goodwill to all the human race should dwell in our bosoms1 nor should love to individuals induce us to violate this first of duties1 or make us sacrifice the interest of any fellow-creature1 to promote that of another1 whom we happen to be more partial to4 ,a parent1 under distressed circumstances1 should be supported1 even though it should prevent our saving a fortune for a child2 nay more1 should they be both in distress at the same time1 the prior obligation should be first discharged4 ,under this head may be included the treatment of animals4 ,over them many children tyrannize with impunity2 and find amusement in tormenting1 or wantonly killing1 any insect that comes in their way1 though it does them no injury4 ,i am persuaded1 if they were told stories of them1 and led to take an interest in their welfare and occupations1 they would be tender to them2 as it is1 they think man the only thing of consequence in the creation4 ,i once prevented a girl's killing ants1 for sport1 by adapting ,mr4 ,addison's account of them to her understanding4 ,ever after she was careful not to tread on them1 lest she should distress the whole community4 ,stories of insects and animals are the first that should rouse the childish passions1 and exercise humanity2 and then they will rise to man1 and from him to his ,maker4 ,,card-,,playing4 ,card-playing is now the constant amusement1 ,i may say employment1 of young and old1 in genteel life4 ,after all the fatigue of the toilet1 blooming girls are set down to card-tables1 and the most unpleasing passions called forth4 ,avarice does not wait for grey hairs and wrinkles1 but marks a countenance where the loves and graces ought to revel4 ,the hours that should be spent in improving the mind1 or in innocent mirth1 are thus thrown away2 and if the stake is not considerable enough to rouse the passions1 lost in insipidity1 and a habit acquired which may lead to serious mischief4 ,not to talk of gaming1 many people play for more than they can well afford to lose1 and this sours their temper4 ,cards are the universal refuge to which the idle and the ignorant resort1 to pass life away1 and to keep their inactive souls awake1 by the tumult of hope and fear4 8,unknown to them1 when sensual pleasures cloy1 8,to fill the languid pause with finer joy2 8,unknown those powers that raise the soul to flame1 8,catch every nerve1 and vibrate through the frame40 ,and1 of course1 this is their favourite amusement4 ,silent1 stupid attention appears necessary2 and too frequently little arts are practised which debase the character1 and at best give it a trifling turn4 ,certainly nothing can be more absurd than permitting girls to acquire a fondness for cards4 ,in youth the imagination is lively1 and novelty gives charms to every scene2 pleasure almost obtrudes itself1 and the pliable mind and warm affections are easily wrought on4 ,they want not those resources1 which even respectable and sensible persons sometimes find necessary1 when they see life1 as it is unsatisfactory1 and cannot anticipate pleasures1 which they know will fade when nearly viewed4 ,youth is the season of activity1 and should not be lost in listlessness4 ,knowledge ought to be acquired1 a laudable ambition encouraged2 and even the errors of passion may produce useful experience1 expand the faculties1 and teach them to know their own hearts4 ,the most shining abilities1 and the most amiable dispositions of the mind1 require culture1 and a proper situation1 not only to ripen and improve them1 but to guard them against the perversions of vice1 and the contagious influence of bad examples4 ,,the ,,theatre4 ,the amusements which this place afford are generally supposed the most rational1 and are really so to a cultivated mind2 yet one that is not quite formed may learn affectation at the theatre4 ,many of our admired tragedies are too full of declamation1 and a false display of the passions4 ,a heroine is often made to grieve ten or twenty years1 and yet the unabated sorrow has not given her cheeks a pallid hue2 she still inspires the most violent passion in every beholder1 and her own yields not to time4 ,the prominent features of a passion are easily copied1 while the more delicate touches are overlooked4 ,that start of ,cordelia's1 when her father says1 8,i think that ,lady is my daughter10 has affected me beyond measure1 when ,i could unmoved hear ,calista describe the cave in which she would live 8,until her tears had washed her guilt away40 ,the principal characters are too frequently made to rise above human nature1 or sink below it2 and this occasions many false conclusions4 ,the chief use of dramatic performances should be to teach us to discriminate characters2 but if we rest in separating the good from the bad1 we are very superficial observers4 ,may ,i venture a conjecture8--,i cannot help thinking1 that every human creature has some spark of goodness1 which their long-suffering and benevolent ,father gives them an opportunity of improving1 though they may perversely smother it before they cease to breathe4 ,death is treated in too slight a manner2 and sought1 when disappointments occur1 with a degree of impatience1 which proves that the main end of life has not been considered4 ,that fearful punishment of sin1 and convulsion of nature1 is too often exposed to public view4 ,until very lately ,i never had the courage even to look at a person dying on the stage4 ,the hour of death is not the time for the display of passions2 nor do ,i think it natural it should3 the mind is then dreadfully disturbed1 and the trifling sorrows of this world not thought of4 ,the deaths on the stage1 in spite of the boasted sensibility of the age1 seem to have much the same effect on a polite audience1 as the execution of malefactors has on the mob that follow them to ,tyburn4 ,the worst species of immorality is inculcated1 and life 7which is to determine the fate of eternity7 thrown away when a kingdom or mistress is lost4 ,patience and submission to the will of ,heaven1 and those virtues which render us useful to society1 are not brought forward to view2 nor can they occasion those surprising turns of fortune which most delight vulgar minds4 ,the almost imperceptible progress of the passions1 which ,shakespeare has so finely delineated1 are not sufficiently observed1 though the start of the actor is applauded4 ,few tragedies1 ,i think1 will please a person of discernment1 and their sensibility is sure to be hurt4 ,young persons1 who are happily situated1 do well to enter into fictitious distress2 and if they have any judicious person to direct their judgment1 it may be improved while their hearts are melted4 ,yet ,i would not have them confine their compassion to the distresses occasioned by love2 and perhaps their feelings might more profitably be roused1 if they were to see sometimes the complicated1 misery of sickness and poverty1 and weep for the beggar instead of the king4 ,comedy is not now so censurable as it was some years ago2 and a chaste ear is not often shocked with indecencies4 ,when follies are pointed out1 and vanity ridiculed1 it may be very improving2 and perhaps the stage is the only place where ridicule is useful4 ,what ,i have said is certainly only applicable to those who go to see the play1 and not to shew themselves and waste time4 ,the most insignificant amusement will afford instruction to thinking minds1 and the most rational will be lost on a vacant one4 ,remarks on the actors are frequently very tiresome4 ,it is a fashionable topic1 and a thread-bare one2 it requires great abilities1 and a knowledge of nature1 to be a competent judge2 and those who do not enter into the spirit of the author1 are not qualified to converse with confidence on the subject4 ,,public ,,places4 ,under this head ,i rank all those places1 which are open to an indiscriminate resort of company4 ,there seems at present such a rage for pleasure1 that when adversity does not call home the thoughts1 the whole day is mostly spent in preparations and plans1 or in actual dissipation4 ,solitude appears insupportable1 and domestic comfort stupid4 ,and though the amusements may not always be relished1 the mind is so enervated it cannot exert itself to find out any other substitute4 ,an immoderate fondness for dress is acquired1 and many fashionable females spend half the night in going from one place to another to display their finery1 repeat commonplace compliments1 and raise envy in their acquaintance whom they endeavour to outshine4 ,women1 who are engaged in those scenes1 must spend more time in dress than they ought to do1 and it will occupy their thoughts when they should be better employed4 ,in the fine ,lady how few traits do we observe of those affections which dignify human nature6 ,if she has any maternal tenderness1 it is of a childish kind4 ,we cannot be too careful not to verge on this character2 though she lives many years she is still a child in understanding1 and of so little use to society1 that her death would scarcely be observed4 ,dissipation leads to poverty1 which cannot be patiently borne by those who have lived on the vain applause of others1 on account of outward advantages2 these were the things they imagined of most consequence1 and of course they are tormented with false shame1 when by a reverse of fortune they are deprived of them4 ,a young innocent girl1 when she first enters into gay scenes1 finds her spirits so raised by them1 that she would often be lost in delight1 if she was not checked by observing the behaviour of a class of females who attend those places4 ,what a painful train of reflections do then arise in the mind1 and convictions of the vice and folly of the world are prematurely forced on it4 ,it is no longer a paradise1 for innocence is not there2 the taint of vice poisons every enjoyment1 and affectation1 though despised1 is very contagious4 ,if these reflections do not occur1 languor follows the extraordinary exertions1 and weak minds fall a prey to imaginary distress1 to banish which they are obliged to take as a remedy what produced the disease4 ,we talk of amusements unbending the mind2 so they ought2 yet even in the hours of relaxation we are acquiring habits4 ,a mind accustomed to observe can never be quite idle1 and will catch improvement on all occasions4 ,our pursuits and pleasures should have the same tendency1 and every thing concur to prepare us for a state of purity and happiness4 ,there vice and folly will not poison our pleasures2 our faculties will expand2 and not mistake their objects2 and we shall no longer 8see as through a glass darkly1 but know1 even as we are known40 ,,finis4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,transcriber',s ,,notes #a4 ,p4 #ig1 changed 8is was sufficient0 to 8it was sufficient04 #b4 ,silently corrected obvious typographical errors and variations in spelling4 #c4 ,retained archaic1 non-standard1 and uncertain spellings as printed4 #d4 ,enclosed italics font in underscores4 #e4 ,denoted superscripts by a caret before a single superscript character or a series of superscripted characters enclosed in curly braces1 e4g4 ,mr4 or ,mister4