consequent evils of an alarming character. The attention of the community must ere long be called to this matter. The political rights of women have been often discussed, but generally without either wisdom or moderation on either side. That they ought to aspire to the right of suffrage, cannot, I think, be maintained, but that better provision ought to be made to secure to them their property, I have no doubt. BALTIMORE, May, 1841. CONTENTS. PAGE Woman elevated by Christianity. American women too much indulged. Their disregard of their health.. LECTURE IV. Marriage generally promotes woman's happiness.. Improves her character..... Greatly increases her power, The mother........ Influence over her children... Unmarried women... The widow.... 102 106 108 114 121 124 128 Importance of accomplishments.. Advantages of intellectual cultivation.... Gives her the power to educate her children. Poetry the earliest form of Literature... The language of man's better nature.. Patriotism its first expression..... Its pleasures increased by sympathy.... The love of nature one of its elements...... 185 192 199 LECTURE VII. THE MORAL NATURE OF MAN.. Truth instinctive.... Necessary to the existence of society. The instinct of property..... The origin of government. Social purposes of benevolence. Sense of shame.... Religion originates in the moral faculties..... LECTURE VIII. PROGRESS AND PROSPECTS OF SOCIETY... Legislation a means of moral influence.. Forms of government comparatively unimportant. Power of public opinion.. Formed by Literature.... Immeasurably increased by education... Mission of literary men. Influence of religious institutions. 204 206 209 212 218 221 225 231 236 237 240 247 249 252 256 264 LECTURE I. INTRODUCTORY. The favorable reception of the course of lectures, which I gave last winter to the young men of Baltimore, has encouraged me to attempt something of a similar nature during the approaching season, embracing a wider range of topics, and addressed to the citizens at large. The ultimate object of both is the same, the promotion of the cause of moral, intellectual, and literary culture. I shall touch in the present course on most of the social relations, but I shall devote a portion of it especially to THE SPHERE AND DUTIES OF WOMAN. The success of the lectures of the last winter was gratifying to me personally, for I do not profess to be above the weaknesses of our common nature. But it was gratifying to me for higher reasons, as refuting the |