ideas which we find in women, renders men unfaithful.

The ladies may judge of the difference there is among them, by that which they themselves make between a fool who teases them with his impertinence, and aman of letters who entertains them agreeably; a very little labour would equal them to the laft, and perhaps give them the advantage. This is a kind of victory which we wish to yield them.

The more they enlarge their notions, the more fub. jects of converfation will be found between them and us, and the more sprightly and affecting will that converfation be. How many delicate fentiments, how: many nicc fenfibilities are loft by not being communicable, and what an increase of fatisfaction fhould we feel could we meet with women disposed to taste them.

But what are the ftudies to which women may with propriety apply themselves? This question I take upon myself to answer. I would particularly recommend to them to avoid all abstract learning, all difficult refearches, which may blunt the finer edge of their wit, and change the delicacy in which they excel into pedantic coarseness.

It is in fuch parts of learning only as afford the higheft improvement that we invite women to fhare with us. All that may awaken curiofity, and lend graces to the imagination, fuits them ftill better than us. This is a vaft field where we may together exercise the mind; and here they may even excel us without mortifying our pride.

History

Hiftory and natural philofophy are alone fufficient to furnish women with an agreeable kind of ftudy. The latter, in a series of useful obfervations and interefting experiments, offers a fpectacle well worthy the confideration of a reasonable being. But in vain does nature present her miracles to the generality of women, who have no attention but to trifles.

Yet furely it requires but a fmall degree of attention, to be ftruck with that wonderful harmony, which reigns throughout the universe, and to become ambitious of investigating its fecret springs. This is a large volume open to all; here a pair of beautiful eyes may employ themselves without being fatigued. This amiable study will banish langour from the fober amufements of the country, and repair that wafte of intellect which is caused by the diffipations of the town. Women cannot be too much excited to raise their eyes to objects like thefe, which they but too often cast down to fuch as are unworthy of them.

The fex is more capable of attention than we imagine what they chiefly want is a well-directed application. There is scarcely a young girl who has not read with eagerness a great number of idle romances, fufficient to corrupt her imagination and cloud her understanding. If fhe had devoted the fame time to the ftudy of history, in thofe varied fcenes fhe would have found facts more interesting, and instruction which only truth can give.

Those striking pictures that are displayed in the annals of the human race, are highly proper to direct the

judgment

judgment, and form the heart. Women have at all times had fo great a share in events, that they may with reafon confider our archives as their own; nay, there are many of them who have written memoirs of the feveral events of which they had been eye-witnesses. Christina of Pifan, daughter to the aftronomer, patronised by the Emperor Charles the Fifth, has given us the life of that prince; and long before her, the princefs Anna Comnenus wrote the history of her own times. We call upon the ladies to affert their rights, and from the study of history, to extract useful leffons for the conduct of life.

This study, alike pleasing and instructive, will naturally lead to that of the fine arts. The arts are in themselves too amiable to need any recommendation to the fex all the objects they offer to their view have fome analogy with women, and are like them adorned with the brightest colours. The mind is agreeably foothed by thofe images which poetry, painting and mufick trace out, efpecially if they are found to agree with purity of manners.

To familiarize ourselves with the arts, is in fome degree to create a new fenfe. So agreeably have they imitated nature; nay, fo often have they embellished it, that whoever cultivates them, will in them always find a fruitful fource of new pleasures. We ought to provide against the encroachments of languor and weariness by this addition to our natural riches; and furely when we may so easily transfer to ourselves the posses

of that multitude of pleafing ideas which they have created, it would be the higheft ftupidity to neglect fuch an advantage.

There is no reason to fear that the ladies, by applying themselves to these studies, will throw a fhade over the natural graces of their wit. On the contrary, those graces will be placed in a more confpicuous point of view. What can equal the pleasure we receive from the converfation of a woman who is more folicitous to adorn her mind than her perfon? in the company of fuch women there can be no fatiety; every thing becomes interesting, and has a fecret charm which only they can give. The happy art of faying the most ingenious things with a graceful fimplicity is peculiar to them; they call forth the powers of wit in men, and communicate to them that eafy elegance which is never to be acquired in the closet.

But what prefervative is there against disgust in the fociety of women of unimproved understandings? in vain do they endeavour to fill the void of their conver, fation with infipid gaiety: they soon exhaust the barren fund of fashionable trifles, the news of the day, and hacknied compliments; they are at length obliged to have recourse to scandal, and it is well if they stop there a commerce in which there is nothing folid, must be either mean or criminal,

There is but one way to make it more varied and more interesting. If ladies of rank would condefcend to form their tafte and collect ideas from our beft authors, converfation would take another caft: their ac knowledged

knowledged merit would banish that fwarm of noisy impertinents who flutter about them, and endeavour to render them as contemptible as themselves: men of fenfe and learning would frequent their assemblies, and form a circle more worthy of the name of good company.

In this new circle, gaiety would not be banished, but refined by delicacy and wit. Merit is not auftere, a calm and uniform chearfulness runs through the converfation of perfons of real understanding, which is far preferable to the noify mirth of ignorance and folly. The focieties formed by the Sevignes, the Fayetts, the Sablières, with the Vevonnes, the La Fares, and Rochefoucaults, were furely more pleafing than the affemblies of our days. Among them learning was not pedantic, nor wisdom fevere; and subjects of the highest importance were treated with all the sprightlinefs of wit.

The ladies must allow me once more to repeat to them, that the only means of charming, and of charming long, is to improve their minds; good fenfe gives beauties which are not subject to fade like the lillies. and roses of their cheeks, but will prolong the power of an agreeable woman to the autumn of her life.

RELIGION THE BEST FEMALE AC-. QUIREMENT.

Without religion no lady's education can be compleat. I fhall therefore take the liberty of offering fome few fentiments upon this important fubject.

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