STRICTURES

ON THE MODERN SYSTEM OF FEMALE EDUCATION,

WITH A VIEW OF THE PRINCIPLES AND CONDUCT PREVALENT AMONG WOMEN OF RANK AND FORTUNE,

May you so raise your character that you may help to make the next age a better thing, and leave posterity in your debt, for the advantage it shall receive by your example -Lord Halifax.

Domestic Happiness, thou only bliss

Of Paradise that has surviv'd the Fall!

Thou art not known where PLEASURE is ador'd,
That reeling Goddess with the zoneless waist.
Forsaking thee, what shipwreck have we made
Of honour, dignity, and fair renown!--Cowper.

INTRODUCTION.

Ir is a singular injustice which is often exercised towards women, first to give them a very defective education, and then to expect from them the most undeviating purity of conduct-to train them in such a manner as shall lay them open to the most dangerous faults, and then to censure them for not proving faultless. Is it not unreasonable and unjust to express disappointment if our daughters should, in their subsequent lives, turn out precisely that very kind of character for which it would be evident to an unprejudiced by stander that the whole scope and tenor of their instruction had been systematically preparing them?

Some reflections on the present erroneous system are here with great deference submited to public consideration. The author is apprehensive that she shall be accused of betraying the interests of her sex by laying open their defects: but surely an earnest wish to turn their attention to objects calculated to promote their true dignity, is not the office of an enemy. So to expose the weakness of the land as to suggest the necessity of internal improvement, and to point out the means of effectual defence, is not treachery, but patriotism.

Again, it may be objected to this little work, that many errors are here ascribed to women which by no means belongs to them exclusively, and that it seems to confine to the sex those faults which are common to the species: but this is in some measure unavoidable. In speaking on the qualities of one sex, the moralist is soine what in the situation of the geographer, who is treating on the nature of one country: the air, soil, and produce of the land which he is describing, cannot fail in many essential points to resemble those of other countries under the same parallel; yet it is his business to descant on the one without adverting to the other; and though in drawing the map he may happen to introduce some of the neighbouring coast, yet his principal attention must be confined to that country which he proposes to describe, without taking into account the resembling circumstances of the adjacent shores.

It may be also objected that the opinion here suggested on the state of manners among the higher classes of our country women, may seem to controvert the just encomiums of modern travellers, who generally concur in ascribing a decided superiority to the ladies of this Country over those of every other. But such is, in general, the state of foreign manners, that the comparative praise is almost an injury to English women. To be flattered for excelling those whose standard of excellence is very low, is but a degrading kind of commendation; for the value of all praise derived from superiority, depends on the worth of the competitor. The character of British ladies, with all the unparalleled advantages they possess, must never be determined by comparison with the women of other nations, but by comparing them with what they themselves might be if all their talents and unrivalled opportunities were turned to the best account.

Again, it may be said, that the author is less disposed to expatiate on excellence than error: but the office of the historian of human manners is delineation rather than panegyric. Were the end in view eulogium and not improvement, eulogium would have been far more gratifying, nor would just objects for praise have been difficult to find. Even in her own limited sphere of observation, the author is acquainted with much excellence in the class of which she treats--with women who, possessing learning which would be thought extensive in the other sex, set an example of deep humility to their own--women who, distinguished for wit and genius, are eminent for domestic qualities-who, excelling in the fine arts, have carefully enrich

ed their understandings-who, enjoying great influence, devote it to the glory of God-who, possessing elevated rank, think their noblest style and title is that of a Christian.

That there is also much worth which is little known, she is persuaded; for it is the modest nature of goodness to exert itself quietly, while a few characters of the opposite cast seem, by the rumour of their exploits, to fill the world; and by their noise to multiply their numbers. It often happens that a very small party of people, by occupying the foreground, by seizing the public attention and monopolizing the public talk, contrives to appear to be the great body: a few active spirits, provided their activity take the wrong turn, and support the wrong cause, seem to fill the scene; and a few disturbers of order, who have the talent of thus exciting a false idea of their multitudes by their mischiefs, actually gain strength, and swell their numbers, by this fallacious arithmetic.

But the present work is no more intended for a panegyric on those purer characters who seek not human praise because they act from a higher motive, than for a satire on the avowedly licentious, who, urged by the impulse of the moment, resist no inclination; and led away by the love of fashion, dislike no censure, so it may serve to rescue them from neglect or oblivion.

There are, however, multitudes of the young and the well disposed, who have as yet taken no decided part, who are just launching on the ocean of life, just about to lose their own right convictions, virtually preparing to counteract their better propensities, and unreluc tantly yielding themselves to be carried down the tide of popular practices: sanguine, thoughtless, and confident of safety--To these the author would gently hint, that when once embarked, it will be no longer easy to say to their passions, or even to their principles, Thus far shall ye go, and no further.' Their struggles will grow fainter, their resistance will become feebler, till borne down by the confluence of example, temptation, appetite, and habit, resistance and opposition will soon be the only things of which they will learn to be ashamed.

Should any reader revolt at what is conceived to be unwarranted strictness in this little book, let it not be thrown by in disgust before the following short consideration be weighed.If in this christian country we are actually beginning to regard the solemn office of Baptism as merely furnishing an article to the parish register-if we are learning from our indefatiga ble teachers, to consider this Christian rite as a legal ceremony retained for the sole purpose of recording the age of our children;--then, indeed, the prevailing system of education and manners on which these pages presume to animadvert may be adopted with propriety, and persisted in with safety, without entailing on our children or on ourselves the peril of broken promises or the guilt of violated vows-But, if the obligation which christian Baptism imposes be really binding-if the ordinance have, indeed, a meaning beyond a mere secular transaction, beyond a record of names and dates--if it be an institution by which the child is solemnly devoted to God as his Father, to Jesus Christ as his Saviour, and to the Holy Spirit as his sanctifier; if there be no definite period assigned when the obligation of fulfilling the duties it enjoins shall be superseded-if, having once dedicated our offspring to their Creator, we no longer dare to mock Him by bringing them up in ignorance of His will and neglect of His laws-if, after having enlisted them under the banners of Christ, to fight manfully against the three great enemies of mankind, we are no longer at liberty to let them lay down their arms; much less to lead them to act as if they were in alliance, instead of hostility with these enemies-if, after having promised that they shall renounce the vanities of the world, we are not allowed to invalidate the engagement-if, after such a covenant we should tremble to make these renounced vanities, the supreme object of our own pursuit or of their instruction-if all this be really so, then the Strictures on Modern Education, and on the Habits of Polished Life, will not be found so repugnant to truth, and reason, and common sense, as may on a first view be supposed.

But if on candidly summing up the evidence, the design and scope of the author be fairly judged, not by the customs or opinions of the worldly (for every English subject has a right to object to a suspected or prejudiced jury) but by an appeal to that divine law which is the only infallible rule of judgment; if on such an appeal her views and principles shall be found censurable for their rigour, absurd in their requisitions, or preposterous in their restrictions, she will have no right to complain of such a verdict, because she will then stand condemned by that court to whose decision she implicitly submits.

Let it not be suspected that the author arrogantly conceives herself to be exempt from that natural corruption of the heart which it is one chief object of this slight work to exhibit; that she superciliously erects herself into the impeccable censor of her sex and of the world; as if from the critic's chair she were coldly pointing out the faults and errors of another order of beings, in whose welfare she had not that lively interest which can only flow from the tender and intimate participation of fellow-feeling.

With a deep self-abasement, arising from a strong conviction of being indeed a partaker in the same corrupt nature; together with a full persuasion of the many and great defects of these pages, and a sincere consciousness of her inability to do justice to a subject which, however, a sense of duty impelled her to undertake, she commits herself to the candour of that public which has so frequently, in her instance, accepted a right intention as a substitute for a powerful performance.

BATH, March 14, 1799.

STRICTURES

ON THE MODERN SYSTEM OF FEMALE EDUCATION.

AMONG the talents for the application of which women of the higher class will be peculiarly accountable, there is one, the importance of which they can scarcely rate too highly. This talent is influence. We read of the greatest orator of antiquity, that the wisest plans which it had cost him years to frame, a woman could overturn in a single day; and when we consider the variety of mischiefs which an ill-directed influence has been known to produce, we are led to reflect with the most sanguine hope on the beneficial effects to be expected from the same powerful force when exerted in its true direction.

The general state of civilized society depends, more than those are aware who are not accustomed to scrutinize into the springs of human action, on the prevailing sentiments and habits of women, and on the nature and degree of the estimation in which they are held. Even those who admit the power of female elegance on the manners of men, do not always attend to the influence of female principles on their character. In the former case, indeed, women are apt to be sufficiently conscious of their power, and not backward in turning it to account. But there are nobler objects to be effected by the exertion of their powers, and unfortunately, ladies, who are often unreasonably confident where they ought to be diffident, are sometimes capriciously diffident just when they ought to feel where their true importance lies; and, feeling to exert it. To use their boasted power over mankind to no higher purpose than the gratification of vanity or the indulgence of pleasure, is the degrading triumph of those fair victims to luxury, caprice, and despotism, whom the laws and the religion of the voluptuous prophet of Arabia exclude from light, and liberty, and knowledge: and it is humbling to reflect, that in those countries in which fondness for the mere persons of women is carried to the highest excess, they are slaves; and that their moral and intellectual degradation increases in direct proportion to the adoration which is paid to mere external charms.

But I turn to the bright reverse of this mortifying scene; to a country where our sex enjoys the blessings of liberal instruction, of reasonable laws, of a pure religion, and all the endearing pleasures of an equal, social, virtuous, and delightful intercourse,

I turn, with an earnest hope, that women
thus richly endowed with the bounties of
Providence, will not content themselves
with polishing when, they are able to re-
form; with entertaining when they may
awaken; and with captivating for a day,
when they may bring into action powers, of
which the effects may be commensurate
with eternity.

In this moment of alarm and peril, I would
call on them with a warning voice,' which
should stir up every latent principle in their
minds, and kindle every slumbering energy
in their hearts: I would call on them to
come forward, and contribute their full and
fair proportion towards the saving of their
country. But I would call on them to come
forward, without departing from the refine-
ment of their character, without derogating
from the dignity of their rank, without ble-
mishing the delicacy of their sex: I would
call them to the best and most appropriate
exertion of their power, to raise the depres-
sed tone of public morals, and to awaken the
drowsy spirit of religious principle. They
know too well how arbitrarily they give the
law to manners, and with how despotic a
sway they fix the standard of fashion. But
this is not enough; this is a low mark, a
prize not worthy of their high and holy call-
ing. For, on the use which women of the
superior class may now be disposed to make
of that power delegated to them by the
courtesy of custom, by the honest gallantry
of the heart, by the imperious control of vir-
tuous affections, by the habits of civilized
states, by the usages of polished society; on
the use, I say, which they shall hereafter
make of this influence, will depend, in no
low degree, the well-being of those states,
and the virtue and happiness, nay perhaps
the very existence, of that society.

At this period, when our country can only hope to stand by opposing a bold and noble unanimity to the most tremendous confederacies against religion, and order, and governments, which the world ever saw, what an accession would it bring to the public strength, could we prevail on beauty, and rank, and talents, and virtue, confederating their several powers, to exert themselves with a patriotism at once firm and feminine, for the general good! I am not sounding an alarm to female warriors, or exciting female politicians: I hardly know which of the two is the most disgusting and unnatural character. Propriety is to a woman what the great Roman critic says action is to an orator; it is the first, the second, the third requisite. A woman may be knowing, active, witty and amusing; but without propriety she cannot be amiable. Propriety is the

劇

centre in which all the lines of duty and of discourage the infidel. She who, with a halfagreeableness meet. It is to character what earnestness, trims between the truth and proportion is to figure, and grace to attitude. the fashion; who while she thinks it creditIt does not depend on any one perfection, able to defend the cause of religion, yet does but it is the result of general excellence. It it in a faint tone, a studied ambiguity of shows itself by a regular, orderly, undevia- phrase, and a certain expression in her ting course; and never starts from its sober countenance, which proves that she is not orbit into any splendid eccentricities; for displeased with what she affects to censure, it would be ashamed of such praise as it or that she is afraid to lose her reputation might extort by any deviations from its pro- for wit, in proportion as she advances her per path. It renounces all commendation credit for piety, injures the cause more than but what is characteristic; and I would he who attacked it, for she proves either make it the criterion of true taste, right that she does not believe what she professes, principle, and genuine feeling, in a woman, or that she does not reverence what fear whether she would be less touched with all compels her to believe. But this not all: she the flattery of romantic and exaggera-is called on, not barely to repress impiety, ted panegyric than with that beautiful pic- but to excite, to encourage, and to cherish ture of correct and elegant propriety which every tendency to serious religion. Milton draws of our first mother, when he delineates

'Those thousand decencies which daily flow From all her words and actions."

Some of the occasions of contributing to the general good which are daily presenting themselves to ladies are almost too minute to be pointed out. Yet of the good which right minded women, anxiously watching Even the influence of religion is to be ex-these minute occasions, and adroitly seizing ercised with discretion. A female Polemic them, might accomplish we may form some wanders nearly as far from the limits pre-idea by the ill effects which we actually see scribed to her sex, as a female Machiavel produced, through the mere levity, careor warlike Thalestris, Fierceness has lessness, and inattention (to say no worse) of made almost as few converts as the sword, some of those ladies who are looked up to as and both are peculiarly ungraceful in a fe- standards in the fashionable world. male. Even religious violence has human I am persuaded if many a woman of fatempers of its own to indulge, and is gratify-shion, who is now disseminating unintended ing itself when it would be thought to be mischief, under the dangerous notion that serving God. Let not the bigot place her there is no harm in any thing short of posinatural passions to the account of Chris- tive vice, and under the false colours of that tianity, or imagine she is pious when she is indolent humility, what good can I do?" only passionate. Let her bear in mind that could be brought to see in its collected force a Christian doctrine is always to be defended the annual aggregate of the random evil she with a Christian spirit, and not make her-is daily doing, by constantly throwing a little self amends by the stoutness of her ortho- casual weight into the wrong scale, by a doxy for the badness of her temper. Ma-mere inconsiderate and unguarded chat, she ny, because they defend a religious opinion would start from her self-complacent dream. with pertinacity, seem to fancy that they If she could conceive how much she may be thereby acquire a kind of right to with-diminishing the good impressions of young hold the meekness and obedience which men; and if she could imagine how little should be necessarily involved in the prin- amiable levity or irreligion makes her ap ciple.

pear in the eyes of those who are older and But the character of a consistent Christian abler (however loose their own principles is as carefully to be maintained, as that of a may be) she would correct herself in the fiery disputant is to be avoided; and she who first instance, from pure good nature; and is afraid to avow her principles, or ashamed in the second, from worldly prudence and to defend them, has little claim to that ho- mere self-love.-But on how much higher nourable title. A profligate who laughs at principles would she restrain herself, if she the most sacred institutions and keeps out habitually took into account the important of the way of every thing which comes un-doctrine of consequences: and if she reder the appearance of formal instruction, flected that the lesser but more habitual cormay be disconcerted by the modest, but ruptions make up by their number, what spirited rebuke of a delicate woman, whose they may seem to come short of by their life adorns the doctrines which her conver- weight: then perhaps she would find that, sation defends: but she who administers among the higher class of women, inconsireproof with ill-breeding, defeats the effect deration is adding more to the daily quanti of her remedy. On the other hand, there ty of evil than almost all other causes put is a dishonest way of labouring to conciliate together. the favour of a whole company, though of characters and principles irreconcilably opposite. The words may be so guarded as not to shock the believer, while the eye and voice may be so accommodated, as not to

There is an instrument of inconceivable force, when it is employed against the interest of Christianity: it is not reasoning, for that may be answered; it is not learning, for luckily the infidel is not seldom ignorant ;

it

is not invective, for we leave so coarse an the French (from whom we borrow the engine to the hands of the vulgar; it is not thing as well as the word) so well express evidence, for happily we have that all on our by the term persiflage, has of late years side it is RIDICULE, the most deadly wea-made an incredible progress in blasting the pon in the whole arsenal of impiety, and opening buds of piety in young persons of which becomes an almost unerring shaft fashion. A cold pleasantry, a temporary when directed by a fair and fashionable cant word, the jargon of the day (for the hand. No maxim has been more readily great vulgar' have their jargon) blights adopted, or is more intrinsically false, than the first promise of seriousness. The ladies that which the fascinating eloquence of a of ton have certain watch-words, which noble sceptic of the last age contrived to may be detected as indications of this spirit. render so popular, that ridicule is the test The clergy are spoken of under the conof truth. It is no test of truth itself; but temptuous appellation of The Parsons. of their firmness who assert the cause of Some ludicrous association is infallibly comtruth, it is indeed a severe test. This light, bined with the very idea of religion. If a keen, missile weapon, the irresolute, uncon- warm hearted youth has ventured to name firmed Christian will find it harder to with- with enthusiasm some eminently pious chastand, than the whole heavy artillery of in-racter, his glowing ardour is extinguished fidelity united.

with a laugh and a drawling declaration, that the person is question is really a mighty harmless good creature, is uttered in a tone which leads the youth secretly to vow, that whatever else he may be, he will never be a good harmless creature.

A young, man of the better sort, has, perhaps, just entered upon the world, with a certain share of good dispositions and right feelings; neither ignorant of the evidences, nor destitute of the principles of Christianity: without parting with his respect for re- Nor is ridicule more dangerous to true ligion, he sets out with the too natural wish piety than to true taste. An age which vaof making himself a reputation and of stand-lues itself on parody, burlesque, irony, and ing well with the fashionable part of the fe- caricature, produces litle that is sublime, male world. He preserves for a time a hor- either in genius or in virtue; but they amuse ror of vice, which makes it not difficult for and we live in an age which must be amused, him to resist the gresser corruptions of so- though genius, feeling, truth, and principle ciety; he can as yet repel profaneness; nay, be the sacrifice. Nothing chills the ardours he can withstand the banter of a club. He of devotion like a frigid sarcasm; and, in has sense enough to see through the mise- the season of youth the mind should be kept rable fallacies of the new philosophy, and particularly clear of all light associations. spirit enough to expose its malignity. So This is of so much importance, that I have far he does well, and you are ready to con- known persons who, having been early acgratulate him on his security. You are mis- customed to certain ludicrous combinations, taken the principles of the ardent, and were never able to get their minds cleansed hitherto promising adventurer, are shaken, from the impurities contracted by this habijust in that very society where, while he was tual levity, even after thorough reformation looking for pleasure, he doubted not of safe- in their hearts and lives had taken place: ty. In the company of certain women of their principles became reformed, but their good fashion and no ill fame, he makes ship-imaginations were indelibly soiled. They wreck of his religion. He sees them treat could desist from sins which the strictness with levity or derision subjects which he of Christianity would not allow them to comhas been used to hear named with respect. mit, but they could not dismiss from their He could confute an argument, he could un-minds images which her purity forbade them ravel a sophistry; but he cannot stand a to entertain.

laugh. A sneer, not at the truth of religion, There was a time when a variety of epifor that perhaps is by none of the party dis-thets were thought necessary to express vabelieved, but at its gravity, its unseasona- rious kinds of excellence, and when the difbleness, its dulness, puts all his resolution to flight. He feels his mistake, and struggles to recover his credit; in order to which he adopts the gay affectations of trying to seem worse than he really is; he goes on to say things which he does not believe, and to deny things which he docs believe; and all to efface the first impression, and to recover a reputation which he has committed to their hands, on whose report he knows he shall stand or fall, in those circles in which he is ambitious to shine.

That cold compound of irony, irreligion, selfishness, and sneer, which make up what

Lord Shaftesbury.

ferent qualities of the mind were distinguished by appropriate and discriminating terms: when the words venerable, learned, sagacious, profound, acute, pious, worthy, ingenius, valuable, elegant, agreeable, wise, or witty, were used as specific marks of distinct characters. But the legislators of fashion have of late years thought proper to comprise all merit in one established epithet; an epithet which, it may be confessed, is a very desirable one as far as it goes. This term is exclusively and indiscriminately applied whenever commendation is intended. The word pleasant now serves to combine and express all moral and intellectual excellence. Every individual, from the gravest profes