The instructors of youth, however, must not be discouraged. By prudent, combined, and persevering efforts, they may make some impression on the mass of impiety, profligacy, and folly but, in these attempts, they must elevate themselves above all little and enervating prejudices, and must attend to the conduct of their own understandings. Let them display literature associated with soundness of judgment; and be ambitious of praise, not from imbeciles who are leaving the world, but from the vigorous intellects which are springing to perfec tion under liberal and genial care. The trembling coward is not less qualified to lead an army into action, than the weak and superstitious are to direct the formation of mind.

Of the purity of Mrs. More's views, and of the commend. ableness of her motive in writing these Strictures on Female Education,' we should think ourselves inexcusable were we to entertain any doubt. We have carefully perused her remarks, and find in them much to, applaud:-but we must candidly confess that we cannot bestow on them unalloyed praise. She writes with elegance, variety, and ease, and lays down a number of excellent rules for the conduct of women: but her sentiments appear to us to be too much narrowed by her religious system, and the world seems to be too often viewed by her through the mists of-we had almost said-methodism.

It must be observed that the fair writer does not profess to delineate a plan of education for females, but only to furnish a few strictures on the existing mode; that she considers instruction only as it is connected with objects of a moral and religious nature; and that she regards the great business of education as being to communicate knowledge, to form a correct taste and a sound judgment, to resist evil propensities, and, above all, to seize the favourable season for infusing principles and confirming habits.' This is a clear and enlarged representation of the subject; and we farther agree with her when she says that, in training our daughters, we should carefully cultivate intellect, implant religion, and cherish modesty (vol. i. p. 69.) but it concerns us to be under the necessity of adding that some parts of her advice do not, in our opinion, comport with a correct taste and a sound judgment;' that her religion is of too rigid a cast for enlightened society; and that she is not, in our apprehension, justified by the Gospel in the views which she exhibits of Christianity.

It is Mrs. More's object to discuss the principles and conduct prevalent among women of rank and fortune'; and, in order to stimulate their exertions to raise the depressed tone of public morals,' she advances the maxim that the general

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state of civilized society depends greatly on the sentiments and habits of women.' (Vol. i. p. 2.). This is an inducement to ladies to put themselves forwards in the great work of reformation, and we wish them success: but, in some respects, we should be desirous of their acting on advice different from that which these Strictures furnish. We do not believe that 'a' strong impression of the corruption of human nature is the most important quality in an instructor of youth,' (see vol. i. p. 57.) nor perceive the necessity of this lady's becoming an advocate for the devil's personality and power (see vol. ii. p. 283). We could not but smile at the writer's condemnation of baby-balls, as 'a triple conspiracy against the innocence, the health, and the happiness of children;' and at her puritanical objections to innocent avocations on the sabbath. Notwithstanding her solemn remark that the Gospel rescued the Lord's day from the rigorous bondage of the Jewish sabbath, but never lessened the obligation to keep it holy,' (vol. i. p. 126,) we find no rule in the Gospel for changing the day, nor any particular directions for its observance. The general maxim, "The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath," sanctions no peculiar austerity. We are left to regulate our observance of it by a sense of propriety and decorum; and why should the day appointed for the public acknowlegement and adoration of the Supreme Being be a day of gloominess and severity, of metaphysical and devotional abstraction? Why may not love to God, and innocent social intercourse, be united on the day of rest from labour? We are persuaded that Sunday may be kept both religiously and cheerfully; while absurd strictness will

In vol. i. p. 48. she objects to restoring a repentant criminal of her own sex to public society, and endeavours to reconcile the fair penitent to this rigid decree, by telling her that she will joyfully commute an earthly for an everlasting reprobation :'-but is there any necessity for this commutation? Must society be severe that Heaven may be merciful? Does Mrs. More believe the story of the woman taken in adultery to be genuine? If she does, can she think that our Saviour's conduct justifies the treatment which she recommends, respecting those who have unhappily departed from virtue's paths, but are repentant? We are fully aware that there are niceties in this point; and while we would not maintain one side of the question without limitations and distinctions, we think that Mrs. More supports the other side with a decision too comprehensive and unrestricted.

Mrs. More seems to be a pupil of Mr. Wilberforce on this subject. She quotes texts of Scripture to prove this doctrine, but which bear no relation to it: viz. that "foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; and our Lord's reproof to Peter," thon savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of man"

render

render our sabbaths the most uncomfortable and most unwelcome days of our lives.

We apprehend that there is much truth in Mrs. More's observation (vol. i. p. 73), that, in all polished countries, an entire devotedness to the fine arts has been one grand source of the corruption of women.' The whole time of a young lady is now consumed either in the acquisition or in the display of what are termed accomplishments; and she seems to regard the end of existence as being to shine rather than to be useful. If (says the author) the life of a young lady formerly too much resembled the life of a confectioner, it now too much resembles that of an actress.' This is a fatal extreme for female domestic virtue, and the sphere for the display of female virtue is the domestic circle.

The profession of ladies, to which the bent of their instruction should be turned, is that of daughters, wives, mothers, and mistresses of families. They should be therefore trained with a view to these several conditions, and be furnished with a stock of ideas, and principles, and qualifications ready to be applied and appropriated, as occasion may demand, to each of these respective situations: for though the arts which merely embellish life must claim admiration; yet when a man of sense comes to marry, it is a companion whom he wants, and not an artist. It is not merely a creature who can paint, and play, and dress, and dance; it is a being who can comfort and counsel him; one who can reason, and reflect, and feel, and judge, and discourse, and discriminate; one who can assist him in his af fairs, lighten his cares, sooth his sorrows, strengthen his principles, and educate his children.'

These observations must be admired by all who feel the importance of the female sex. It is certainly the duty of mothers to superintend the education of their daughters; and, perhaps, if this were more generally done, and daughters were only allowed to attend day-schools for the purpose of acquiring accomplishments, they would not be so frequently educated above their station in life; and the mind of a reputable tradesman's child would not be filled with notions of pride, caught by associating with the daughters of the great and the fashionable. According to Mrs. More, however, mothers should be educated by some Divine, before they can be qualified for the religious instruction of their children. She advises the mother to read a course of lectures on the Lord's Prayer; and to require that the child should furnish, by her answers, a considerable part of the commentary. Surely this would be a very strange requisition! It is however consistent with recommending the perusal of Butler's Analogy, while she disclaims the design of making scholastic ladies.

Though we cannot profess ourselves warm admirers of Mrs. More's theological lectures, her views of life and manners are often excellent. If we do not approve every thing in the chapter on Influence, it is on the whole highly commendable: and we were particularly pleased with her delineation of propriety (vol. i. p. 6).

Propriety is to a woman what the great Roman critic says action is to an orator: it is the first, the second, the third requi site. A woman may be knowing, active, witty, and amusing; but without propriety she cannot be amiable. Propriety is the centre in which all the lines of duty and of agreeableness mect. It is to character what proportion is to figure, and grace to attitude. It does not depend on any one perfection; but it is the result of general excellence. It shows itself by a regular, orderly, undeviating course; and never starts from its sober orbit into any splendid eccentricities; for it would be ashamed of such praise as it might extort by any aberrations from its proper path. It renounces all commendation but what is characteristic; and I would make it the criterion of true taste, right principle, and genuine feeling, in a woman, whether she would be less touched with all the flattery of romantic and exaggerated panegyric, than with that beautiful picture of correct and elegant propriety, which Milton draws of our first mother, when he deli

neates

"Those thousand decencies which daily flow

From all her words and actions."

The chapters also in vol. ii. on Conversation and on Sensibility deserve more than common praise. The following extract from the former will speak for itself:

To place a just remark, hazarded by the diffident, in the most advantageous point of view; to call the attention of the inattentive to the observation of one, who, though of much worth, is perhaps of little note: these are requisites for conversation, less brilliant, but far more valuable, than the power of exciting bursts of laughter by the brightest wit, or of extorting admiration by the most poignant

sallies.

For wit is of all the qualities of the female mind that which requires the severest castigation; yet the temperate exercise of this fascinating quality throws an additional lustre round the character of an amiable woman; for to manage with discreet modesty a dangerous talent, confers a higher praise than can be claimed by those in whom the absence of the talent takes away the temptation to misemploy it. But to women, wit is a peculiarly perilous possession, which nothing short of the sobermindedness of Christianity can keep in order. Intemperate wit craves admiration as its natural aliment; it lives on flattery as its daily bread. The professed wit is a hungry beggar that subsists on the extorted alms of perpetual panegyric; and, like the vulture in the Grecian fable, its appetite increases by indulgence, Simple truth and sober approbation become tasteless and insipid to

the

the palate, daily vitiated by the delicious poignancies of exaggerated commendation.

But if it be true that some women are too apt to affect bril Tiancy and display in their own discourse, and to undervalue the more humble pretensions of less showy characters; it must be confessed also, that some of more ordinary abilities are now and then guilty of the opposite error, and foolishly affect to value themselves on not making use of the understanding they really possess. They exhibit: no small satisfaction in ridiculing women of high intellectual endow. ments, while they exclaim with much affected humility, and much real envy, that "they are thankful they are not geniuses." Now, though one is glad to hear gratitude expressed on any occasion, yet the want of sense is really no such great mercy to be thankful for; and it would indicate a better spirit, were they to pray to be enabled to make a right use of the moderate understanding they possess, than to expose with a too visible pleasure the imaginary or real defects of their more shining acquaintance. Women of the brightest faculties should not only "bear those faculties meekly," but consider it as no derogation, cheerfully to fulfil those humbler duties: which make up the business of common life, always taking into the account the higher responsibility attached to higher gifts. While women of lower attainments should exert to the utmost such abili lities as Providence has assigned them; and while they should not deride excellencies which are above their reach, they should not despond at an inferiority which did not depend on themselves; nor, because God has denied them ten talents, should they forget that they are equally responsible for the one he has allotted them, but set about devoting that one with humble diligence to the glory of the Giver.'

On the subject of Sensibility, the female world certainly stands in need of a lecture. Part of that which Mrs. M. has given we shall transcribe:

Notwithstanding all the fine theories in prose and verse to which this topic has given birth, it will be found that very exquisite sensi bility contributes so little to happiness, and may yet be made to con tribute so much to usefulness, that it may, perhaps, be considered as bestowed for an exercise to the possessor's own virtue, and as a keen instrument with which he may better work for the good of others.

Women of this cast of mind are less careful to avoid the charge of unbounded extremes, than to escape at all events the imputation of insensibility. They are little alarmed at the danger of exceeding, though terrified at the suspicion of coming short of what they take to be the extreme point of feeling. They will even resolve to prove the warmth of their sensibility, though at the expence of their judg ment, and sometimes also of their justice. Even when they earnestly desire to be and to do right, they are apt to employ the wrong instru ment to accomplish the right end. They employ the passions to do the work of the judgment; forgetting, or not knowing, that the passions were not given us to be used in the search and discovery of

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