I don't mean that they should all take raw, uncouth, unbred, lowly girls, as I was, from the cottage, and destroying all distinction, make such their wives. I cannot mean this: because there is a far greater likelihood that such a one, when she comes to be lifted up into so dazzling a sphere, would have her head made giddy with her exaltation, than that she would balance herself well in it: and then to what a blot, over all the fair page of a long life, would this little drop of dirty ink spread itself! What a standing disreputation to the choice of a gentleman!

But this I mean, That after a gentleman had entered into the marriage state with a young creature (saying nothing at all of birth or descent), far inferior to him in learning, in parts, in knowledge of the world, and in all the graces which make conversation agreeable and improving, he would, as you do, endeavour to make her fit company for himself, as he shall find she is willing to improve, and capable of improvement: That he would direct her taste, point out to her proper subjects for her amusement and instruction; travel with her now and then, a month in a year perhaps; and show her the world, after he has encouraged her to put herself forward at his own table, and at the houses of his friends, and has seen that she will not do him great discredit anywhere. What obligations and opportunities too, will this give her to love and honour such a husband, every hour, more and more! as she will see his wisdom in a thousand instances, and experience his indulgence to her in ten thousand (for which otherwise no opportunity could have so fitly offered), to the praise of his politeness, and the honour of them both!-And then, when select parties of pleasure or business engaged him not abroad, in his home conversation, to have him, as my dear Mr. B does, delight to instruct and open her views, and inspire her with an ambition to enlarge her mind, and more and more to excel! What an intellectual kind of married life, as I may call it, would such persons find theirs; and how suitable to the rules of policy and selflove in the gentleman! for is not the wife and are not her

improvements, all his own ?—Absolutely, as I may say, his own? And does not every excellence she can be adorned by, redound to her husband's honour, because she is his, even more than to her own ?-In like manner, as no dishonour affects a man so much as that which he receives from a bad wife.

But where, would some say, were they to see what I write, is such a gentleman as Mr. B-to be met with? Look around and see where, with all the advantages of sex, of education, of travel, of conversation in the open world, a gentleman of his abilities to instruct and inform, is to be found? And there are others who, perhaps, will question the capacities or inclinations of our sex in general, to improve in useful knowledge, were they to meet with such kind instructors, either in the characters of parents or husbands.

As to the first, I grant, that it is not easy to find such a gentleman. But for the second (if it would be excused in me, who am one of the sex, and so may be thought partial to it), I could, by comparisons drawn from the gentlemen and ladies within the circle of my own acquaintance, produce instances, which are so flagrantly in their favour, as might make it suspected that it is policy more than justice, in those who would keep our sex unacquainted with that more eligible turn of education, which gives the gentlemen so many advantages over us in that; and which will show they have none at all in nature or genius.

I know you will pardon me, dear sir; for you are so exalted above your Pamela, by nature and education too, that you cannot apprehend any inconvenience from bold comparisons. I will take the liberty, therefore, to mention a few instances among our friends, where the ladies, notwithstanding their more cramped and confined education, make more than an equal figure with the gentlemen in all the graceful parts of conversation, in spite of the contempts poured out upon our sex by some witty gentlemen, whose writings I have in my eye.

To begin then with Mr. Murray, and Miss Darnford that

was Mr. Murray has the reputation of scholarship, and has travelled too; but how infinitely is he surpassed in every noble and useful quality, and in greatness of mind and judgment, as well as wit, by the young lady I have named! This we saw, when last at the Hall, in fifty instances, where the gentleman was, you know, sir, on a visit to Sir Simon and his lady.

Next, dear sir, permit me to observe that my good Lord Davers, with all his advantages, born a counsellor of the realm, and educated accordingly, does not surpass his lady.

My countess, as I delight to call her, and Lady Betty, her eldest daughter, greatly surpass the earl, and her eldest brother, in every point of knowledge, and even learning, as I may say, although both ladies owe that advantage principally to their own cultivation and acquirement.

Let me presume, sir, to name Mr. H-; and when I have named him, shall we not be puzzled to find anywhere in our sex, one remove from vulgar life, a woman that will not outdo Mr. H—— ?

Lady Darnford, upon all useful subjects, makes a much brighter figure than Sir Simon, whose knowledge of the world has not yet made him acquainted with himself.— Mr. Arthur excels not his lady.

Lady Towers, a maiden lady, is an overmatch for half a dozen of the neighbouring gentlemen I could name, in what is called wit and politeness, and not inferior to any of them in judgment.

I could multiply instances of this nature, were it needful, to the confutation of that low, and I had almost said, unmanly contempt, with which a certain celebrated genius treats our sex in general, in most of his pieces that I have seen; particularly in his 'Letter of Advice to a New Married Lady.' A letter writ in such a manner as must disgust, instead of instructing; and looks more like the advice of an enemy to the sex, and a bitter one too, than a friend to the particular lady. But I ought to beg pardon for this my presumption, for two reasons, First, Because of the truly admirable talents of this writer; and, next,

Because we know not what ladies the ingenious gentleman may have fallen among in his younger days.

Upon the whole, therefore, I conclude, that Mr. Bis almost the only gentleman who excels every lady that I have seen; so greatly excels, that even the emanations of his excellence irradiate a low cottage-born girl, and make her pass among ladies of birth and education for somebody.

Forgive my pride, dear sir; but it would be almost a crime in your Pamela not to exult in the mild benignity of those rays, by which her beloved Mr. B-- endeavours to make her look up to his own sunny sphere; while she, by the advantage only of his reflected glory, in his absence, which makes a dark night to her, glides along with her paler and fainter beaminess, and makes a distinguishing figure among such lesser planets, as can only poorly twinkle and glimmer, for want of the aid she boasts of.

I dare not, sir, conjecture whence arises this more than parity in the genius of the sexes, among the persons I have mentioned, notwithstanding the disparity of education, and the difference in the opportunities of each. This might lead one into too proud a thought in favour of a sex too contemptuously treated by some other wits I could name; who indeed are the less to be regarded, as they love to jest upon all God Almighty's works. Yet might I better do it, too, than anybody, since, as I have intimated above, I am so infinitely transcended by my husband, that no competition, pride, or vanity, could be apprehended from me.

But, however, I would only beg of the gentlemen who are so free in their contempts of us, that they would, for their own sakes (and that, with such, generally goes a great way), rather try to improve than depreciate us: we should then make better daughters, better wives, better mothers, and better mistresses. And who (permit me, sir, to ask these people) would be so much the better for these opportunities and amendments, as our upbraiders themselves?

On reperusing what I have written, I must repeatedly beg your excuse, dear sir, for these proud notions in behalf of my sex. I can truly say that they are not, if I know my

self, owing to partiality, because I have the honour to be one of it; but to a better motive by far: for what does this contemptuous treatment of one half, if not the better half, of the human species naturally produce, but libertinism and abandoned wickedness? For does it not tend to make the daughters, the sisters, the wives of gentlemen, the subjects of profligate attempts?-Does it not render the sex vile in the eyes of the most vile? And when a lady is no longer beheld by such persons with that dignity and reverence, with which perhaps the graces of her person, and the innocence of her mind should sacredly, as it were, encompass her, do not her very excellences become so many incentives for base wretches to attempt her virtue, and bring about her ruin?

What then may not wicked wit have to answer for, when its possessors prostitute it to such unmanly purposes? And as if they had never had a mother, a sister, a daughter of their own, throw down, as much as in them lies, those sacred fences which may lay the fair enclosure open to the invasions of every clumsier and viler beast of prey, who, though destitute of their wit, yet corrupted by it, shall fill their mouths, as well as their hearts, with the borrowed mischief, and propagate it, from one to another, to the end of time; and who, otherwise, would have passed by the uninvaded fence, and only showed their teeth, and snarled at the wellsecured fold within it!

You cannot, my dearest Mr. B-, I know you cannot, be angry at this romantic painting; since you are not affected by it: for when you were at worst, you acted (more dangerously, 'tis true, for the poor innocents) a principal part, and were as a lion among beasts-do, dear sir, let me say among, this one time-you scorned to borrow any man's wit; and if nobody had followed your example till they had had your qualities, the number of rakes would have been but small. Yet, dearest sir, don't mistake me neither: I am not so mean as to bespeak your favour by extenuating your failings if I were, you would deservedly despise me. * See vol. i. page 306.

*

VOL. III.

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