condemned for exercifing the powers of speech, they have fuccefsfully taken up the pen: and their writings exemplify both energy of mind, and capability of acquiring the moft extenfive knowledge. The prefs will be the monuments from which the genius of British women will rife to immortal celebrity: their works will, in proportion as their educations are liberal, from year to year, challenge an equal portion of fame, with the labours of their claffical male contemporaries.

In proportion as women are acquainted with the languages they will become citizens of the world. The laws, cuftoms and inhabitants of different nations will be their kindred in the propinquity of nature. Prejudice will be palfied, if not receive its death-blow, by the expanfion of intellect; and woman being permitted to feel her own importance in the scale of fociety, will be tenacious of maintaining it. She will know that he was created for fomething beyond the mere amusement of man; that the is capable of mental energies, and worthy of the moft unbounded confidence. Such a fyftem of mental equality, would, while it ftigmatized the trifling vain and pernicious race of high-fashioned Meffalinas, produce fuch British women, as would equal the Portias and Arrias of antiquity*. Had fortune enabled me, I would build an univerfity for women; where they fhould be politely, and at the fame time claffically educated; the depth of their ftudies, fhould be proportioned to their mental powers; and thofe who were incompetent to the

labours of knowledge, fhould be dif miffed after a fair trial of their capabilities, and allotted to the more hum ble paths of life; fuch as domeftic and useful occupations. The wealthy part of the community who neglected to educate their female offspring, at this feminary of learning, fhould pay a fine, which fhould be appropriated to the maintenance of the unportioned fcholars. In half a century there would be a fufficient number of learned women to fill all the departments of the university, and those who excelled in an eminent degree fhould receive honorary medals, which they fhould wear as an order of literary merit.

O! my unenlightened countrywomen! read, and profit, by the ad. monition of Reafon. Shake off the trifling, glittering fhackles, which de bafe you. Refit thofe fafcinating fpells which, like the petrifying torpedo, fallen on your mental faculties. Be lefs the flaves of vanity, and more the converts of Reflection. Nature has endowed you with perfonal attractions: fhe has alfo given you the mind capable of expanfion. Seek not the vifionary triumph of univerfal conqueft; know yourfelves equal to greater, nobler acquirements by prudence, temperance, firmness, and reflection, fubdue that prejudice which has, for ages paft, been your inveterate enemy. Let your daughters be liberally, claffically, philofophically, and ufefully educated; let them fpeak and write their opinions freely; let them read and think like rational creatures; adapt their ftudies to their ftrength of intellect; expand their

and

their minds, and purify their hearts, by teaching them to feel their mental equality with their imperious rulers. By fuch laudable exertions, you will excite the nobleft emulation; you will explode the fuperftitious tenets of bigotry and fanaticifm; confirm the intuitive immortality of the foul, and give them that genuine glow of confcious virtue which will grace them to pofterity.

There are men who affect to think lightly of the literary productions of women: and yet no works of the prefent day are fo univerfally read as theirs. The best novels that have been written, fince thofe of Smollet, Richardfon, and Fielding, have been produced by women: and their pages. have not only been embellished with the interesting events of domestic life, pourtrayed with all the elegance of phrafeology, and all the refinement of fentiment, but with forcible and eloquent, political, theological, and philofophical reafoning. To the genius and labours of fome enlightened Britifh women pofterity will also be indebted for the pureft and beft tranflations from the French and German languages. I need not mention Mrs Dobfon, Mrs Inchbald, Mifs Plumptre, &c. &c. Of the more profound refearches in the dead languages, we have many female clafficks of the firtt celebrity: Mrs Carter, Mrs Thomas, (late Mifs Parkhurit ;) Mrs Francis, the Hon. Mrs Damer, &c. &c.

Of the Drama, the wreath of fame has crowned the brows of Mrs Cowley, Mrs Inchbald, Mifs Lee, Miss Huah More, and others of lefs celebrity. Of Biography, Mrs Dobson, Mrs Thicknefs, Mrs Piozzi, Mrs. Montagu, Mifs Helen Williams, have given fpecimens highly honourable to their talents. Poetry has unquef, tionably rifen high in British literature from the productions of female pens; for many English women have

"

produced fuch original and beautiful compofitions, that the first critics and fcholars of the age have wondered, while they applauded. But in order to direct the attention of my fair and liberal country-women to the natural genius and mental acquirements of their illuftrious contemporaries, I conclude my Letter with a lift of names, which, while they filence the tongue of prejudice, will not fail to excite Emulation.

Exeter, Nov. 7, 1798.

Lift of British Female Literary Cha rafters living in the Eighteenth Century*.

D. Mrs.-Life of Petrarch, from the Italian. D'Arblay, Mrs.-Novels, Edwy and Elgiva, a Tragedy, &c. &c. Damer, Hon. Mrs.Sculptor, and Greek Claffic.

F. Francis, Mrs.-Greek and Latin Claffic. G. Gunning, Mrs.-Novelift. Gunning, Mifs.-Noveliit, and Tranflator from the French. H. Hayes, Mifs.-Novels, Philofophical and Metaphyfical Difquifitions. Hanway,

Hanway, Mrs.-Novelift.
I.
Inchbald, Mrs-Novels, Comedies,
and Tranflations from the
French and German.

L.

Linwood, Mifs.-Artist.

Lee, Miles-Romances, Comedies, Canterbury Tales, a Tragedy,

&c. &c.

Lennox, Mrs.-Novelist.

M. Macaulay Graham, Mrs.-Hiftory of England, and other works. Montagu, Mrs.-Effay on the Writings and Genius of Shakefpeare being a Defence of him from the Slander of Voltaire. More, Mifs Hannah.-Poems, Sacred Dramas, a Tragedy, and other moral pieces. P.

Piozzi, Mrs.-Biography, Poetry, British Synonymy, Travels, &c. &c. &c.

Plumptre, Mifs-Tranflations from the German, a Novel, &c. Parfons, Mrs.-Novelift.

R. Radcliffe, Mrs. Romances, Travels,

&c. &c.

Robinfon, Mrs.-Poems, Romances, Novels, a Tragedy, Satires,

&c. &c. Reeve, Mifs.-Romances and Novels.

Robinson, Mifs.-Novelift.

S.

Serward, Mifs.-Poems, a Poetical Novel, and various other works.

Smith, Mrs Charlotte-Novels, Sonnets, Moral Pieces, for the Inftruction of Youth; and other works.

Sheridan, late Mrs.-Sidney Biddulph, a Novel.

T.

Thomas, Mrs. late Mifs Parkhurft.Greek and Hebrew Claffic. Thickness, Mrs.-Biography, Let

ters, &c.

W.

Wolflonecraft Godwin, Mrs.-A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, Novels, Philofophical Difquifitions, Travels, &c. Williams, Mifs Helen Maria.-Poems, Travels, a Novel, and other miscellaneous pieces. Weft, Mrs.-Novels, Poetry, &c. &c.

Y.

Yearsley, Mrs.-Poems, a Novel, a Tragedy, &c. &c.

There are various degrees of merit in the compofitions of the female writers mentioned in the preceding lit. Of their feveral claims to the wreath of Fame, the Public and the critics are left to decide. Moft of them have been highly diftinguished at the tribunal of literature.

PERHAPS no fentiment has been more detrimental to mankind than the belief that the Property we have is our own, and that the largeft poffeffions were given us for no other purpose than to multiply our wants.

I do not mean to infer that the Affluent are not intitled to the comforts of Life, but they are affuredly to be condemned as unjust stewards, when they are actuated by a spirit

of accumulation, or expend in Pride

and Luxury that Property which was lent only to promote furrounding happinefs. It must however be confeffed, that the most diffipated men, by the inconfiderate diffufion of their fortunes, not unfrequently confer benefits on thofe around them: but this does not juftify their conduct; it only proves thet the Supreme Being, at the moment he condemns the

motives

motives of men, can make their worst actions concur to the general good.

But that difpofition of mind which can alone ftimulate men to correct the evils we complain of, is the conftant recollection that we were not born for ourselves, but for the good of others. If this fentiment were more practically adopted, men of fortune, whatever their incomes, would confine their expenditures to reafonable limits, and be conftantly defirous of removing the diftreffes of thofe around them.

The important obligations, how ever, which the Rich are fubject to, are not confined to the relief of corporeal wants the subordinate ranks of Society have propenfities to much evil, and capacities for much good: ought these minds to be left untutored, or to the improvements of chance? For the want of that moral instruction which it was in the power of rich men to bestow, how many evils have arifen to the world, and do arife! How many of thofe men, who have been exiled or have forfeited their lives to the laws of their Country, would at this moment have been valuable members of Society, if the rich in their particular diftricts had complied with the duties of their ftation? but their attention to their Routs and their Dogs, and their Horfes and their Hunting, and a long catalogue of other trifles, too frequently preoccupy their minds, and leave them neither inclination or leifure to reftrain their paffions, or to confult their duties.

How far the crimes of the Thief, the Highwayman, or the Murderer, may be attributed to Rich men who have mifapplied their riches, a future day will determine; but it is poffible, that at that time the conduct of the apparent affaffin may be palliated, and the real murderer be found in the man, who, having it in his power, neglected to correct the difpofition which occafioned it.

The best intentions of men are too frequently counteracted by a paffion for extravagance. It is impoffible to trace the effects of this vice without recurring to almoft all the evils of life; it extends its ramifications in every direction; renders callous the heart; perverts the understanding, and even deprives us of that portion of happinefs which God created us to enjoy. Its approaches are flattering, and its progrefs is imperceptible. The paffion for finery and diftinction, incapacitates men of the largest fortunes from doing good, and it is no uncommon thing to hear the most opu. lent, when folicited by an acquaintance for a small charitable donation, to apologize, at the moment they are ftepping from a Chariot to a Palace, by faying, with much apparent concern, "They really cannot afford it," and true it is, they cannot afford it, confiftent with their prefent conduct. Pride makes them extravagant, and extravagance keeps them poor.

Men too often begin life without prefcribing bounds to their wants; and if accident or common occupations beftow on them wealth, their immediate confideration is, not how beft to encourage the virtuous, inftruct the ignorant, or relieve the diftreffed; but, to determine what new appendage to add to their establishment; and an inflexible refolution to regard only their own imaginary wants, feems to proceed with an exact proportion to the increase of their riches. With fuch principles prevailing in the world, how can it be amend ed? When fuch felfishness abounds, where fhall the voice of Poverty be regarded?

The generality of men require but very flender arguments to refufe their affiftance to the needy, and are eafily perfuaded to expend their wealth in that channel which beft accords with their corrupt paffions; it is on this account that the affigned motive with many for not relieving the Poor, is,

their folly or their vices.Let God condemn us all, but let not man condemn his fellow! Have the allurements of vice never fubdued thy better judgment? have the ways of folly never found an advocate in thy breaft? endued as it has been with purer motives, and fecured by more early inftructions.-—If we have been frangers to the flagrant crimes of others, instead of exercising a cenforious fpirit, we fhould firft endeavour to correct in them what we know to be wrong, and at the fame time thank God, with humility, that he has protected us from their temptations, and defended us from their trials.

I fpeak this as the fhadow of an apology for the most depraved poor; but what fhall be faid for that large portion of our fellow-creatures, of the aged and the infirm, who are familiar only with want and its concomitant evils; who hardly venture to confider themselves in the light of human beings, and are debarred from calling any brethren, unless they perceive in them a brotherhood of misery.

It is manifeftly true, that a vaft portion of the evil which deforms the world, arifes from the uncultivated minds of the Poor; from their being reared in confined and filthy habitations, where whole families are herded together, difregarded by the world, and ignorant of their moral duties, whilft both Children and Parents are familiarized to, and hardened by indecencies. From fuch hot-beds what is to be expected but the life of the evil principle and the deftruction of the good?

The mind fometimes indulges itfelf with the luxury of fuppofing what might be, and pictures the very poffible character of a rich man, limiting his expences, and employing the overplus of his fortune in leffening the diftreffes of thofe around him. We fancy him perfuaded that a small affitance to young perfons at their commencement in life, is frequently

the caufe of their being permanently comfortable, and often of arifing to refpectability and usefulness. We extend our ideas, and behold fuch a man beftowing a fmall marriage portion, on every virtuous young couple of his neighbourhood; acquiring by thefe means an intereft in their affections which a good man will make pro. ductive of good. He beholds with pleafure their rifing offspring, and in cafes of emergency, prefents to their minds a laft and certain refort, ever ftudying to inculcate the benign tenets of Christianity, as well by example as precept: and this not to one family, whofe habits may have been partiènlarly good, but to all who furround his dwelling, mildly rebuking the bad, and encouraging the good. Such a man might be confidered almost as a Deity on earth; but what would be of more confequence to himself, on quitting the world, it would afford him the coufolation to reflect, that he was not born in vain. There are few men fo depraved as not to admire this character; but the generality of perfons content themfelves with ad. miring, what they are determined never to imitate.

It is charitable to fuppofe that the majority of rich men fquander their fortunes on themselves alone, from the impreffions they received in early youth, or from the overbearing influence of example; reflecting not, becaufe they have not been taught to reflect, that what they make effential to their happiness, might confer happinefs on thousands.

It feems to be incontrovertible, that every man by industry and carefulnefs ought to be enabled to prote& his children from want, and depraved is the mind which would debar him from fome comforts; but what comforts can that man fecure to his family, who, when young, could only provide for himself with tolerable decency, and now that he has a wife and many children, is compelled with

the