They have affociated with our fex to the profit of their understandings and the prejudice of their morals: We are beholden to them for having foftened our ferocity and difpelled our gloom; but it is to be regretted that any part of that pedantic character, which they remedied in us, should have infected their manners. A lady, who has quick talents, ready memory, an ambition to fhine in converfation, a paffion for reading, and who is withal of a certain age or perfon to despair of conquering with her eyes, will be apt to fend her understanding into the field, and it is well if the does not make a ridiculous figure before her literary campaign is over. If the old ftock of our female pedants were not so busy in recruiting their ranks with young novitiates, whofe understandings they diftort by their training, we would let them ruft out and spend their short annuity of nonsense without annoying them, but whilft they will be feducing credulous and inconfiderate girls into their circle, and transforming youth and beauty into unnatural and monftrous fhapes, it becomes the duty of every knight-errant in morality to fally forth to the rescue of these hag-ridden and distressed damfels. It cannot be fuppofed I mean to say that genius ought not to be cultivated in one fex as well as in the other; the object of my anxiety is the prefer- ́ vation of the female character, by which I underftand those gentle unaffuming manners and qualities peculiar to the fex, which recommend them to our protection and endear them to our hearts; let their talents and acquirements be what they may, they fhould never be put forward in fuch a manner as to overshadow and keep out of fight those feminine and and proper requifites, which are fitted to the domestic sphere and are indifpenfable qualifications for the tender and engaging duties of wife and mother; they are not born to awe and terrify us into fubjection by the flashes of their wit or the triumphs of their understanding; their conquefts are to be effected by fofter approaches, by a genuine delicacy of thought, by a fimplicity and modefty of foul, which stamp a grace upon every thing they act or utter. All this is compatible with every degree of excellence in science or art; in fact it is characteristic of fuperior merit, and amongst the many inftances of ladies now living, who have figured as authors or artists, there are very few, who are not as confpicuous for the natural grace of character as for talents; prattlers and pretenders there may be in abundance, who fortunately for the world do not annoy us any otherwife than by their loquacity and impertinence. Our age and nation have juft reafon to be proud of the genius of our women; the advances they have made within a fhort period are scarcely credi ble, and I reflect upon them with furprize and pleasure: It behoves every young man of fashion now to look well to himfelf and provide fome fund of information and knowledge, before he commits himself to focieties, where the fexes mix: Every thing that can awaken his ambition, or alarm his fenfe of fhame call upon him for the exertions of ftudy and the improvement of his understanding; and thus it comes to pass that the age grows more and more enlightened every day. Away then with that ungenerous praise, which is lavished upon times paft for no other purpose than than to degrade and fink the time prefent upon the comparison ! Plus vetuftis nam favet Invidia mendax, quam bonis præfentibus. PHÆDRUS. I confcientioufly believe the public happiness of this peaceful æra is not to be paralleled in our annals. A providential combination of events has confpired to restore our national dignity and establifh our internal tranquillity in a manner, which no human forefight could have pointed out, and by means, which no political fagacity could have provided. It is a great and fufficient praife to thofe, in whom the conduct of affairs is repofed, that they have clearly feen and firmly feized the glori ous opportunity. Let us, who profit by the bleffing, give proof that we are deferving of it by being cordially affectioned towards one another, juft and generous to all our fellow-creatures, grateful and obedient to our God. No CXXVI. Jam te premit nox. HORAT. I AM fitting down to begin the task of adding a new volume to thefe effays, when the last day of the year 1789 is within a few hours of its con clufion, clufion, and I fhall bid farewell to this eventful period with a grateful mind for its having pasfed lightly over my head without any extraordinary perturbation or misfortune on my part fuffered, gently leading me towards that destined and not far diftant hour, when I, like it, fhall be no more. I have accompanied it through all thofe changes. and fucceffions of seasons, which in our climate are fo ftrongly difcriminated; have fhared in the pleasures and productions of each, and if any little jars or bickerings may occafionally have started up betwixt us, as will fometimes happen to the best of friends, I willingly confign them to oblivion, and keep in mind only thofe kind and good offices, which will please on reflection, and ferve to endear the memory of the deceased. All days in twelve months will not be days of funshine; but I will fay this for my friend in his laft moments, that I cannot put my finger upon one in the fame century, that hath given birth to more interefting events, been a warmer advocate for the liberties and rights of mankind in general, or a kinder patron to this country in particular: I could name a day (if there was any need to point out what is so strongly impreffed on our hearts) a day of gratulation and thanksgiving, which will ever stand forth amongst the whiteft in our calendar. Hic dies verè mihi feftus atras "This is indeed a feftal day, And tells me--Cæfar lives and reigns." HORAT. Though Though my friend in his last moments hath in this and other inftances been fo confiderate of our happiness, I am afraid he is not likely to leave our morals much better than he found them: I cannot fay that in the courfe of my duty as an Obferver any very ftriking inftance of amendment hath come under my notice; and though I have all the difpofition in life to speak as favourably in my friend's behalf as truth will let me, I am bound to confefs he was not apt to think so seriously of his latter end as I could have wifhed: there was a levity in his conduct, which he took no pains to conceal; he did not feem to reflect upon the lapse of time, how speedily his Spring, fummer, and autumn would pafs away and the winter of his days come upon him; like Wolfey he was not aware how foon the froft, the killing froft would nip his root: he was however a gay convivial fellow, loved his bottle and his friend, paffed his time peaceably amongst us, and certainly merits the good word of every loyal subject in this kingdom. As for his proceedings in other countries, it is not here the reader must look for an account of them politics have no place in these volumes; but it cannot be denied that he has made many widows and orphans in Europe, been an active agent for the court of death, and dipped his hands deep in Chriftian and Mahometan blood. By the friends of freedom he will be celebrated to the latest time. He has begun a bufinefs, which, if followed up by his fucceffor with equal zeal, lefs ferocity and more difcretion, may lead to wonderful revolutions: there are indeed fome inftances of cruelty, which bear hard upon his character; if separately viewed, they admit of no palliation; in a general light, allow ances |