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mankind; but there are exceptions to this rule, when it may be dispensed with. Without being in love with the vanities of the world, do not make yourself ridiculous, by opposing the customs of the times. Piety becomes a subject of raillery, when it appears to affect singularity; a prudent woman should avoid rendering herself remarkable. When a woman is born to a certain rank of life, she should dress suitably to her pretensions; but still within that line which modesty and delicacy prescribe. See that your daughters mix in good company. True devotion is neither rustic nor austere. Solitude ill employed irritates the passions, and it is often better for young people to see well-chosen company, than to remain alone. You should inspire them with cheerfulness, that they may not assume a sanctified air. Their recreations should be walking, and little innocent pastimes; and when you come to talk of application, do not mention deep studies, nor abstract sciences, which often make the sex vain and talkative. Above all things, make yourself beloved; it is the greatest pleasure that a mother can aspire to, and the greatest prerogative she can enjoy, in order to effect the good she purposes. Take care that your domestics be religious and honest; if they do not fear God, they are capable of every thing that is bad. They should not be treated either with haughtiness or familiarity, but as people who are of the same nature, though your inferiors. Justice is the mother of order: every thing is in its proper place, when we act with equity. Never punish but with regret, and always pardon with pleasure."

The same liberal and sensible prelate gives the following advice on this subject to another of his friends :

"You should fill your children's minds with those pure lights which dissipate the clouds of modern philosophy, and the darkness of corruption. A few but solid books will make your children well-informed Christians. Let them be read less with an intention to fix them in the memory, than to engrave them on the heart. It is not necessary to form young people to defend a thesis, but to be obliged, as rational creatures, to convince themselves of eternal truths. When youth have studied religion from its first principles, they seldom suffer themselves to be seduced by sophistry and impiety, unless the heart be entirely corrupted. You should watch carefully to preserve them spotless, not by employing informers and spies, but by having your ears and your eyes every where to imitate the Deity whom we do not see, but who seeth over all. Be less the master than the friend of

Mr. Addison observes, with respect to female tuition :

"There have not been sufficient pains taken in finding out proper employments and diversions for the fair ones. Their amusements seem contrived for them, rather as they are women, than as they are reasonable creatures; and are more adapted to the sex than to the species. The toilette is the great scene of business, and the right adjusting of their hair the principal employment of their lives. The sorting of a suit of ribands is reckoned a very good morning's work; and if they make an excursion to a mercer's or a toy-shop, so great a fatigue makes them unfit for any thing else all the day after. Their more serious occupations are sewing and embroidery, and their greatest drudgery the preparation of jellies and sweetmeats. This, I say, is the state of ordinary women; though I know there are multitudes of those of a more elevated life and conversation, that move in an exalted sphere of knowledge and virtue, that join all the beauties of the mind to the ornaments of dress, and inspire a kind of awe and respect, as well as love, into their male beholders."

Ganganelli, Pope Clement XIV. or, as he has been called by some, the Protestant Pope, has given some excellent instructions on education. Writing to a lady, he observes:

"The domestic education of your daughters, is no indifferent matter:-the condition of a mother imposes on you the most important duties. The world will continually interpose between you and your children, if you do not take care to keep it at a distance; not with austerity, which excites only murmuring, but with that prudence which gains confidence. Your daughters will only prove hypocrites, if you perplex and encumber them with instruction; instead of which they will love religion, if you know how to make them do so by your example, and by your gentleness. Girls of twenty are not to be used as if they were but ten; there is a treatment and method of instruction suited to different ages, as well as to different conditions of life. Encourage a taste for good authors, and for employment, as much as you can; but with that freedom which does not tie them down to the minute, and with that spirit of discernment, which knows how to distinguish what is proper for a secular house, from what would more fitly become a cloister. Establish your daughters according to their fortunes and rank, without restraining their inclinations, unless they should tend to dissipation or folly. Marriage is the natural condition of

mankind; but there are exceptions to this rule, when it may be dispensed with. Without being in love with the vanities of the world, do not make yourself ridiculous, by opposing the customs of the times. Piety becomes a subject of raillery, when it appears to affect singularity; a prudent woman should avoid rendering herself remarkable. When a woman is born to a certain rank of life, she should dress suitably to her pretensions; but still within that line which modesty and delicacy prescribe. See that your daughters mix in good company. True devotion is neither rustic nor austere. Solitude ill employed irritates the passions, and it is often better for young people to see well-chosen company, than to remain alone. You should inspire them with cheerfulness, that they may not assume a sanctified air. Their recreations should be walking, and little innocent pastimes; and when you come to talk of application, do not mention deep studies, nor abstract sciences, which often make the sex vain and talkative. Above all things, make yourself beloved; it is the greatest pleasure that a mother can aspire to, and the greatest prerogative she can enjoy, in order to effect the good she purposes. Take care that your domestics be religious and honest; if they do not fear God, they are capable of every thing that is bad. They should not be treated either with haughtiness or familiarity, but as people who ace of the same nature, though your inferiors. Justice is the mother of order: every thing is in its proper place, when we act with equity. Never punish but with regret, and always pardon with pleasure."

The same liberal and sensible prelate gives the following advice on this subject to another of his friends :

"You should fill your children's minds with those pure lights which dissipate the clouds of modern philosophy, and the darkness of corruption. A few but solid books will make your children well-informed Christians. Let them be read less with an intention to fix them in the memory, than to engrave them on the heart. It is not necessary to form young people to defend a thesis, but to be obliged, as rational creatures, to convince themselves of eternal truths. When youth have studied religion from its first principles, they seldom suffer themselves to be seduced by sophistry and impiety, unless the heart be entirely corrupted. You should watch carefully to preserve them spotless, not by employing informers and spies, but by having your ears and your eyes every where to imitate the Deity whom we do not see, but who seeth over all. Be less the master than the friend of

your children; and then they will be transparent to your eyes, and even tell their faults themselves. They will give you the key of their hearts, when they find that you sincerely wish them well, and that it is a pain to you to reprove them. Take care what servants you admit about your children; it is generally through them that youth are corrupted. Attach pleasures to every kind of study which you propose for your children, by exciting a keen desire of knowledge, and an ardent impatience of ignorance. Take care that they have relaxation from their studies, that their memories and judgments may not grow tired. When disgust is joined with study, they conceive an aversion to books, and sigh after idleness and supineness. Adapt their studies to their times of life, and do not think of making them metaphysicians at twelve years old: that is not educating young people, but teaching words to parrots. Never fail to let an amusing succeed a serious book, and to intermix poetry with prose. Virgil is not less eloquent than Cicero; his descriptions, images, and expressions, give fancy and elocution to those who possess it not naturally. Poetry is the perfection of language; and if people do not apply to it while they are young, they never acquire a taste for it. It is impossible, after a certain age, to read verse long, without having a real taste for poetry. Nevertheless, moderate the study of the pcets; for, besides that they very often take liberties contrary to good morals, it is dangerous to grow too fond of them. A young man who only speaks and raves in verse, is insupportable in company; he is both a fool and a madman. Let the history of the world, nations and countries, be made familiar to your children, without becoming a dry study; it should be accompanied with short and accurate reflections, to teach them how to consider events with judgment, and to acknowledge a universal agent, of whom all mankind are but the instruments, and all revolutions the combined and foreknown effects of his eternal decrees. Guard them against that childly eloquence, which, playing on words, is disgusting to true taste: and persuade them that no gigantic ideas or expressions ever enter into an elegant discourse. There are men, and periods of time, which have established the standard of taste in every thing; and it is on their productions that the eyes of your children should be constantly fixed, as the best models; not, however, with slavish strictness, for they should not be servile imitators of any person. When your children have acquired the age of maturity, then is the time to speak to thern, as a friend, of the nothingness of the pleasures in which the world places its happiness; of the misfortunes in which they engage us; the remorse they excite; the injury they do both to body and soul; the abyss they dig

under our steps, while they appear only to scatter flowers. It will be no difficult matter for you to point out to them the dangerous rocks of sensuality, either by vigorous expressions, or striking examples; and to persuade them that, without idleness, the greater part of the pleasures to which people addict themselves so immoderately, would have no attractions. In idleness, as in sleep, they form to themselves the most brilliant ideas, and represent a thousand agreeable chimeras which have no existence. When a son is persuaded that a father talks only reason to him, and solely from tenderness, he hearkens to him, and his advice produces the best effects. Attend more to the hearts than to the understandings of your children; if the heart is good, all will go well. Circumstances must teach you how to govern them; you should appear sometimes indulgent, at other times severe, but always just and candid. Those young people who will not be wise, are distressed when they are reproved with a spirit of equity, because they find, against their inclination, that they cannot reply. Leave them a liberal freedom, so that their father's house may not be their last choice; it is necessary that they should be happier there than elsewhere, and find those pleasures which may reasonably be expected from a parent, who, though a friend to order, is indulgent from affection."

CHAP. XI.

THE PLEASURES OF MARRIED LIFE-continued.

Children, like tender osiers, take the bow,
And as they first are fashion'd, always grow.

POPE.

"Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

SOLOMON.

THE Curiosity of children should not be unnecessarily repressed. Modesty is the natural and most becoming accompaniment of youth; but parents destroy the best opportunities of imparting information to their

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