If life be the unwary? They surely can have little sense of the happiness to be derived from virtuous attachment, who would instill so frigid an opiate, or freeze every feeling of the heart into the rigour of torpid Apathy. Whatever be the peril, every generous mind will grasp at attainment, where the blessings of acquisition are so disproportionate; and he who has either virtue or feeling, who can study his own happiness, or promote that of mankind, must foster with ardour those connexions, whose advice may regulate the great, whose example may animate the indifferent, whose affection may cheer the unfortunate. indeed but too wretched, let us not despise that alleviation which a gracious Providence has bestowed. If human wisdom be but too fallible, let us not reject the only prop which can support it. Carte closes a laboured panegyric on the great Duke of Buckingham, by observing, that his defects were owing to the want of a friend and counsellor. Pitiable indeed must be his lot, who stands single in this tempestuous ocean, with no confidant to trust, no companion to cheer, and no friend to support him. As for me, let me be poor, oppressed, or unfortunate, but let me not be friendless, and Distress herself will be powerless. Surely of all curses which human malice has framed, that ancient one is the most horrible, "Ultimus suorum moriatur." Thus, then, we have hastily touched on the principal points of competition, which distinguish each great outline of education: much indeed has been omitted, and most of what has been said will appear obvious; but the latter, if an imperfection, could hardly be avoided, on a subject which has been, from age to age, a commonplace of discussion; and the former is less to be lamented, because the disquisition is at best theoretical. Should the question, as is probable, remain for ever undecided, the difficulties of choice will not, therefore, be increased, or the world be precluded from growing wiser, abler, or better; nay, it may be doubted, whether a decision which would close the dispute for ever, might, in any degree, tend to disembarrass the old, or forward the hopes of the rising generation. The real question which it is our interest to determine, is, whether a publick or private education be best adapted to my particular child, and even this is oftener decided by accident or convenience, than from conviction or argument. This, at least, is clear, that it is the duty of every parent to pursue that plan which will ultimately conduce most to the welfare of his offspring; and though the diffident may sometimes hesitate, or necessity compel an involuntary adoption, yet, where choice is fairly open, no one need long hesitate what system to prefer. The great Creator, when he implanted qualities, afforded us also the means of displaying them. These, then, we must watch, and to these refer, as the lines of direction. All plants are not indigenous, and while the Briton triumphs in his oak, the Indian reclines under his palm tree. Thus it is with animals, with seasons, and with climates: the rugged liberty of the Spartan would have ill suited the effeminacy of Asian dependance: but though panaceas are rejected, many medicines may possess powers of general utility; and as the constitution of this country, though unadapted to every state, might diffuse blessings over the majority of mankind, so will it be found, that a public Education, however dangerous to some, is preferable on the whole for the generality of students: "Alieno in loco haud stabile regnum est."-Seneca. THOUGHTS ON THE PROPOSED IMPROVE MENT OF FEMALE EDUCATION. 1808. Les femmes docteurs ne sont de mon gout; MOLIERE. REFORMERS, if they are honest, deserve well of their countrymen; for the office is troublesome and invidious. Yet there are errors, which they are apt to fall into, so considerable, as to render their labours sometimes worse than useless. One, in particular, is very common, because a small share of vanity will occasion it. This is an anxiety, of which the reformer himself is perhaps hardly conscious, to fix upon some subject for improvement, wherein no striking deficiency had been before observed, and towards which, therefore, the public attention had not been directed. The love of originality, which is common to all ingenious men, obviously points to this: but it is equally obvious, that he who is determined to be original, is in great danger of being wrong; and that if the world has not noticed a particular deficiency, some presumption exists that there is no deficiency to be noticed. There is another fault, of which reformers are some times guilty, that grows very naturally out of the last. Having, according to the acknowledged liberties of their company, expressed a great deal of astonishment that their countrymen should have paid so little attention to the object in which they propose an amendment, they go. on wondering, and declaring their wonder, on the same account, long after the cause has ceased, and when, it may be, men, women, and children are writing and talking about nothing else. I am not sure whether the most intelligent of those who have lately published on the subject of female improvement, have not fallen into both these errors. They have written largely, and very earnestly, on the propriety of elevating, in no small degree, the studies and intellectual attainments of women. Yet it is very questionable (as shall presently be considered) whether, attending to the actual state of things, and not forgetting the necessary imperfections of our nature, such an alteration is at all needed. They have complained too, and still complain. loudly, that the world, in both sexes, either from levity or a judicial blindness, is insensible to the importance of this their favourite theme; though it so happens, more attention has been paid to it, and more letter-press expended upon it, within the last fifteen years, than during the fifteen, or even fifty, centuries which preceded them. The last of these facts will hardly be denied, but the first deserves to be more fully inquired into. Among the persons who have engaged in discussions respecting female improvement, there subsists a great difference of sentiments; but both sides have, as by consent, proceeded on the assumption of the point which I wish to see more fully considered. They have each taken for granted, that the existing state of female attainments is very low. Proceeding on this hypothesis, one class of writers maintain, that thus it ought to continue. The other, with much more liberality, but perhaps with less of sound judgment than of good intention, contend that improvements are very desirable. I venture to doubt whether both these bodies of disputants are not in error. The first indeed are so wrong, that they have no chance of ever getting right. Yet the mistake of the latter class may be the most serious, because it is a practical one. If the cultivation of female talents is at present, on the whole, about such as it ought to be, no interference is necessary, and tampering will probably do harm. At the least, this is a question which must be examined before we can advance a step securely; and this is just the question which, with their pardon be it said, all our worthy reformers have hitherto slipped by. It may be as well here to dismiss at once those writers and talkers (thinkers they are not) who are pleased to insist, not only that women actually are ignorant and foolish, but that they ought always to be so. Nothing truly can be more impertinent than the liberties which such gentlemen take in this matter. They profess a jealousy of female improvement. It is natural, that, being stationary themselves, they should feel no pleasure in the advances of others: but what right have they to be thus jealous? Is the sex subject to their control? Are women bound to make choice of occupations according to their fancy? What concern have they with those whose discretion they think themselves authorized to question? This only,-that they may some day wish to marry, and have therefore a slight interest in the character of the body from which |