ftandings and delicate affections; and thefe characters, it is to be prefumed, we fhall always find infeparable. To be ferious, and to quit the allusion before it be worn thread-bare, I am of opinion, that women, that is, women of fenfe and education (for to fuch alone I address myself) are much better judges of all polite writing than men of the fame degree of understanding; and that it is a vain panic, if they be fo far terrified with the common ridicule that is levelled against learned ladies, as utterly to abandon every kind of books and ftudy to our fex. Let the dread of that ridicule have no other effect than to make them conceal their knowledge before fools, who are not worthy of it, nor of them. Such will still presume upon the vain title of the male fex to affect a fuperiority above them; but my fair readers may be affured, that all men of fenfe, who know the world, have a great deference for their judgment of fuch books as lye within the compass of their knowledge, and repofe more confidence in the delicacy of their tafte, though unguided by rules, than in all the dull labours of pedants and commentators. In a neighbouring nation, equally famous for good taste, and for gallantry, the ladies are, in a manner, the fovereigns of the learned world, as well as of the converfible; and no polite writer pretends to venture before the public, without the approbation of fome celebrated judges of that fex. Their verdict is, indeed, fometimes complained of; and, in particular, I find, that the ad mirers upon mirers of Corneille, to fave that great poet's honour the afcendant that Racine began to take over him, always faid, that it was not to be expected, that so old a man could difpute the prize, before fuch judges, with fo young a man as his rival. But this obfervation has been found unjust, fince pofterity feems to have ratified the verdict of that tribunal and Racine, though dead, is still the favourite of the fair fex, as well as of the best judges among the men. There is only one fubject of which I am apt to diftruft the judgment of females, and that is concerning books of gallantry and devotion, which they commonly affect as high flown as poffible; and most of them feem more delighted with the warmth, than with the juftnefs of the paffion. I mention gallantry and devotion as the fame fubject, because, in reality, they become the fame when treated in this manner; and we may observe, that they both depend upon the very fame complexion. As the fair fex have a great share of the tender and amorous disposition, it perverts their judgment on this occafion, and makes them be easily affected, even by what has no propriety in the expreffion or nature in the sentiment. Mr. Addifon's elegant difcourfes on religion have no relish with them, in com. parison of books of myftic devotion: and Otway's Tragedies are rejected for the rakes of Mr. Dryden. Would the ladies correct their false tafte in this particular, let them accuftom themselves a little more more to books of all kinds; let them give encou ragement to men of fenfe and knowledge to frequent their company; and finally, let them concur heartily in that union I have projected betwixt the learned and converfible worlds. They may, perhaps, meet with more complaifance from their ufual followers than from men of learning; but they cannot reasonably expect fo fincere an affection and, I hope, they will never be guilty of fo wrong a choice, as to facrifice the fubftance for the fhadow. No. I. ESSAY VI. OF MORAL PREJUDICES. THERE is a fet of men lately fprung up amongst us, who endeavour to distinguish themselves by ridiculing every thing, that has hitherto appeared fa cred and venerable in the eyes of mankind. Reafon, fobriety, honour, friendfhip, marriage, are the perpetual fubjects of their infipid raillery; and even public fpirit, and a regard to our country, are treated as chimerical and romantic. Were the schemes of these anti-reformers to take place, all the bonds of fociety must be broken, to make way for the indulgence of a licentious mirth and gaiety; the companion of our drunken frolics must be preferred to a friend or brother; diffolute prodigality muft must be supplied at the expence of every thing valuable, either in public or private; and men fhall have fo little regard to any thing beyond themselves, that, at laft, a free constitution of government must become a scheme perfectly impracticable among mankind, and muft degenerate into one universal system of fraud and corruption. There is another humour which may be observed in fome pretenders to wifdom, and which, if not fo pernicious as the idle petulant humour above mentioned, muft, however, have a very bad effect on those who indulge it. I mean that grave philofophic endeavour after perfection, which, under pretext of reforming prejudices and errors, ftrikes at all the most endearing fentiments of the heart, and all the most useful biaffes and instincts, which can govern a human creature. The Stoics were remarkable for this folly among the ancients; and I wifh fome of more venerable characters in later times had not copied them too faithfully in this particular. The virtuous and tender fentiments, or prejudices, if you will, have fuffered mightily by these reflections; while a certain fullen pride or contempt of mankind has prevailed in their stead, and has been esteemned the greatest wisdom; though, in reality, it be the most egregious folly of all others. Statilius being folicited by Brutus to make one of that noble band who ftruck the GOD-like ftroke for the liberty of Rome, refused to accompany them, faying, that all men were fools or mad, and did not deferve that a wife man should trouble his head about them. Dd My learned reader will here easily recollect the reaf n, which an ancient philofopher gave, why he would not be reconciled to his brother, who folicited his friendship. He was too much a philofopher to think that the connexion of having fprung from the fame parent, ought to have any influence on a reasonable mind, and expreffed his fentiment after fuch a manner as I think not proper to repeat. When your friend is in affliction, fays Epictetus, you may counterfeit a fympathy with him, if it give him relief; but take care not to allow any compaffion to fink into your heart, or disturb that tranquillity, which is the perfection of wisdom. Diogenes being asked by his friends in his fickness, what fhould be done with him after his death? Why, fays he, throw me out into the fields-What, replied they, to the birds or beafts?—No: place a cudgel by me, to defend myself withal.-To what pur pofe? fay they, you will not have any fenfe, nor any power of making use of it. Then if the beasts should devour me, cries he, fhall I be any more fenfible of it? -I know none of the fayings of that philofopher, which fhews more evidently both the liveliness and ferocity of his temper. How different from thefe are the maxims by which Eugenius conducts himself? In his youth, he applied himfelf, with the most unwearied labour, to the study of philosophy; and nothing was ever able to draw him from it, except when an opportu nity offered of ferving his friends, or doing a pleafure to fome man of merit. When he was about thirty years of age, he was determined to quit the free |