creature. This union, no doubt, was very intire, and the parts very well adjusted together, fince there refulted a perfect harmony betwixt the male and female, although they were obliged to be infeparable companions. And fo great were the harmony and happiness flowing from it, that the Androgynes (for fo Plato calls them) or men-women, became infolent upon their profperity, and rebelled against the Gods. To punish them for this temerity, Jupiter could contrive no better expedient than to divorce the male part from the female, and make two imperfect beings of the compound, which was before so perfect. Hence the origin of men and women, as diftinct creatures. But notwithstanding this divifion, fo lively is our remembrance of the happiness which we enjoyed in our primeval state, that we are never at rest in this situation; but each of these halves is continually fearching through the whole fpecies to find the other half, which was broken from it; and when they meet, they join again with the greatest fondness and sympathy. But it often happens, that they are mistaken in this particular; that they take for their half what no way correfponds to them; and that the parts do not meet nor join in with each other, as is ufual in fractures. In this cafe the union is foon diffolved, and each part is fet loose again to hunt for its lost half, joining itself to every one whom it meets, by way of trial, and enjoying no reft till its perfect fympathy with its partner fhews, that it has at laft been fuccefsful in its endeavours,

Were

Were I difpofed to carry on this fiction of Plato, which accounts for the mutual love betwixt the fexes in fo agreeable a manner, I would do it by the following allegory.

When Jupiter had feparated the male from the female, and had quelled their pride and ambition by fo fevere an operation, he could not but repent him of the cruelty of his vengeance, and take compaffion on poor mortals, who were now become incapable of any repofe or tranquillity. Such cravings, fuch anxieties, such neceffities arose, as made them curse their creation, and think existence itself a punishment. In vain had they recourse to every other occupation and amufement. In vain did they feek after every pleasure of fenfe, and every refinement of reafon. Nothing could fill that void which they felt in their hearts, or fupply the lofs of their partner who was fo fatally separated from them. To remedy this disorder, and to bestow fome comfort, at leaft, on the human race in their forlorn fituation, Jupiter fent down Love and Hymen, to collect the broken halves of human kind, and piece them together in the best manner poffible. Thefe two deities found fuch a prompt difpofition in mankind to unite again in their primeval state, that they proceeded on their work with wonderful fuccefs for fome time, till, at laft, from many unlucky accidents, diffention arose betwixt them. The chief counfellor and favourite of Hymen was Care, who was continually filling his patron's head with profpects of futurity, a fettlement, family,

children,

upon

children, fervants; fo that little elfe was regarded in all the matches they made. On the other hand, Love had chofen Pleasure for his favourite, who was as pernicious a counsellor as the other, and would never allow Love to look beyond the prefent momentary gratification, or the fatisfying of the prevailing inclination. These two favourites became, in a little time, irreconcileable enemies, and made it their chief business to undermine each other in all their undertakings. No fooner had Love fixed upon two halves, which he was cementing together, and forming to a clofe union, but Care infinuates himself, and bringing Hymen along with him, dife folves the union produced by Love, and joins each half to fome other half, which he had provided for it. To be revenged of this, Pleasure creeps in a pair already joined by Hymen; and calling Love to his affistance, they underhand contrive to join each half, by fecret links, to halves which Hymen was wholly unacquainted with. It was not long before this quarrel was felt in its pernicious confequences; and fuch complaints arofe before the throne of Jupiter, that he was obliged to summon the offending parties to appear before him, in order to give an account of their proceedings. After hearing the pleadings on both fides, he ordered an immediate reconcilement betwixt Love and Hymen, as the only expedient for giving happiness to mankind: and that he might be fure this reconcilement should be durable, he laid his strict injunctions on them never to join any halves without confulting their favourites Care and Pleasure, and obtaining

the consent of both to the conjunction. Where this order is ftrictly obferved, the Androgyne is perfectly restored, and the human race enjoy the fame happiness as in their primeval ftate. The feam is scarce perceived that joins the two beings: but both of them combine to form one perfect and happy creature.

No. I.

ESSAY III.

OF THE STUDY OF HISTORY.

THERE is nothing which I would recommend more earnestly to my female readers than the study of history, as an occupation, of all others, the best fuited both to their fex and education, much more inftructive than their ordinary books of amufement, and more entertaining than those serious compofitions, which are ufually to be found in their closets. Among other important truths, which they may learn from hiftory, they may be informed of two particulars, the knowledge of which may contribute very much to their quiet and repofe. That our fex, as well as their's, are far from being fuch perfect creatures as they are apt to imagine, and that Love is not the only paffion which governs the male world, but is often overcome by avarice, am

bition,

bition, vanity, and a thousand other paffions. Whether they be the false representations of mankind in those two particulars, which endear novels and romances fo much to the fair fex, I know not; but must confefs, that I am forry to fee them have fuch an averfion to matter of fact, and fuch an appetite for falfehood. I remember I was once defired by a young beauty, for whom I had fome paffion, to fend her fome novels and romances for her amusement to the country; but was not fo ungenerous as to take the advantage, which fuch a courfe of reading might have given me, being refolved not to make use of poisoned arms against her. I therefore fent her Plutarch's Lives, affuring her, at the fame time, that there was not a word of truth in them from beginning to end. She perused them very attentively, till fhe came to the lives of Alexander and Cæfar, whofe names fhe had heard of by accident, and then returned me the book, with many reproaches for deceiving her.

I may, indeed, be told, that the fair fex have no fuch averfion to history, as I have reprefented, provided it be fecret history, and contain some memorable tranfaction proper to excite their curiofity. But as I do not find that truth, which is the bafis of history, is at all regarded in these anecdotes, I cannot admit of this as a proof of their passion for that study. However this may be, I fee not why the fame curiosity might not receive a more proper direction, and lead them to defire accounts of those

who