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Obfervations upon the Paffions: Addreed to the Ladies.

THINK the ladies will not accufe me of bufying myfelf in impertinent remarks upon their drefs and attire, for indeed it is not to their perfons my fervices are devoted, but to their minds: if I can add to them any thing ornamental, or take from them any thing unbecoming, I shall gain my wifh; the reft I shall leave to their milliners and mantuamakers.

Now if I have any merit with them for not intruding upon their toilets, let them fhew nie fo much complaifance, as not to read this paper whilit they are engaged in thofe occupations, which I have never before interrupted; for as I intend to talk with them a little metaphyfically, I would not with to divide their attention, nor fhall I be contented with lefs than the whole.

In the first place, I must tell them, gentle though they be, that human nature is fubject to a variety of paffions; fome of these are virtuous paffions; fome, on the contrary, I am afraid are evil; there are however a number of intermediate propenfitics, most of which might alfo be termed paffions, which by proper influence of reafon may be come very ufeful allies to any one fingle virtue, when in danger of being overpowered by a host of foes: at the fame time they are as capable of being kidnapped by the enemies of reafon, and, when inlifted in the ranks of the infurgents, feldom fail to turn the fate of the battle, and commit dreadful havock in the peaceful quarters of the invaded virtue. It is apparent then that all thefe intermediate propenfities are a kind of balancing powers, which feem indeed to hold a neutrality in moral affairs, but, holding it with arms in their hands, cannot be fuppofed to remain impartial fpectators of the fray, and therefore must be either with us, or against us.

I fhall make myself better understood when I proceed to inftance them, and I will begin with that, which has been VOL. VII. No 41.

called the univerfal paffion, The love of Fame.

I prefume no lady will difavow this propenfity; I would not wifh her to attempt it; let her examine it however; let her first inquire to what point it is likely to carry her before the commits herfelf to its conduct: if it is to be her guide to that fame only, which excels in fashionable diffipation, figures in the first circles of the gay world,, and is the loadtone to attract every libertine of high life into the fphere. of its activity, it is a traiterous guide, and is feducing her to a precipice, that will fooner or later be the grave of her happiness: on the contrary, if it pro-.poles to avoid thefe dangerous pur-.. fuits, and recommends a progrefs thro'. paths lefs tempting to the eye perhaps, but terminated by fubftantial comforts, the may fecurely follow a propensity, which cannot mislead her, and indulge a paffion, which will be the moving fpring of all her actions, and but for which her nature would want energy, and her character be no otherwise diftinguished than by avoidance of vice without the grace and merit of any pofitive virtue. I can hardly fuppofe, if it was put to a lady's choice at her outfet into life, which kind of fame she would be diftinguished for, good or evil, but that the would at once prefer the good; I must believe the would acknowledge more gratification in being fignalized as the beft wife, the best mother, the most exemplary woman of her time, than in being pointed out in all circles fhe frequents as the moft fashionable rake, the best dreffed voluptuary in the nation: if this be rightly conjectured, why will not every woman, who has her choice to make, direct her ambi tion to thofe objects which will give her most fatisfaction when attained? There can be no reafon but because it impofes on her fome felf-denials by the way, which he has not fortitude to furmount; and it is plain fhe does not Sf

love

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thought endowed with fenfes more refined and exquifite, than nature ever meant to give them; their nerves are fufceptible in the extreme, and they are of conftitations fo irritable, that the very winds of heaven must not be allowed to to vifit their face too roughly. I have ftudied this female favourite with fome attention, and I am not yet able to discover any one of its good qualities; I do not perceive the merit of fuch exquifite fibres, nor have I obferved that the flendereft ftrings are apt to produce the fweeteft founds, when applied to inftruments of harmony; I prefume the female heart fhould be fuch an harmonious inftru ment, when touched by the parent, the friend, the husband; but how can thefe expect a concert of sweet founds to be excited from a thing, which is liable to be jarred and put out of tune by every breath of air? It may be kept in its cafe, like an old-fashioned virginal, which no body knows, or even wishes to know, how to touch it can never be brought to bear its part in a family concert, but must hang by the wall, or at best be a folo inftrument for the remainder of its days.

poftor, and for that reafon may deferve to be difmiffed, I cannot help having a confideration for one, that has in

paft times been the handmaid of beau ty, and therefore as merit has taken modeity into her fervice, I would recommend to ignorance to put bashfulnefs into full pay and employment.

Politenefs is a charming propenfity, and I would wifh the fine ladies to indulge it, if it were only by way of con trait between themfelves, and the fine gentlemen they confort with. I do not think it is altogether becoming for a lady to plant herfelf in the centre of a circle with her back to the fire, and expect every body to be warmed by the contemplation of her figure or the reflection of her countenance; at the fame time, I am free to confefs it an attitude, by which the man of high breeding is confpicuously diftinguithed, and is charming to behold, when fet off with the proper accompaniments of leather breeches, tight boots, and a jockey waistcoat. I will not deny, however, but I have feen this practifed by ladies, who have acquitted themfelves with great fpirit on the occa fion; but then it cannot be done with. out certain male accoutrements, and prefuppofes a flouched hat, half-boots, fhort waistcoat, and riding drefs, not to omit broad metal buttons with great letters engraved on them, or the fignature of fome hunt, with the indifpenfable appendages of two long dangling watch-chains, which ferve to mark the double value people of fashion put upon their time, and alfo fhew the encouragement beftowed upon the arts: with thefe implements the work may be done even by a female artist, but it is an art I with no young lady to ftudy, and I hope the prefent profeffors will take no more pupils, whilst the academies of Humphries and Mendoza are kept open for accomphinments, which I think upon the whole are altogether as becoming. Politenefs, as I conceive, confifts in putting people at their cafe in your company, Sfa

Bathfulness, when it is attached to modefty, will be regarded with the eye of candour and cheared with the fmile of encouragement; but bafhfulness is a hireling, and is fometimes difcover ed in the livery of pride, oftentimes in the caft-off trappings of affectation; pedantry is very apt to bring it into company, and fly, fecret confcioufnefs will frequently blush because it underStands. I do not fay I have much to lay to its charge, for it is not apt to be troublesome in polite focieties, nor do I commonly meet it even in the youngest of the female fex. There is a great deal of blushing, I confefs, in all the circles of fine ladies, but then it is fo univerfal a blush, and withal fo permanent, that I am far from imputing it always to bashfulness, when the cheeks of the fair are tinged with rofes. However, tho' it is fometimes an im

and

and being at your ease in their's; modern practice, I am afraid, is apt to mifplace this procefs, for I obferve every body in fashionable life polite enough to ftudy their own eafe, but I do not fee much attention paid to that part of the rule which ought to be first obferved: it is well calculated for thofe who are adepts in it, but if ever fuch an out-of-the-way thing as a modest person comes within its reach,

the aukward novice is fure to be dif treffed, and whilst every body about him feems repofing on a bed of down, he alone is picketted upon a feat of thorns: till this thall be reformed by the ladies, who profefs to understand politenefs, I fhall turn back to my redbook of forty years ago, to fee what relicts of the old court are yet amongst us, and take the mothers for my models in preference to their daughters.

Obferver.

An Account of a Remarkable Establishment of Education at Paris*.

YOUR

Maxima debetur puero reverentia. Juv. OUR theories are good, but impracticable. This is the anfwer which every man who propofes a new plan of education must expect. He is fent away without examination, as a mere schemer, and blind practice ftill follows the old beaten path, conducted therein by another blind being, called Cuftom.

The plan here detailed will not give room for this continual objection. It is not a romance that is now prefented to amufe the public; it is the hiftory of an inftitution which actually exifts at Paris. There is a good sketch of it in the journal of Geneva, of December 1787. But the Chevalier Paulet has enabled the writer of this to examine and verify every thing: he has recounted to him the progrefs of his thoughts on education and it is from the Chevalier's own relation that the following particulars are faithfully recited.

As he was hunting in the foreft of Vincennes, he was ftruck with the cries of a child. He fought and found him in the bottom of a ditch, in which the water was accumulating from all fides. The poor child rettored to life, told his story to his benefactor. Son of an invalid, and an orphan by the death of his mother, being left alone on the highway, he had fubfifted on the generofity of travellers. Illness had prevent him during two days from coming out of the foreft, and he had fallen into this ditch, which he had not strength to quit.

The Chevalier, from this moment, adopted and took the greatest care of him, and made it his pleasure to become his inftructor. After a few weeks, his ward, with tears in his eyes, brought him two children of his own age, who were beggars and hungry. Having been the companions of his adverfity, he wished them to participate in his good fortune, and he had promifed them that his friend would also be theirs." But I cannot (faid the Chevalier) take them, I am not rich enough. Are you willing to fhare with them what I give you; your cloathes and your meals?" The child accepted the propofition with joy, and the Chevalier, fatisfied with the trial he had made, fcrupled not to increase his family. He now becomes the faRepaftory.

This gentleman, born of an Irish family fettled in France, ferved in the French army during the latter part of the German war. He quitted it at the Peace, and lived in Paris in the midst of society, where he foon experienced, that amufements do not form happinefs. He might neverthelefs have continued to spend his life in diffipation, had not a fortunate circumftance drawn forth both his virtues and his

talents.

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