He then adduced some instances in our my superiors in talent, there seemed little country, which I forbear to name, that clear- disposition to promote such topics as might ly evinced, that this was not their necessary bring our understandings into play. Whethconsequence; adding, however, a few great er it is that business, active life, and public names on the more honourable side. He debate, absorb the mind, and make men connext averted to the Baillies, the Condorsets, sider society rather as a scene to rest than to the D'Alamberts, and the Lalandes, as melan-exercise it, I know not; certain it is that choly proofs of the inefficacy of mere science to make Christians.

Far be it from me,' said Sir John, to undervalue philosophical pursuits. The modern discoveries are extremely important, especially in their application to the purposes of common life; but where these are pursued exclusively, I cannot help preferring the study of the great classic authors, those exquisite masters of life and manners, with whose spirit conversation, twenty or thirty years ago, was so richly impregnated.'

they brought less into the treasury of conversation than I expected; not because they were poor, but proud, or idle, and reserved their talents and acquisitions for higher occasions. The most opulent possessors, I often found the most penurious contributors.'

'Rien de trop,' said Mr. Stanley, was the favourite maxim of an author,* whom I am not apt to quote for rules of moral conduct. Yet its adoption would be a salutary check against excess in all our pursuits. If polite learning is undervalued by the mere man of letters. If it dignifies retirement, and exalis society, it is not the great business of life; it is not the prime fountain of moral excellence.'

'Well, so much for man,' said Sir John, but Charles, you have not told us what you had to say of women, in your observations on society."

'I confess,' said I, that there may be more matter, but there is certainly less mind in the reigning pursuits. The reputation of skill, it is true, may be obtained at a much less expense of time and intellect. The comparative cheapness of the acquisition holds out the powerful temptation of more credit with less labour. A sufficient know- As to woman,' replied I, I declare that ledge of botany or chemistry to make a figure I found more propensity to promote subjects in company is easily obtained, while a thor- of taste and elegant speculation among some ough acquaintance with the historians, poets, of the superior class of females, than in many and orators of antiquity requires much time, of my own sex. The more prudent, howevand close application.' But,' exclaimed er, are restrained through fear of the illibeSir John, can the fashionable studies pre- ral sarcasms of men, who not contented to tend to give the same expansion to the mind, suppress their own faculties, ridicule all the same elevation to the sentiments, the intellectual exertion in women, though evsame energy to the feelings, the same stretch idently arising from a modest desire of imand compass to the understanding, the same provement, and not the vanity of hopeless ricorrectness to the taste, the same grace and valry.' spirit to the whole moral and intellectual man?"

For my own part,' replied I, 'so far from saying with Hamlet, Man delights not me, nor woman neither,' I confess, I have little delight in any thing else. The study of the human mind, is, of merely human studies, my chief pleasure. As a man, man is the creature with whom I have to do, and the varieties in his character interest me more than all the possible varieties of moss es, and shells, and fossils. To view this compound creature in the complexity of his actions, as pourtrayed by the hand of those immortal masters, Tacitus and Plutarch; to view him in the struggle of his passions, as displayed by Euripides and Shakspeare: to contemplate him in the blaze of his eloquence, by the two rival orators of Greece and Rome, is more congenial to my feelings, than the ablest disquisition of which matter was ever the subject. Sir John, who is a passionate, and rather too exclusive an admirer of classic lore, warmly declared himself of my opinion.

6

Charles is always the Paladin of the reading ladies,' said Sir John. I do not deny it, replied I, if they bear their faculties meekly. But I confess that what is sneeringly called a learned lady is to me far preferable to a scientific one, such as I encountered one evening, who talked of the fulcrum, and the lever, and the statera, which she took care to tell us was the Roman steelyard, with all the sang-froid of philosophical conceit.'

Scientific men,' said Sir John, are in general admirable for their simplicity, but in a technical woman I have seldom found a grain of taste or elegance.'

.

• I own,' replied I, 1 should greatly prefer a fair companion, who could modestly discriminate between the beauties of Virgil and Milton, to one who was always dabbling in chemistry, and who came to dinner with dirty hands from the labaratory. And yet l admire chemistry too; I am now only speaking of that knowledge which is desirable in a female companion; for knowledge I must have. But arts, which are of immense val. 'I went to town,' replied I, with a mind ue in manufactures, won't make my wife's eager for intellectual pleasure. My memo- conversation entertaining to me. Discovery was not quite unfurnished with passages ries which may greatly improve dying and which I thought likely to be adverted to, and bleaching, will add little to the delights of which might serve to embellish conversa- our sunmer evening's walk, or winter firetion, without incurring the charge of pedantry. But though, most of the men I conversed with were my equals in education, and

side.'

* Frederick the Great, King of Prussia.

415

subject of conversation, it was an amusement to him to observe, what impression the first introduction to general society made conversant with books, but to whom the world was in a manner new.

The ladies, Lucilla especially, smiled at my warmth. I felt that there was approbation in her smile, and though I had said too much already, it encouraged me to go on.I repeat that, next to religion, whatever relates to human manners, is most attracting to human creatures. To turn from conver-flowing commerce, and the excessive opusation to composition. What is it that ex-lence it has introduced, though favourable I believe,' said Sir John, that an overcites so feeble an interest, in perusing that to all the splendors of art, and mechanic infinely written poem of the Abbe de Lille, genuity, yet have lowered the standard of Les Jardins! It is because his garden has taste, and debilitated the mental energies.no cultivators, no inhabitants, no men and They are advantageous to luxury, but fatal women. What confers that powerful charm to intellect. It has added to the brilliancy on the descriptive parts of Paradise Lost? A of the drawing-room itself, but deducted fascination, I will venture to affirm, para-from that of the inhabitant. It has given mount to all the lovely and magnificent perfection to our mirrors, our candleabras, scenery which adorns it. Eden itself, with all our gilding, our inlaying, and our sculpits exquisite landscape, would excite a very ture, but it has communicated a torpor to the inferior pleasure did it exhibit only inanim-imagination, and enervated our intellectual ate beauties. 'Tis the proprietors, 'tis the vigour.' inhabitants, 'tis the live stock of Eden, which seize upon the affections, and twine about luxury has been favourable to literature.the heart. The gardens, even of Paradise, From the unparalled splendor of our printIn one way,' said Mr. Stanley, smiling, would be dull without the gardeners. 'Tis ing, paper, engraving, illuminating, and mental excellence, 'tis moral beauty, which binding, luxury has caused more books to completes the charm. Where this is want- be purchased, while, from the growth of ing, landscape poetry, though it may be read time-absorbing dissipation, it causes fewer to with pleasure, yet the interest it raises is be read. Even where books are not much cold. It is admired, but seldom remember-considered as the vehicle of instruction they ed, praised, but seldom quoted. It leaves no definite idea on the mind. If general, it is indistinct; if minute, tedious."

are become an indispensable appendage to elegance. But I believe, we were much former plain garb, than since they have been more familiar with our native poets in their attired in the gorgeous dress which now decorates our shelves.

It must be confessed,' said Sir John, that some poets are apt to forget that the finest representation of nature is only the scene, not the object; the canvass, not the portrait. We had indeed sometime ago, so late too much degenerated into personal much of this gorgeous scene-painting, so satire, persiflage and caricature, among one Poetry,' continued Mr. Stanley, has of much splendid poetical botany, so many am-class of writers; while among another, it orous flowers, and so many vegetable court- has exhibited the vagrancies of genius, withships; so many wedded plants; roots trans-out the inspiration; the exuberance of fancy, formed to nymphs, and dwelling in emerald palaces; that some how or other truth, and probability, and nature, and man, slipt out of the picture, though it must be allowed that genins held the pencil.'

without the curb of judgment, and the eccentricities of invention, without the restrictions of taste. The image has been strained, while the verse has been slackened. We cility without force. Redundancy has been mistaken for plenitude, flimsiness for ease, have had pleonasm without fullness, and faand distortion for energy. An over desire of being natural, has made the poet feeble, made him silly. The sensibility is sickly, and the rage for being simple has sometimes and the elevation virtiginous.

In Mason's English Garden,' replied I, • Alcander's precepts would have been no personification. The introduction of character dramatizes what else would have been frigidly didactic. landscape with here and there a figure, Thompson enriched his drawn with more correctness than warmth, with more nature than spirit, but exalts it every where by moral allusion and religious melody as he is, the mischief is partly atreference The scenery of Cowper is per- tributable. Such an original must naturally 'To Cowper,' said Sir John, master of petually animated with sketches of charac- have a herd of imitators. If they cannot atter, enlivened with portraits from real life, tain to his excellencies, his faults are always and the exhibition of human manners and attainable. The resemblance between the passions. His most exquisite descriptions master and the scholar is found chiefly in his owe their vividness to moral illustration.-defects. The determined imitator of an easy Loyalty, liberty, patriotism, charity, piety, writer becomes vapid, of a sublime one, abbenevolence, every generous feeling, every surd. Cowper's ease appeared his most imiglowing sentiment, every ennobling passion, table charm: but ease aggravated is insipidgrows out of his descriptive powers. matter always bursts into mind. His shrub-ples adopted uniformly. In Cowper there His ity. His occasional negligencies his discibery, his forest, his flower garden, all pro- might sometimes be carelessness in the verse, but the verse itself was sustained by the vigour of the sentiment. The imitator forgot that his strength lay in the thought;

duce

Fruits worthy of Paradise,

and lead to immortality.'

Mr. Stanley said, adverting again to the that his buoyant spirit always supported it

self; that the figure though amplified was never distorted; the image though bold was never incongruous, and the illustration though new was never false.

one common portion of being to fill, having one common faith, one common father, one commen journey to perform, one commen termination to that journey, and one commer object in view beyond it, should, when th gether, be so unwilling to advert occasionally to these great points, which doubtless often occupy them in secret; that they should on the contrary adopt a sort of inverted hypoc risy, and wish to appear worse than they re ally are; that they should be so backward to give or to gain information, to lend or to borrow lights, in a matter in which they are all equally interested; which cannot be the case in any other possible subject.'

The evil, however,' continued Sir John, 'seems to be correcting itself. The real genius, which exists in several of this whimsical school, I trust, wil! at length lead them to prune their excrescences, and reform their youthful eccentricities. Their good sense will teach them that the surest road to fame, is to condescend to tread in the luminous track of their great precursors in the art. They will see that deviation is not always improvement; that whoever wants to be better than nature, will infallibly be In all human concerns,' said I, we find worse; that truth in taste is as obvious as in that those dispositions, tastes, and affections, morals, and as certain as in mathematics. which are brought into exercise, flourish, In other quarters, both the Classic and the while others are smothered by concealment. Gothic music are emulously soaring, and 1 It is certain,' replied Mr. Stanley, that hail the restoration of genuine poetry and knowledge which is never brought forward, pure taste.' is apt to decline. Some feelings require to I must not,' said I, loquacious as I have be excited, in order to know if they exist. In already been, dismiss the subject of conver-short, topics of every kind, which are kept sation, without remarking, that I found there was one topic, which seemed as uniformly avoided by common consent, as if it had been banished by the interdict of absolute authority; and that some forfeiture, or at least dishonour and disgrace, were to follow it on conviction-I mean religion.'

Surely, Charles,' said Sir John, you would not convert general conversation into a divinity school, and friendly societies into debating clubs.'

Far from it,' replied I, nor do I desire that ladies and gentlemen over their tea and coffee should rehearse their articles of faith, or fill the intervals of carving and eating with introducing dogmas, or discussing controversies. I do not wish to erect the social table, which was meant for innocent relaxation, into an arena for theological combatants. I only wish, as people live so much together, that if, when out of the multitude of topics which arise in conversation, an unlucky wight happens to start a serious thought, I could see a cordial recognition of its importance; I wish I could see a disposition to pursue it, instead of a chilling silence which obliges him to draw in, as if he had dropt something dangerons to the state, or inimical to the general cheerfulness, or derogatory to his own understanding. I only desire, that as, without any effort on the part of the speaker, but merely from the overflowing fullness of a mind habitually occupied with one leading concern, we easily perceive that one of the company is a lawyer, another a soldier, a third a physician; I only wish, that we could oftener discover from the same plenitude, so hard to conceal where it exists, that we were in a company of Christians.'

totally out of sight, make a fainter impression on the mind than such as are occasionally introduced. Communication is a great strengthener of any principle. Feelings, as well as ideas, are often elicited by collision. Thoughts that are never to be produced, in time seldom present themselves, while mutual interchange almost creates as well as cultivates them. And as to the social affections, I am persuaded that men would love each other more cordially; good-will and kindness would be inconceivably promoted, were they in the habit of maintaining that sort of intercourse, which would keep up a mutual regard for their eternal interests, and lead them more to consider each other as candidates for the same immortality through the same common hope.'

Just as he had ceased to speak, we heard a warbling of female voices, which came softened to us by distance and the undulation of the air. The little band under the oak had finished their cheerful repast, and arranged themselves in the same regular procession in which they had arrived. They still stood at a respectful distance from the temple, and in their artless manner sung Addison's beautiful version of the twenty-third psalm, which the Miss Astons had taught them because it was a favourite with their mother.

Here the setting sun reminded us to retreat to the house. Before we quitted the temple, however, Sir George Aston ventured modestly to intimate a wish, that if it pleased the Almighty to spare our lives, the same party should engage always to celebrate this anniversary in the Temple of Friendship, which should be finished on a larger We must not expect in our days,' said scale, and rendered less unworthy to receive Mr. Stanley, to see revive that animating such guests. The ladies smiled assentingly. picture of the prevalence of religious inter- Phoebe applauded rapturously. Sir John course given by the prophet. Then they Belfield and I warmly approved the propothat feared the Lord spake often one to sal. Mr. Stanley said, it could not but meet another.' And yet one cannot but regret with his cordial concurrence, as it would inthat, in select society, men well informed as volve the assurance of an annual visit from we know, well principled as we hope, having his valued friends.

·

As we walked into the house, Lady Aston, er these well-imagined examples induced the who held by my arm, in answer to the satis- ladies of that day to study household good ;' faction I expressed at the day I had passed, or whether the then existing ladies, by their said, "We owe what little we are and do un- acknowledged attention to feminine conder Providence to Mr. Stanley. You will cerns, furnished Richardson with living admire his discriminating mind, when I tell models, I cannot determine. Certain it is, you that he recommends these little exhibi- that the novel writers of the subsequent petions for my daughters far more than to his riod, have in general been as little disposed own. He says, that they, being naturally to represent these qualities as forming an incheerful and habitually active, require not dispensable part of the female character, as the incentive of company to encourage them. the cotemporary young ladies themselves But that for my poor timid inactive girls, the have been to supply them with patterns. I a support and animating presence of a few little fear that the predominance of this sort chosen friends, just gives them that degree of reading, has contributed its full share to of life and spirit, which serves to warm their bring such qualities into contempt.' hearts, and keep their minds in motion.'

CHAP. XXXVI.

Miss Sparkes characteristically observed, that the meanest understanding and most vulgar education, were competent to form such a wife as the generality of men preferred. That a man of talents, dreading a rival, always took care to secure himself by marrying a fool.'

MISS SPARKES came to spend the next day, according to her appointment. Mr. Always except the present company, Flam, who called accidentally, staid to din- Madam, I presume,' said Mr. Stanley, laughner. Mr. and Mrs. Carlton had been previ-ing. But pardon me, if I differ from you. ously invited. After dinner, the conversa- That many men are sensual in their appetion chanced to turn_upon_domestic econo- tites, and low in their_relish of intellectual my, a quality which Miss Sparkes professed pleasures, I confess. That many others, who to hold in the most sovereign contempt. are neither sensual, nor of mean attainments, After some remarks of Mrs. Stanley, in prefer women whose ignorance will favour favour of the household virtues, Mr. Carlton their indolent habits, and whom it requires said, Mr. Addison, in the Spectator, and no exertion of mind to entertain, I allow alDr. Johnson, in the Rambler, have each giv-so. But permit me to say, that men of the en us a lively picture of a vulgar, ungentle- most cultivated minds, men who admire talwoman-like, illiterate housewife. The nota-ents in a woman, are still of opinion, that ble woman of the one suffocated her guests domestic talents can never be dispensed with: at night with drying herbs in their chamber, and I totally dissent from you in thinking that and tormented them all day with plans of these qualities infer the absence of higher economy, and lectures on management. The attainments, and necessarily imply a sordid or economist of the other ruined her husband a vulgar mind. by her parsimonious extravagance, if I may 'Any ordinary art, after it is once discov be allowed to couple contradictions; by her ered, may be practised by a very common tent-stitch hangings, for which she had no understanding. In this, as in every thing walls, and her embroidery for which she had else, the kind arrangements of Providence no use. The poor man pathetically laments are visible, because, as the common arts emher detestable catalogue of made-wines, ploy the mass of mankind, they could not which hurt his fortune by their profusion, be universally carried on if they were not and his health by not being allowed to drink of easy and cheap attainment. Now cookethem till they were sour. Both ladies are ry is one of these arts, and I agree with you, painted as domestic tyrants, whose husbands Madam, in thinking, that a mean underhad no peace, and whose children had no ed-standing, and a vulgar education, suffice to ucation.' make a good cook. But a cook or houseThose coarse housewives,' said Sir John, keeper, and a lady qualified to wield a con• were exhibited as warnings. It was re-siderable establishment, are two very differserved for the pen of Richardson to exhibit examples. This author, with deeper and juster views of human nature, a truer taste for the proprieties of female character, and a more exact intuition into real life, than any other writer of fabulous narrative, has given, in his heroines, exemplifications of elegantly cultivated minds, combined with the sober virtues of domestic economy. In no other writer of fictitious adventures has the triumph of religion and reason over the pas- I entirely agree with Mr. Stanley,' said sions, and the now almost exploded doctrines Mr. Carlton. In general I look upon the of filial obedience, and the household virtues, contempt, or the fulfilment, of these duties their natural concomitants, been so success- as pretty certain indications of the turn of fully blended. Whether the works of this mind from which the one or the other promost original, but by no means faultless wri-ceeds. I allow, however, that with this ter, were cause or effect, I know not; wheth- 'knowledge a lady may unhappily have overVOL. II.

54

ent characters. To prepare a dinner, and to conduct a great family, require talents of a very different size: and one reason why I would never choose to marry a woman ignorant of domestic affairs, is, that she who wants, or she who despises this knowledge, must possess that previous bad judgment which, as it prevented her from seeing this part of her duty, would be likely to operate on other occasions.'

looked more important acquisitions; but without it I must ever consider the female character as defective in the texture, however it may be embroidered and spangled on the surface.'

support of the gentlemen as of her own opposition.

'A discreet woman,' said Mr. Stanley adjusts her expenses to her revenues. Ev ery thing knows its time, and every person Sir John Belfield declared, that though he his place. She will live within her income, had not that natural antipathy to a wit, which be it large or small; if large, she will not some men have; yet unless the wildness of a be luxurious, if small she will not be mean. wit was tamed, like the wildness of other Proportion and propriety are among the animals by domestic habits, he himself would best secrets of domestic wisdom; and not choose to venture on one. He added, there is no surer test both of integrity and that he should pay a bad compliment to La- judgment, than a well proportioned expen dy Belfield, who had so much higher claims diture. to his esteem, if he were to allege that these Now the point to which I would bring all habits were the determining cause of his this verbiage,' continued he, is this,-will choice, yet had he seen no such tendencies a lady of a mean understanding, or a vulgar in her character, he should have suspected education, be likely to practise economy on her power of making him as happy as she this large scale! And is not such economy had done.

a field in which a woman of the best sense I confess with shame,' said Mr. Carlton, may honourably exercise her own powers?' 'that one of the first things which touched, Miss Sparkes, who was always a staunch me with any sense of my wife's merit, was opposer in moral as well as in political dethe admirable good sense she discovered in bate, because she said it was the best side the direction of my family. Even at the for the exertion of wit and talents, comforttime that I had most reason to blush at my ed herself that though she felt she was comown conduct, she never gave me cause to pletely in the minority, yet she always blush for hers. The praises constantly be- thought that was rather a proof of being stowed on her elegant yet prudent arrange- right than the contrary; for if it be true, ments, by my friends, flattered my vanity, that the generality are either weak or wickand raised her in my opinion, though they ed, it follows that the inferior number is did not lead me to do her full justice.'

most likely to be neither.

The two ladies who were thus agreeably 'Women,' said Mr. Carlton, in their flattered, looked modestly grateful. Mr. course of action describe a smaller circle Stanley said, 'I was going to endeavour at than men; but the perfection of a circle removing Miss Sparkes's prejudices, by ob- consists not in its dimensions but in its corserving how much this domestic turn brings rectness. There may be,' added he, carethe understanding into action. The opera- fully turning away his eyes from Miss tion of good sense is requisite in making the Sparkes, here and there a soaring female, necessary calculations for a great family in who looks down with disdain on the paltry a hundred ways. Good sense is required to affairs of "this dim speck called earth," teach that a perpetually recurring small ex- who despises order and regularity as indicapense is more to be avoided than an inciden- tions of a grovelling spirit. But a sound tal great one; while it shews that petty sa- mind judges directly contrary. The larger vings cannot retrieve an injured estate. the capacity, the wider is the sweep of duties The story told by Johnson of a lady, who, it takes in. A sensible woman loves to imiwhile ruining her fortune by excessive tate that order which is stamped on the whole splendour and expense, yet refused to let a creation of God. All the operations of natwo shilling mango be cut at her table, ex-ture are uniform even in their changes, and emplifies exactly my idea. Shabby curtail- regular in their infinite variety. Nay, the ments, without repairing the breach, which great Author of Nature himself disdains not prodigality has made, discredit the husband, to be called the God of order.' and bring the reproach of meanness on the wife. Retrenchments to be efficient must be applied to great objects. The true economist will draw in by contracting the outline, by narrowing the bottom, by cutting off with an unsparing hand costly superfluities, which affect not comfort but cherish vanity.'

I agree with you,' said Sir John. A philosophical lady may read Mallebranch, Boyle, and Locke:' she may boast of her intellectual superiority; she may talk of abstract and concrete; of substantial forms and essences; complex ideas and mixed modes, of identity and relation; she may decorate all the logic of one sex with all the rhetoric of the other; yet if her affairs are delabre's, if her house is disorderly, her servants irregular, her children neglected, and her table ill arranged, she will indicate the want of the most valuable faculty of the hu

"Retrench the lazy vermin of thine hall," was the wise counsel of the prudent Venetian, to his thoughtless son-in-law,' said Sir John, and its wisdom consisted in its striking at one of the most ruinous and prevailing domestic evils, an overloaded estab-man mind, a sound judgment.' fishment.' It must, however, be confessed,' replied If Miss Sparkes had been so long without Mr. Stanley, that such instances are so speaking, it was evident, by her manner and turn of countenance, that contempt had kept her silent, and that she thought the topic under discussion as unworthy of the

rare, that the exceptions barely serve to establish the rule. I have known twenty women mismanage their affairs, through a bad education, through ignorance, especially of