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Misella.

But it is unnecessary to dwell longer on this part of our tale; it will be more proper to make some remarks upon it; these, however, together with the very different character of PULCHERIA, must engage the next chapter.

Misella.

CHAPTER VI.

-Take compassion on the rising age;
-In them redeem your errors manifold;
--And by due discipline and nurture sage,

-In Virtue's love betimes your docile sons engage.

WEST'S POEM ON EDUCATION.

How great a blessing is early instruction! MISELLA never heard the sweetly persuasive lectures of Wisdom; she was never called to attend the winning voice of Religion and Truth; and therefore left to the blind conduct of impetuous passions, she was driven along, "to every wave a scorn;" she foundered and was lost!-We do not pretend to say, that early instruction and virtue are so inseparably connected as never to be divided: we do not say, that all who enjoy this advantage must go right; that all who enjoy it

Misella.

not, must infallibly go wrong. This would be to contradict palpable experience. But we are bold to advance, that as there is the chance of ten thousand to one, in favour of the former, so is there the same chance, it is feared, against the latter. How alarming a reflection to parents!

Had MISELLA, from her early infancy, been trained up in the knowledge of herself, her God, and her duty; had she been carefully led to a true estimate of her corruptible frame; not deceived into a wrong opinion of it from poisonous flattery, and delusive adulation; had she been taught, that every good gift comes from God, and consequently can be no proper subject of human vanity; had she been taught, that God expects a proper return and reasonable service for the bounty he shows; that our present is a state of trial; that we are pilgrims and probationers of a day, and must necessarily in a short time remove our tent from this world, and live-live everlastingly in another, happy or wretched, as we have performed our duty in this;-had these lessons of useful import been early and steadily imprinted on her mind, most probably the misera

Misella.

ble parent had not wept, in such anguish, over his more miserable daughter; most probably her hands might have closed with filial piety and tenderness, his aged eyes!

But-ah me-how constantly do we behold these important lessons neglected! Parents like those of MISELLA, cheat their little ones, even from infancy, into false opinions of themselves? The mistakes so frequent and so fatal, in the education of children, would almost lead one to approve the LACEDEMONIAN policy, which allowed not to parents the liberty of educating their own children; but committed this most necessary business to the care of the state. And from an accurate observation of the conduct of parents, how few have yet fallen within the observation of the writer of these lines, who were tolerably capacitated for the task; who had prudence and fortitude enough to conquer parental prejudices; and to stand superior to the soft foibles of melting affection! With respect to the gentler sex, it is an evil too notorious to be denied, that ere the pretty innocents can lisp their pleasing tales, they are initiated in the school of pride and show; taught to reverence dress even to super

Misella.

stition; and to behold, with an eye of satisfaction, the glare of alluring finery!-The mind, thus early vitiated, strongly retains the taste: vanity and modish folly engross the whole attention; and ruin half, or render trifling and insipid, half the female world. For it is a fact, I apprehend, scarcely to be controverted, that in the lower order of life, more women are seduced into prostitution, through their love of dress, than through the love of vice; and in the higher, we know, to what lengths an attachment to this deeprooted foible is carried!

With such principles, strongly impressed, how can we expect to find in the fair one, the endearing and sensible companion,-replete, as Milton phrases it, with all good, wherein consists

Woman's domestic humour, and chief praise:

while, as he goes on, they are, how can we expect it?

Bred only and completed to the taste
Of lustful appetence; to dance, to sing,

To dress, and troll the tongue, and roll the eye!

PAR. LOST, XI. 616.

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