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my aunt told me, that she was a forward flirt, and thought herself wife before her time.

In a little time she repaid my vifit, and raised in my heart a new confufion of love, esteem, and admiration. I foon faw her again, and still found new charms in her air, behaviour, and converfation. You who have known the world, may perhaps have obferved, that formality foon ceafes between young perfons. I know not, indeed, how others are affected on fuch occafions; but I found myself irrefiftibly allured to friendship and intimacy, by the familiar complaifance and airy gaiety of Flavia; fo that in a few weeks I became her favourite, and all the time was paffed with me, that she could gain from ceremony and cards.

As fhe came often to me, fhe neceffarily spent fome hours with my aunt; to whom she paid great refpect, by low courtefies, fubmiffive compliance, and foft acquiefcence. But as I became gradually more accustomed to her manners, I difcovered, that her civility was general, that there was a certain degree of deference fhewn by her to circumftances and appearances, and that many went away flattered by her humility, whom the defpifed in her heart; that the influence of far the greatest part of those with whom the converfed, ceafed with their prefence; and that fometimes fhe did not remember the names of them whom she had endeared by careffes, or elated with commendation.

It was not long before I perceived, that my aunt's opinion was not of much weight in Flavia's deliberations; and that fhe was looked upon by F 2

her

her as a woman of narrow fentiments, without knowledge of books, or obfervations on mankind. I had hitherto confidered my aunt, as entitled by her wisdom and experience to the highest reverence; and could not forbear to wonder, that any one fo much younger fhould venture to fufpect her of error, or of ignorance: but my furprise was without uneafinefs; and being now accustomed to think Flavia always in the right, I very readily learned from her to trust my own reason, to confider every question for myself, and to believe it poffible, that they who had lived longer might be mistaken.

Flavia had read much, and used fo often to converfe on fubjects of learning, that she put all the men in the county to flight; except the old parfon, who declared himself much delighted with her company, because she gave him opportunity to recollect the ftudies of his younger years, and had made him rub the dust off his Homer, which had lain unregarded in his clofet. With Homer, and a thoufand other names familiar to Flavia, I had no acquaintance; but began, by comparing her accomplishments with my own, to repine at my education, and to wifh that I had not been fo long con fined to the company of those from whom nothing but housewifery was to be learned. I then fet myfelf to perufe fuch books as Flavia recommended, and heard her opinion of their beauties and defects. I faw new worlds hourly bursting upon my mind, and was enraptured at the profpect of diverfifying life with endless entertainment.

The old lady, finding that a large screen, which I had undertaken to adorn with turkey-work against winter, made very flow advances; and that I had

added,

added, in two months, but three leaves to a flowered apron then in the frame, foon took the alarm, and, with all the zeal of honest folly, exclaimed against my new acquaintance, who had filled me with idle notions, and turned my head with books. But she had now loft her authority: for I began to find innumerable mistakes in her opinions, and improprieties in her language; and therefore thought myself no longer bound to pay much regard to one who knew little beyond her needle and her dairy; and who proposed to think, that nothing more is required of a woman, than to fee that the house is clean, and that the maids go to bed and rife at a certain hour.

She feemed however to look upon Flavia as feducing me, and to imagine, that, when her power was withdrawn, I fhould return to my allegiance; and therefore contented herself with remote hints and gentle admonitions, intermixed with fage hiftories of the mifcarriages of wit, and difappointments of pride. But fince fhe has found, that, though Flavia is departed, I still persist in my new fcheme, fhe has at length loft her patience. She fnatches my book out of my hand; tears my paper, if the finds me writing; burns Flavia's letters be fore my face, if she can feize them; and threatens to lock me up, and to complain to my father of my perverseness. If women, fhe fays, would but know their duty and their intereft, they would be careful to acquaint themselves with family-affairs, and many a penny might be faved; for while the miftrefs of the house is fcribbling and reading, fervants are junketing, and linen is wearing out. She then takes me round the rooms; fhews me the worked hangings, and chairs of tent-stitch; and

afks,

asks, whether all this was done with a pen and a book?

I cannot deny, that I fometimes laugh and fometimes am fullen; but he has not delicacy enough to be much moved either with my mirth or my gloom, if he did not think the intereft of the family endangered by this change of my manners. She had for fome years marked out young Mr Sur ly, an heir in the neighbourhood, remarkable for his love of fighting cocks, as an advantageous match; and was extremely pleased with the civilities which he used to pay me, till, under Flavia's tuition, I learned to talk of fubjects which he could not understand. This, fhe fays, is the confequence of female study; girls grow too wife to be advised, and too ftubborn to be commanded: but he is refolved to try who fhall govern, and will thwart my humour till fhe breaks my spirit.

These menaces, Mr RAMBLER, fometimes make me quite angry: for I have been fixteen these ten weeks; and think myself exempted from the dominion of a governefs, who has no pretenfions to more fenfe or knowledge than myself. I am refolved, fince I am as tall and as wife as other women, to be no longer treated like a girl. Mifs Flavia has often told me, that ladies of my age go to affemblies and routs, without their mothers and their aunts; I fhall therefore, from this time, leave afking advice, and refufe to give accounts. I hope you will publifh fomething in defence of my conduct, and state the time at which young ladies may judge for themfelves; which, I am fure, you cannot but think ought to begin before fixteen. If

you

you are inclined to delay it longer, I fhall have little regard to your understanding or opinion.

My aunt often tells me of the advantages of experience, and of the deference due to feniority; and both fhe, and all the antiquated part of the world, talk of the unreferved obedience which they paid to the commands of their parents, and the undoubting confidence with which they liftened to their precepts; of the terrours which they felt at a frown, and the humility with which they fupplicated forgiveness whenever they had offended. I cannot but fancy that this boat is too general to be true, and that the young and the old were always at variance. I have, however, told my aunt, that I will mend whatever fhe will prove to be wrong; but she replies, that fhe has reafons of her own, and that he is forry to live in an age when girls have the impudence to ask for proofs.

I beg once again, Mr RAMBLER, to know whether I am not as wife as my aunt; and whether, when the prefumes to check me as a baby, I may not pluck up a fpirit, and return her infolence. I fhall not proceed to extremities without your advice; which is therefore impatiently expected by

MYRTYLLA.

P. S. Remember I am past fixteen.