prefs themselves properly, and to explain their Thoughts with Clearness and Brevity. 'Tis well known, that in old Rome, Sempronia, the Mother of the Gracchi, contributed very much to the forming of the Eloquence of her Sons, who became afterwards fo great Men.

If the Ladies understood Arithmetick better, perhaps the keeping Family Accounts would not be fuch a Piece of ill Breeding. The Convenience and Advantage of having the Mistress of the Houfe, the Steward, fhou'd, methinks, make their learning the four first great Rules of Arithmetick, be thought more neceffary than it is at prefent. Let none think themselves above fuch Bufinefs. An illuftrious Lady, now a Dowager, did not only help her Lord in examining Bills, and ftating Accounts, but even in writing his Letters and drawing his Covenants, tho' his Fortune was fo large, that it might well have excus'd the keeping more Stewards than one. Such an Employment as this may at first feem too troublesome; but if the Ladies were by their Education prepar'd for it, and us'd to it from their Childhood, the Trouble of it would be little, the most intricate Accounts being made familiar to them, wou'd lofe the Terror which their feeming Difficulty raises in the ignorant; and the Pleasure of reducing Things from Confufion to Order by the power of Numbers would be the greater for the Advantage which would accrue to them by their Exactness.

The very Name of the Law is frightful to the most of the weaker Sex, who are used to depend entirely on the Protection of the ftronger. It would be well however, if they knew fomething of the common Rules of Right, the Difference between a Will and Deed of Gift, what a Contract is, what a Partition of Coheirs, what a Legacy, a Bond, or the like, and by what Laws they are in force; what Property is, what a personal, and what a real Estate; for tho' they may not truft to their own Judgment in Matters of fuch weight, yet it will direct them in the Ufe of that of others, either in a fingle or

a

a married Life. Thofe of them, who out of a vexatious Humour are for flying to the Law upon all Occafions, or rather upon no Occafion at all, are not by this encourag'd to indulge themselves in fo expenfive a Folly, which a great Comick Poet has fo happily expos'd in the Character of the Widow Blackacre. But because that litigious Widow knew too much Law it does not follow that the reft of the Sex fhould know none at all. What Knowledge is there, that may not be, that is not abus'd? And when the Ladies are advis'd to acquaint themselves with fo much of the Law as may help 'em to demand or defend their Right, it is not meant that they should think it is to be got no where but in a Court of Juftice; that they fhould fly all Terms of Peace and Arbitrement, and put themselves immediately into the Hands of Attorneys and Solicitors. They fhould only fo far inform themselves in thefe Matters, that they may know what is their due, and not lofe it for want of claiming; which may very well happen by the profound Ignorance that Women are bred in of things of this Nature.

'Tis very neceffary that Women of Quality, and of Eftates, fhould know exactly what those Estates are ; what part in Land, what in Houfes, what in Money, where and in whofe Hands: They should be as well acquainted with the Rentals of their Lands, the Draughts of them, the Situation, Leafes, and Condition of their Houses, as their Husbands; what Debts they owe, as well as what are owing to them. By this they regulate their domestick and other Expences, provide for the future Settlement of their Children, and answer the Ends of Marriage, to be Helps to their Husbands in the Discharge of paternal Duties. How far it is convenient for them to understand well the Business of the Kitchen, to be the Phyficians and Surgeons of the Village, I fhall not meddle with, reckoning fuch Accomplishments as cafual only, and not of abfolute Neceffity to the forming a compleat Gentle

Gentlewoman, which the other Qualities are, and none more fo than a good Tafte of Books.

In order to which, young Ladies fhould be encourag'd to read the Greek and Roman Hiftories in the best Translations; they will find in them wonderful Inftances of Courage, Faithfulness, Generofity, and a great Contempt of their own private Advantage when the publick Good was in queftion, Neither fhould they be ignorant of the Hiftory of Britain, which furnishes them with many Examples of brave Actions, hardly exceeded by any thing in Antiquity. Among their own Sex too, they will in both meet with illuftrious Patterns of Virtue, which will make the ftronger Impreflions on their Minds. The Hiftories of other Nations, Accounts of Voyages and Travels, the Lives of Heroes and Philofophers, will be both a pleafant and inftructive Entertainment. The reading the beft Authors on thefe Subjects, will enlarge and elevate their Souls, and give them a Contempt for the common Amusements of the Sex, Let them in their reading avoid Vanity and Affectation; but let them not have fo mean an Opinion of themselves as to think they are incapable of improving by it; nor of Books, as to think they are incapable of improving by them; there's no Lady, let the Measure of her Understanding be what it will, but may benefit by them; it will add a Luftre to her other fhining Qualities, and help to fupply the place of 'em where fuch Qualities are wanting. The Fair may be fupportable without them, but with them. they are admirable. Naked Reafon could never difcover many things, which we acquire the Knowledge of by Reading. It gives Solidity to our Thoughts, Sweetness to our Difcourfe, and finishes what Nature began. Good Wit, without Study, is like a good Face wthout Ornament. The brighter the Genius, the more. worthy is it of Improvement, as well as the more capable.

To Reading must be added Conversation, which are together abfolutely neceffary to form a found Under

ftanding,

ftanding, and agreeable Temper. No Reading better qualifies a Perfon to converfe well in the World than that of Hiftory, which is here especially recommended, because most of the other Parts of Learning are clogg'd with Terms that are not eafily intelligible. Reason fpeaks all Languages, and there is no part of Learning but may be exprest in English, as well as in Greek or Latin. "Tis an affected piece of Pedantry in Men of certain learned Profeffions to hide their Arts with a peculiar Jargon, as if Clearness rendred them lefs venerable, and Darkness added to their Luftre and Ornament. While Cuftom makes this Practice common to them, let the Ladies despise those Arts which have no Complacency for the Deficiencies of their Education, and take Pleasure and Profit in fuch as freely lay open all their Stores to them, as do Hiftory, Poetry, and Eloquence. The Ladies may be alfo enlighten'd by moral Philofophy, which is faid to give Hands to Reason as well as a Mouth. Are not they equally concern'd with the other Sex in the Divine Lectures we are taught by it, upon the Chief Good, upon the Principle of human Actions, upon the Nature and Springs of Virtue and Vice, and upon the Paffions? Which in the best Authors are not wrapt up in mystical Phrafes, as were the Oracles of old, but deliver'd in plain and easy Language, in our Tongue, either Original or Translations.

Languages are an Accomplishment, without which it is hardly poffible for a Lady to be well bred. I do not fee the Neceffity of a Woman's learning the ancient Tongues, but there are fo many polite Authors in French and Italian, that it is pity the Ladies fhould not have the Profit and Pleasure of them. To learn enough only of a Language, as enables 'em to carry on a trifling Converfation, will rather teach them Impertinence than Politeness; but to be able to read Voiture, Racine, and Boileau, or rather Pafchal, among the French; Taffo and Guarini among the Italians, will certainly refine their Tafte, and add that Variety to their

Studies,

Studies, which will very much contribute to the Delight of them. If a Lady knew a little Latin, fhe would find no manner of Inconvenience in it, not fo much to improve herself in that Language as to help her in her own. The main thing is to put good Books into her Hands, wherein the may find fo much Benefit as compenfates for the Lofs of that Time, which otherwife will be wafted in the Study of her own Tongue as well as others. It is not fo ftrange as fome may imagine it, that Improvement in English fhould be recommended. Our Native Language will not come to us by Inspiration, and we fhall write and fpeak with Rudeness or Affectation, if we know no more of it than we are bred with. 'Twas a Saying of a great Father of our Church, eminent above any in the learned World, to a Gentleman who had made him a Compliment on his general Knowledge of Tongues, That indeed he knew enough of other Languages, and would spend the reft of his time in learning English, which he wrote with as much Force and Eloquence as any one. Let not the Ladies then defpife the Study of a Tongue which Nature has given 'em, and with it a Talent of speaking and writing it, with more Grace than even the Men themselves. La Bruyere obferves, that their Conversation is one of the best Methods to make Men polite, and that, methinks, fhould incline them to give it as many Advantages as they can; of which, to speak politely is not the leaft. Tho' this is often acquir'd by those Ladies that know no Tongue but their Native, yet those surely will have it in greater Perfection, who know the Beauties of other Languages,, and how to make use of them in their natural one. The galant Writers have diftinguish'd themselves as much as any by their Politenefs. The Poifon in them is conceal'd as much as poffible, and 'tis infenfibly that they would lead the Heart to Love: Let them therefore be avoided with Care; for there are elegant Writers enough on Moral and Divine Subjects, and the Danger of reading foft

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