their commentaries on the sacred scriptures, as well as on Aristotle, whose metaphysical notions were deemed so orthodox by the Catholic church, we recognize that boldness and invention, that subtlety and refinement, which were conspicuous for ages in the military and political conduct of Spain.

At

Thus, that power of genius and valour among his subjects, which at once adorned and disgraced the feeble reign of Philip III. seems deducible from a train of moral causes, as obvious in their existence as powerful in their nature. But when the reader revolves what is left on record concerning ancient Spain, he will be inclined perhaps to subscribe to the opinion of an ingenious writer, that the characters of nations as well as families are influenced by accidents antecedent to birth*, and particularly by cli mate, acting either immediately with powerful energy on the fabric of their being, or as a local circumstance leading to a variety of action in the economy of civil life. all times, valour and genius have ennobled the character of the Spaniaads. Not the robust German, impelled by the fury of a savage religion, displayed such enthusiasm in arms and contempt of death as shone forth in the invincible resolution of the inhabitants of Numantia, Astapa, and Saguntum. A greater hero than Viriatus is not to be found in the history of ancient Rome t. Between the times of the Scipios and those of Augustus, there intervened a period of two hundred years. During this long space, Spain maintained a contest with the policy and disciplined valour of Rome: and it seemed uncertain which masters the world was to obey, the Spaniards or the Romans. The destiny of Rome to give law to the nations finally subdued all resistance, and Spain had the glory of being the last that yielded to the Roman yoke. But it was the fortune of the vanquished to receive literature and refinement from the conquerors of the world: and, in return, Trajan added lustre to the Roman purple ; and the names of Quintilian, Martial, Mela, Seneca, Lucan, and Florus, appeared in the list of Latin authors. R. W.

* Essay on the History of Mankind, &c. by Dr. Dunbar. + This man, who had resisted the Roman arms for twenty years, and who was deemed invincible, was at last insidiously cut off by the Romans, who bribed his body-guards.

THE LITERARY EDUCATION OF WOMEN.

THERE are many prejudices entertained against the character of a learned lady; and perhaps if all ladies were profoundly learned, some inconveniences might arise from it; but I must own it does not appear to me, that a woman will be rendered less acceptable in the world, or worse qualified to perform any part of her duty in it, by having employed the time from six to sixteen in the cultivation of her mind. Time enough will remain, after a few hours every day spent in reading, for the improvement of the person, and the acquisition of the usual accomplishments. With respect to these accomplishments, I will not presume to direct the method of pursuing them. I will not so far intrude on a province which by no means belongs to me. The ladies themselves, and their instructors, want no directious in matters of external ornament, the end of which is to please on intuition. However arrogant the men have been in their claims of superiority, they have usually allowed the ladies the possession of a delicate taste in the improvement and perception of all kinds of beauty.

The literary education of women ought indisputably to be varied according to their fortunes and their expectations. Much refinement and a taste for books will injure her, whose time, from prudential motives, must be entirely engrossed by economy. Few women are indeed exempted from all attention to domestic care. But yet the unmarried, and those who enjoy opulence, find many intervals which they often devote to some species of read. ing. And there is no doubt but that the reading would be selected with more judginent, and would afford more pleasure and advantage, if the taste were formed by early culture *.

I will then venture to recommend that ladies of this description should have a classical education. But let not the reader be alarmed. I mean not to advise that they should be initiated, without exception, in Greek and Latin; but that they should be well and early acquainted with the French and the English classics.

"The girl is altogether kept from exercises of good learning and knowledge of good letters, or else she is so nouseled in amorous bookes, vaine stories, and fonde trifling fancies, &c." E. Hake's Touchstone for the Time present. See the passage quoted in the ingenious Mr. T. Warton's History of English Poetry.

As soon as they can read with fluency, let them begin to learn Lowth's Grammar, and to read at the same time some very easy and elegant author, with a view to exemplify the rules. They should learn a part in grammar every morning, and then proceed to read a lesson, just in the inanner observed in classical schools in learning Latin. After a year spent in this method, if the success is adequate to the time, they should advance to French, and study that language exactly in the same mode. In the French grammar, it will not be necessary to go through those particulars which are common to the grammars of all languages, and which have been learned in studying English.

Several years should be spent in this elementary process; and when the scholar is perfectly acquainted with orthogra phy and grammar, she may then proceed to the cultivation of taste. Milton, Addison, and Pope, must be the standing models in English; Boileau, Fontenelle*, and Vertot, in French; and I wish these to be attended to solely for a considerable time. Many inconveniences arise from engaging young minds in the perusal of too many books. After these authors have been read over with attention, and with a critical observation of their beauties, the scholar may be permitted to select any of the approved writers of France and England, for her own improvement. She will be able to select with some judgment, and will have laid a foundation which will bear a good superstructure. Her mind, if she has been successful in this course, will have imbibed an elegance which will naturally diffuse itself over her conversation, address, and behaviour. It is well known that internal beauty contributes much to perfect external grace. I believe it will also be favourable to virtue, and will operate greatly in restraining from any conduct grossly indelicate, and obviously improper. Much of the profligacy of female manners has proceeded from a levity occasioned by a want of a proper education. She who has no taste for well-written books will often be at a loss how to spend her timet; and the consequences of such a

*Though Fontenelle is accused by the critics of deviating a little from the classical standard, he is yet a very pleasing writer.

How happy is it TO KNOW How to live with oneself, to find oneself again with pleasure, to leave oneself with regret! The world - then is less necessary to one. MARCHIONESS DE LAMBERT.

state are too frequent not to be known, and too fatal not to be avoided.

Whenever a young lady in easy circumstances appears to possess a genius and an inclination for learned pursuits, I will venture to say she ought, if her situation and connexions permit, to be early instructed in the elements of Latin and Greek. Her mind is certainly as capable of improvement as that of the other sex. The instances which might be brought to prove this are all too well known to adinit of citation. And the method to be pursued must be exactly the same as that which is used in the private tuition of boys, when judiciously con ducted.

And here I cannot refrain from adding, that though I disapprove, for the most part, of private tuition for boys, yet I very seriously recommend it to girls, with little exception. All sensible people agree in thinking, that large seminaries of young ladies, though managed with all the vigilance and caution which human abilities can exert, are in danger of great corruption. Vanity and vice will be introduced by some among a large number, and the contagion soon spreads with irresistible violence. Who can be so proper an instructor and guardian as a tender and a sensible mother? Where can virgin innocence and delicacy be better protected than under a parent's roof, and in a father's and a brother's bosom? Certainly no where, provided that the parents are sensible and virtuous, and that the house is free from improper or dangerous connections. But where the parents are much engaged in pleasure, or in business; where they are ignorant or vicious; where a family is exposed to the visits or constant company of libertine young persons; there it is certainly expedient to place a daughter under the care of some of those judicious matrons who preside over the schools in or near the metropolis. But I believe it often happens that young ladies are sent from their parent's eye, to these seminaries, principally with a view to form connexions. I leave it to the heart of a feeling father to determine, whether it is not cruel to endanger the morals of his offspring for the sake of interestt.

It must be remembered that only those parents can incur this censure, who keep their daughters at school after a certain age,

One of the strongest arguments in favour of the literary edn-, cation of women is, that it enables them to superintend the domes

ON THE POETRY OF CHAUCER,

AND MORE ESPECIALLY OF THE CANTERBURY TALES.

Letter II.

Our pilgrims having partaken of the good cheer which the host of the Tabard set before them, who is described as "bold of his speech, and wise, and well ytaught," were thus addressed by him :

tic education of their children in the earlier periods, especially of daughters. We are told, in the very elegant Dialogue on the Causes of the Decline of Eloquence, that it was the glory of the ancient Ro man matrons to devote themselves to economy, and the care of their children's education. Jamprimum filius ex castâ parente natus, non in cellâ emptæ nutricis educabatur, sed in gremio ac sinu matris, cujus præcipua laus erat, tueri domum et inservire liberis: ..Sic Corneliam Gracchorum, sic Aureliam Julii Cæsaris, sic Attiam Augusti matrem, præfuisse educationibus liberorum acce pimus. As soon as a son was born of a chaste parent, he was not brought up in the cottage of some hireling nurse, but in the lap and the bosom of his mother, whose principal merit it was to take care of the house, and to devote herself to the service of the children.. Thus are we told, Cor nelia, the mother of the Gracchi, thus Aurelia, of Julius Cæsar, thus Attia, of Augustus, presided over the education of their children. And, with respect to its not being the custom to teach ladies Latin, we may say, in the words of the learned Matron in Erasmus, Quid mihi citas vulgum, pessimum rei gerendæ auctorem? Quid mihi consuetudinem, omnium malarum rerum magistram? Optimis assuescendum; ita fiet solitum, quod erat insolitum; et suave fiet, quod erat insuave; fiet decorum, quod videbatur indecorum. Why do you tell me of the generality of people, the very worst pattern of conduct? Why do you talk to me of the custom, the teacher of all that is bad? Let us accustom ourselves to that which we know is best. So that will become usual which was unusual, and that will become agreeable which was dis agreeable, and that fashionable which appeared unfashionable.

He of whom antiquity boasts itself, as of the wisest of mortals, was instructed in many elegant and profound subjects of learning by a lady.

Ασπασία μεν τοι ἡ σοφή του Σωκράτους διδασκαλος των ρυ Topinow Noyor. Aspasia, the learned lady, was the preceptress of SodraATHEN ÆUS..

tes in rhetoric.

Πλάτων τον Σωκράτην παρ αυτ ης φησι μαθείν τα πολιτικα. Plate says that Socrates learned politics of her.

HARPOCRATION.

See some excellent remarks on the subject of giving daughters a learned education, in Eras. Epist. to Budæus, cited in Jortin's Eras. vol. ii. p. 366.