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women are naturally inferior to the stronger sex in mental power, is to be found in that glorious woman Madame Roland, she is the subject of the article in the Westminster which suggested to us this lecture, for so we suppose the ladies will call it, if they do not give it a worse name. We should most devoutly recommend the perusal of her life to all who take an interest in this matter; it is the best treatise on female education extant, for it is practical; it leads us on step by step through the path by which a young and beautiful girl, mounted into womanhood and attained to an eminence rarely gained by her sex, till at length we follow her through the struggles of sorrow and misfortune to a painful and ignominious death, which she endured with the same fortitude and nobleness which had marked her character through life; and as we proceed, at every page we are taught lessons, which no one who has the slightest regard for the good of womankind ought ever to forget. We cannot here detail the progress of her studies, and the delightful account which she gives of the expansion of her young mind under their influence; we must refer our readers to the book itself. To allow a young lady of our days to follow her example would be high treason in a boarding school mistress's estimation. What would they think of a girl of thirteen studying Hobbes, Locke, and Mallebranche? but that was not all. "This child, who was accustomed to read serious works, could correctly explain the circles of the celestial sphere, could use the pencil " and the graver, and at eight years old was the best dancer in a party "of girls older than herself, assembled for a family festival. This same "child was often called to the kitchen to prepare an omelette, wash herbs, or to skim the pot. This mixture of grave studies, agreeable "exercise, and domestic cares, ordered and prepared by the wisdom of my mother, rendered me fit for all circumstance, and seemed to anticipate the future vicissitudes of my fortune, and has aided me in bear"ing them. I feel no where out of place, I can prepare my soup with as much ease as Philopemon cut wood, though no one seeing me would "deem that such a task was fitted for me.'

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Now there is no earthly reason why our own young ladies might not do the same thing, if they were taught that such objects were worth their seeking; if they were shown how to become of real importance in the world; and to make themselves as much admired for their talents as they are now for the smallness of their waists. They might be induceed also to think that they also had an interest in the good or bad government of the country in which they live, as well as men. That independence of thought was to be desired, and the foolish weakness and pusillanimity which now goes by the name, though falsely, of delicate sensibility, was beneath them; that some of the graver studies were equally fitted for both sexes, when they conduce to the enlargement of their minds, and perhaps last though not least, they might be shown that the love of all sensible men-and at what price would they value the regard of fools-would be attracted to them, and increased by those acquirements which they now foolishly think unfeminine. We by no means wish, however, to prevent them from learning the more elegant accomplishments. There is no more reason why they should not study

music, poetry, and painting, than there is for neglecting them in the edu cation of a boy-and they may hem as many pocket handkerchiefs, and darn as many stockings, as they cannot afford to pay others to do for them. In short we may again repeat, that with all this there is nothing to render them unworthy as a daughter, a mother, or a wife. But let us hear what the Westminster Review says:

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"It is generally believed, that the cultivation of the mind inclines us to look with disdain upon the duties of domestic life, and to consider "the fulfilment of those duties a painful degradation. A general opinion is usually founded, in some measure, on truth; it is so in the 4 present instance. The error, (for there is a great, a pernicious error) " lies in the false notions usually entertained concerning what is really "intended by mental cultivation.

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"In the present plan of education, what may be termed training the "intellectual faculties is usually totally disregarded. The various classes of society receive specific instruction, suited to what are deemed "their peculiar functions; but few, perhaps no efforts, are made to "strengthen their mental faculties generally, and without reference to "the particular knowledge to be inculcated. In the case of men, however, the partial, or rather the specific knowledge they receive has a tendency, in some cases a powerful tendency, to invigorate the mind; " and thus a service which ought to be a direct and chief object of edu"cation, is, in some degree, performed for them unintentionally and by' "accident. Unfortunately, that knowledge which it is thought requi"site to impart to women, has no such happy influence. An accomplished woman of the present day is, therefore, peculiarly unfitted for any useful pursuit, since usefulness in any capacity of life is not the specific object of the instruction given, nor is any healthy vigour of "the intellect induced by the process of inculcating it. Much care is moreover taken to foster ideas incompatible with the performance of "the necessary duties of life. The model upon which the education of every class of women is formed is an aristocratic model; and one of "the attributes of an aristocracy is, and always has been, to have the women of their order totally unfitted for every purpose, but that of "being mere ministers to their own idle vanity. It is one of the dis"tinctive marks of the vulgar-minded rich, to wish to appear free from all necessity of attending to domestic concerns-like the gods of Epicurus, they say 'nos autem beatam vitam in animi securitate, et in "omnium vacatione munerum ponimus. Et quærere a nobis, Balbe, soletis, quæ vita Deorum sit, quæque ab iis degatur ætas. Ea vide"licet, qua nihil beatius, nihil omnibus bonis affluentius cogitari potest. "Nihil enim agit; nullis occupationibus est implicatus: nulla opera "molitur: suâ sapientià et virtute gaudet: habet exploratum pro se semper cum in maximis, tum in æternis voluptatibus.' A duke's

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daughter is educated after this notion, so is an honest tradesman's; "and thus, what is usually deemed education does of necessity create "ideas incompatible with the due performance of duty; and does asso"ciate a feeling of degradation with the idea of that performance. Thus are women, not only rendered weak by the present method of

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instruction, but their minds are specially and positively mis-trained.. "This is not all. Accomplished women must be taught to derive pleasure from reading. But as they are too weak to attempt, and too ig"norant to understand any thing that it really imports them to know, " a literature has sprung up peculiarly dedicated to their service. This "literature is composed almost exclusively of appeals to a few emo"tions, which are common to the weak and uninstructed, the firm, en"lightened, and laborious, (to understand them, needs only to be a human being,) and of extravagant delineations of a false delicacy and "elegance. The mind, by the pernicious ministration of these writ"ings, is led from a consideration of any really necessary and useful object, and induced to dwell on images of impossible enjoyments, or to attach worth to what is either unattainable or absolutely pernicious. Any one at all conversant with society, must often have been "witness to painful exhibitions of this fatal perversity and weakness"must have often been condemned to hear wild fantastic ravings, and rapturous enthusiasm respecting the puling sentimentality of some idle blockhead, who, from want of a useful or honourable avocation, "has degraded himself to be a pander to a frivolous appetite, and to counterfeit emotions he never knew. Absorbed in the dreaming contemplation of this ideal world, taught to despise all that is connected "with this mundane sphere, as gross, degraded, and degrading, educat"ed women do often justify the general opinion respecting the influence "of mental cultivation. A man of true delicacy, real feeling, and enlightened spirit, is far more shocked and repulsed by these unhappy "specimens of modern refinement, than by the homely artless ignorance "of what is termed an unaccomplished woman. The affectation of the

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one is a thousand times more disgusting than the rusticity of the other "the studied preposterous delicacy, the frigid sentiment, hollow en"thusiasm, and painful childish weakness that are the attributes of the one class are incomparably more repulsive, than the honest feeling, "however rudely it may be expressed, and the straight-forward sincere, though untutored, good sense of the other. And could no other edu"cation be found, than that which produces these unlovely specimens of "feminine grace, we should as vehemently as any deprecate accomplishments in women. But happily no such difficulty attends the mat"ter. The qualities to be sought for, and the mode by which they may be produced, can easily be pointed out; and the happy effects "of such a revolution in female education can be rendered plain to any one who will take the trouble to pursue the investigation."

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We will conclude with an extract from Madame Roland's own thoughts upon the subject:

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"Is it,' she asked, "for the purpose of shining like flowers "in a garden, or in order merely to receive vain admiration that persons of my sex are formed for virtue, and acquire talents and in"formation? Of what use is the extreme desire for pleasure by which "I feel myself absorbed, and which does not render me happy, even "when I appear to have attained my wishes? Of what importance to me are the inquisitive looks, the softly murmured compliments of a

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“crowd whom I know not; and whom were I to know, probably I should 66 not esteem. Have I come into the world, in order to waste my existence in frivolous cares; and tumultuous emotions? Without doubt, I have a higher destiny-that admiration of all that is just, wise, great, and generous, which warms and exalts me, teaches me also that *I am to practise what I admire. The sublime and exalting duties of a wife and a mother, will one day be mine-and the years of my youth ought to be employed in rendering me capable of performing "the great duties of my station. I must study their importance, and "learn, by directing my own inclinations, how one day to govern those 46 of my children.'

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"Il faut,' she adds, que dans l'habitude de me commander le soin "d'orner mon esprit je m'assure les moyens de faire le bonheur de la plus douce des sociétés, d'abreuver de félicité le mortel qui méritera mon cœur, de faire rejaillis sur tout ce qui nous environnera, celle "dont je le comblerai et qui devra être toute entiere mon ouvrage.'

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H. G.

GEMS FROM WORDSWORTH.

SELECTED BY A CORRESPONDENT.]

A HIGHLAND MAID.

A violet by a mossy stone,
Half-hidden from the eye;
Fair as a star, when only one,
As shining in the sky.

SLEEP.

Soft slumbers that did gently steep

Our spirits, carrying with them dreams of flowers,
And wild notes warbled among leafy bowers.

A STILL EVENING.

The holy time is quiet as a nun,
Breathless with adoration

AN INNOCENT CHILD.

No fountain from its rocky cave,
E'er tripped with foot so free;
She seemed as happy as a wave
That dances on the sea.

A STORM IN AUTUMN.

While trees, dim-seen, in frenzied numbers tear
The lingering remnant of their yellow hair.

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-When ships were rare,

From time to time, like pilgrim's here and there,

Crossing the waters.

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