insinuate that he is great in badness, and bad in greatness, in other words a demon. But pleasure is of a delicate temperature, social, not sensual; angelic and not satanic; she disclaims consanguinity with rudeness and cruelty, and is always solicitious to maintain the honor of human nature; promotes at all times, in all places, and upon all occasions, the pleasurable feelings not only of humanity, but of the whole sensitive creation. She even views, with regret, the bleating lamb, and wooing turtle-dove, consigned to death by the ruthless hand of power and pride. She delights to dwell in the sympathetic bosom of the fair philanthropist; she nurtures luxuriance of thought, benevolence of sentiment, and munificence, practically as well as theoretically; she shrinks with horror from the rude alarms of war, from the clarion clangor of anarchy, and rushes precipitate and disrobed from the panting, boisterous, and turbulent bosom of the ardent and impetuous warrior, and seeks in the sequestered abode of female gentleness, the shelter she is bereaved of in the habitations of men; she makes the bed of death a bed of

roses.

Your sex should think for yourselves, and think at large, how noble you are by nature, susceptible of transcendent improvements, fearfully and wonderfully made. Liberty of opinion is as much your privilege as ours, and is your natural inheritance, as much as your personal liberty.

Human nature has long groaned, and still groans under the tyranny of custom. By this means, the female mind is imprisoned in christian as well as pagan countries. Vindicate, therefore, the transcendent prerogatives of your nature, and magnanimously resolve no more to be the slaves of fashion, and the dupes of our sex. It is the true interest of ours to encourage freedom of investigation among your sex. Some monsters have had the affrontery to assert, that women should be confined to domestic avocations alone, and should leavethe pursuits of arts, sciences, and politics, to men; and of course have reprobated the freedom of investigation for the gentler sex, for which I contend. To demonstrate the cogency of this remark, and the fallacy, fatality, and absurdity of such subterfuges, I would ask, what kind of partner, or, to use scriptural language, helpmate, will a woman, who has been edu-. cated as they generally are at present, make for an intelligent

and benevolent man? What harmony can exist between them in a social point of view? Surely none at all. He can take no more pleasure in her conversation than if she was of another species; consequently though their connubial tenderness may be reciprocal, their intellectual and social intercourse is far otherwise.

For what was every faculty adapted to scientific as well as moral improvement given you, in the same proportion as to us? Were they given by another god, or by an unjust and partial hand? God is not, and why shall man be a respecter of persons. These qualifications and capacities were given to you for improvement; and, by neglecting to culti vate them, you sin against the law of Nature, and Nature's God. And he is a fallacious foe to your sex, who attempts to establish the worst kind of tyranny over them-I mean the tyranny of the mind. What illiberal monopolizers of dignity are to be found among the sons of men, in every part of the world. How can they be such implacable enemies to your gentle sex? But it is your business to counteract their malevolent machinations, by using unwearied assiduity, in attaining a useful education: and, if you should already have arrived at the years of maturity, and cannot attend to scholastic resources and researches, you may attain, notwithstanding, by indefatigable perseverance, a sufficiency of elementary information, to put you on an equality, in point of intellectual improvement, with a great majority of our sex. For my part, I have attained more information in nine months, by my individual endeavors, than I did from the most ingenious tutors, in one of the principal cities of Europe, in the same number of years. I, therefore, can speak with certainty on this head. The study of astronomy is my greatest delight; on this subject have I written, and on it do I still contemplate, not only~ with ineffable delight, but great benefit.

I would, therefore, encourage my fair readers, to appropriate less time to the decoration of their persons, and more to the improvement of their minds. The study of astronomy will be to them a most useful as well as entertaining source of luxurious investigation. The perusal of sacred and civil history will greatly enrich the mind; while the lighter study of belles lettres will embellish and ornament it.

Works of philanthropy, morality, and christian philosophy,

which develope what is harmonious and amiable in moral life, may be read with avidity, and be productive of utility. From them we derive a degree of mechanical virtue, and learn to abhor systematical vice. The humanizing influence of virtuous poetry, and its pathetic powers, may likewise be productive of charming sensibility, enthusiastic tenderness, and luxuriancy of sentiment. But in all your literary researches, you should never forget, that the ingenuity of the head, without ingeniousness of heart, will never render you amiable in the estimation of your own or our sex. If local circumstances should leave it out of your power to attain any degree of proficiency from the treasures of antiquity, remember that the august book of creation is open to all for investigation. In it, study the philosophy of nature. By this you may not only embellish your natural genius, but replenish your heart with unperishable beauties, from the inexhaustible magazine of benefactions.

Religion is made to appear the greatest mystery and phenomenon in nature: whereas it is, in reality, the most simple thing under the broad canopy of heaven, in short, nothing more than pure love to God and man. This love will stimulate the soul to the performance of actions, which, will be well pleasing to God and beneficial to man. The omission of duties, or the commission of sins, will grieve such a one more than any pain or punishment; and the performance of duties will be productive of the sacred pleasures which I have pointed out in the prefixed pages. Such a soul loves God for his own intrinsic excellence, and not for what he can give or take away. It is neither sinister nor selfish. The religion of such a man is seated in his heart, not his head,

Few can say as much; and I will assign a sufficient reason, namely, a mistaken notion of the severity of Providence, whose despotism is magnified at the expense of his munificence. It is ungenerous and unjust to impute to God the evils we bring upon ourselves, by our imprudence and disobedience. That freedom of will, which is the essence of our natural and moral powers, is perverted and corrupted by our perverseness, and misery is the necessary result.

How many make a pompous profession of religion, and implicitly depend on forms and ceremonies for salvation, while they are utterly destitute of that christian philanthropy which

should be the nerve of religion, and without which it is an empty name. Woe be to such professors, if God shows them no more compassion than they show to their brethren.

We will here transcribe a few of the rules, and the address of "The female Hospitable Society," that the reader may ascertain the universality, as well as the disinterestedness of their charity.

This institution is entitled, The Female Hospitable Society; Instituted for the Relief and Instruction of Sick and Indigent Widows and Orphans in particular, and Female Strangers in general.

ADDRESS TO THE FRIENDS OF HUMANITY.

It is as true, as tragical a saying, "That one-half of the world does not know how the other half suffers." We need not look across the Atlantic ocean to behold innumerable objects of wretchedness to excite our warmest commiseration. In our own country, and even within the confines of the city and suburbs of Philadelphia, many, very many, poor distressed persons, have

"No eye to mark their sufferings with a tear,
No friend to comfort them, nor hope to cheer."

Their disconsolate situation is more easily conceived than expressed. As we are placed in a troublesome world, and live in a troublesome period of that world, is it not the indispensable duty, of at least religious and of benevolent persons, to make it as easy as possible to their distressed fellow-creatures? Those persons, therefore, who may happily have this performance to peruse, are most earnestly entreated in favor of the subsequent excellent charity. A few benevolent females, actuated by the most disinterested philanthropy, have associated together, for the laudable purpose of relieving the indigent of their own sex.

They will thankfully receive the smallest contributions. Any old clothes, unsaleable cloth, shoes or provisions, will be gladly accepted and immediately prepared for the use of the most needy objects of their charity.

Oh! that those who are blessed with abundance, and who too often forget their fellow-creatures' wants-Oh! that they would remember, that

"To sympathise and melt at human woe,

Is what the rich to the distressed owe."

Such children of misfortune should not only be relieved with liberality, but also with delicacy. While the hand of hospitality is extended to alleviate their wants, it should be done in such a manner, as not to suffuse the countenance with confusion, The compassionate and delicate conduct of Boaz to Ruth, is an admirable pattern for the members of charitable associations. Ruth being reduced to penury entreated Boaz to permit her to glean in his fields; he not only granted her request, but also commanded his young men, saying, "Let her glean even among the sheaves, and rebuke her not, and let fall some of the handfuls on purpose, and leave them that she may glean them, and reproach her This was a gracious action, done in a gracious way; and I would say to the unfeeling devotee, "Go thou and do likewise."

not."

SOME RULES OF THE SOCIETY.

III. The Society is to consist exclusively of females; no men are to be admitted, only as donors and subscribers. Provided always, that the transactions of the Society shall at all times be open for their investigation.

IV. The Governess is to preside at all meetings, or in her absence, one to be chosen pro tempore. It shall be her duty to make out the appointments for the visiters, preserve order, state questions for discussion, and use her utmost endeavors to replenish the funds of the Society, and procure old apparel, damaged cloth, remnants, or even wrappings, which compassionate dry-good store-keepers may be disposed to bestow the Society. It shall be her duty to give such remnants, &c, to those charitable females who may be inclined to make them into clothes, to cover poor, naked and friendless orphans.

VII. The Visiting Committee is to consist of religious characters, who may be capable of instructing ignorant and af flicted females, without respecting persons of any nation, color or profession, who are destitute of earthly support.