A serious proposal to the ladies. Part II wherein a method is offer'd for the improvement of their minds.

THE Introduction, Containing a farther PERSWASIVE TO THE LADIES To endeavour the Improvement of their Minds.

DID the Author of the for∣mer Essay towards th' Improvement of the La∣dies consult her own Re∣putation only, she wou'd not ha∣zard it once more, by treating on so nice a Subject in a Curi∣ous

and Censorious Age, but con∣tent her self with the favourable reception which the good natur'd part of the World were pleased to afford to her first Essay. It is not unusual she knows for Writers to mind no more than their own Cre∣dit, to be pleas'd if they can make a handsom florish, get a Name a∣mongst the Authors, come off with but a little Censure and some Com∣mendations. Or if there are a few generous Souls who are got above the Hope or Fear of vulgar breath, who don't much regard that Ap∣plause which is dispenc'd more com∣monly by Fancy or Passion than by Judgment; they rest satisfied how∣ever in a good Intention, and com∣fort themselves that they've endea∣vour'd the Reformation of the Age, let those look to't who will not fol∣low their Advices. But give her leave to profess, that as she is very indifferent what the Critics say, if

the Ladies receive any Advantage by her attempts to serve them, so it will give her the greatest uneasi∣ness if having prov'd that they are capable of the best things, she can't perswade to a pursuit of them. It were more to her Satisfaction to find her Project condemn'd as foolish and impertinent, than to find it re∣ceiv'd with some Approbation, and yet no body endeavouring to put it in Practice. Since the former wou'd only reproach her own Un∣derstanding, but the latter is a shame to Mankind, as being a plain sign that tho they discern and com∣mend what is Good, they have not the Vertue and Courage to Act ac∣cordingly.

And can you Ladies deny her so cheap a Reward for all the Good will she bears you, as the Pleasure of seeing you Wise and Happy? Can you envy her the Joy of assist∣ing at Your Triumphs? for if ever

she contend for Laurels it shall be only to lay them at the Ladies feet. Why won't you begin to think, and no longer dream away your Time in a wretched incogitancy? Why does not a generous Emulation fire your hearts and inspire you with Noble and Becoming Resentments? The Men of Equity are so just as to confess the errors which the Proud and Inconsiderate had imbib'd to your prejudice, and that if you al∣low them the preference in Ingenui∣ty, it is not because you must, but because you will. Can you be in Love with servitude and folly? Can you dote on a mean, ignorant and ignoble Life? An Ingenious Wo∣man is no Prodigy to be star'd on, for you have it in your power to inform the World, that you can every one of you be so, if you please your selves. It is not enough to wish and to would it, or t'afford a faint Encomium upon what you pre∣tend

is beyond your Power; Imita∣tion is the heartiest Praise you can give, and is a Debt which Justice requires to be paid to every worthy Action. What Sentiments were fit to be rais'd in you to day ought to remain to morrow, and the best Commendation you can bestow on a Book is immediately to put it in Practice; otherwise you become self-condemn'd, your Judgment re∣proaches your Actions, and you live a contradiction to your selves. If you approve, Why don't you fol∣low? And if you Wish, Why shou'd you not Endeavour? especially since that wou'd reduce your Wishes to Act, and make you of Well-wishers to Vertue and Good sense, become glorious Examples of them.

And pray what is't that hinders you? The singularity of the Mat∣ter? Are you afraid of being out of the ordinary way and therefore admir'd and gaz'd at? Admiration does not use to be uneasy to our

Sex, a great many Vanities might be spar'd if we consulted only our own conveniency and not other peoples Eyes and Sentiments: And why shou'd that which usually re∣commends a trifling Dress, deter us from a real Ornament? Is't not as fine to be first in this as well as any other Fashion? Singularity is in∣deed to be avoided except in matters of importance, in such a case Why shou'd not we assert our Liberty, and not suffer every Trifler to impose a Yoke of Impertinent Customs on us? She who forsakes the Path to which Reason directs is much to blame, but she shall never do any thing Praise-worthy and excellent who is not got above unjust Cen∣sures, and too steady and well re∣solv'd to be sham'd from her Duty by the empty Laughter of such as have nothing but airy Noise and Confidence to recommend them. Firmness and strength of Mind will carry us thro all these little persecu∣tions,

which may create us some un∣easiness for a while, but will after∣wards end in our Glory and Tri∣umph.

Is it the difficulty of attaining the Bravery of the Mind, the Labour and Cost that keeps you from making a purchase of it? Certainly they who spare neither Money nor Pains t'ob∣tain a gay outside and make a splen∣did appearance, who can get over so many difficulties, rack their brains, lay out their time and thoughts in contriving, stretch their Relations Purses in procuring, nay and rob the very Poor, to whom the Overplus of a full Estate, after the owners Ne∣cessaries and decent Conveniencies according to her Quality are sup∣plied, is certainly due, they who can surmount so many difficulties, cannot have the face to pretend any here. Labour is sweet when there's hope of success, and the thing la∣bour'd after is Beautiful and Desire∣able: And if Wisdom be not so I

know not what is; if it is not worth while to procure such a tem∣per of mind as will make us happy in all Conditions, there's nothing worth our Thoughts and Care, 'tis best to fold our hands with Solomon's Slug∣gard and sleep away the remainder of a useless and wretched Life.

And that success will not be want∣ing to our Endeavours if we heartily use them, was design'd to be evinc'd in the former Essay, and I hope I have not lost my Point, but that the Theory is sufficiently establish'd; and were there but a General Attempt, the Practice wou'd be so visible that I suppose there wou'd remain no more place to dispute it. But this is your Province Ladies: For tho I de∣sire your improvement never so pas∣sionately, tho I shou'd have prov'd it feasible with the clearest Demon∣stration, and most proper for you to set about; yet if you will believe it impossible, and upon that or any o∣ther prejudice forbear t'attempt it,

I'me like to go without my Wishes; my Arguments what ever they may be in themselves, are weak and im∣pertinent to you, because you make them useless and defeat them of the End they aim at. But I hope better things of you; I dare say you un∣derstand your own interest too well to neglect it so grosly and have a greater share of sense, whatever some Men affirm, than to be con∣tent to be kept any longer under their Tyranny in Ignorance and Folly, since it is in your Power to regain your Freedom, if you please but t'endeavour it. I'me unwilling to believe there are any among you who are obstinately bent against what is praise-worthy in themselves, and Envy or Detract from it in o∣thers; who won't allow any of their Sex a capacity to write Sense, be∣cause they want it, or exert their Spleen where they ought to shew their Kindness or Generous Emula∣tion; who sicken at their Neigbours

Vertues, or think anothers Praises a lessening of their Character; or meanly satisfie ill-nature by a dull Malicious Jest at what deserves to be approv'd and imitated. No La∣dies, Your Souls are certainly of a better Make and Nobler temper, your Industry is never exerted to pull down others but to rise above them, the only Resentment that a∣rises at your Neighbours Commen∣dations is a harmless blush for your own Idleness in letting them so far outstrip you, and a generous Reso∣lution to repair your former neg∣lects by future disigence; One need not fear offending you by commend∣ing an other Lady in your Presence, or that it shou'd be thought an af∣front or defect in good breeding to give them their lawful Eulogies: You have too just a Sentiment of your own Merit to envy or detract from others, for no Body's addicted to these little Vices but they who are diffident of their own worth;

You know very well 'tis infinitely better to be good than to seem so, and that true Vertue has Beauty enough in her self t'attract our hearts and engage us in her service, tho she were neglected and despis'd by all the World. 'Tis this therefore you endeavour after, 'tis the approbation of GOD and your own Consci∣ences you mainly esteem, which you find most ascertain'd by an humble Charity, and that you never merit Praise so much, because you never make so great a progress in what is truly praise-worthy, as when your own defects are often in your eyes t'excite you to watch against and a∣mend them, and other peoples Vertues continually represented before you in their brightest lustre, to the end you may aspire to equal or surpass them.

I suppose then that you're fill'd with a laudable Ambition to brigh∣ten and enlarge your Souls, that the Beauty of your Bodies is but a secon∣dary care, your Dress grows uncon∣cerning,

and your Glass is ne're con∣sulted but in such little intervals of time as hang loose between those hours that are destin'd to nobler Em∣ployments; you now begin to throw off your old Prejudices and smile on 'em as antiquated Garbs; false Reasoning won't down with you, and glittering Non-sense tho ad∣dress'd to your selves in the speci∣ous appearance of Respect and Kind∣ness, has lost its haut goust; Wisdom is thought a better recommendation than Wit, and Piety than a Bon-mien; you esteem a Man only as he is an admirer of Vertue, and not barely for that he is yours; Books are now become the finest Ornaments of your Closets, and Contemplation the most agreeable Entertainment of your lei∣sure hours; your Friendships are not cemented by Intrigues nor spent in vain Diversions, but in the search of Knowledge, and acquisition of Ver∣tuous Habits, a mutual Love to which was the Origin of 'em; nor

are any Friends so acceptable as those who tell you faithfully of your faults and take the properest method to a∣mend 'em. How much better are you entertain'd now your Conver∣sations are pertinent and ingenious, and that Wisdom never fails to make one in your Visits? Solitude is no more insupportable; you've conque∣red that silly dread of being afraid to be alone, since Innocence is the safest Guard, and no Company can be so desirable as GOD's and his holy Angels conversing with an up∣right mind; your Devotion is a Ra∣tional service, not the repetition of a Set of good words at a certain sea∣son; you read and you delight in it, because it informs your Judgments, and furnishes Materials for your thoughts to work on; and you love your Religion and make it your Choice because you understand it; the only Conquest you now design and lay out your care to obtain is o∣ver Vice and Prophaness; you study

to engage men in the love of true Pi∣ety and Goodness, and no farther to be Lovers of your selves than as you are the most amiable and illustrious examples of 'em; you find your Wit has lost nothing of its salt and agree∣ableness by being employ'd about its proper business, the exposing Folly; your Raillery is not a whit less plea∣sant for being more Charitable, and you can render Vice as ridiculous as you please, without exposing those unhappy Persons who're guilty of it; your Humour abates not of its inno∣cent gaity now that it is more upon the Guard, for you know very well that true Joy is a sedate and folid thing, a tranquility of mind, not a boisterous and empty flash; Instead of Creditors your doors are fill'd with indigent Petitioners who don't so of∣ten go without your Bounty as the other us'd to do without their just demands; nor are you unjust to some under colour of being Charitable to others, and when you give Liberal∣ly,

give no more than what is law∣fully your own. You disdain the base ungenerous Practice of pretend∣ing Kindness where you really mean none; and of making a poor Coun∣try Lady less instructed in the forma∣lities of the Town than your selves, pay sufficiently for your seeming Ci∣vility and kind Entertainment by be∣coming the Subject of your mirth and diversion as soon as she is gone; but one may now pretty securely re∣lie on your Sincerity, for when this lower sort of Treachery is abhorr'd, there can certainly be no place for that more abominable one of betray∣ing and seducing unwary Innocence. I do not question Ladies but that this is the Practice of the greatest number of you, and would be of all the rest were it not for some little discourag∣ments they meet with, which really are not so great as their own mode∣sty and diffidence of themselves re∣present 'em. They think they've been bred up in Idleness and Imper∣tinence,

and study will be irksome to them, who have never employ'd their mind to any good purpose, and now when they wou'd they want the method of doing it; they know not how to look into their Souls, or if they do, they find so many disorders to be rectified, so many wants to be supplied, that frighted with the dif∣ficulty of the work they lay aside the thoughts of undertaking it. They have been barbarously us'd, their E∣ducation and greatest Concerns neg∣lected, whilst their imprudent Pa∣rents and Guardians were busied in managing their Fortunes and regula∣ting their Mien; who so their Purse was full and their outside plausible, matter'd not much the poverty and narrowness of their minds, have taught them perhaps to repeat their Catechism and a few good Sentences, to read a Chapter and say their Pray∣ers, tho perhaps with as little Un∣derstanding as a Parrot, and fancied that this was Charm enough to se∣cure

them against the temptations of the present world and to waft them to a better; and so thro want of use and by misapplying their Thoughts to trifles and impertinencies, they've perhaps almost lost those excellent Capacities which probably were af∣forded them by nature for the high∣est things. For such as these I've a a world of Kindness and Compassion, I regret their misfortune as much as they can themselves, and suppose they're willing to repair it and very desirous to inform themselves were't not for the shame of confessing their Ignorance. But let me intreat them to consider that there's no Ignorance so shameful, no Folly so absurd as that which refuses Instru∣ction, be it upon what account it may. All good Persons will pity not upbraid their former unhappiness, as not being their own but other Peo∣ples fault; whereas they themselves are responsible if they continue it, since that's an Evidence that they

are silly and despicable, not because they cou'd not, but because they wou'd not be better Informed. But where is the shame of being taught? for who is there that does not need it? Alas, Human Knowledge is at best defe∣ctive, and always progressive, so that she who knows the most has on∣ly this advantage, that she has made a little more speed than her Neigh∣bours. And what's the Natural In∣ference from hence? Not to give out, but to double our diligence; per∣haps we may out-strip 'em, as the Penitent often does him who needs no Repentance. The worst that can be is the perishing in a glorious at∣tempt, and tho we shou'd happen to prove succesless, 'tis yet worth our while to've had such a noble design. But there's no fear of ill success if we are not wanting to our selves, an ho∣nest and laborious mind may perform all things. Indeed an affected Igno∣rance, a humorous delicacy and nice∣ness which will not speculate a noti∣on

for fear of spoiling a look, nor think a serious thought lest she shou'd damp the gaity of her humour; she who is so top full of her outward ex∣cellencies, so careful that every look, every motion, every thing about her shou'd appear in Form, as she em∣ploys her Thoughts to a very piti∣ful use, so is she almost past hopes of recovery, at least so long as she con∣tinues this humour, and does not grow a little less concern'd for her Body that she may attend her Mind. Our directions are thrown away up∣on such a temper, 'tis to no purpose to harp to an Ass, or to chant forth our Charms in the Ears of a deaf Ad∣der; but I hope there are none so utterly lost in folly and imperti∣nence: If there are, we can only af∣ford them our Pity for our Advice will do no good.

As for those who are desirous to improve and only want to be assisted and put into the best method of do∣ing it, somewhat was attempted in

order to do them that service in the former Essay, in which they may please to remember that having re∣mov'd that groundless prejudice a∣gainst an ingenious Education of the Women, which is founded upon sup∣position of the impossibility or use∣lessness of it, and having assign'd the reasons why they are so little im∣prov'd, since they are so capable of improvement, and since tis so neces∣sary that others as well as themselves shou'd endeavour it; which reasons are chiefly Ill-nurture, Custom, loss of Time, the want of Retirement, or of knowing how to use it, so that by the disuse of our Faculties we seem to have lost them if we ever had any; are sunk into an Animal life wholly taken up with sensible objects; either have no Ideas of the most necessary things or very false ones; and run into all those mischiefs which are the natural Consequences of such mis∣management; we then proceeded to propose a Remedy for these Evils,

which we affirm'd cou'd hardly be rectified but by erecting a Seminary where Ladies might be duly Educa∣ted, and we hope our Proposition was such that all impartial Readers are convinc'd it wou'd answer the De∣sign, that is, tend very much to the real advantage and improve∣ment of the Ladies. In order to which it was in general propos'd to acquaint them with Judicious Au∣thors, give them opportunity of Retirement and Recollection and put them in a way of Ingenious Conversation, whereby they might enlarge their prospect, rectify their false Ideas, form in their Minds ad∣equate conceptions of the End and Dignity of their Natures, not only have the Name and common Princi∣ples of Religion floating in their Heads and sometimes running out at their Mouths, but understand the design and meaning of it, and have a just apprehension, a lively senti∣ment of its Beauties and Excellen∣cies;

know wherein the Nature of a true Christian consists; and not only feel Passions, but be able to di∣rect and regulate their Motions; have a true Notion of the Nothing∣ness of Material things and of the reality and substantialness of imma∣terial, and consequently contemn this present World as it deserves, fix∣ing all their Hopes upon and exert∣ing all their Endeavours to obtain the Glories of the next. But because this was only propos'd in general, and the particular method of effect∣ing it left to the Discretion of those who shou'd Govern and Manage the Seminary, without which we are still of Opinion that the Interest of the Ladies can't be duly serv'd, yet in the mean time till that can be ere∣cted and that nothing in our power may be wanting to do them service, we shall attempt to lay down in this second part some more minute Dire∣ctions, and such as we hope if atten∣ded to may be of use to them.