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

The CONCLƲSION.

THUS you have Ladies, the best Method I can at pre∣sent think of for your Improve∣ment, how well it answers my Design the World must judge. If you are so favourable as to think it comes up to't in any measure, what remains but to put it in Prac∣tise, tho in the way in which you live, 'tis not probable that all of you either Will or Can, for reasons mention'd in the first Part, and particularly be∣cause of the great waste of your Time, without Redeeming of which there's nothing to be done. It is not my intention that you shou'd se∣clude your selves from the World, I know it is necessary that a great number of you shou'd live in it; but it is Unreasonable and Barbarous to drive you into't, e're you are capa∣ble of doing Good in it, or at least

of keeping Evil from your selves. Nor am I so fond of my Proposal, as not to lay it aside very willingly, did I think you cou'd be sufficiently serv'd without it. But since such Seminaries are thought proper for the Men, since they enjoy the fruits of those Noble Ladies Bounty who were the foundresses of several of their Colleges, why shou'd we not think that such ways of Education wou'd be as advantageous to the Ladies? or why shou'd we despair of finding some among them who will be as kind to their own Sex as their Ancestors have been to the other? Some Objections against this design have already been consi∣der'd, and those which I have since met with are either too trifling to deserve a serious Answer, or too Ill∣natur'd not to require a severer than I care to give them. They must either be very Ignorant or very Ma∣licious who pretend that we wou'd imitate Foreign Monastries, or ob∣ject

against us the Inconveniencies that they are subject to; a little at∣tention to what they read might have convinc'd them that our Insti∣tution is rather Academical than Mo∣nastic. So that it is altogether be∣side the purpose, to say 'tis too Re∣cluse, or prejudicial to an Active Life; 'tis as far from that as a La∣dys Practising at home is from being a hindrance to her dancing at Court. For an Active Life consists not bare∣ly in Being in the World, but in doing much Good in it: And therefore it is fit we Retire a little, to furnish our Understandings with useful Princi∣ples, to set our Inclinations right, and to manage our Passions, and when this is well done, but not till then, we may safely venture out.

As for those who think so Con∣temptibly of such a considerable part of GOD's Creation, as to suppose that we were made for nothing else but to Admire and do them Service and to make provision for the low

concerns of an Animal Life, we pi∣ty their mistake, and can calmly bear their Scoffs, for they do not express so much Contempt of us as they do of our Maker; and there∣fore the reproach of such incompe∣tent Judges is not an Injury but an Honor to us,

The Ladies I hope pass a truer estimate on themselves, and need not be told that they were made for nobler purposes. For tho I wou'd by no means encourage Pride, yet I wou'd not have them take a mean and groveling Spirit for true Humi∣lity. A being content with Igno∣rance is really but a Pretence, for the frame of our nature is such that it is impossible we shou'd be so; even those very Pretenders value themselves for some Knowlege or other, tho it be a trifling or mistak∣en one. She who makes the most Grimace at a Woman of Sense, who employs all her little skill in endea∣vouring to render Learning and

Ingenuity ridiculous, is yet very desirous to be thought Knowing in a Dress, in the Management of an Intreague, in Coquetry or good Houswifry. If then either the No∣bleness or Necessity of our Nature unavoidably excites us to a desire of Advancing, shall it be thought a fault to do it by pursuing the best things? and since we will value our selves on somewhat or other, why shou'd it not be on the most substan∣tial ground? The Humblest Person that lives has some Self-Esteem, nor is it either Fit or Possible that any one should be without it. Because we always Neglect what we De∣spise, we take no care of its Preser∣vation and Improvement, and were we throughly possess'd with a Contempt of our selves, we shou'd abandon all Care both of our Tem∣poral and Eternal Concerns, and burst with Envy at our Neighbours. The only difference therefore be∣tween the Humble and the Proud is

this, that whereas the former does not prize her self on some Imaginary Excellency, or for any thing that is not truly Valuable; does not ascribe to her self what is her Makers due, nor Esteem her self on any other account but because she is GOD's Workmanship, endow'd by him with many excellent Qualities, and made capable of Knowing and En∣joying the Sovereign and Only Good; so that her Self-Esteem does not terminate in her Self but in GOD, and she values her self only for GOD's sake. The Proud on the contrary is mistaken both in her Estimate of Good, and in thinking it is her Own; She values her self on things that have no real Excel∣lency, or which at least add none to her, and forgets from whose Libe∣rality she receives them: She does not employ them in the Donors Service, all her care is to Raise her self, and she little considers that the most excellent things are distributed

to others in an equal, perhaps in a greater measure than to herself, they have opportunities of advancing as well as she, and so long as she's puft up by this Tumor of Mind, they do really excel her.

The Men therefore may still enjoy their Prerogatives for us, we mean not to intrench on any of their Lawful Privileges, our only Contention shall be that they may not out-do us in promoting his Glory who is Lord both of them and us; And by all that appears the generality will not oppose us in this matter, we shall not provoke them by striving to be better Christians. They may busy their Heads with Affairs of State, and spend their Time and Strength in recommending themselves to an uncertain Master, or a more giddy Multitude, our only endeavour shall be to be absolute Monarchs in our own Bosoms▪ They shall still if they please dispute about Religi∣on, let 'em only give us leave to

Understand and Practise it. And whilst they have unrival'd the Glory of speaking as many Languages as Babel afforded, we only desire to ex∣press our selves Pertinently and Ju∣diciously in One. We will not vie with them in thumbing over Au∣thors, nor pretend to be walking Libraries, provided they'll but al∣low us a competent Knowlege of the Books of GOD, Nature I mean and the Holy Scriptures: And whilst they accomplish themselves with the Knowlege of the World, and experiment all the Pleasures and Follies of it, we'll aspire no fur∣ther than to be intimately acquaint∣ed with our own Hearts. And sure the Complaisant and Good na∣tur'd Sex will not deny us this; nor can they who are so well assur'd of their own Merit entertain the least Suspicion that we shall overtop them. It is upon some other ac∣count therefore that they object against our Proposal, but what that

is I shall not pretend to guess, since they do not think fit to speak out and declare it.

Some indeed are pleas'd to say, that tho this appears in Speculation to be a very Happy and Useful way of Living, it will be quite another thing when reduc'd to Practice. Va∣riety of Humours will occasion Re∣sentments and Factions, and per∣haps other inconveniencies not yet foreseen; nor can we expect that every Person there will be of such an agreeable, obliging and teacha∣ble Temper, as neither to Give nor Take Offence. And supposing the first Company were as tractable and as happily cemented by the mutual love of Vertue, and prudent Ma∣nagement, as we cou'd desire, yet how can we be secure of their Suc∣cessors, or that this as well as other good Institutions shall not degene∣rate?

I agree so far with this Objection as to grant that our Proposal is not

such a piece of Perfection that no∣thing can be said against it, but is there any thing in this World that is so? Or do Men use to quit their Employments and Houses, their Wives and Children, Relations and Friends, upon every little pet, or because they very often find trouble or disagreeableness? do they not ra∣ther if they are good Christians, bear with Infirmities and endeavour to mend them? He then who wou'd Object to purpose must shew that the Good it may do is not equiva∣lent to the Evil which may attend it; that the Ladies will suffer greater Inconveniencies with, than without it, and that it will not in the Main be best. Otherwise we shall take li∣berty to believe that it is Humor, Covetousness or any thing rather than Reason which restrains him from Approving and Promoting it. There is a certain Pride in the Mind of Man, which flatters him that he can See farther and Judge better

than his Neighbour, and he loves to feed it by scrupling and object∣ing against what another proposes, who perhaps has not over-look'd those fine discoveries in which he hugs himself, but having view'd them on all sides has discern'd and despis'd their insignificancy. I wou'd only ask our Objectors whe∣ther they think the World so good as that it needs none, or so bad as that it is not capable of Amend∣ment? If neither of these, let them tell me whether Complaining and Wishing will ever do the business, or who is the greatest Benefactor to Mankind, he who finds fault with every Project set on foot to better and improve them, because it is not exactly after the Pattern in the Mount, that is indeed according to his own tooth and relish; it is not beyond exception, but has a touch of Humane Weakness and Ignorance mingled with it? Or he who vigo∣rously and sincerely with a pure

heart and a diligent hand, sets about doing what he Can, tho not so much as he Wou'd, were his abi∣lities greater? We're all apt enough to cry out against the Age, but to what purpose are our Exclamations unless we go about to Reform it? Not faintly and coldly as if we were unconcern'd for the success, and on∣ly wou'd do somewhat to still the reproaches of our Consciences and to exalt us in our own Imaginations, with the Pompous Idea of Zeal and Public Spiritedness; but with all our Might, with an Unwearied Indu∣stry and Vigor, I'me asham'd to say like that which the Instruments of Satan express in making Proselytes to Wickedness and Prophaneness; but rather with such as becomes the Servants of Christ, which bears some sort of proportion to the Great∣ness of our Master, the Importance of the Work and the Excellency of the Reward.

We do not expect that all who come into this Society will be per∣fect, but we will endeavour to make them and our selves so as much as may be. Nor shall any be admitted who either have not, or are not desirous to have, that Di∣vine yet humble, that Great and Generous, yet Meek and Condes∣cending Spirit, that unfeigned Love to GOD and all Mankind which was in Christ Jesus. We set no other Rules than those of the Go∣spel, Christianity being the highest Improvement of a Rational Nature, and every one's oblig'd to keep its Institutions whether they Live in such a Society or out of it.

And as for that degeneracy which it may fall into, 'tis too general an objection to have any weight, and may as well be urg'd against Univer∣sities, all sorts of Government, and indeed against every thing, as against this. May be's and if's are endless, and he who undertakes to

provide against all Future Contin∣gencies, either believes no GOD or fancies himself to be one. A Prudent Man will look as far as he can, and provide to the ut∣most of his Knowlege and Pow∣er, but when that's done, he knows he's but a Man and there∣fore can't possibly Forsee and Reme∣dy all things.

Let's then do what we Can, and leave the rest to our Great Bene∣factor and Governor, but let us set about our own part, not only when the way is open and easy, who shall give us thanks for that? but in spite of all Difficulties and Dis∣couragement, since we have so Glo∣rious a Leader, so indefatigable in his Labours, so boundless in his Love, such an Omnipotent Assister who neither wants Power nor Will to help us. The Peevishness and Obstinacy of such as Quarrel with our Labour of Love and set them∣selves

against all we can do to serve them, will only add to our Laurels and enlarge our Triumphs, when our Constancy in doing Good has at last o'ercome those Perverse Op∣posers of it.

The End.

Notes

• P. 72, &c.