pO STUDIES OF NATURE. 



terrible weapon which it is poffible to employ, 

 though it be the armour only of the weak, becaiife 

 women are the firfl: to lay hold of it ; and as, from 

 national prejudice, their efteem is the firft of blef- 

 fings, it follows, that their contempt muft be the 

 mod grievous calamity imaginable *, 



Cardinal Richlieu having, at laft, reftored to 

 Kings the legiflative authority, thereby ftripped 

 the Nobility, in a great meafure, of the power of 

 injuring each other by civil wars ; but he was not 

 able to abolifh among them the rage for duelling, 

 becaufe the root of this prejudice is in the people, 

 and becaufe edids have no power over their opi- 

 nions when they are opprefled. The edidt of the 

 Prince prohibits the gentleman to go to meet his 

 antagonift in fingle combat, and the opinion of his 



* A provincial Academy, fome years ago, propofed this 



queftion as the fubjeft for the prize of Saint Lcuis ; " In what 



" manner female education might be made to contribute to- 



" ward rendering men better ?" I treated it, and was guilty of 



committing two faults of ignorance, not to mention others. 



The firlt was, my prefuming to write on fuch a fubjecl, after 



Fenelcn had compofed an excellent treatife on the educ ation of 



young women; and the fécond, to think of arguing for truth 



in an Academy. The one in queftion did not beftow the prize, 



and recalled it's fubjeft. All that can be faid on this queftion 



is, that in every country, women are indebted for their empire, 



only to their virtues, and to the intereft which they have always 



taken in behalf of the miferable. 



valet- 



