STUDY XIII. 207 



takes place in mofl; men, and, to acknowledge the 

 truth, that it is then they degenerate, and become 

 deflitiite of principle. At this period it is that 

 women transform themfelves into men, according 

 to the expreffion of a celebrated Writer, in other 

 M'ords, that they become completely depraved- 

 This fatal revolution is a confequence of the vices 

 of our education, and of the manners of Society. 

 Both of thefe prefent the profped: of human hap- 

 pinefs, only toward the middle period of life, in 

 the poffeffion of fortune and of honours. When 

 we have painfully fcrambled up this fteep moun- 

 tain, and reached it's fummir, about the middle of 

 our courfe, we re-defcend with our eyes turned 

 back toward youth, becaufe we have no perfpective 

 before us but death. Thus the career of life is 

 divided into two parts, the one confiding of hopes, 

 the other of recolleclions j and we have laid hold 

 of nothing, by the way, but Ululions. 



The firft, at lead, fupport us by feeding defire ; 

 but the others overwhelm us, by infpiring regret 

 only. This is the reafon that old men are lefs 

 fufceptible of virtue than young people, though 

 they talk much more about it, and that they are 

 much more miclancholy among us than among fa- 

 vage Nations. Had they been direded by Reli- 

 gion and Nature, they muft have rejoiced in the 

 approach of their latter end, as vefTsls juft ready 



to 



