STUDY XIV. 365 



Society abandoned to all the abfurdities of our 

 education, to all the prejudices of our various con- 

 ditions, and to the ambitions of each contending 

 party, had not the women crofled us upon the 

 road. Our Hiftory prefents only the difputes of 

 monks with monks, of doftors with doélors, of 

 grandees with grandees, of nobles with the bafe- 

 born ; while crafty politicians gradually lay hold 

 of all our pofieffions. But for the women, all 

 thefe parties would have made a defert of the State, 

 and led the commonalty, to the very laft man, to 

 the Slaughter, or to market, a piece of advice 

 which was aélually given not many years ago. Ages 

 have elapfed, in which we fhould all have been 

 Cordeliers, born and dying encircled with the cord 

 of St. Francis ; in others, all would have taken to 

 the road in the character of knights-errant, ram- 

 bling over hill and dale with lance in hand ; in 

 others, all penitents, parading through the ftreets 

 of our cities, in folemn procédions, and whipping 

 ourfelves to fome purpofe ; in others, quifquis or 

 quamquam of the Univerlity. 



The women, thrown out of their natural (late, 

 by our unjuft manners, turn every thing upfide 

 down, laugh at every thing, deftroy every thing, 

 the great fortunes, the pretenfions of pride, and 

 the prejudices of opinion. Women have only one 



paffion. 



