STUDY XIV. 367 



Alas ! as well as ourfelves, they never will find 

 happinefs except in the pradlice of virtue. In 

 all countries where the empire of virtue is at an 

 end, they are moft miferable. They were formerly 

 exceedingly happy in the virtuous Republics of 

 Greece and of Italy : there they decided the fate 

 of States : at this day, reduced to the condition of 

 flaves, in thofe very countries, the greateft part of 

 them are under the neceffity of fubmitting to prof- 

 titution for the fake of a livelihood. Ours ought 

 not to defpair of us. They poflefs over Man an 

 empire abfolutely inalienable * ; we know them 

 only under the appellation of the fex, to which we 

 have given the epithet of fair byway of excellence. 



* It deferves to be remarked, that moft of the names of the 

 obje£ls of Nature, of morals, and of metaphyfics, are feminine, 

 efpecially in the French language. It would afford matter of 

 curious refearch, to enquire, whether mafculine names have 

 been given by the women, and feminine names by the men, to 

 objefts which are moft particularly fubfervient to the ufes of 

 each fex ; or whether the firft have been made of the mafculine 

 gender, becaufe they prefented charaders of energy and force, 

 and the fécond of the feminine gender, becaufe they difplayed 

 charafters of grace and lovelinefs. I am perfuaded, that the 

 men having given names to the objefls of nature, in general, 

 have laviflied feminine defignations upon them, from that fecret 

 propenfity which attracts them toward the fex : this obfervation 

 is fupported by the names affigned to the heavenly Conftellations, 

 to the four quarters of the Globe, to by far the greateft part of 

 rivers, kingdoms, fruits, trees, virtues, and fo on; 



But 



