MISCELLANEOUS ESSAYS. 
their own customs as the most per- 
fect in the world. An English fady, 
addressing herself to me, observed, 
that the women of Asia had no 
liberty at al), but live like slaves, 
without honour aud without autho- 
rity, in the houses of their hus- 
bands; and she censured the men 
for their unkindness, and the wo- 
men also, for submitting to be so 
undervalued. However much I at- 
tempted, by various ways, to unde+ 
ceive her, by observing that the 
truth is exactly the reverse (for it is 
the European women who do not 
possess so much power), yet it did 
not bring convi¢tion to her mind. 
She, however, began to waver in 
her own opinion, and falling into 
doubt, requested me to write some- 
thing on the subjeét, the purport of 
which she might comprehend at one 
view, aud be enabled to distinguish 
the truth from falsehood. 
‘© Since the same wrong opinion, 
is deeply rooted in the minds of all 
other Europeans, and has been fre- 
quently held forth, I considered it 
necessary to write a few lines con- 
cerning the privileges of the female 
sex, as established both by law and 
custom, in Asia, and in Europe; 
omitting whatever was common to 
both, and noticing what is peculiar 
to each, in the manner of compa- 
rison, that the distinétion may be 
the more easily made, and the real 
state of the case become evident to 
those capable of discernment. 
*¢ Tt must first be laid down as a 
general maxim, that, in social or- 
der, respect to the rules of polite- 
ness, and forbearance from injury, 
is a necessary condition ; for other- 
wise, the liberty of one would be 
destructive of the liberty of another ; 
thus, if a person be at liberty to do 
in his own house what way endan- 
883° 
ger the safety of his neighbour’s, 
this must be in direét opposition to 
the liberty of that neighbour ; or 
if, in order to free himself from the’ 
inconvenience of the kot weather, 
he should visit his friend in his dres- 
sing-gown, or night-shir't, although 
it would be ease and liberty to him, 
yet it would be'sowing the seeds 
of ill-breeding ; therefore, the ob- 
servance of these rules is essential. ¢ 
‘¢ Those things, which make the 
liberty of the Asiatic women appear 
less than that of the Europeans, are, 
in my opinion, six: 
‘¢ First.—The little intercourse 
with men, and concealment from 
view. agreeable to law and their own 
habits; and this is the chief of the 
whole: for it has been the cause of 
those false notions, entertained by’ 
European women, that the imclina- 
tion of the Asiatic females leads~ 
them to walk out in the streets, and 
market-places, and that their hus- 
bands keep them shut up, .and set 
guards upon their door. It may be 
observed, that the advantages of 
this /éié/e intercourse, which pre- 
vents all the evils from the admit- 
tance, of strangers, and affords so 
much time for employment and use- 
ful work, are so very manifest, that 
they need not be enlarged upon: 
the praéticein London of keeping the 
doors of the houses shut, and the con- 
temptible condition of the Dutch, at 
the Cape of Good Hope, aresuflicient 
proofs. If, notwithstanding this, 
the custom of the intercourse of 
the sexes is allowed in England ; it 
is owing, both to the force of cus 
tom, and good morals ‘among the 
English, and to the appreheusion 
of greater inconveniencies in the 
contrary practice. The chief of these 
inconveniencies are four; first, the 
hgh price of all things, and the 
sL2 small 
