1 7§I . • SOPHIA ON THE EDUCATION OF YOUNG LADIES. 2 2^ 



ly on all mufical inftruments ; to ling, to dance, to 

 draw, to paint, and what not, for filling up their time 

 agreeably, and rendering them interelling to fociety. 

 To this I anfwer, that without the foundation of gram- 

 mar, verbal and univerfal, without logic, without the 

 principles of moral and political philofophy, without a 

 juft knowledge of univerfal hillory, chronolog}', and 

 the (ludy of mathematics, to l.iy the foundationof thought 

 and of reafoning, ail thefe accompliihments, as tliey 

 are called, in the fex, are no more than the performan- 

 ces of Automatons — But perhaps I am running here 

 a little before the fpirit of the times. I therefore ch«fck 

 my career a little, to take a view of the world as it goes 

 at prefent. 



Figure to yourfclf one of thefe chnrming accompliOi- 

 ed young ladies, frefh trom fix or feven years culture, 

 at one of the belt boarding fchools, or out of the hands 

 of the moft capital govcrnefs, and' the bed inflrucfors 

 at hon>e, becoming a falhionable mifs, or Lady Mary in 

 the circle of the ton ; then married, and a mother. All 

 goes on delightfully for a few years ; iVIifs, or her la- 

 dyfhip, is exceedingly liappy, and, no aoubt, much ad- 

 mired; but where are her real rcfouris at home ? Is 

 Ihe capable of conducing herfelf upon found principles 

 of wifdom ? Is fhe capable of bearing a part in truly 

 rational converfation among men of fcience, or refpect- 

 able and ufeful members of fociety, either in town or 

 country ? What becomes of her alter her beauty and 

 falhioa are at an end, which a dozen of years muft in- 

 fallibly produce ? She then becomes a promoter of 

 pleafures to a new crop of falhionable mifles, under the 

 holy malk of patronage, of chaperonJliip : She betakes 

 herfelf to cards, to continual driving about from party 

 to party ; or fhe turns Demirep or Methodift, or fome 

 ftrange thing or other, to prevent her trom feeling that 

 horrid languor which muft ever accompany the want 

 of real bulinefs, where true fcience and the fatisfadion 

 of rational curiofity docs not interpofe their aid to ob- 

 viate the dreadful confe.|ncnce8 of idlenefs 1 



