I. VIOLA. 43 



to my other books, that they encourage young ladies to 

 go into convents ; or undervalue the dignity of wives and 

 mothers. But, as surely as the sun does sever day from 

 night, it will be found always that the noblest and love- 

 liest women are dutiful and religious by continual nature ; 

 and their passions are trained to obey them ; like their 

 dogs. Homer, indeed, loves Helen with all his heart, 

 and restores her, after all her naughtiness^ to the queen- 

 ship of her household ; but he never thinks of her as 

 Penelope's equal, or Iphigenia's. Practically, in daily 

 life, one often sees married women as good as saints ; but 

 rarely, I think, unless they have a good deal to bear from 

 their husbands. Sometimes also, no doubt, the husbands 

 have some trouble in managing St. Cecilia or St. Eliza- 

 beth ; of which questions I shall be obliged to speak 

 more seriously in another place : content, at present, if 

 English maids know better, by Proserpina's help, what 

 Shakspeare meant by the dim, and Milton by the glowing, 

 violet. 



