Chap. XXV.] Education. 127 



ment, tlie religion, the climate, and even as the 

 caprices of the writers who at diilerent periods 

 have undertaken to, compose them. But, by a' 

 strange fatality, women have been almost wholly 

 omitteil in the account, as if they were not gifted 

 with reason and understanding, but were only to 

 be valued for the elegance of their manners, the 

 symmetry of their forms, and the power of their 

 blandishments." In the history of the earliest na- 

 tions, we occasionally meet indeed with accounts 

 of females who had elevated and pov/erful minds, 

 and who were well informed for tlie period in 

 which they lived. In the history of Europe, dur- 

 ing the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, we 

 also fmd a ^qw instances of distinguished wonicn» 

 some of whom, in talents, learning, and virtue, 

 have perhaps never been excelled since that pe- 

 riod : but the number of this description was so 

 inconsiderable, the circumstances in which they 

 v/ere placed were so peculiar, and the influence 

 of their character and example so small, that they 

 scarcely form exceptions to the general statement 

 which has been given. The great mass of the sex 

 still remained unacquainted with letters and sci- 

 ence ; their whole attention being directed either 

 to the allurements of personal decoration, or tt* 

 the details of domestic economy. 



The eighteenth century produced a memorable 

 change of opinion aud of practice on this subject. 

 The character and talents of the female sex have 

 become during this period more highly esti- 

 mated, their importance in society better under- 

 stood, and the means of rendering their salutary 

 influence more familiarly known and adopted 5 



