GiiAP. XXV.] Education. 139 



form course of nature, from experience, and from 

 the word of God, that females are destined for 

 different pursuits and employments from men, and 

 that the sphere of their activity should be diffe- 

 rent. This, of consequence, will call for a diffe- 

 rent education, will lead to different habits, and 

 yvill give rise to distinguishing characteristics. Do 

 not the professional employments of men every 

 day beget observable peculiarities of character 

 and taste ? And is it not perfectly natural, on the 

 same principle, that there should be sexual pecu- 

 liarities ? Nor is there any necessity for supposing 

 a radical inferiority of intellectual power in fe- 

 males. It will be readily granted, that with the 

 same kind, and with the same degree, of cultiva- 

 tion with men, they would exhibit equal capacity 

 of mind. But the necessary reserve of the female 

 sex, their domestic duties, their sedentary life, the 

 infirmities and confmement resulting from the pe- 

 culiar sexual oflices before alluded to, and the va- 

 rious peculiarities of their situation, are abun- 

 dantly sufficient to produce in them a different 

 genius and character of mind from those of men, 

 whose active employments, daring enterprises, 

 aspiring ambition, diversified scenes and occupa- 

 tions, familiarity with danger, and unceasing la- 

 bours to gain fame, wealth, or pleasure, impart to 

 their minds a vigour, a courage, a solidity, a wa- 

 riness, and a persevering patience in exertion, 

 which are rarely found in wpmeu *. 



* Miss Ilaunali IMore, in one of her Essays, seems to admit 

 the idea of an ori'^inal inferiority of mental character in females. 

 She expresses herself in this manner : " Women have generally 

 tjuicker perceptions ; men have justcr sentiments. Women cpa» 



