MEN and WOMEN compared . 77 
tive goodnefs of heart among women, there would be alfo more 
among men. Cuftom and education has warp’d your affcdtions. 
The young female reader of romances, will afluredly think of 
lovers more than fhe ought ; but how feldom do we hear of 
fuch generofity in love, as well wrote romances teach ! — You 
may retort ^is upon us, if you pleafe ; and I will grant that 
money, with the pride and vanity that generally attends it, have, 
in fome meafure, extinguifhed that noblenefs of fentiment which 
brings both fexes near to a level with angels. As the cafe 
now Hands, reproaches on either fide are no great proofs of un- 
demanding : god made both male and female equally depend- 
ant on each other for their happinefs : he made them noble 
creatures, let them be careful not to deform themfelves, or 
think meanly of fo excellent a part of the creation as them- 
felves ; happy are they, when once united, if they faun dome- 
ftic broils, and do not convert the blefings of heaven into rni- 
fery and definition. 
There is one circumftance of great moment to be obferved in 
this enquiry. The equality of men and women would be 
brought much nearer, and produce many happy confequences, 
if women were taught to lay afide the puerile fears, and fanta- 
ftic inquietudes, which are fo apt to prevail in the female breaf , 
and which might be fubdued, without deftroying their delicacy. 
Fortitude is generally reprefented in the figure of a woman, tho’ 
not of the moft tender frame ; but it has really no fex, the pof- 
fefion of it is the prerogative of rational beings, and adds a 
brighter luftre to female charms, than all the diamonds which 
India or brazil ever produced. 
0 
If 
