1797-] —_., Improvements fuggefted in Female Education. 194 
ef every individual, and with the exift- 
ence of the political inftitutions of the 
country. That the concerns of the bank 
have been long conducted in a manner 
that refleéted great credit on thofe who 
had the direétion of them, only caufes 
the greater regret, that during the pre- 
fent ruinous conteft, they fhould have fo 
readily acquiefced in the meafures of a 
minifter who has proved himfelf one of 
the worft financiers this country ever 
had; and fo far extended their advances 
to government, as to bring the company 
and the country into the prefent unfor- 
tunate dilemma. The meafures that have 
been taken fince the order of council, 
were perhaps the only expedients which, 
under “* the exigency of the cafe,’’ could 
be immediately adopted ; but they will 
foon be found to afford very little effec- 
tual relief to the bank, who can only be 
honourably extricated from their prefent 
fituation, by the repayment of a great 
part of the {ums lately drawn from them 
by government; by this means, they 
might be enabled to reduce very con. 
fiderably the amount of their notes at 
prefent in circulation: but this alone 
would not be fufhcient; a confiderable 
part of fuch repayment muft probably be 
made in exchequer-bills, or fome other 
government fecurity, | by the fale of which 
the bank might take in their own notes. 
In this cafe, the quantity of paper-money 
would be ftill the fame, and the < apparent 
deficiency being transferred to where it 
actwally exilis, the increafe of govern- 
ment fecurities would of courfe increafe 
their prefent depreciation. Nothing can 
effectually fupport public credit under 
the prefent circumitances, but a confi- 
derable increafe of the current coin of 
the country, the natural bafis on which 
the |whole fabric of paper-credit reits; 
for Rue a-dimeulty remains in deere. 
ing cafh for paper, nothing can prevent 
individuals for hoarding the former, or 
fave the latter from falling into difre- 
pute; and though the propofition may 
to fome appear premature, the meafure 
that in the prefent crifis would probably 
be attended with the moft permanent ef- 
fect, would be for government to encou- 
rage individuals to make a voluntary of-' 
fer of their plate for the purpofe of being 
converted into money, allowing the ro. 
prietors the fullfum it would make, after 
deducting the alee uf coinage. To 
purchafe much builion at prefent for the 
mint, would ftill farther augment its 
price, and caufe the new coin to be melt- 
ed almoft as foon as iflued; but the mea- 
{ure propofed, while it avoided this effect, 
would introduce. a yery «x nfideradle 
quantity of fpecie into circulation, part*- 
cularly of filver coin, at prefent fo much 
wanted, without de priving our mer- 
chants of the foreign coin neceflary forthe 
purpofes of commerce. It is an exDe~ 
dient that probably q//l be reforted to, 
when it is too late to derive any confi~ 
derable benefit from it, although at pre- 
fent it might probably contribute to pre- 
vent much worfe confequences 3 it would 
be attended with a real advantage to in- 
dividuals, and afford a much more une 
quivocal, proof of a regard to the inte 
reft of their country, than the late fub- 
{Lriptions to the hee which have beer, 
thought a fubjeét for panegyric, although 
the money was advanced on terms 
which a few years fince would have beer 
thought very exorbitant. 
pe eG: 
SSE 
March-1%, 1797. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
STR; 
] AM encouraged by your infertion of 
my defence of the talents of women, 
in se to the Ht res oF A.B. and ve 
to addrefs you upon a fubjeét, which, if 
not entirely depending upon the princi 
ple in queftion, 1S yet intimately con- 
netted with it. An eloquent advocate 
forthe rights of her fex, and of huma- 
nity, waving the controverted, though 
‘not ‘unimportant, quetticn,- refpecting 
fexuial equality, conte inde, that our virtues 
and acquire et nts’ fhould be the fame in 
nature, if didering in deeree: “nveta= 
bli thing this important truth, the depio- 
rable confequences refulting from the 
diftincion s hitherto adhered to 1h oe 
education a the fexes, are painted wit 
glow ing colouring, and initied upon in 
energetic language. 
Female education, as at prefent con - 
ducted, is-a complete fv ftem of artifice 
and de{potifm ; all the little | luxuriances 
and exuberances ef charaéter, which 
individualife the a which give pro- 
mife of, and lay the foundation for, fu- 
ture powers, are carefully lopped and 
pruned away; fincerity and candour are 
reprefied with fo licitude; the terrors of 
opinion aré fet in array, and fufpended 
ever the victim, till the enfeebled and 
broken {piri it epnns to the trammels, 
and, paflive, tame, and docile, is 
aretched cr thortened (as on’ the frame 
of the tyrant Procruftes) tothe vpver/af 
flandurd. From woman. thus rendered 
{yflematically weak and powerlefs, to 
whom truth and morals have been con- 
founded 





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