2796. | 
To this I anfwer, that the fuperiority 
of the inteileétual abilities of men, ap- 
pears to be decided, by the experience of 
all ages, and ail nations. In all the dif- 
serent ages and countries of the world, 
no woman has appeared, of whom we 
have any account, who has manifefted 
abilities equal to thofe which have been 
exhibited by many men. I conceive that 
the difadvantages,.under which women 
labour, in point of education, will not 
fatisfactorily, or rationally, account for 
this unvaried fuperiority on the part of 
the'men, taken collectively. What has 
induced, the great Author of nature to 
caufe the intelleétual powers of women 
to be inferior to thofe of men, it may 
not be eafy for us to determine. Such 
ideas, however, may be formed of the 
reafon of this, as may not be wholly un- 
_ fatisfactory. The fupreme Being appears 
to have given fuch powers to his crea. 
tures as were fuited to the different 
tuations in which they were to be 
placed : and fuch talents as thofe which 
were poffefied by Bacon, and by Newton, 
would probably not qualify a woman the 
better for nurfing children, or for: dif- 
charging the proper duties of a mother 
or a.wife. | 
Your female correfpondent fays, “we 
will allow, that, upon the AGGREGATE, 
from 4 FAIR CALCULATION, the ba- 
lance of intelleétual- attainment would, 
PROBABLY, be found on the fide of the 
men.”’ When the literary and {cien- 
tific productions of men and women, 
taken colleétively, are compared, this 
feems much fuch a candid acknowledge- 
ment as it would be if a comparifon 
were made, as to fize, between one of 
the common houfes in St. Paul’s church- 
yard and the cathedral; anda man, on 
fuch an otcafion, were to fay, “fam 
inclined to believe, and think it Pro- 
BABLE, that, upon a FAIR ADMEA- 
SUREMENT, that houfe would be found 
not to be quite fo large as St. Paul’s ca- 
thedral.” Your correfpondent has men- 
tioned the names of feveral celebrated 
women, who have diftinguithed them- 
felves at different periods; but not one 
of thefe will admit of any comparifon 
with many men who might be enume- 
rated. Among others, fhe has men- 
tioned queen Elizabeth. That princefs 
Was cotemporary with William Shak- 
{peare,and with Francis Bacon ; and fhe 
had much more inftruétion in literature 
than ever Shakfpeare had; but I con- 
fider her asa mere child in underftand- 
ing, compared either 
or with Bacon. 
Poetry of Spain and Portngal. ~ 
with Shak{peare. 
697 
Men, under extreme ~ difadvantages 
for the want of education, have attained 
to degrees of eminence in literature and 
in fcience, never attained by women in 
fimilar circumftances. Ir is, therefore, 
rational to conclude, from invariable ex- 
perience, that the intelleétual powers of. 
women are inferior to thofe of men. Ag 
the fame time, I am fo far from withing 
any reftraints to be laid on female genius, 
that I fhould be defirous of promoting 
every rational fcheme for the improve- 
ment of their education, and for enabling 
them to-culiivate their talents in the mo& 
advantageous manner. 
A. B. 
rom ESS ed 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
I NOW proceed to perform the pro- 
mife I made, of prefenting the public. 
with farther particulars relative to the 
poetry of Spain and Pertugal. 
Towards the clofe of the fifteenth 
century, was born Mofen juan Bofcan 
Almogavar, the reformer of Spanifh 
poetry ; and, inthe year 1503, his more 
celebrated affiftant and friend Garcilafe 
de la Vega. Bofcan was tutor to the 
great duke of Alva: ‘* the hercic vir- 
tues that adorned the mind of the pupil 
prove with what diligence and fuccefs 
the tutor performed his duty ;’’ fo fays - 
one of his biographers. Let not the 
reader deteft the poet Rofcan becaufe he 
had the misfortune to educate the deteft- 
able duke of Alvat Alexander had 
liftened to the leffons cf Ariftorle, and 
the fon of Antoninus muft have heard 
the precepts of his father; but no cul- 
ture can render the night-thade inno- 
cent. 
Gefore this period, the poetry of 
Spain was harfh and barbarous; fome 
of their old ballads, indeed, poffefs that 
fimplicity which is fuperior to all. art, 
and which no art can beftow ; there is, 
however, in the art of verfification fome- 
thing which, though it may fail to 
charm us, will at leaf prevent us from 
being difgutted ; how would the in- 
fipidity of Addifon’s poems have been 
received, had they been dreffed in the 
rhymes of Dr. Donne? 
Bofcan himmfelf tells us, in his dedica- 
tion to the duchefs de Soma, that it was 
by the advice of Andres Nabagero, the- 
Venetian ambafflador, that he introduced 
Italian metres and Italian ‘tafte into the 
Caftilian poetry. ‘ We were converf- 
ing together at Grenada (fays he) upon 
literary fubjecis, and particularly upon 
: nor the 

