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THE MICROSCOPE.

EDITED BY A FRATERNITY OF GENTLEMEN.

NEW-HAVEN, (CONN.) PUBLISHED BY A. H. MALTBY & CO.

No. 35.] TUESDAY, JULY 18, 1820.

Say, why are Beauties praised and honoured most,
The wise man's passion, and the vain man's toast?

יין

Pope.

WITH inimitable modesty, we hear the great master of dramatic poetry exclaim, "What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculties! In form and moving, how express and admirable! In action, how like an angel! In apprehension, how like a god!" and, as if to give this eulogium the force of antithesis, he shortly adds, "frailty, thy name is woman If the first remark were the only instance of self-complacent gratulation which has occurred among men ; or if the latter was the only sarcasm that this wonderful " piece of work" has thrown upon females; they would claim notice only for their novelty. But neither precedent nor imitation have been wanting to keep them in countenance. There has never been a period when the tongue and pen of those who call themselves "lords of the creation," have not often been employed in satirizing those whom real nobleness would delight to support, protect, and render happy. And why is it

so?

Is there indeed such a disparity in the capacity of the sexes that the one in "apprehension" dares to compare himself to a "god," while the mind of the other only furnishes a "soil for the weeds of folly ?" If there is, who made them to differ? Shall the advantages which God has bestowed on man, be employed only in debasing and rendering ridiculous those from whom they are withheld? Does the shout of triumph become the lord of the forest, while he tramples under foot the feeble lamb? But I am not ready to concede there is this

disparity there is diversity-but that does not imply inferiority.

When God had created man in his own image, in knowledge as well as in righteousness, he gave him woman to be an help meet for him. She was formed with a person of great beauty, to attract his love-with dispositions harmonizing with his feelings; and a brilliant, acute, and intelligent mind, fitted to make her his rational friend, and delightful companionThe Maker saw his work and "pronounced it good;" while Adam responded a hearty Amen! With this meetness for each other, unalloyed happiness was their portion-But "the serpent beguiled" them, and they "did eat." Together they fell-both lost their Maker's image-Nor have we reason to be. lieve that Adam retained a greater proportion of his primitive endowments after the fall than Eve. Why then is it, we so frequently hear this vain boasting of superiority on the part of man?

It is true, education does much more for him than for woman -The system is better, the time devoted to its pursuit much longer, and if he be a professional character, he is constantly in the way of maturing those seeds which were sown in the seminary. With the female it is quite otherwise-The same pains have never been taken to form a proper system, the time allotted to it is shorter, and when removed from the scenes consecrated to mental improvement, her subsequent engagements are of a nature to retard literary acquisitions. I shall not present an analysis of the existing system of female education, and thus make its defects apparent: nor shall I presume to suggest a better. That I will leave for wiser heads; and would particularly recommend it to the attention of the Editors of the Microscope-as a subject worthy of their investigation. But I shall point out some of the causes why female society presents the aspect it actually does.

It is the dispensation of God, and may therefore be acknowledged without a blush, that there is in the feelings of the two sexes a particular desire to please each other. Man, holding the rank of superiour, is looked to, as furnishing the

standard to which woman should aspire.-His taste, and inclination will always govern. Rome, in the day of its martial glory, furnished an illustration of this principle. The love of country, next to the fear of the gods, was the predominant feeling in the Roman breast. Hence we find the unprotected wife, voluntarily relinquishing the arm which was her support, that it might be raised in patriotic enterprise.-We see the most affectionate mother array her only son for battle, and hear the parting injunction, "Be borne hither my son, on your shield, rather than disgrace your country by cowardice or defeat" In every country, and in every society, we find the tone of the female mind, pitched in unison with the disposi tions of the male.-Hence the daring intrepidity of the female Highlander-the soft and voluptuous manners of the Italian Signora the levity of the French Madamoiselle-and the dig nífied polish of the English gentlewoman.-And now, when we see this ready adaptation of talents and feelings to the taste and humour of those they would please; are we not led by necessary inference, while commenting on the peculiar char. acteristics of the female society in this country, to say, that it has been formed by those very persons who so lavishly and dishonorably satirize it?

I shall offer no opinion of my own, as to what is the real taste of our gentlemen, but will appeal to themselves to say, whether their conduct and conversation will not justify the belief, that they consider beauty as the criterion of merit, Evidence of this opinion is furnished by others than the spruce gallant, whom a strict conformity to fashion and an assiduous attention to the fair, has stamped "a beau," It displays ite self in all. The reverend parson excuses himself from creeds and commentaries-the physician disregards the directions of Sydenham and Cullen-the lawyer is alike indifferent to Black, stone and Coke; the philosopher relinquishes the doctrine of immateriality; the man of business forgets interest and princi pal, while within the influence of "ruby lips, and roseate cheeks." If then," beauty's the sexes sole pretence," the best receipt to gain attention and admiration, is it strange it

should be highly prized by the possessor, and ambitiously sought from art, where nature has dealt with a sparing haud? Fortunately, however, for a class of ladies who do not share this" best gift of heaven," there is a diversity of taste among those who frequent female society. The number of gentlemen is not small, who think there are charms, much "more potent" than those of person; they are "drawn from the dark Peruvian mine"

"What spells and talismans of Venus,

Are found in dollars, crowns and guineas-
In purse of gold. a single stiver

Beats all the darts in Cupid's quiver."

These are a salvo for coarse features, an awkward person, ungraceful manners, and an uninformed mind. The class of gentlemen who are votaries at this shrine, are all converts to the doctrine of expediency.-They would form an excellent prudential committee to regulate the matrimonial concerns of the nation. We would recommend to them, as an appropriate inscription for their distinguishing badge, the distich containing the wholesome suggestion, that

"Any wife may turn out ill,

But then the money never will.”

Such being the sentiments of a great portion of the gentlemen of the day, is it strange, that the ladies who inherit this most precious of all endowments, should rest satisfied with it; and take no pains to acquire or cultivate others, which, in comparison with this" weighty matter," are as " anise, mint and cummin." Who is there that will take trouble to gain that which her circumstances do not require? As soon would the man of learning think an acquaintance with the black-letter literature necessary, as the beauty or the heiress, seek the "inward adorning of the mind," while they enjoy the envied distinction of belles without it.

Why is it that among our best educated, most respectable gentlemen, we so seldom hear of the superiour merit, of the amiable, intelligent, refined and pious Amanda. Those who have reached that period of life in which we learn to place a

just estimate on persons and things, delight to speak her praise and dwell on her worth-Why then this anomaly among her cotemporaries of the male sex? Alas! she is not a beauty-she is not an heiress.

Why is it that the indiscreet, volatile and uninformed Gloriana is the favorite toast of the day? Behold the blending of the lily and the rose, mark "the liquid lustre of the mild blue eye" and they will tell you.-Gloriana is a beauty.

But why is it that with all Gloriana's personal attractions, she is less a reigning belle, than the coarse and ill-bred Victoria? Victoria has not the mental endowments of Amanda, nor the beauty of Gloriana, and yet her acquaintance is sought by every Calebs, more than either. The secret is revealed when I tell you that she has in reversion for him who gains her hand the countless thousands-Victoria is an heiress. Since then intelligence and moral worth are no longer necessary to gain distinction in society, it is not surprising they are not more cultivated. If they are nearly obsolete, the reason may be found in the taste of the times-And shall they who cause this effect, be first to satirize it when produced? It would perhaps exhibit a spirit of recrimination to remark on the want of generosity so often displayed by those who hold up the female sex to ridicule. I shall therefore withhold those observations which must suggest themselves to every candid mind while contemplating the subject. Nor shall I, by reasoning, or by the selection of many fair examples, endeavour to show, to what the female mind can attain, under favourable auspices. That has been well done by Perilla*-Nor shall I comment on the vanity and boasted superiority of man-that has been ably illustrated by Amelia. But with her, I concur in the opinion that it is in the power of gentlemen to "make" their female associates "what they would wish them to be."Without drawing any relative comparison between the mental capacity of the sexes—we shall at the shrine of man's generosity claim

* No. 24.

"The right that nature gave,
Just honors of our kind,

↑ No. 22.

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