CHAP. VII.

REMARKS ON PROPENSITY TO IMI

TATION.

On Drefs.

AT the age when young women are introduced into general fociety, the character, even of those who have been the best instructed, is in a confiderable degree unfixed. The full force of temptation, as yet known only by report, is now to be learned from hazardous experience. Right principles, approved in theory, are to be reduced from fpeculation into practice. Modes of conduct, wifely chofen and well begun, are to be confirmed by the influence of habit. New scenes are to be witneffed; new opinions to be heard; new examples to be obferved; new dangers to be encountered.

The

Un

The refult of a very few years at this season of life, in almost every case, powerfully affects, and in many cafes unequivocally decides, the tenor of its future courfe. fortunate are those individuals who, at this critical period, being deftitute of the counfel of judicious friends, or too giddy to give it a patient hearing, or too opinionated to receive it with kindness, advance unaided to the trial; and are left blindly to imbibe the maxims, and imitate the proceedings, of the thoughtless multitude around them.

A propenfity to imitation is natural to the human mind, and is attended with various effects highly favourable to human happiness. To childhood it is a perpetual source of knowledge, gained without labour and without reluctance. In riper years it continues to inftruct. It produces fuch a degree of conformity between the manners and conduct of different individuals, as maintains the harmony of society, notwithftanding the clashing pursuits and pretenfions

I 2

rarely feem in the common intercourse of life to turn their abilities to the advantage either of themselves or of their friends; others, gifted with equal talents, are tempted to misapply them by the consciousness of poffeffing them. Vain of their powers and of their dexterity in the use of them, they cannot refift the impulfe which they feel to lead a pert and coxcombical young man, whenever he falls in their way, to expose himself. The prattle which they defpife, they encourage; because it amuses them by rendering the speaker ridiculous. They lead him on, unfufpicious of their defign, and fecretly pluming himself, on the notice which he attracts, and on his own happy talents of rendering himself agreeable, and delighted the most when he is most the object of derifion, from one step of folly to another. By degrees they contract an habitual relish for the ftyle of conversation, which enables them at once to difplay their own wit, and to gratify their paffion for mirth, and their tafte for the ludicrous. They become inwardly

wardly impatient when it flags; and more impatient when it meets with interruption. And if a man of grave aspect and more wakeful reflection prefumes to step within the circle, they affail the unwelcome intruder with a volley of brilliant raillery and fparkling repartee, which bears down knowledge and learning before it; and convulfe the delighted auditors with peals of laughter, while he labours in his heavy accoutrements after his light-armed antagonist, and receives at every turn a fhower of arrows, which he can neither parry nor withstand.

From the remarks which have been made on the frivolousness of language and fentiment which often appears agreeable to women; and even to women who are qualified both to communicate and to enjoy the highest pleasures of converfation which can flow from cultivated minds; let it not be inferred, that the mixed discourse either of female society, or of young perfons of the

two fexes, is to resemble the difcuffions of a board of philofophers; and that ease and gaiety, and laughter and wit, are to be proscribed as inveterate enemies of sobriety and good fenfe. Let eafe exempt from affectation, gaiety prompted by innocence, laughter the effufion of ingenuous delight, and wit unftained with any tincture of malevolence, enliven the hours of social converse. But let it not be thought that their enlivening influence is unreasonably curtailed, if good fenfe be empowered at all times to fuperintend their proceedings; and if sobriety be authorised sometimes to interpose topics, which may exercife and improve the faculties of the understanding.

At the close of thefe remarks on female conversation, it may be allowable to fubjoin a few words on a kindred subject, epiftolary correfpondence. Letters which pafs between men commonly relate, in a greater or a lefs degree, to actual bufinefs. Even young men, on whom the cares of