"God be not blafphemed." The obligation of imparting inftruction to young women preffes on those who are further advanced in life with the greater force and urgency in proportion to the clofenefs of the ties, whether of confanguinity or of friendship, by which the latter are connected with the former; and alfo to the circumstances of difpofition, of time and place, and various other particulars, which may give to the admonition a more or less favourable profpect of fuccefs. Let it not however be imagined that it binds you to confult the improvement of your daughter only and your niece, or of fome individual thrown by peculiar events under your immediate fuperintendence. It binds you to confult the improvement of all whom it is in your power to improve, whether connected with you more or lefs; whether your fuperiors, your equals, or your inferiors; whether likely to derive a higher or a lower degree of advantage from your

endeavours. It binds you to confult their improve

improvement by deliberate advice, by incidental reflection, by filent example; studiously selecting, varying, and combining the means which you employ according to the character and fituation of the perfon whom you defire to benefit. It binds you to do all with earneftnefs and prudence; with fincerity and benevolence. It binds you to beware, left by negligence you lose opportunities which you might with propriety have embraced; or through inadvertence and mistaken politeness contribute to ftrengthen sentiments and practices, to which, if you are at the time unable to oppose them with effect, you ought, at least, not to have given the apparent sanction of your authority.

The good fenfe and the refinement of the present age have abated much of the contempt, with which it was heretofore the practice to regard women, who had attained or past the middle period of life DD 4 without

without having entered into the bands of marriage. The contempt was unjust, and it was ungenerous. Why was it ever

deemed to be merited? Because the objects of it were remaining in a state of finglehood? Perhaps that very circumftance might be entitled in a very large majority of inftances to praise and admiration. So various are the motives which men in general permit to have confiderable influence on their views in marriage; fo different are the opinions of different individuals of that sex as to personal appearance and manners in the other; that of the women who pass through life without entering into a connubial engagement, there are, probably, very few who have not had, earlier or later, the option of contracting it. If then, from a wife and delicate reluctance to accept offers made by perfons of objectionable or of ambiguous character; from unwillingness to leave the abode of a defolate parent, ftruggling with difficulties,

or

or declining towards the grave; from a repugnance to marriage produced by affection furviving the lofs of a beloved object prematurely fnatched away by death; if in confequence of any of these or of fimilar caufes a woman continues fingle, is fhe to be despised? Let it be admitted that there are fome individuals, who, by manifeft ill-temper, or by other repulfive parts of their character, have even from their youth precluded themselves from the chance of receiving matrimonial propofals. Is this a reafon for branding unmarried women of a middle age with a general ftigma? Be it admitted that certain peculiarities of deportment, certain faults of difpofition, are proverbially frequent in women, who have long remained fingle. Let it then also be remembered that every fituation of life has a tendency to encourage fome particular errors and failings; that the defects of women, who, by choice or by neceffity, are in a situation extremely different froin

that

that in which the generality of their fex is placed, will always attract more than their proportional share of attention; and that whenever attention is directed towards them, it is no more than common juftice at the fame time to render fignal praife to the individuals, who are free from the faults in manners and temper, which many under fimilar circumstances have contracted. Let it alfo be observed, that in the fituation of the persons in queftion there are peculiarities, the recollection of which will produce in a generous mind impreffions very different from scorn. They are perfons cut off from a state of life usually regarded as the most desirable. They are frequently unprovided with friends, on whofe advice or affiftance they can thoroughly confide. Sometimes they are deftitute of a fettled home; and compelled by a fcanty income to depend on the protection, and bear the humours, of fupercilious relations. Sometimes in obfcure re

treats,