A young gentleman, who, from his correct manner of speaking, I suppose practised the law, and who had hitherto listened with great attention, then took upon him to be our sex's advocate, and was proceeding to shew (in a very sensible manner, as I thought) the little danger that was to be feared, and the great advantage that might be reaped, from a young lady's appropriating a considerable part of her time to reading, provided her studies were properly directed; when the arrival of some ceremonious visitors put an end to the conversation; and the company sat down to cards. When I came home, I could not help reflecting, with a good deal of uneasiness, on what I had heard. For if there is really no such thing as mental accom. plishments rendering a young lady more amiable, or if reading is to be of no real service to us, I have certainly employed a great part of my past life to very little purpose. I was brought up in the country, where reading was not only my greatest amusement, but I was always told, that by that, and making proper reflections on what I read, I should become contented with myself, and be beloved and respected by all who knew me; and by these improvements alone could hope to equal my sister, who is a great deal handsomer than I, but who could seldom be persuaded to open a book. But the conversation above mentioned, which happened very soon after I came to town, has raised many doubts in my mind as to the real importance of my former studies. I have mentioned my unea. siness to several of my female companions, who are all (especially such as are not handsome) very much interested in it, and would be very happy to see a MIRROR on this subject, though they were much surprised at my courage in proposing to write ta you; which, indeed, I never could have done, had I been able to find any other way to comm my distress. If you think this letter worthy your attent intreat you to give us, as soon as possible opinion as to what sort of accomplishments a lady ought to be most anxious to acquir whether there is not some real advantage to rived from reading; for I would fain thin young gentleman was in the right; though sorry I have never seen him since, to hear wh had farther to say on the subject. But if, on the contrary, you convince me I either cannot, or need not, aim at any ment complishments, I shall lay by my book, and pr to finish some ornamental pieces of work, have hitherto advanced very slowly, as I was a more solicitous to improve my mind, than to Your constant reader and adr It were hard, indeed, if the word accomplish when applied to a woman, excluded the idea of mental embellishments as Emilia seems particu to have studied. In the Author of the MIRI she has chosen a partial umpire; for he will f own, that he addresses many of his papers ch to the ladies, and feels a high degree of plea when he is told that any one of them has been lu enough to interest or to please the fair part of Readers. Such a paper he sets down as on bonnes fortunes, and grows vain upon it according It must, however, be confessed, on the other hand, that the lesser order of accomplishments mentioned by Emilia, are very necessary attendants on that higher sort, which reading and reflection confer. They are necessary even to the men; for without them learning grows pedantry, and wit becomes rudeness. But, in women, a certain softness of address and grace of manner are so indispensable, that no talents or acquirements can possibly please without them. To give that softne, to confer that grace, reading and reflection will not suffice alone; to impart them in the highest degree, no other accomplishments will suffice, without reading and reflection. Emilia's harpsichord will settle the matter. Let us take treble for the first sort of accomplishments, and bass for the latter; strike with the right hand-'tis music, but without strength; with the left-'tis harsh, and wants softness; touch it with both hands, and the instrument is quite as it should be. It is not from the possession of knowledge, but from the display of it, that a woman ceases to be feminine. To lecture with authority, to argue with violence, to dispute with obstinacy, are qualifications purely masculine. It were too much to say that to be in the right, is a male quality; but to feel one's self in the right, or rather to shew that feeling, is not delicately female. The musical department will furnish us with another illustration. Emilia has heard of that sort of singing below the full powers of the performer's voice, which the Italians call singing sotto-voce; now, let a woman's understanding be ever so strong, let her mind be ever so accomplished, it should always be delivered sotto-voce. To the AUTHOR of the MIRROR. I AM just going to commence business a liner, and am resolved to bestow more than pains in furnishing out as elegant a sho possible; being of opinion, that much of ployment a shopkeeper gets, is owing to traction of a happy-fancied sign, advertisen shop-bill. In executing this intention, I ha with several difficulties: and therefore am to trouble you for a solution of them. A f mine, whom I consulted (because, as he wa reading, I imagined him to be a wise and man), advised me to look into a book called son's Dictionary, which he said would spell, e and describe to me, any thing I was at a loss Accordingly, after some difficulty, I proc sight of this book from a relation, who w quainted with a bookseller. But as this Johnson explains his words in a foreign lang I am as much at a loss as ever; because I am ignorant what language it is, and, therefore not judge, whether what he says be such scription of my commodities as will bring m tomers. Upon my looking, for instance, a explanation of net-work, I find it to be, any reticulated or decus ated with interstices be the intersections.' Now, Mr. MIRROR, I be favour of you to tell me what language this is. certainly can easily do it, when you have obt such a character in town for wisdom and lear If it should be French, be so good as tranfla to me; and if it proves to be such a descriptio I think suits the net-work I have on hand, I most gladly insert it in my bill. But if it sh turn out to be Latin, Greek, Hebrew, or Du or any other Heathen language, I would not meddle with it for all the world; for no person then would come near my shop. I am advised by all my friends to put as much French into my bills and advertisements as possible; and, indeed, I believe the advice is good; for I have a relation, a Perruquier, as he calls himself, who has told me, that he believed he owed almost all his business (and a great deal he had) to an advertisement in the newspapers interlarded with French words. It began thus, for I copied it letter for letter: Perruques au dernier gout made to fit the head, avec une air bien degagé, to be had,' &c. This wigmaker informed me, that there was scarcely a young beau in town who wore a wig, that could resist his advertisement. I should beg pardon for the freedom I am using, in thus taking up your time about a matter which must appear so trifling to you; but if you are a bene. volent man (and such I have heard you are), it will readily occur to you, that, though my request appears of a trivial nature, yet it treats of an affair of very great consequence to me. This consideration has emboldened me to apply to you; and, if you take the trouble to give me your assistance on this occasion, I promise you to take in your MIRROR to my shop for the amusement of my customers; though, upon second thoughts, I am doubtful whether it may not rather hurt my business. A mirror is as necessary to a milliner's shop, as the goods that are in it; but then it must be a mirror for the body. Now yours is one for the mind; and my best customers, in all probability, will consist of a set of ladies who seldom or never look into their minds at all; for those ladies, Mr. MIRROR, who decorate their persons in the highest extravagance of the fashion, and who,of consequence, are the best customers to the milliners, are generally |