PREFACE.

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Ta Boarding-School for young Ladies, fome Miles Distance from London, it has been the conftant Custom of the Governefs to make her little Scholars, just before Breaking up, undergo a Kind of Examination, that he might thereby be enabled the better to judge what Improvements they had made. One Time, in Particular, fhe iffued her Orders, that the whole School fhould affemble every Saturday Night, till the Holidays, when they should choose from among themselves one, who fhould address the rest on fome moral and entertaining Subject. Such, as had not had Experience enough to make Obfervations of their own, were permitted to repeat, from their Memory only, whatever useful had occurred to them, as worthy of Notice, in the Courfe of their Reading. It is eafy to foresee, that the Advan

tages arifing from fuch a Conduct must be confiderable and pleafing, fince it raises among them an Emulation to exert every Faculty of their little Minds, to acquire Credit and Reputation.

Mifs Deborah Grace was the first appointed,, who, after having had a Week allowed her to confider of the Matter, on the next Saturday Night, in the Prefence of her Governefs, and the whole Affembly of little Females, delivered herself as follows.

THE

THE

LITTLE FEMALE ORATORS;

OR,

Nine Evenings Entertainment.

THE FIRST NIGHT.

My little Schoolfellows,

HE beft Method I can propofe for

which are tedious and burthenfome to idle People, and which we little Ones often employ in the Purfuit of Trifles, is to apply ourfelves to the Acquifition of useful Knowledge. I remember my Pappa, fpeaking of fome Mineral, told me, that a Perfon may confume their whole Life in the Study of it, without arriving at the Knowledge of all its Qualities.

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Qualities. The Truth of it is, there is not a fingle Science, nor any Branch of it, that might not furnish a Perfon with Business for Life, tho' it were much longer than it is.

I shall now endeavour to fhew how those Parts of Life, which are exercised in Study, Reading, and the Purfuit of Knowledge, are long, but not tedious; and by that Means discover a Method of lengthening our Lives, and at the fame Time of turning all the Parts of them to Advantage. I fhall not engage on the beaten Subjects of the Usefulness of Knowledge, nor any of the Pleasures and Perfections it gives to the Mind, nor on the Methods of attaining it, nor recommend any particular Branch of it, all which have been often told us by our Governefs; but fhall indulge myself in a Speculation that is more uncommon, and may therefore perhaps be more entertaining.

Do not be frightened, my little Companions, if I mention the Name of Mr. Locke: I am only going to quote an Obfervation of his, which I have fomewhere met with in my little Library. He intimates, that Time appears longer or fhorter in Proportion to the

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