maintain her's: but there the sense of reputation was stronger than the sense of honour! A truly noble heart would have preferred the death that Tarquin threatened; unsullied purity, with a slandered name; before contamination, with the power of accusation and revenge. Positive rectitude, ought to be the first consideration; a fair character, the second: but first and second, they should ever be. Virtue demands that, where possible, they should be substance and shadow; and where it is not, we should die, rather than relinquish either; unless the last, as in the case of Lucretia, must be preserved by the sacrifice of the first. For virtue is despotic; life, reputation, every earthly good, must be surrendered at her voice. The law may seem hard, but it is the guardian of what it commands; and is the only sure defence of happiness.

7.

To the disgrace of men it is seen, that there are women both more wise to judge what evil is expected, and more constant to bear it when it is happened.

Remark.

Such a woman was Madame d'Ancre, who was burnt at the Greve as a sorceress: and such men were her judges; for had their minds been able to comprehend her's, they would have admired what they condemned. When this illustrious woman was questioned concerning the kind of magic she used to inAluence the will of Mary de Medicis, she answered "I used that power only, which great souls always have over weak minds."— The base minds of the men she spoke to, could not, or would not, understand this; and they hastened her death.

8.

It is strange to see the unmanlike cruelty of mankind, who, not content with their tyrannous ambition to have brought woman's virtuous patience under them, like childish masters think their masterhood nothing, without doing injury to her who (if we will argue by reason) is framed by nature with the

same parts of the mind for the exercise of virtue, that we are.

Remark.

There is always a want in the tyrannical mind. A perfect judgment would, shew, that there is no real submission where the will is absent. You may have subjection, but rebellion lurks under an enforced yoke. The submission of the heart grants full power; and when father, brother, guardian, or husband, wish to rule absolutely, they should begin by winning the affections, and the field is their own. Compulsion hardly restores right love yields all things.

9.

Lovely sweetness is the noblest power of woman; and is far fitter to prevail by parley than by battle.

10.

There needs not strength to be added to inviolate chastity: the excellency of the mind makes the body impregnable.

11.

She who complieth in all things with the desires of love, sheweth an example in herself, that she esteems the holy band of chastity to be but an imaginative rule, and not the truest observance of nature. It is the most noble commandment that mankind can have over themselves; as indeed both learning teacheth, and inward feeling assureth.

12.

It is the right nature of beauty to work unwitting effects of wonder. The beauty of human persons, is beyond all other beauty; and to them only is given the judgment to discern beauty; and among reasonable wights, it seems that the female sect hath the preeminence so that, in that pre-eminence, nature countervails all other liberalities wherein she may be thought to have dealt more favourably towards mankind. How do men crown themselves with glory, for having, either by force brought others to yield to their mind, or with long study and premeditated orations, persuaded what they would have persuaded! And see, a fair woman shall not

only command without authority, but persuade without speaking. She shall not need procure attention; for men's eyes will chain their ears unto it. Men venture lives to conquer: she conquers lives without venturing. She is served and obeyed; which is the most notable, not because she loves to command it, but because they become laws to themselves to obey her; and not for her dignity's sake, but for her own sake. She need not dispute whether to govern by fear or by love; since without her thinking thereof, their love will bring forth fear, and their fear fortify their love. And she need not seek offensive, or defensive force, since her lips alone may stand for ten thousand shields; and ten thousand inevitable shot go forth from her eyes. Beauty, beauty is the sceptre of female greatness; chastity, its crown: which gifts, on whomsoever the heavens do bestow them, without question, she who receives, is bound to use them to the noble purposes for which they are created: not only to win and preserve, but to dispense since that indeed is right happiness,