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You will ob&longs;erve, my dear
friend, that mo&longs;t of the letters I have written
to you of late, on female education, are confined
to the &longs;ubject of &longs;tudy. I am &longs;en&longs;ible
of the ridicule &longs;ometimes levelled at tho&longs;e
who are called learned ladies. Either the&longs;e
ladies mu&longs;t be uncommonly pedantick, or
tho&longs;e who ridicule them, uncommonly ignorant—
Do not be apprehen&longs;ive of acquiring
that title, or &longs;haring the ridicule, but remember
that the knowledge which I wi&longs;h you to
acquire, is nece&longs;&longs;ary to adorn your many virtues
and amiable qualifications. This

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ridicule is evidently a tran&longs;atlantick idea, and
mu&longs;t have been imbibed from the &longs;ource of
&longs;ome Engli&longs;h Novel or Magazine—The
American ladies of this cla&longs;s, who come within
our knowledge, we know to be ju&longs;tly celebrated
as ornaments to &longs;ociety, and an
honour to the &longs;ex. When it is con&longs;idered
how many of our countrywomen are capable
of the ta&longs;k, it is a matter of regret that American
literature boa&longs;ts &longs;o few productions
from the pens of the ladies.

SELF complacency is a mo&longs;t nece&longs;&longs;ary
acquirement—for the value of a woman will
always be commen&longs;urate to the opinion &longs;he
entertains of her&longs;elf. A celebrated European
wit, in a letter to a lady, concenters much

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good advice in one &longs;hort rule of conduct:
“REVERENCE THYSELF.”

I WAS this morning reading Swift's letter
to a very young lady, on her marriage. Although
this famous writer is not celebrated
for delicacy or re&longs;pect towards us, yet I wi&longs;h
&longs;ome of his ob&longs;ervations contained le&longs;s
truth—If you are in company, &longs;ays this
writer, when the conver&longs;ation turns on the
manners and cu&longs;toms of remote nations, or
on books in ver&longs;e or pro&longs;e, or on the nature
and limits of virtue and vice, it is a &longs;hame
for a lady not to reli&longs;h &longs;uch di&longs;cour&longs;es, not to
improve by them, and endeavour by reading
and information, to have her &longs;hare in tho&longs;e
entertainments, rather than turn a&longs;ide, as is
the u&longs;ual cu&longs;tom, and con&longs;ult with the

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woman who &longs;its next her, about a new cargo of
fans.

HE then de&longs;cends to particulars, and in&longs;i&longs;ts
on the nece&longs;&longs;ity of orthography. Is it not a
little hard, continues he, that not one gentleman's
daughter in a thou&longs;and &longs;hould be
brought to read or under&longs;tand her own natural
tongue, or be judge of the ea&longs;ie&longs;t books that
are written in it; as any one may find, who
can have the patience to hear them mangle a
Play or a Novel?

IF there be any of your acquaintance
to whom this pa&longs;&longs;age is applicable, I hope
you will recommend the &longs;tudy of Mr. Webster
's Grammatical In&longs;titute, as the be&longs;t work
in our language to facilitate the knowledge
of Grammar. I cannot but think Mr. Web

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&longs;ter intended his valuable book for the benefit
of his countrywomen: For while he delivers
his rules in a pure, preci&longs;e, and elegant &longs;tyle,
he explains his meaning by examples which
are calculated to in&longs;pire the female mind
with a thir&longs;t for emulation, and a de&longs;ire of
virtue.

NO &longs;ubject has been more exhau&longs;ted than
that of education. Many Utopian &longs;chemes
have been delineated, and much &longs;peculation
employed. When I peru&longs;e the&longs;e labours,
and am per&longs;uaded the intention of their authors
is to promote our welfare, I feel my&longs;elf
prompted to a prudent and amiable demeanour;
and I &longs;uppo&longs;e every woman of rea&longs;on
and reflection feels the &longs;ame inclination to
virtue, and the &longs;ame &longs;en&longs;ations of gratitude,

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in reading the works of tho&longs;e writers, the
characteri&longs;ticks of whom, are &longs;entiment,
morality and benevolence.

WHAT books do you read, my dear? We
are now fini&longs;hing Barlow's Vi&longs;ion of Columbus,
and &longs;hall begin upon Dwight's Conque&longs;t of
Canaan in a few days. It is very agreeable
to read with one, who points out the beauties
of the author as we proceed. Such an one
is Worthy.—Sometimes Mr. Holmes makes
one of our party, and his notes and references
to the ancient poets are very entertaining.
Worthy is delighted with the ea&longs;e and freedom
with which we live here. We have
little concerts, we walk, we ride, we read, we
have good company—this is Belleview in all
its glory!

ADIEU

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ADIEU, my dear—I &longs;hall continue this
&longs;ubject no longer, though I flatter my&longs;elf you
would receive my hints with &longs;atisfaction, because
you mu&longs;t be per&longs;uaded I love you, and
&longs;o intere&longs;t my&longs;elf in your welfare—I need
not add that I think your conduct worthy of
you. You are &longs;uch a good girl that I know
not in what to direct you; for you leave
me no room for advice—continue to anticipate
the de&longs;ires of my heart, and to &longs;ecure
the high opinion you have there obtained.