sirous of proscribing. If sometimes they have contributed to multiply our wanderings, it is frequently reserved for them to reclaim us. Women can do every thing they dare to undertake: those who have sufficient elevation of soul to preserve this advantage over us, revenge themselves for our pride by an inestimable benefit; and their charms only become more powerful over those men who deserve this name,

CHAP. I.

RANK OF WOMEN IN SOCIETY.

THOSE who only consider women as beautiful figures placed here for embellishment and pleasure, have but a very imperfect idea of them. They are, repeat it to them without ceasing, the charming flowers destined to heighten the colouring of the universe! Who doubts it? But exhort them, at the same time, not to suffer themselves to be seduced by these pretty amorous ditties; let them beware of being satisfied with possessing these superficial advantages. There are already but too many among them, who, contented with this advantage, seem to have renounced every other employment but that of captivating the senses. Women have quite another destination; they are created for a more noble purpose than being held up to public shew.

Their charms are but the promise of more enchanting qualities. To reduce them merely to beauties, is degrading them, and almost levelling them with their pictures. They who possess beauty only may make an agreeable figure in a chair of state, and decorate a drawing-room. They are agreeable to look at (to speak literally); but it is necessary that women should possess something more than mere beauty to derive all the advantages from the intercourse with them that we have a right to expect.

The commerce between well-informed persons cannot be limited to the indifferent view of person, or the insipid conversation of vanity and falsehood.

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She who has not a tendency to make better, tends to corrupt us. If women, who form the ornaments of it, would unite to the graces of the body a proper judgment and an upright heart, the affection we bear towards them could not fail of unfolding many dormant excellent qualities in us. Let them but direct their minds to great ob

jects, and they will cause the seeds of every virtue to spring up in men.

That empire which beauty holds over us was only given them for the benefit of the whole human race. Man, destined for valiant feats, has in his character a certain harshness which is reserved for women to correct: there is in their manner, still more than in their features, a, softness that is capable of bending this natural haughtiness.

It may be said, if we lived far from women, we should be quite different from what we are: the trouble we take to obtain their good graces polishes and softens that harsh manner that is natural to us. Their gaiety serves as a counterpoise to our serious and austere turn: in a word, man would be less perfect and less happy if he did not associate with women,

The man insensible to the charms of their commerce is seldom the friend of humanity: he preserves an inflexibility which renders even his virtues dangerous.

The great qualities of Charles the Twelfth had not troubled all Europe, if this prince had lived a little more in the company of women, alone capable of assuaging his untractable spirit.

If it is necessary that men should be in some degree softened by the tender cares of women, they have need, in turn, of the conversation of men to brighten their vivacity, and to cure them of that negligence to which they would abandon themselves, if they were not animated by the desire of pleasing. This desire produces allurement in their countenances, grace in their deportment, and sweetness in their voice; whether they speak, move, or smile, they think of rendering themselves amiable; from whence we may conclude, that it is, in some degree, men who give charms to the women, who, without them, would fall into an indolent or churlish disposition. Moreover, the mind of women, oppressed by the number of trifling particulars, would languish in

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