146 learn to dance, they ought to dance together in numbers; and in a ball there can be no impropriety, but protracting it to too late an hour. It is always easier to censure, than correct or propose a better method; and this is uniformly verified in H. More. Under the greatest alarm at "the evils we are "sustaining from modern France (p. 105) we for"get," she says, "those we were systematically ટ importing under the old government ;" and she is almost in hysterics lest governesses from that country should privately instil some opinions into their mind, and teach their pupils some pretty manual evolutions of catholic institution, although not long since she informed us, that, by law, all religion was abolished in France! These alarms, at the same time they help to fill her volume, to answer a political purpose also, shew her mind is sick or depraved. But to be just and impartial, what have we which came not from France? Were not the French before us a free people? Ought we to blame them for endeavouring to recover their liberties? Did not we receive our very parliaments from that country? Are not our language and laws mixt with theirs? Have we not our best wines from them? Have they not civilized Europe, and rendered even the horrors of war more tolerable? I grant their enormities and crimes; but I would not deliberately tell a falsehood of them or of Mrs. More. The danger to religion is nothing but affectation, or a desire that non-descripts should be univer sally our teachers (for if we believe her, the education of the infant Princess of Wales is directed by her) chosen by the grand test of the "original "corruptions of human nature ;" and this belief so easily assumed, so frequently the cloak of knavery, a succedaneum for all the virtues, is, in instructors, to supply the place of all learning. Mrs. More! Mankind and womankind will dance and sing, to all which you declare yourself an enemy, and smile and laugh, and eat and drink, and be merry (for there will be evils enough, without allowing you to keep them in your Trophonius's cave) and at proper seasons I hope they will pray, preach, and sing psalms too, whatever feeble dissuasives your unstable principles may propose. In hopes that it may do you good, I will here sing you a song, for, every hour this and every day of my life, I have either enunciatively prayed, or mentally lifted up my soul, to those regions where I hope one day magora canere; and I have no reason to be sad while the Omnipotent reigneth, while I avoid" private accusations," and such naughty doings, and professing religion, more for the profession's sake than the practice. Alms-deeds are a very humble part of charity! Allons! Chantons! Come gie's a song, Sir Archy cry'd, What nonsense is 't for folks to chide Let Whig and Tory all agree, Let Whig and Tory all agree To drop their Whigmymorums; Let Whig and Tory all agree To spend the night wi' mirth and glee, O! Tullochgorum's my delight, And make a happy quorum. For blythe and cheary we 'll be a,' What need there be sae great a phrase I wou'd na gie our ain Strathspeys They 're douff and dowie at the best, Let wardly worms their minds oppress Sour and sulky, sour and sulky, Like auld Philosophorums; Shall we sae sour and sulky sit, To the reel of Tullochgorum. May choicest blessings aye attend And a' that 's gude watch o'er her. And dainties a great store o' 'em ; But for the sour and frumpish fool, And discontent devour her. The reel of Tullochgorum. I was indeed about to observe, and it is generally true of her, that the author finds fault with the whole of modern education, and seems well inclined to abolish it; but like the republican, who would pull down every government without knowing what to erect in its room, she never informs us what the plan of instruction should be, excepting that she descants on the "corruption "of human nature." Yet I will do her the justice to quote with approbation, although she has not contrasted fairly, a sentence worth all the rest of her strictures on education; for I am certainly of Sallust's opinion, that I would not choose quite a Sempronia, nor am I like the Numidians, who among a plurality could find "nulla amica." "When a man of sense comes to marry, it is not merely "a creature who can paint, and play and sing, and draw, "and dress, and dance, he wants; it is a being who can "comfort and counsel him; one who can reason, and re“flect, and feel, and judge, and discourse, and discriminate; "one who can assist him in his affairs, lighten his cares, "soothe his sorrows, purify his joys, strengthen his princi"ples, and educate his children.” To make Penelope's of all our dames, by employing themselves in spinning, and making webs to clothe their husbands and families, is a proposal and recommendation very absurd from Mrs. More, who must know, that though in some parts of the kingdom this is still certainly practised, yet in the Southern counties it is impracticable. For it is cheaper to purchase. This business is now generally in the hands of manufacturers. She might as well recommend it to the ladies to do as their great grandmothers did, make their own candles, which is now contrary to law. Upon my estate in the North this is still the custom; and I well remember, that when I first went to college, my mother made me a "coat of "divers colours.' In chap. 6, of 7th vol. Mrs. More, with some light matter, gives some not injudicious observations respecting "early habits." |
