per conduct to be observed concerning women :-" Let us neither eat, nor drink, nor inhabit, nor have any thing in common with them. If we are benighted at a distance from home, and are invited by any of our friends, let us, if possible, lodge with a single But at any rate, let us admit no woman into our company, but let man officiate only with man. If it happens that there are only women in the place, let us convene them toge ther, and, after having addressed to them an edifying discourse, let us request the oldest and most reserved to give us a lodging where there is no woman, and after having brought us a lamp and other necessaries, to leave us to ourselves.*

Another recluse mysogynist, J. Raulin, a monk of Cluni, who died in 1514, and who left behind him four voluines of Sermons, expresses himself thus, in his third discourse:- Si quæritur quare angelus mulieribus et non viris arcanam resurrectionis committit prædicandum. Potest dici hoc, duplici de causa facturn. Primo quia mulieres bocam habent linguam et vix sciunt retisere secreta sed ea cito revelant, Code cum quæreretur à quodam phisopho, quare linguam loquacem magis habent quam viri?-respondit, hoc, ideo esse quia homo, ex limo factus est, mulier ex ossi, scilicet, ex costa Ade-Si quis autem commoverit saccum plenum limo non inde sonabit si Tero saccum plenum ossibus tunc varium et grandem sonum emittet."

A third writer, who might have found better employment for his muse, attempts also to sneer at the fair-sex, for their exercise of the most pleasant of all talents, that of conversation.

Quem bene prospiciens generi, natura, loquaci

Cavil ut imberbis fœmina quæque foret! Ninicum linguam compescere nescia, radi Isis possit fœmina nulla genis.

The task of translating these two sarcastical pieces of Latin, is too unpleasant to be attempted. The editor will not be concerned in disserninating illnatured reflections on a sex which may justly expect to be honoured, and not vilified, by any male being, except by these sour recluses, who may plead ignorance in excuse for their folly.

66

nose.

And among those who have set themselves most warmly against that elegant part of the creation, must be reckoned Antony à Wood, whose diary affords some instances of his dislike, so grotesque that they claim attention. ton) and his family, most of them Page 167. "He" (Sir Thomas Claywomankind (which before were looked upon, if resident in the college, a scandal and abomination thereunto), being no sooner settled," &c. &c.-" The warden's garden must be altered, new trees planted, &c. &c.-all which though unnecessary, yet the poor college must pay for them, and all this to please a

woman!"

P. 168. "Frivolous expenses to pleasure his proud lady."

P. 178. Yet the warden, by the mo tion of his lady, did put the college to unnecessary charges, and very frivolous expenses. Among which were a very large looking-glass for her to see her ugly face and body to the middle, and perhaps lower."

P. 252 "Cold entertainment, cold reception, cold clownish woman."

P. 257. Dr. Bathurst took his place of vice-chancellor, a man of good parts, and able to do good things, but he has a wife that scorns that he should be in print. A scornful woman! Scorns that he was Dean of Wells! No need of marrying such a woman, who is so conceited that she thinks herself fit to govern a college or a university."

P. 270. Charles Lord Herbert, eldest son of Henry, Marquis of Worcester, was matriculated as a member of Ch. Ch. Etat 16 natus Lond. I set this down here, because the father and ancestors were all catholics; but because the mother is a presbyterian, a Capel, she (against her father's will, as it is said) will have him bred a Protestant; so that by this change the catholics will lose the considerablest family in England, and the richest subject the King has."+

+ One cannot help remarking here, that the violent dislike which old Antony à Wood had conceived to the idea of a lady's doing any thing, whether good or bad, has drawn him into the absurdity of blaming the Marchioness of Worcester for an act which, at that very critical period (1677), was, most certainly, a service of consequence to the religion and constitution of her country.

The learned Selden had left no good examples to antiquarians in the point of gallantry.

"It is a reason," says he, " a man that will have a wife, should be at the charge of her trinkets, and pay all the scores she sets on him. He that will keep a monkey, it is fit he should pay for the glasses he breaks.”

The ladies can, if they please, retaliate severely on those who treat them not with that respect which they merit. A gentleman who had married a second wife, indulged himself in recurring too often, in conversation, to the beauty and virtues of his first consert. He had, however, barely discernment enough to discover that the subject was not an agreeable one to his present lady: "Excuse me, madam," said he, "I cannot help expressing my regret for the dear deceased."-" Upon my honour," said the lady, "I can most heartily affirm, that I am as sincere a mourner for her as you can be."

For the EUROPEAN MAGAZINE. AN ESSAY ON HUMAN LIFE.

W

HENEVER we rightly consider the many and sinister accidents that surround us in the short course of our transitory life, we cannot possibly be too industrious in striving to avoid them. The man that, by a virtuous and diligent application to the station in which Providence has placed him, en. deavours to discharge himself faithfully therein, and in the prime of life to lay up something that may satisfy the craving demands of old age, will not fail, by the assistance and blessing of the Almighty, to reap the fruits of his honest labour: yet we may err even in this point; for he who (not being contented with a moderate return for the pains and labour he has taken) endeavours to grasp at things above his sphere and merit, will have the mortification, iu the end, to see himself not only baulked in his desires, but also deprived of that happiness which, from au honest and fair kind of dealing, he might have reasonably expected. Would every man, by a mature deliberation, consider within himself what in estimable blessings may arise from a prudent frugality and industry; and, on the contrary, how many inexpressible miseries are produced by indo

lence; I say, would every man care fully examine into these matters, and regulate himself according to the result of his serious reflections, we should not behold (which to their shame be it spoken we do) such a multitude of miserable objects spending their days in a continued course of penury and want, and begging that bread, which business) call their own: pity it is, they might (by putting their hands to that no law can be found out to suppress their numbers, which in this king. dom is past credit or belief; or, if such a law is extant, that it cannot be properly applied.

"Youth well spent makes old age comfortable," is an indisputable maxim; to be idle is the same thing as to be in mischief, for the devil always finds greatest opportunities to allure an unoccu pied mind into his suares, and when he can find one suitable to his purpose, he seldom fails of instructing him in some action, which, by degrees, may ruin his body in this world, his soul in the next, and his welfare and happiness to all eternity. The ant, though a small and insignificant insect to our eyes, has been laid down, from the earliest account of time, as an excellent pattern for the imitation of mankind. "Go to the ant, thou sluggard, consider her ways, and be wise," were the words of Solomon to the sluggard; and indeed, if we follow the wise saying, we shall never want for an example to regulate our lives by these little provident creatures, with uncommon care and diligence, and by an instinct peculiar to themselves, labour in the sum mer in filling their little store houses and granaries with food to supply them in the winter, which they know will come, and deprive them of all other means of procuring it: if, therefore,these irrational creatures, by their example, reproach us in our want, what can we have to plead (when we come to render up an account of all our deeds before the throne of the Almighty Maker of all things) for not employing the time lent us to the best advantage possible. However despicable a laborious life may appear, yet it must be allowed, by all men of sense and penetration, that there can be no delight in society without it. Exercise is healthful to the body, recreative to the mind, by relaxing it from toil and care, and con ducive of great happiness to the heart: whereas idleness is the bane of the un

antiquated discontented, fool; who having seen the world fifty years ago, thinks it was then at the summit of perfection, and that it is now only deteriorating in language and manners; and who being shut out from fashionable intercourse through super-annua tion, can only vent his venom by attacking those who are gay and lively. They have pictured to themselves a short thin-faced old man, with wrinkles worn by age, like furrows in a ploughed field, with body bending beneath the weight of years, hopping to the Stock Exchange, or the Rotunda in the moruing, with a gold-headed bamboo for a supporter, appropriately caparisoned in a three-cornered hat, and close wig neatly powdered; a coat of the cut of the last century, with satin breeches, and silver knee-buckles studded with fine paste to rsemble diamonds: or they have fancied me to be some retired doctor, who having killed enough patients to obtain a competency, passes his time between making comments on the company who tolerate his presence, and loitering in the reading-room of one of our public institutions, where he is stupid enough to prefer the dull, dry, abstruse, and old fashioned volumes of Shakspeare and Spenser, to the brilliant and splendid effusions of our modern school of poetry. I do not wish to disturb the pleasure such may feel in the imaginary being they have formed, but shall continue my observations on the prevailing absurdities of the present day, should they be deemed by you, Sir, worthy of a place in your truly excellent Miscellany

Our

Allowing that a great and requisite refinement has taken place in our manners, yet the degree of it has, in some instances, been carried to excess. manners are generally the results of our morals; and if the one be depreciated, the other will be proportionably trifling and vicious; our refinement in manners is so extensive a range for observation, that I scarce know where to begiu; however, there are two or three important topics which strike my mind, and on which I shall found my remarks. Our ancestors wisely judged, that our morals and manners were kept most pure by avoding every thing that might tend to contaminate them: they contended, that vicelost half its odious ness by being brought into the light, and being suffered to remain exposed On this principle we acted in

to view.

my younger days-society was care fully chosen-company was selected scrupulously, and it was impossible to obtain a place at Lady L's, or the Countess of M's without their being well assured of the general morality of the visitor. A female, then, who had deviated from the paths of virtue, or broken her plighted vows, was scorned and frowned upon; and from the hour she sinned bade adieu to her former associates. (I am glad 'tis so even now in the middle classes of society, although sometimes I think the sternness and severity of our matrons appears to waver.) But how is it now?-why we have rubbed off a few of our antiquated ideas in this respect, and instead of the offenders being obliged to shun publicity, and veil their guilt in retirement, as soon as the dilatory proceedings of the law are settled, the damages an nounced, and the learned judge at Doc. tors' Commons has signed the needful documents, the offenders re-appearenter into the same society as before, without the least stain upon their repu tation-all is expiated-the damages were paid, and of course all was repaid, and neither the injured party nor the well-being of society are at all aggrieved by their return. There is, how ever, one useful lesson this may learn to our young females in high life; they perceive that virtue is a mere name, and that it is of a certain value-that if lost, it is easily regained on the payment of its value, and the original name is recovered without any diffi culty. What a refinement is this, and how truly modern!

I am really grieved, Sir, to see ladies of unsullied fame mix with such wan derers as these; and instead of hearing the indignant remark that such a lady has disgraced herself and sex, and won. dering at her being invited to the party, you hear the whispers behind the fan, of "that's Lady, whose husband obtained so many thousand pounds damages for the faux-pas between her and the Colonel;" and then, Sir, to see the sagacious stare of a noviciate in these malters, and the involuntary blush which mantles on the check of a female just entering into life, at observing the vague and loose ideas of feminine excellence and purity such language implies is truly interesting; it shows what ought to be done, and what course should be pursued with regard to such characters.

However, I have detained you too long, here, Sir, and a friend at my elbow suggests that I am in error, and forget the motive which actuates those who encourage these characters. He tells me, that their design is to evince their abhorrence of the crime by consoling and supporting the criminal; that if they retired from publicity they would be forgotten; but now, by being allowed to retain their places in society, they serve as beacons to warn others; and that the assiduous attentions paid to them, are only intended to convince them of their unworthiness to receive them. For an explanation like tais I am obliged, and on account of such motives, of course cancel all my preceding animadversions, confessing my previous dullness and stupidity that prevented my seeing clearly the tendency and object aimed at; but you will remember, that an old man in spectacles, can scarcely be expected to see so clear as a young man without

them.

The manners of a people are the first things we enquire after, and we do so on account of their importance, for they are the only criterion by which we can accurately judge. Refinement in manners naturally begins with the most refined part of the community, and we must look to them, and take them for our examples. Let us then see what refinement has been acquired, and look at a fashionable gentleman of the present day. Formerly, a University education, (and that of a stricter description than the present day) fitted them for the world; it is true, that now the same course of study is partly attended to, but it is all lost by the subsequent introduction into society. As soon as a young man now enters on life, instead of being taught to consider the station he is to occupy as of importance, and therefore to set a high value on his character, he commences his career, he becomes what is called an accomplished young man, and enters on his new pursuits with all the vivacity and ardor of a recruit. At first, the novelty of his situation astounds and perplexes him; but contact with others soon rubs off all scruples, and he joins with them in all their operations. Now let us mark the refine ment of their manners. Drest in all the foppery of fashion, with a coat of the neutral kind, between a coatee and a surtout, a fine worked French shirt

collar, and smelling of odoriferous scents life a perfumer's shop, rises about midday, then scarcely recovered from the morning's debauch, and after a dejeuré saunters into Bond-street, till he meets with some brother idler who joins him in his lounge-they enter the Subscrip tion Room, and, to show their impor tauce, lose their money to some sharper who is ready to take advantage of their folly. Instead of the open and friendly salute on the meeting of a friend which I used to receive, I now notice that profanity and slang which occurs at every word; formerly, obscurity and lewdness hid themselves, and disgust was manifested if any one attempted to introduce them publicly; but now, thanks to our French neighbours, from whom we have imported no small share of modern refinement, there is no difficulty experienced in handing round the snuff-box, on whose exterior is pourtrayed something innocent and pleasing, but whose interior, when developed, displays the grossest indelicacy. In ny younger days, Sir, a man would have been ashamed to have been caught with such a thing in his possession, but now, O tempore! O mores! there is an anxiety to observe it, and the first question on the introduction of the snuff box is, "Is that all?" and then he who is privileged, is favored with a view of the interior. Surely for the introduction of a refinement like this, we ought to feel no common degree of gratitude! The manner in which our beauxs used to pass their hours was comparatively innocent; but now, alas! how fallen; a man of fashion must not only be fully initiated into all the arcana of Tattersalls, and versed in all the chicanery of the Subscription Rooms, but he must have an adequate knowledge of the Slang Dictionary, be an adept in quoting its authority, and have an extensive acquaintauce with, and be able to discourse upon, the merits of Crib and Belcher, with their pugilistic compeers; so that in fact, the gentry of the present day, are most highly deserving of the gratitude of the lower classes, since it is evident, the condes cension they evince in taking a part in their rural, polite, und humane amus ments, can only arise from the laudable and praiseworthy desire to attach them to themselves; and as to the old ideas of letting themselves down by such conduct it is impossible; they naturally anticipate, by a scripture perver