The began the next morning; and in the space of two months was able to leave off part of her coyerings. The completion of her cure was however delayed by a thousand domestic affairs, till the return of fummer.

• Physiologists teach us, that the fkin is compofed of a number of nervous, lymphatic, and blood veffels, which form the reticular fubftance, from whence proceed the nervous tufts, which are the only organs of fenfation on the surface of the body. Any defect in this fubftance therefore will produce the fymptoms which the patient experienced. If the contraction of the nerves, of which it is compofed, be too strong, the blood will be confined and even obftructed; and the molicula of this fluid, continually rubbing against the orifices of its tubes, produce an agitation which will be diffused over the body, either wholly or in part, according to the degree of tenfion and irritability of the nerves which terminate in the fkin. This fenfation of cold must be the confequence, which will be more or lefs violent in proportion to the cause by which it is produced.

On this principle, the difeafe in queftion will be easily relieved, by relaxing the texture of the skin, and, by that means, facilitating the circulation of the blood, together with that of the juices thence fecreted, which is at all times of too much importance ever to be neglected. The effect of the warm bath fufficiently fupports this theory, and the inefficacy of the fudorifics adminiftered by her former physician corroborates our doctrine. The fand bath which he had prescribed, would have increafed the evil, by augmenting the dryness of the reticular nerves; and the rarefaction of the blood which it muft neceffarily have occafioned, fo far from re-establishing the cutaneous fecretions, would infallibly have confirmed the malady.

The plan of cure which I here propose from experience, will teach hysterical ladies who have this fenfation of cold in any part of the body, not to have recourse to heating medicines in hopes of removing the complaint. Those who perceive this coldness in the brain, are wont to heap fuch a load of covering upon their heads, as to obftru&t the circulation in the integuments of the craninm, and thus increafe the disorder by their endeavours to remove it. Others, perceiving the fame fenfation of cold in the region of the ftomach, not satisfied with immoderate covering, have recourse to hot and fpirituous liquors, with an intention to warm the ftomach, which they fuppofe incapable of performing its functions. As to the coldness of the hands and feet, to which others are subject, I have no objection to whatever means the patient chufes to adopt,

adopt, provided they be fuch as will not increase the drynefs of the extremities, nor augment the inflammatory diathesis of the blood. But the warm pedeluvium certainly deferves the preference, because it is the only means capable of rendering the veffels fupple, and by re-establishing the circulation of the blood and animal spirits, of restoring heat to the extremities.'

In a treatife of this kind, the merit of the work depends entirely on the narrative being genuine; and we ought therefore to inform our readers, that Dr. Pomme, the author, we are affured, is a man of credit and veracity.

Efays on various Subjects, principally defigned for young Ladies. Small 8vo. 35. Jered. Wilkie.

THE 'HE author of thefe Effays, Mifs H. More, is already known in the republic of letters, by a paftoral drama, intitled a Search after Happiness; the Inflexible Captive, a tragedy; Sir Eldred of the Bower, and the Bleeding Rock, two legendary tales; and an Ode to Dragon, Mr. Garrick's House Dog at Hampton; pieces, which have raifed her to fome degree of eminence among the female writers of the prefent æra.

Thefe Effays are chiefly calculated for the younger part of her own fex. They are however not intended as a regular fyftem of morais, or a finished plan of conduct. The author's defign is only to fuggeft fome few remarks on fubjects, which feemed to be interefting to young ladies, on their first introduction into the world.

The love of diffipation is allowed to be the reigning evil of the prefent day. It is an evil, which many content themselves with regretting, without attempting to remedy. A diffipated life is cenfured in the very act of diffipation; and prodigality of time is as gravely declaimed against at the card table, as in the pulpit. To guard her young readers against such a general infatuation, this excellent moralift, in her firft effay, expofes the fatal effects of trifling amufements, and endeavours to recommend more rational, honourable, and elevated pursuits.

It has been advised, and by very refpectable authorities, that in converfation, women fhould carefully conceal that knowledge or learning, which they may happen to poffefs. In op. pofition to fuch a contracted notion, this writer is of opinion, that young ladies may very properly join in a literary conver*fation, under the restrictions of modesty and discretion.

I am at a lofs,' fays fhe, to know why a young female is inftructed to exhibit, in the most advantageous point of view, her fill in mufic, her finging, dancing, taite in drefs, and her acquaintance with the most fashionable games and amusements,

while her piety is to be anxiously concealed, and her knowledge affectedly disavowed, left the former fhould draw on her the ap pellation of an enthufiaft, or the latter that of a pedant.

In regard to knowledge, why fhould fhe for ever affect to be on her guard, left the fhould be found guilty of a fmall portion of it? She need be the lefs folicitous about it, as it seldom proves to be fo very confiderable as to excite attonishment or admiration; for, after all the acquifitions which her talents and her ftudies have enabled her to make, fhe will, generally speaking, be found to have lefs of what is called learning, than common school-boy,

It would be to the laft degree prefumptuous and abfurd, for a young woman to pretend to give the ton to the company; to interrupt the pleasure of others, and her own opportunity of improvement, by talking when fhe ought to liften; or to introduce fubjects out of the common road in order to shew her own wit, or to expose the want of it in others; but were the fex to be totally filent when any topic of literature happens to be difcuffed in their prefence, converfation would lofe much of its vivacity, and fobriety would be robbed of one of its moft interefting charms.'

As it may be thought too affuming for young ladies to take the lead in a literary difcourfe, the author recommends the following polite and agreeable mode of promoting converfation, whenever they happen to fall into the company of men of a liberal education, who are inclined to enter into fubjects of taste and polite literature.

How eafily and effectually may a well-bred woman promote the most useful and elegant converfation, almoft without speaking a word! for the modes of fpeech are fcarcely more variable than the modes of filence. The filence of liftless ignorance, and the filence of fparkling intelligence, are perhaps as feparately marked, and as diftinctly expreffed, as the fame feelings could have been by the most unequivocal language. A woman, in a company where he has the leaft influence, may promote any fubject by a profound and invariable attention, which fhews that the is pleased with it, and by an illuminated countenance, which proves the understands it. This obliging attention is the moft flattering encouragement in the world to men of fenfe and letters, to continue any topic of inftruction or entertainment they happen to be engaged in: it owed its introduction perhaps to accident, the best introduction in the world for a fubject of ingenuity, which, though it could not have been formally propofed without pedantry, may be continued with ease and good humour; but which will be frequently and effectually stopped by the liftleffness, inattention, or whifpering of filly girls, whofe weariness betrays their ignorance, and whofe impatience expofes their ill-breeding. A polite man, however deeply interested in the fubject on which he is converfing, catches at the flighteft

hint to have done: a look is a fufficient intimation, and if a pretty fimpleton, who fits near him, feems diftraite, he puts an end to his remarks, to the great regret of the reasonable part of the company, who perhaps might have gained more improvement by the continuance of fuch a conversation, than a week's reading would have yielded them; for it is fuch company as this, that give an edge to each other's wit, “ as iron sharpen

eth iron."

That filence is one of the great arts of conversation is allowed by Cicero himself, who fays, there is not only an art but even an eloquence in it. And this opinion is confirmed by a great modern, in the following little anecdote from one of the ancients.

When many Grecian philofophers had a folemn meeting before the embassador of a foreign prince, each endeavoured to fhew his parts by the brilliancy of his converfation, that the ambaflador might have fomething to relate of the Grecian wifdom. One of them, offended, no doubt, at the loquacity of his companions, obferved a profound filence; when the ambaffador, turning to him, afked, "But what have you to say, that I may report it?" He made this laconic, but very pointed reply: "Tell your king, that you have found one among the Greeks who knew how to be filent."

We entirely agree with this lady, in regard to the propriety of a well-timed filence. For furely nothing can be more provoking, than to find an agreeable and interefting converfation inftantly interrupted by a frivolous remark on fome infignificant article of drefs, the price of a hat, a ribbon, or a feather. When the converfation takes this turn, and a group of ladies begin to harrangue on thefe important topics, the fociety becomes as pleasing and inftructive, as that which Virgil has defcribed in the following lines:

Alto in luco cum fortè caterve

Confedere avium; pifcofove amne Padufæ

Dant fonitum rauci per stagna loquacia cycni.

From literary converfation and the wifdom of filence, the author proceeds to treat of wit and ridicule; and, in the subfequent effays, of envy; of the danger of fentimental or romantic connexions; of true and falfe meekness; of the cultivation of the heart and temper, in the education of daughters; of the importance of religion to the female character; of genius, taste, and good fenfe.

In the following paffage, Mifs More appears to be a respectable metaphyfician.

• Good fenfe is as different from genius as perception is from invention; yet, though diftinct qualities, they frequently fubfift together. It is altogether oppofite to wit, but by no means inconfiftent with it. It is not fcience, for there is such a thing

unlettered good fenfe; yet, though it is neither wit, learning, nor genius, it is a fubftitute for each, where they do not exift, and the perfection of all where they do.

• Good fenfe is fo far from deferving the appellation of common fenfe, by which it is frequently called, that it is perhaps one of the rareft qualities of the human mind. If, indeed, this name is given in refpect to its peculiar fuitableness to the purposes of common life, there is great propriety in it. Good fenfe appears to differ from tafte in this, that tafte is an inftantaneous decifion of the mind, a fudden relifh of what is beautiful, or difguft at what is defective, in an object, without waiting for the flower confirmation of the judgment. Good fenfe is perhaps that confirmation, which establishes a fuddenly conceived idea, or feeling, by the powers of comparing and reflecting. They differ alfo in this, that tafte feems to have a more immediate reference to arts, to literature, and to almost every object of the fenfes; while good fense rises to moral excellence, and exerts its influence on life and manners. Tafte is fitted to the perception and enjoyment of whatever is beautiful in art or nature: Good fenfe, to the improvement of the conduct, and the regulation of the heart.

Yet the term good fenfe, is used indifcriminately to exprefs either a finished tafte for letters, or an invariable prudence in the affairs of life. It is fometimes applied to the most moderate abilities, in which cafe, the expreffion is certainly too strong; and at others to the moft fhining, when it is as much too weak and inadequate. A fenfible man is the ufual, but unappropriated phrafe, for every degree in the fcale of understanding, from the fober mortal, who obtains it by his decent demeanor and folid dullness, to him whofe talents qualify him to rank with a Bacon, a Harris, or a Johnson.

Genius is the power of invention and imitation. It is an incommunicable faculty: no art or skill of the poffeffor can bestow the smallest portion of it on another: no pains or labour can reach the fummit of perfection, where the feeds of it are. wanting in the mind; yet it is capable of infinite improvement, where it actually exifts, and is attended with the highest capacity of communicating inftruction, as well as delight to others.

It is the peculiar property of genius to ftrike out great or beautiful things: it is the felicity of good fenfe not to do abfurd ones. Genius breaks out in fplendid fentiments and elevated ideas; good fenfe confines its more circumfcribed, but perhaps more useful walk, within the limits of prudence and propriety. The poet's eye in a fine frenzy rolling,

Doth glance from heaven to earth, from earth to heaven;
And as imagination bodies forth

The forms of things unknown, the poet's pen

Turns them to fhape, and gives to airy nothing

A local habitation and a name,

This is perhaps the finest picture of human genius that ever was drawn by a human pencil. It presents a living image of a

creative