Obfervations upon the Paffions, addreffed to the Ladies.-From the Obferver, being a Collection of Moral, Literary, and Familar Efjays.

I

THINK the ladies will not accufe me of bufying myfelf in impertinent remarks upon their dress and attire, for indeed it is not to their perfons my fervices are devoted, but to their minds: if I can add to them any thing ornamental, or take from them any thing unbecoming, I fhall gain my wifh; the reft I fhall leave to their milliners and mantua-makers.

Now if I have any merit with them for not intruding upon their toilets, let them fhew me fo much complaifance, as not to read this paper, whilft they are engaged in thofe occupations, which I have never before interrupted; for as I intend to talk with them a little metaphyfically, I would not wish to divide their attention, nor fhall I be contented with less than the whole.

In the first place I muft tell them, gentle though they be, that human nature is fubject to a variety of paffions; fome of thefe are virtuous paffions, fome on the contrary I am afraid are evil; there are however a number of intermediate propenfities, most of which might alfo be termed paffions, which by the proper influence of reafon may become very ufeful allies to any one fingle virtue, when in danger of being overpowered by a hot of foes: at the fame time they are as capable of being kidnapped by the enemies of reason, and, when enlifted in the ranks of the infurgents, feldom fail to turn the fate of the battle,

and commit dreadful havock in the peaceful quarters of the invaded. virtue. It is apparent then that all thefe intermediate propenfities are a kind of balancing powers, which feem indeed to hold a neutrality in moral affairs, but, holding it with arms in their hands, cannot be fuppofed to remain impartial spectators of the fray, and therefore muft be either with us, or against us.

I fhall make myself better underftood when I proceed to instance them, and I will begin with that, ́ which has been called the univerfal paflion, The love of Fame.

I prefume no lady will difavow this propenfity; I would not with her to attempt it; let her examine it however; let her firft enquire to what point it is likely to carry her. before the commits herself to it's conduct: if it is to be her guide to that fame only, which excels in fashionable diffipation, figures in the first circles of the gay world, and is the loadstone to attract every libertine of high life into the sphere of it's activity, it is a traiterous guide, and is feducing her to a precipice, that will fooner or later be the grave of her happiness: on the contrary, if it propofes to avoid these dangerous purfuits, and recommends a progrefs through paths lefs tempting to the eye perhaps, but terminated by fubftantial comforts, the may fecurely follow a propenfity, which cannot mislead her, and indulge a paffion, which will be the moving fpring of all her actions, and but for which her nature would want energy, and her character be no otherwife diftinguished than by avoidance of vice without the grace and merit of any pofitive virtue. I can hardly fuppofe, if it was put to a lady's choice at her outfet into

life which kind of fame fhe would be diftinguished for, good or evil, but that the would at once prefer the good; I must believe fhe would acknowledge more gratification in being fignalized as the best wife, the best mother, the most exemplary woman of her time, than in being pointed out in all circles fhe frequents as the most fashionable rake, the best-dreffed voluptuary in the nation if this be rightly conjectured, why will not every woman, who has her choice to make, direct her ambition to thofe objects, which will give her moft fatisfaction, when attained? there can be no reafon but because it imposes on her fome felf-denials by the way, which the has not fortitude to furmount; and it is plain fhe does not love fame well enough to be at much pains in acquiring it; her ambition does not reach at noble objects, her paffion for celebrity is no better than that of a buffoon's, who for the vanity of being confpicuous fubmits to be contemptible.

Friendship is a word which has a very captivating found, but is by no means of a decided quality; it may be friend or foe as reafon and true judgment fhall determine for it. If I were to decry all female friendships in the lump it might seem a harsh fentence, and yet it will seriously behove every parent to keep ftrict watch over this propenfity in the early movements of the female mind. I am not difpofed to expatiate upon it's dangers very particularly; they are fufficiently known to people of experience and difcretion; but attachments must be stemmed in their beginnings; keep off correfpondents from your daughters as you would keep off the peftilence: romantic

miffes, fentimental novelists and fcribbling pedants overturn each other's heads with fuch eternal rhapfodies about friendship, and refine upon nonfenfe with fuch an affectation of enthusiasm, that if it has not been the parent's fludy to take early precautions against all fuch growing propenfities, it will be in vain to oppofe the torrent, when it carries all before it and overwhelms the paffions with its force.

Senfibility is a mighty favourite with the fair fex; it is an amiable friend or a very dangerous foe to virtue: let the female, who profeffes it, be careful how fhe makes too full a display of her weakness for this is fo very foft and infinuating a propenfity, that it will be found in moft female gloffaries as a fynonymous term for love itfelf; in fact it is little elfe than the nommede-guerre, which that infidious adventurer takes upon him in all first approaches; the pafs-word in all thofe fkirmishing experiments, which young people make upon each other's affections, before they proceed to plainer declarations; it is the whetitone, upon which love fharpens and prepares his arrows; if any lady makes a certain fhow of fenfibility in company with her admirer, he must be a very dull fellow, if he does not know how to turn the weapon from himself to her. Now fenfibility affumes a different character when it is taken into the fervice of benevolence, or made the centinel of modefty; in one cafe it gives the fpring to pity, in the other the alarm to difcretion; but whenever it affails the heart by foft feduction to bestow that pity and relief, which diferetion does not warrant and purity ought not to grant, it fhould be

treated

treated as a renegado and a fpy, which under the mafk of charity would impofe upon credulity for the vileft purposes, and betray the heart by flattering it to it's ruin.

Vanity is a paffion, to which I think I am very complaifant, when I admit it to a place amongst these convertible propenfities, for it is as much as I can do to find any occupation for it in the family-concerns of virtue; perhaps if I had not known Vaneja I fhould not pay it even this fmall compliment: it can however do fome under-offices in the houfehold of generofity, of chearfulness, hofpitality, and certain other refpectable qualities: it is little elfe than an officious, civil, filly thing, that runs on errands for its betters, and is content to be paid with a fmile for it's good-will by thofe, who have too much good fenfe to fhow it any real refpect: when it is harmless, it would be, hard to wound it out of wantonnefs; when it is mischievous, there is merit in chafifing it with the whip of ridicule a lap-dog may be endured, if he is inoffenfive and does not annoy the company, but a fnappifh, barking pett, though in a lady's arms, deferves to have his ears pulled for his impertinence.

Delicacy is a foft name, and fine ladies, who have a proper contempt for the vulgar, are very willing to be thought endowed with fenfes more refined and exquifite, than nature ever meant to give them; their nerves are fufceptible in the extreme, and they are of conftitutions fo irritable, that the very winds of heaven muft not be allowed to vifit their face too roughly. have ftudied this female favourite with fome attention, and I am not yet able to discover any one of it's

good qualities; I do not perceive the merit of fuch exquifite fibres, nor have I obferved that the flendereft ftrings are apt to produce the fweeteft founds, when applied to inftruments of barmony; I prefume the female heart fhould be fuch an harmonious inftrument, when touched by the parent, the friend, the hufband; but how can these expect a concert of sweet founds to be excited from a thing, which is liable to be jarred and put out of tune by every breath of air? it may be kept in it's cafe, like

an old-fashioned virginal, which nobody knows, or even wishes to know, how to touch: it can never be brought to bear it's part in a family concert, but muft hang by the wall, or at best be a folo inftrument for the remainder of it's days.

Bafbfulness, when it is attached to modefty, will be regarded with the eye of candor and cheared with the fmile of encouragement; but bafhfulness is a hireling, and is fometimes difcovered in the livery of pride, oftentimes in the caft-off trappings of affectation; pedantry is very apt to bring it into company, and fly, fecret confcioufness will frequently blush because it underftands. I do not fay I have much to lay to it's charge, for it is not apt to be troublefome in polite focieties, nor do I commonly meet it even in the youngest of the female fex. There is a great deal of blushing I confefs in all the circles of fine ladies, but then it is fo univerfal a blush and withal fo permanent, that I am far from imputing it always to bafhfulness, when the cheeks of the fair are. tinged with rofes. However, though it is fometimes an impoftor, and

for

for that reafon may deserve to be difmiffed, I cannot help having a confideration for one, that has in past times been the handmaid of beauty, and therefore as merit has taken modefty into her fervice, I would recommend to ignorance to put bashfulness into full pay and employment.

Politeness is a charming propenfity, and I would with the fine ladies to indulge it, if it were only by way of contraft between themselves and the fine gentlemen they confort with. I do not think it is altogether becoming for a lady to plant herfelf in the center of a circle with her back to the fire, and expect every body to be warmed by the contemplation of her figure, or the reflection of her countenance; at the fame time I am free to con- . fefs it an attitude, by which the man of high-breeding is confpicuoufly diftinguished, and is charming to behold, when fet off with the proper accompaniments of leather breeches, tight boots, and a jockey waistcoat. I will not deny however but I have feen this practifed by ladies, who have acquitted themfelves with great fpirit on the occafion; but then it cannot be done without certain male accoutrements, and presupposes a flouched hat, half-boots, fhort waistcoat and riding drefs, not to omit broad metal buttons, with great letters engraved upon them, or the fignature of fome hunt, with the indifpenfable appendage of two long dangling watch-chains, which ferve to mark the double value people of fashion put upon their time, and alfo fhew the encouragement they bestow upon the arts: with thefe implements the work may be done even by a female artist, but it is

an art I wish no young lady to ftudy, and I hope the prefent profeffors will take no more pupils, whilft the academies of Humphries and Mendoza are kept open for accomplishments, which I think upon the whole are altogether as becoming. Politeness, as I conceive, confifts in putting people at their cafe in your company, and being at your ease in their's; modern practice I am afraid is apt to mifplace this procefs, for I observe every body in fashionable life polite enough to ftudy their own eafe, but I do not fee much attention paid to that part of the rule, which ought to be first obferved: it is well calculated for thofe, who are adepts in it, but if ever fuch an out-of-the-way thing as a modest perfon comes within it's reach, the awkward novice is fure to be dif treffed, and whilft every body about him feems repofing on a bed of down, he alone is picketted upon a feat of thorns: till this fhall be reformed by the ladies, who profess to understand politenefs, I fhall turn back to my red-book of forty years ago, to fee what relicts of the old court are yet amongst us, and take the mothers for my models in preference to their daughters."

Lama, whofe lands were tributary to the Supreme Lama, or Sacerdotal Emperor, who governs all the land from China to the pathlefs defert of Cobi: but although his flocks and herds were fcattered over an hundred hills, and the number of his flaves exceeded the breathings of man's life, yet was he chiefly known throughout all the east, as the father of Serinda. It was the beauty, the virtue, the accomplishments of Serinda, which gave him all his fame, and all his happinefs; for Lama Zarin confidered the advantages which birth, and wealth, and power, conferred, as trifling, when compared to that of being father to Serinda. All the anxiety he ever felt, proceeded from the thoughts relating to her welfare, when he could no longer guard the innocence of her, whom he expected foon to quit for ever. A dreadful malady, which had long feized him at a stated hour each day, he found was gaining on him, and threatened, in fpite of all the arts of medicine, to put a speedy period to his exift

ence.

while my

One day, after a fit which attacked him with more violence than afual, he fent for the fair Serinda, and, gently beckoning her to approach his couch, he addreffed her in these words: Daughter of my hopes and fears! Heaven grant that thou mayeft fmile for ever! Yet, foul confeffes its delight in gazing on thee, attend to the foreboding melancholy dictates of a dying father's fpirit: my Serinda, whofe breath refreshes like the rofe; and whofe purity fhould, like the jeffamine, diffufe voluptuous fatiffaction on all around her; difturbs the peace of her dejected father, embittering all the comforts of his

life, and making his approach to death more terrible!" At these words, Serinda, unconscious of offence, and doubting what fhe heard, fell on her knees, and urged her father to explain his meaning; while he, gently raifing her, proceeded thus The Angel of Death, who admonishes and warns the faithful, in the hour of fick nefs, ere he ftrikes the fatal blow, has fummoned me to join thy holy mother, who died when she gave birth to my Serinda; yet,let me not depart to the unknown and fearful land of death, and leave my daughter unprotected. Oh! my Serinda, fpeak! Haft thou ever feriously reflected on the danger, to which thy orphan ftate muft foon be subject furrounded as thou then wilt be, with fuitor Lamas, of various difpofitions and pretenfions; fome with mercenary cunning, wooing thy poffeffions through thy perfon; others, haughtily demanding both, and threatening a helpless heiress with their powerful love?" He then reminded her, that he had, from time to time prefented her with portraits of the feveral princes or lamas, who had folicited an union with his house, and which they had fent, according to the cuftom of Thibet, where the fexes can never fee each other till they are married; he alfo repeated, what he had already himfelf given her in writing, an epitome of their characters, their good and evil qualities, their ages, their poffeffions, and their rank in the priesthood of the Lama, and concluded, by faying. Tell me, then, my Serinda, which of all thefe mighty princes can claim a preference in the foul of my beloved daughter ?" Serinda blufhed, and fighed, but anfwered not. Lama Zarin defired that she

would