I was the youngest daughter and child of my parents, who were noble and conspicuous, but not wealthy. I was the favourite of the whole family, not only as being the youngest, but as beautiful and insinuating, and that my parents, growing old and infirm, were averse from the trouble and uneasiness of doing any thing with me, but as a play-thing, and to make me happy by every indulgence, that all my little childish sallies might be brought forth with the brilliancy and softness of nature.

By this way of training, my feelings were rendered so acute, and my heart so softened by luxury, that, as the poet sings :

"Nor ease nor peace my heart could know,
"That, like the needle true,

"Turn'd at the touch of joy or woe,
"And turning, trembled too."

I was sent, in compliance with the abominable fashion of the times, to a London boarding-school, where, by my beauty, address, and connections, I contrived to be as idle as my heart could almost desire; but learnt to relish dress, dancing, plays, and places of public amusement; and, at fifteen, I came home thoroughly furnished unto all the works of idleness, but without a single atom of that sense or experience which is necessary to regulate my conduct in real life.

I was now introduced by my mother into company, and permitted to dance at public assemblies; not that she approved of the fre

quent repetition of this indulgence, but, as she used to say, that as my father could give me little or no fortune, and the sorrows of life would come soon enough, it were pity not to make me as happy as possible at present, especially as nobody knew where a blessing might light, and that I might get a rich and great husband, who would have the advantage of finding me a sheet of white paper, upon which he might write according to his pleasure, and have, what she called, a wife of his own making.

Very soon did I get a husband; but he was neither very great nor very opulent, but amiable, sensible, and professionally eminent. He loved me exceedingly; but so far from my becoming a wife of his own making, that he became very soon infinitely too much a husband of my making; indulging me in every thing that his fortune would allow.

In a few years, I lost my husband; and having lost myself long before, you may guess my situation.

I could no longer indulge myself, without bankruptcy and disgrace, in my former pleasures; and I had no resources at home, or in my own mind, to fill up the horrible chasm that now appeared, and was soon bitterly felt in my own existence.

The common decencies of widowhood required some degree of seclusion from gay society for half a year, and I had no relish for any other. Driven by this event to the abso

lute necessity of doing something to amuse myself, I had courage enough to begin, and follow out a plan of female education, and hád six hours a-day for instruction in the various, departments of needle-work, French, and literature. All was so new to me in the latter, that I became fond of it. I took a course of all the best French and English classics that were within the reach of my capacity. I wrote down my observations as I went along; and I shewed them to my instructors. I found that a knowledge of grammar increased my pleasure in reading; and not satisfied with verbal, I studied universal grammar, which I found perfectly enchanting. Novels, at least the trash dignified by that name in Britain, gave me no more delight. I found real history infinitely more amusing; for, being copious of nature, or rather originals, they had an effect upon my taste and perception, which I was quite unable to account for, but which I sensibly experienced so much, as to prefer them to every other kind of general reading.

I happened accidentally to meet with a little English compend of Botany: I learnt to distinguish the various kinds of plants, according to the modern system, and amused myself, on my field-walks, with gathering, arranging, and distinguishing the different. species; and having a turn for drawing, a master soon taught me to apply my pencil to the copying these charming productions

of nature. I did not stop here; for I studied the economy and culture of useful trees, shrubs, and vegetables; and having a little garden in the country, on Enfield Chace, I set myself to verify my studies by actual operations, many of which I performed with my own hand. The pleasure of gardening led me to inquire concerning the nature of manures, the growth of plants; and their qnalities drawing me gradually on to the knowledge of fossils useful in agriculture, or of plants useful in manufactures; in short, I became rationally curious, and was rationally employed. I was no longer disgusted with my own insignificancy, and no longer brooded over my disappointments.

The outsides of men became less interesting to me than formerly. I wished to know if there was any thing within my lovers, before I paid any attention to their external exhibition.

Having thus recovered my senses, and applied them to the recovery of my character, and the securing of my own happiness, independent of the world, though I had only a very moderate jointure, I was able to make it sufficient for all my desires; and my prudence obtained me a proposal of marriage from a gentleman of competent estate in the country, whose hand I accepted; and I hope I may venture to say, that he is satisfied with my conduct as a wife and mother, and my manners as a companion, and affectionate friend, who, if he should detect my hand in VOL. I. C

this letter, will, I dare say, forgive my becoming authoress anonymously, for the good of the ladies, to whom I recommend, especially on their marriage, the reading of Déan Swift's letter to a very young one upon that occasion; which, to save them the insufferable fatigue of looking over the indexes of 13 volumes, I beg leave to inform them, is to be found in the beginning of the fourth of the common editions.

I am, Mr Editor, your constant reader and admirer,

A FORTUNATE DAUGHTER OF IDLENESS.

On Female Education.

SIR,

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BEE.

(June 22. 1791.)

YOUR kind reception of the letter I sent you under the signature a fortunate daugh ter of idleness, induces me to hope you will not be displeased to have a few further observations on that important subject, the result chiefly of my own experience, which I shall use the freedom in this, and perhaps a few other letters, to communicate to you. It is a subject that has long engrossed a great share of my attention; and, could I flatter myself with the hope of turning the attention of those