‘ In the general course of the things of this world, women have not opportunities of sounding the depths of science, or of acquainting themselves perfectly with polite literature: but this want of opportunity is not entirely confined to them. There are professions among the men no more favourable to these studies, than the common avocations of women. For example; Merchants, whose attention is (and, perhaps, with regard to the public, more usefully) cluiiiied down to their accounts. Officers, both of land and sea, are seldom much better instructed, though they may, perhaps, pass through a tew more forms: and as for knowledge of the world, women of a certain rank have an equal title to it with some of them. A learned man, as he is called, who should despise a sensible one of these profes-sions, and disdain to converse with him, would pass for a pedant; and why not for despising or under-valuing a woman of sense, who may be put on the same footing? Men, in common conversation, have laid it down for a rule of good breeding, not to talk before women of things they don’t understand; by which means an opportunity of improvement is lost; a very good one too; one that has been ap-proved by the ablest persons who have written on the education of children; because it is a means of learning insensibly, without the appearance of a task. Conunon subjects afford only commonplace, and are soon exhausted: why, then, should conver-sation be confined to such narrow limits, and be liable to continual repetition; when, if people would start less beaten subjects, many doubts and difficulties concerning them might be cleared up, and they would accpiire a more settled opinion of things (v.hieh is what the generality much want, from an indolence that hinders them from examining) at the same time that they would be better en tertained, than with talking of the weather, and sucli kind of insipidities.’

Lady W. a})i)lauding Mrs. Shirley’s sentiments, A-propos, said she; let me read you the speech (taking it out of her pocket-book) of an East–India officer, to a pedant, who had been displaying his talents, and running over with terms of art, and scraps of Latin, mingled with a profusion of words, that hardly any of the company understood; and which, at the same time that it diverted all present, cured the pretended scholar of his affectation for ever after. Her ladyship read it, as follows:

‘ I am charmed with this opportunity, said the officer, of discoursing with a gentleman of so much wit and learning; and hope I shall have his deci-sion in a point which is pretty nice, and concerns some eastern manufactures, of ancient and reverend etymology. Modern critics are undetermined about them; but, for my part, I have always maintained, that chints, bidllmlls, morees, and ponabaguzzys, are of nobler and more generous uses than doorgtizees or 7iourJurmannys: not but I hold against byrampauts in favour of niccannees and boralchaiiders. Only I wish, that so accurate a judge would instruct me, why tapzils and snllampores have given place to npgane2)auts ‘? And why bejatapnutz should be more esteemed than the finer fabric oi’bbie chelloes P * ’