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fels, and mafter the force of the flouteft Samfon. And accordingly Histories of all kinds affure us, that the Ginæhas ftill had a Rival Suffrage with the Senate. I might urge the more regular Powers which appertain unto that Sex: that all Mankind is the Pupil and Difciple of Female-inftitution: the Daughters 'till they write Women, and the Sons 'till the first feven years be paft; the time when the mind is moft ductile, and prepar'd to receive impreffion, being wholly in the Care and Conduct of the Mother. And whereas 'tis obferv'd by Aristotle in his Politicks, (and is a proof of his being as wife, as he was a learned Man) that the Eftate of Republicks entirely hangs on private Families, the little Monarchies both compofing and giving Law unto the great; 'tis evident that the difpofal of Families and all domefick concerns therein, lyes chiefly on the Wife; whence the fame Ariftotle declares, that the Spartans notwithStanding

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standing their ready addrefs to Empire, by their great Frugality, InduStry, and military Vertue, could have but half a Happiness, as failing on the part of their Wives. But waving thefe reflections, Ifball fix only on the Perfonal Accomplishments of the Sex, and peculiarly that which is the most principal Endowment of the Rational Nature, I mean their understanding. Where firft it will be a little hard to pronounce, that they are naturally inferiour to men; when 'tis confider'd how much of extrinfick weight is put in the ballance to turn it on the mens fide. Men have their parts cultivated and improved by Education, refin'd and fubtiliz'd by Learning and Arts, are like an inclofed piece of a Common, which by Industry and Husbandry becomes a different thing from the reft, tho the natural Turf own'd no fuch inequality. And truly had Women the fame advantage, I dare not Jay but they would make as good re

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turns of it, fome of those few that have been try'd, have been eminent in feveral parts of Learning. To omit the modern instances, Theano after the death of Pythagoras kept up his School; Socrates confeffes himself to have been instructed, not only in Rhetorick by Afpafia, but even in the higheft points of Philofophy by Diotime. The Roman Story informs us of the deep wisdom of Tanaquil, Cornelia Livia, to pass by others. And were we fure they would have ballaft to their fails, have humility enough to poife them against the vanity of Learning, I fee not why they might not more frequently be entrusted with it; for if they could be fecured against this weed, doubtless the foil is rich enough to bear a good crop. But not to oppofe a received opinion, let it be admitted, that in respect of their intellects they are below men, vet fure in the fublimest part of Humanity, they are their equals: they have Souls of as Di

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vine an Original, as endless a Duration, and as capable of infinite Beatitude. That fpiritual Effence, that ray of Divinity, owns no diftinction of Sexes; fo that in this fenfe alfo, that Aphorifm of the Apoftle holds good, there is neither Male nor Female, but all are one, Gal. 3. 28. And fure this is the one tranfcendent Excellency of Human Nature. For alas, what value can comparatively be fet upon all other Qualifications, which will finally leave us but like the beafts that perish. And this, as it is the highest pitch of their worth, fo it is the fafest fubject of their Contemplations: other knowledge, as the Apostle Speaks, 1 Cor. 8. 1. may puff up, this only will edify.

As therefore when we would pride our felves, we use not to boast our meaner, but our beft Qualities: fo let me follicite Ladies to be fojust to themfelves, as not to take their own meafures by any thing below this. Why Should they take fo low a level of

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Greatness, as to value themselves upon a title which is but a bigger blast of Air, when they may derive their defcent from above the Stars, claim cognation with Divinity? Why Should they dote on the fictitious image of a perhaps more fictitious beauty, which their glafs prefents them, when they need but look inward to fee an infinitely fairer Idea, an Emanation of the Eternal Brightness? Indeed did they make a juft estimate of themselves in this refpect, it would overwhelm the vanity of those inferiour things wherein they now have Juch complacency, nor would they fuffer their nobler part to be affronted by the unequal competition of their meaner.

But there is also another confequent which would flow from that efteem; they would folicitously preferve what they fo highly prize, it being natural for us to proportion our care to our value. They would be jealously vigilant against every thing, that might

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