Theeducationofwomenhas,oflate,beenmoreattendedtothanformerly;yettheyarestillreckonedafrivoloussex,andridiculedorpitiedbythewriterswhoendeavourbysatireorinstructiontoimprovethem。Itisacknowledgedthattheyspendmanyofthefirstyearsoftheirlivesinacquiringasmatteringofaccomplishments:meanwhile,strengthofbodyandmindaresacrificedtolibertinenotionsofbeauty,tothedesireofestablishingthemselves,theonlywaywomencanriseintheworld——bymarriage。Andthisdesiremakingmereanimalsofthem,whentheymarry,theyactassuchchildrenmaybeexpectedtoact:
theydress;theypaint,andnicknameGod\'screatures。Surelytheseweakbeingsareonlyfitfortheseraglio！Cantheygovernafamily,ortakecareofthepoorbabeswhomtheybringintotheworld？
Ifthenitcanbefairlydeducedfromthepresentconductofthesex,fromtheprevalentfondnessforpleasure,whichtakesplaceofambitionandthosenoblerpassionsthatopenandenlargethesoul;
thattheinstructionwhichwomenhavereceivedhasonlytended,withtheconstitutionofcivilsociety,torendertheminsignificantobjectsofdesire;merepropagatorsoffools！ifitcanbeproved,thatinaimingtoaccomplishthem,withoutcultivatingtheirunderstandings,theyaretakenoutoftheirsphereofduties,andmaderidiculousanduselesswhentheshortlivedbloomofbeautyisover*,IpresumethatRATIONALmenwillexcusemeforendeavouringtopersuadethemtobecomemoremasculineandrespectable。
（*Footnote。Alivelywriter,Icannotrecollecthisname,askswhatbusinesswomenturnedoffortyhavetodointheworld。）