Infact,thefemalemindhasbeensototallyneglected,thatknowledgewasonlytobeacquiredfromthismuddysource,tillfromreadingnovelssomewomenofsuperiortalentslearnedtodespisethem。
Thebestmethod,Ibelieve,thatcanbeadoptedtocorrectafondnessfornovelsistoridiculethem;notindiscriminately,forthenitwouldhavelittleeffect;but,ifajudiciousperson,withsometurnforhumour,wouldreadseveraltoayounggirl,andpointout,bothbytonesandaptcomparisonswithpatheticincidentsandheroiccharactersinhistory,howfoolishlyandridiculouslytheycaricaturedhumannature,justopinionsmightbesubstitutedinsteadofromanticsentiments。
Inonerespect,however,themajorityofbothsexesresemble,andequallyshowawantoftasteandmodesty。Ignorantwomen,forcedtobechastetopreservetheirreputation,allowtheirimaginationtorevelintheunnaturalandmeretriciousscenessketchedbythenovelwritersoftheday,slightingasinsipidthesoberdignityandmatronlygraceofhistory,*whilstmencarrythesamevitiatedtasteintolife,andflyforamusementtothewanton,fromtheunsophisticatedcharmsofvirtue,andthegraverespectabilityofsense。
（*Footnote。Iamnotnowalludingtothatsuperiorityofmindwhichleadstothecreationofidealbeauty,whenlifesurveyedwithapenetratingeye,appearsatragi—comedy,inwhichlittlecanbeseentosatisfytheheartwithoutthehelpoffancy。）
Besides,thereadingofnovelsmakeswomen,andparticularlyladiesoffashion,veryfondofusingstrongexpressionsandsuperlativesinconversation;and,thoughthedissipatedartificiallifewhichtheyleadpreventstheircherishinganystronglegitimatepassion,thelanguageofpassioninaffectedtonesslipsforeverfromtheirglibtongues,andeverytrifleproducesthosephosphoricburstswhichonlymimickinthedarktheflameofpassion。