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On The Character And Virtues Of The Fair Sex.
It were nauseous to repeat either the virulent invectives of some , who have treated women Avith asperity , or the ludicrous sarcasms of others , Avho have held them in contempt : the ingeniTous mind will feel more pleasure in considering what authors have Written , what facts have been related , and what circumstances may be adduced in favour of the female . sex . An examination of many female characters in Shakspeare will leaA'e on the mind impressions favourable to the sex , and incline us to conclude that , notwithstanding the depraA'ity of a Goneril , a Regan , or a Lady Macbeth , our chief dramatic writer admired the virtues of
women . The Avriters of romantic poetry , conformably with the laws of chivalry , Avere professed advocates for the women . Our own Spenser ' s Una , Britomarfis , Belphcebe , and Gloriana , are characters all calculated to exalt the female sex . Ariosto ,- b .- xx . v . 9 , says to their praise , O 'd to manbehold the beauteous race
ppos , , In every science our renown efface . HOOLE . And the episode of Isabella ' s love for Zerbino , her inviolable honour , her lamentation at his death , as told in b . xiii . and 24 , pour tray female excellencies in the most engaging manner . Though in romance the heroines are frequently represented in terms so extravagant as to provoke the ridicule of Cervantesyet is
, this species of writing , as executed by authors of the middle centuries , infinitely preferable to modern novels . Better is it for youngminds to be conversant with patterns of superior virtues , and with actions of extraordinary merit , than to dwell on examples and scenes of vice . In romance , the female sex is eminently good ; in novels , for the most part , corruptly bad : so that novels not only enervate
the mind , by superinducing an affectation of sentimental feeling ; they not only render it incapable of acting with fortitude , and propriety in cases of REAL distress , Avhich short experience of life will show to be more abundant than to need the addition of imaginary evils ; but they have a tendency stili more fatal , they bring A'oung readers acquainted Avith the worst part of the female sex , habituate them to loose rinciples and immodest practicesaud thus send them
p , into the world debauched , at least in heart , at an age Avhich should be adorned with simplicity and innocence . Concern for the female character make ' s this remark net foreign to our subject . In ancient history , famous are the names of Portia , the Avife of Cato '; of Julia and Cornelia , the successive Avives of Pompey ; and of Lucretia , AVIIO redeemed , by voluntary death , that honour which
had been insulted by brutal violence . The excellent Plucarch hath recorded not only these , but also another most memorable woman . Chelonis Avas the daughter of Leonidas , and wife of Cleombrotus . Her father Avas driven from his kingdom of Sparta , and her husband created king in his place . She condemned her husband ' s usurpation , left him , and comforted her exiled f _ . th . er . But Leonidas was soon VOL . vii , I i '
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
On The Character And Virtues Of The Fair Sex.
It were nauseous to repeat either the virulent invectives of some , who have treated women Avith asperity , or the ludicrous sarcasms of others , Avho have held them in contempt : the ingeniTous mind will feel more pleasure in considering what authors have Written , what facts have been related , and what circumstances may be adduced in favour of the female . sex . An examination of many female characters in Shakspeare will leaA'e on the mind impressions favourable to the sex , and incline us to conclude that , notwithstanding the depraA'ity of a Goneril , a Regan , or a Lady Macbeth , our chief dramatic writer admired the virtues of
women . The Avriters of romantic poetry , conformably with the laws of chivalry , Avere professed advocates for the women . Our own Spenser ' s Una , Britomarfis , Belphcebe , and Gloriana , are characters all calculated to exalt the female sex . Ariosto ,- b .- xx . v . 9 , says to their praise , O 'd to manbehold the beauteous race
ppos , , In every science our renown efface . HOOLE . And the episode of Isabella ' s love for Zerbino , her inviolable honour , her lamentation at his death , as told in b . xiii . and 24 , pour tray female excellencies in the most engaging manner . Though in romance the heroines are frequently represented in terms so extravagant as to provoke the ridicule of Cervantesyet is
, this species of writing , as executed by authors of the middle centuries , infinitely preferable to modern novels . Better is it for youngminds to be conversant with patterns of superior virtues , and with actions of extraordinary merit , than to dwell on examples and scenes of vice . In romance , the female sex is eminently good ; in novels , for the most part , corruptly bad : so that novels not only enervate
the mind , by superinducing an affectation of sentimental feeling ; they not only render it incapable of acting with fortitude , and propriety in cases of REAL distress , Avhich short experience of life will show to be more abundant than to need the addition of imaginary evils ; but they have a tendency stili more fatal , they bring A'oung readers acquainted Avith the worst part of the female sex , habituate them to loose rinciples and immodest practicesaud thus send them
p , into the world debauched , at least in heart , at an age Avhich should be adorned with simplicity and innocence . Concern for the female character make ' s this remark net foreign to our subject . In ancient history , famous are the names of Portia , the Avife of Cato '; of Julia and Cornelia , the successive Avives of Pompey ; and of Lucretia , AVIIO redeemed , by voluntary death , that honour which
had been insulted by brutal violence . The excellent Plucarch hath recorded not only these , but also another most memorable woman . Chelonis Avas the daughter of Leonidas , and wife of Cleombrotus . Her father Avas driven from his kingdom of Sparta , and her husband created king in his place . She condemned her husband ' s usurpation , left him , and comforted her exiled f _ . th . er . But Leonidas was soon VOL . vii , I i '