not wait for the cold dictates of reason, prudence, and duty; but will act from the impulse of sentiment; and that the highest degree of sentimental generosity is that which reposes unlimited confidence in the protestations of a favourite lover. From these works I learned that what cold moralists would call vicious, and politicians pronounce hurtful to society, was, according to novelists, perfectly consistent with benevolence of the heart, and often arose from, according to them, its very highest quality,-sensibility. Captain Spontoon appeared to me such a hero as novels celebrated, especially those writen by our own sex. He was tall, strong, and agile, like Delmont, the Young Philosopher. He was soft and insinuating, like Fitz-Edward, the lover of Emmeline's Friend. He was open, impetuous, and moved by the impulse of the moment, like the charming Walsingham. He was graceful, like Sir Harry Clarendon. He was valiant, like the Clifford of Derwent Priory, that so bravely rescues his mistress both from a ravisher and a vicious cow. He had the fine auburn hair, dark eyes, and interesting smile of Godolphin; with the firm, manly, majestic step of Montgomery. He had the wisdom of a Marchmont, could dance like a D'Almonville, and fence like a Bellozane. He had, it is true, seduced many women; but then the divine Charlotte Smith says of the delightful Fitz-Edward, though addicted to the seduction of women, both married and unmarried, though he had ruined a near connection entrusted to his care, Fitz-Edward's errors were not the errors of the heart. The charming Mrs. Robinson promulgated the same principles of morality when she makes the exquisite Walsingham, though he forcibly ruins a girl fond of him to distraction, still a man of most benevolent disposition. Other novels contributed the sancion of their authority to the same moral truth, that a man may be a ruiner of women, and still possess most virtuous affections. So tutored, it would have been very unreasonable in me to have dismissed the Captain, since his were not the errors of the heart. The Captain was deeply enamoured of me, but it was altogether inconvenient for him, in our mutual circumstances, to marry. The refined sentiments I learned from my favourite books were above all vulgar and formal rules. True sentimental generosity induced me to make my lover happy. The Captain, apprehensive of the consequences, persuaded me to give my hand to a gentleman that had been some time making his addresses to me. Though a good man, my husband was far from being agreeable. The adorable Charlotte, Smith shewed me what Lady Adelina Trelawney had done in such a case: she had broken the marriage-vow with the man she liked, and was still a most de

lightful character, the very essence of sensibility, and beloved esteemed, and respected, by the most exemplary women in the world. Have not I as good a right, I thought, as Lady Adelina to please myself and my lover, when it implied no error of the heart? We accordingly acted on the same plan; the child till now passed for my husband's; the desertion of the Captain at last taught me to reflect on my conduct, and to see that sentimental novels are far from being the best teachers of morality, or leading to the most permanent happiness.'

The Saint said, that if she appeared inclined to penitence, and to be punished by her own conscience, he should let her pass for the present; but advised her to beware of a relapse into fondness for either novels or lovers.

A smart Miss was next mustered; and at no great distance, an elderly man and woman were crying, whom I afterwards understood to be her parents. A little child called out, Mr. Cotillon, the dancingmaster! Well, Miss,' said the Saint, what have you to say for yourself?'

It was all along of father and mother; they gives me an edu cation at a boardin-school, and makes me larn things of no use to me when I returned to their house. My father is a hard-working gardener, and my mother keeps a green-grocer's shop, in Norton Falgate; and so a sister of her's as is in the haberdashery line sent cousin Sukey to a boardin-school near Kingsland; so says my mother to my father, "We are as well to do in the world as sister, and why not give our Bet education?" My father, who is a peaceable man, always takes mother's advice, or the house would be too hot for him; and so I was sent to Miss Bagatelle as keeps the French boardinschool near Shoreditch alms-houses, and is patronized by the best quality of Spital-fields, Bethnal-Green, and Hogsdon, and perfites them in their larning in a very short time.' 'And pray what did you learn?' said the Saint. Dancing, hapsicolls, French lingo, and modesty. What, French modesty! Lord, Sir; modesty was one of our tasks; it was the hardest of our lessons! So, Sir, when I was quite mistress of all larning, I returned home to assist in the shop, a green-grocer's, as I told your Reverence. Mother thought as how I would be a great help to her, as my larning of hapsicolls, and so forth, would make me more handy in sarving the cabbages and potatoes. So the day after I came home, she bidding me pick out a bunch of carrots for a customer-"I seil carrots, mother!" says I; "a 'complished young lady from a boardin-school sell carrots that's

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a good one, indeed! if you had intended me for them wulgar employments, you oft not to have sent me to boardin-school." So, 'ecod, I would have my own way, and did nothing but read play-books and story-books, and look out o' the window after the young men, as we us'd to do at school. So a young man over the way as keeps a pork butcher's shop fell in fancy with me. As he was well to do, my father and mother advised me to ha' un. "No, no," said I, “ I know a trick worth two o' that. None of your mechanics for me! did you ever hear of a Boardin-school Miss marrying a pork butcher ?" So who should pass about this time but Mr. Cotillon, the dancingmaster, who was always very gracious with the grown girls at school, and used to squeeze their hands, and give them a sly kiss in the corner. He was in a one horse chay; so seeing me at the window, he drew up, and said to mother as how he had come from Miss Bagatelle to ask me to go to visit her. My mother let me go, and I told him the story of the butcher. He begged me to go with him to Bagnigge-Wells, where we would talk the matter more fully, he said. I agreed. He convinced me, that the very offer of such a fellar was an affront, and that, for a young lady of accomplishments, it was better to be a gemman's mistress than a tradesman's wife. He told me he had been deeply in love with me for a long while, and if I would go and live with him, I should have every thing happy and comfortable. So as my governess had often mentioned things of that sort, and did not seem to think any harm in them, and I liked the man ever since he used to teach me at school, 'ecod, I consented, and we are very comfortable together; excepting now and then, father and mother comes whimpering about, and says I'm a ruination'd girl.'

Thus,' said the Saint, an education in itself totally frivolous, and in this young woman totally unfit for her situation, has perverted her sense of right and wrong, and made her a willing prostitute.'.

Young woman!'-Said she, ‘I'm a young lady, Sir !'' Silence,' said the Saint in a voice that made her tremble; you (said he to the parents) are to take this pert hoyden home, to unteach her the vanities your folly has taught, to inure her to industry; so you may possibly reclaim her; so only you can reclaim her from the prostitution that so naturally follows the idle, useless, and corrupted lessons of a low boarding-school.'

Next marched up a young lady, dressed in a showy and splendid style; on the appearance of whom two gentlemen drew their swords, but were stopped by the order of the Saint from proceeding to combat. St. Anthony found that one of the intended combatants was

her husband, and the other her late gallant. Compelled to speak the truth, the lady began: I was educated, Sir, by a very dashing mother, who both by precept and example impressed me with an opinion that the greatest happiness consisted in finery and magnificence, in splendid dress, costly furniture, and equipage; that a young woman's chief object, therefore, is to marry an opulent husband. After setting my cap at several men of fortune, I at last captivated a man who did not possess much, but expected a considerable estate on the death of a rich old uncle. As I longed to be married,' and be mistress of a house of my own, and there was none that possessed a great fortune who made his proposals, I agreed to have him, and we were happy enough in some respects for several months; but in others unhappy enough, for we had only plain chintz furniture instead of satin; but one footman; there was no chandelier in our best room; nor was it at all fit for a grand rout or ball; moreover, in point of dress I was far from having reason to be satisfied. When my neighbours had the exquisite delight of appearing in japan and tambour muslin robes, I was obliged to wear common muslin gowns. I must confess I fretted at this degradation. I one day happened to be on a visit to an intimate companion just married. When I entered the drawing-room, it was lofty, large, and spacious, with the most charming crimson furniture, and looking-glasses :-Oh, Heavens! what looking-glasses! so long! so broad! the three cost one thousand pounds With shame I reflected our two only cost forty. I thought I should have fainted. Well, after heartily congratulating my friend, although I envied her all the while, and being some time together, I saw she was not so cheerful as I thought any woman might be, possessed of a husband that could afford so magnificcent furniture. I said to her, my dear Caroline, what bliss you must enjoy when you look over this room, and think it is your own! and what an angelic bonnet and cap that is! what a seraphic silver muslin!

Ah! Eliza,' said she, this would have just done for you; you were always the votary of' shew; but I would have preferred a cottage, with the man that I loved, to all the splendour to which my parents forced me to sacrifice myself. Her husband now came in--to be sure he was a poor, puny, pitiful looking creature; and when mine, who called to fetch me, stood by his side, there was a most striking difference. But still the looking-glasses, silver muslin, and satin furniture ran in my head. There was a very polite agreeable gentleman, who frequently came to our house; a man of great estate, just by that of

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my husband's rich uncle's. I often told him my regret that I could not afford so fine a house, and dress, and equipage; for their coach, coach-horses, and hammer-cloth, and two footmen in fine liveries behind, were as heavenly as the looking-glasses themselves. My husband was obliged to be absent for three weeks on a small paternal estate he had in a distant county. The gentlemar, saw me every day, and prevailed upon me to go with my servant to see his house that he had newly decorated, when lo! I beheld it done in a still more superb style than my friend's, that I had so long envied. But what could I think, the next time I saw it, when the dear man told. me that he had finished it in that manner for my sake. You have often, my charming Mrs. said he, expressed your wishes to call such a house as your friend Mrs. Limber's your own-call ming your's.' Good God, Sir, how so? By leaving your present, husband, whose establishment is so totally unworthy of you, for one. who can afford to place you above all those whom you would wish to rival.' As we met two or three times a day, he in a short time per suaded me to elope with him, that so my divorce would be soon obtained: we should then immediately marry, and I be enabled to eclipse, all my acquaintances and friends. A divorce is applying for by my, husband; but alas! in vain for me, for the faithless man who seduced me is since married to another. And oh! Sir, I had not been a week eloped, when my husband's uncle died, and left him a much larger fortune than his most sanguine hopes had ever apprehended.'

So madam,' said the Saint, you forsook an amiable husband for the sake of silver muslins, satin chair-covers, and large looking-glasses! Your virtue has fallen a sacrifice to your vanity; a very frequent, cause of seduction among the weaker orders of women, But you have suffered some punishment in the disappointment of your vanity, and will suffer more.'.

THE

SECTARIES.

HE following Letter proposes a very wide field of "discussion", and while we thank the writer for the compliment he pays us, in choosing this publication as the vehicle of his sentiments and reasonings, we must inform him, that we can insert his letters only so far as he rigidly adheres to the plan that he has chalked down," and confines himself to the exposure of nonsense, absurdity, hypoAugust.]