The monomaniæ of Shakspeare's characters, as in The Tempest, Macbeth, Hamlet, Julius Cæsar, &c., outrivals all reasoning. Had Shakspeare been a Pinnel he could not more nicely have delineated "the mind's extacy." Though spiritual agency is represented in The Tempest, the visitation to Alonzo is called extacy by Gonzalo, to whom also Ariel would have been visible unless he was blinder than Balaam's ass. The guiltless good old lord, Gonzalo, was insensible to the appearance, and himself attributes the language of Alonzo, &c., to their "extacy;" which word Shakspeare uses for any degree of mental alienation. But of this more "anon."

The situation of Ferdinand and Miranda living for themselves, with such a total giving up of the heart, in the solitude of that lonely isle, is inconceivably beautiful. Byron's Haidee and Juan are more sensual, but far less lovely and pleasing. Haidee quickens the pulse, but Miranda awakens the affections. A model for Eve, so perfect and so peerless, created of every creature best." Mrs. Jameson has exquisitely touched the character of Miranda— it is sacred. Prospero, with all his philosophy, is a most subtle disHe reasoned like a god, but he felt as a man and a father.

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cerner.

Prospero to Ferdinand.-" Look thou be true; do

not give dalliance

Too much the rein; the strongest oaths are straw

To the fire i' the blood."

Eve fell knowing no ill; Miranda could not have sinned, but her innocence made chastity with Ferdinand a double virtue, and he was a Milanese and a courtier.

*Not in Terence. Free translation, "One fool makes many." + Juvenal.

"Basium nullo fine terminetur."

The masque of Prospero is a most fascinating episode in the play; it overflows with poetry. Milton's Comus is a more laborious composition, but much beneath Shakspeare in the luxuriance and poetry of the light and fantastic train.

"Enter Iris.

"Iris.-Ceres, most bounteous lady, thy rich leas
Of wheat, rye, barley, vetches, oats, and pease;
Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep,
And flat meads thatch'd with stover, them to keep;

Thy banks with peonied and lilied brims,

Which spungy April at thy hest betrims,

To make cold nymphs chaste crowns; and thy broom groves,
Whose shadow the dismissed bachelor loves, &c.

Ceres. Hail! many-coloured messenger, that ne'er

Dost disobey the wife of Jupiter;

Who, with thy saffron wings, upon my flowers
Diffusest honey-drops, refreshing showers:

And with each end of thy blue bow, dost crown
My bosky acres, and my unshrubb'd down-
Rich scarf to my proud earth," &c.

How lovelily this is painted! we behold at once the flowers and fields with " warm rain wet,”—the checquered cloud,—" the rainbow, based on ocean, span the sky."

This play ends with a most happy consistency: unlike the “ саtastrophies" generally, there is no abruptness, nor awkward interlopations. Things come about inevitably, because naturally; and the reader is content to leave the chaste Miranda to the delights which are to open before her in the new world to which she hastens; and yet we may possibly feel some regret that the "spirit of that sweet Isle" was departing, that the "lime grove" would be forsaken, that no voice would ever more awaken the solitude of their cell.

The wand is broke-" those strange books drown'd far beyond the plummet's reach"-Prospero's Duke of Milan-Caliban has sued for motley-and "fine Ariel" is free!

Z.

REMARKS ON AN IMPORTANT BRANCH OF
FEMALE EDUCATION.

ALTHOUGH the following remarks connected with this topic of universal interest may contain nothing strikingly new, yet the person who states facts, and observations drawn from experience, adds to the common stock of data from which the man of wider intellectual views and greater faculty for generalization may deduce a leading principle.

It must be felt by all who have a share in educating girls that there is extreme difficulty in holding any intercourse with them on the subject of love, restricting the meaning of that word to affection between the sexes. It may excite a smile to see this topic gravely brought forward; but truly there is little to provoke mirth, and much to cause sorrow, in the contemplation of those bitter and unavailing regrets, the undermined health, and the impaired tranquillity, which are the lot of so many women, owing principally to the defects which prevail in this branch of education.

Every one who approaches this subject feels instinctively that there is awkwardness and difficulty in treating it; and this very feeling gives a key to some of the prevailing errors that exist thereupon. Let us examine the cause from which this difficulty arises. Is it not that we have confounded right and wrong? that we have attached an idea of shame to that of which we need not be ashamed? that our zeal for delicacy has led us into a habit of mystification, which does not promote the interests of true modesty?

It must always be desirable to define the boundaries between right and wrong; the narrower the line is, the more it requires to have light thrown upon it, and it is a shallow and futile expedient to turn away from an inevitable difficulty, instead of facing it. Yet is not the former the course generally resorted to in the case of which I speak? Perhaps the best way of finding what would be right, is, to ascertain what is wrong. How then are girls trained? When their increasing perception and natural curiosity lead them to inquire concerning what they see and hear, the answer, in a multitude of instances, is "Never mind, my dear, it is no matter to you," or "You must never ask such questions, they are not proper;" or, worse, they are told some absurd falsehood, which, however, rarely deceives them. Any one who has been accustomed to hear girls read aloud will know that it is surprising at how early an age

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they will detect and omit the words and phrases which refer to any of these interdicted subjects. And how has this knowledge been obtained? Not through the legitimate means of a simple communication from the mother or teacher, but by some indirect, and often polluted, channel. Or should a girl escape this temptation, and in her simplicity ask the meaning of any expression she does not understand, instead of hailing and encouraging this frankness, the parent or instructor generally gives some evasive auswer, or has recourse to the infallible sedative to all curiosity, "Never mind."Never mind! Can any woman be so utterly blind and forgetful as to suppose that a girl will " Never mind?" No; but, repulsed in her straight-forward inquiries, she will resort to other sources of information. Keep her out of the way of servants, she will converse with companions a little older than herself: separate her from these, still she will contrive some way of gratifying her curiosity. The partial information she acquires will excite further activity of mind; and thus will her thoughts restlessly dwell and remain awake upon topics which, had her first inquiries been rationally and judiciously answered, would have made comparatively little impression. Habits of concealment are generated, and a promising foundation is laid for future mischief.

Keep the girl as ignorant as you please, you cannot prevent her growing up; and love is a matter which she does and must hear discussed, and in which she is naturally interested. Still the system is pursued which seems invented to teach affectation and produce imprudent conduct. If she speak her thoughts to those who instruct her, she is generally chilled by ridicule; and finding that the natural expression of her sentiments is laughed at, she learns if she have any feeling, to conceal those sentiments from the people who sneer at them. But as the mind has naturally-particularly during youth—a restless craving for sympathy, and longing to utter what passes within it, she probably finds some one near her own age with whom to converse, and these two inexperienced girls build one another up in their crude and romantic ideas. Let it be remembered, too, that these conversations have all along the excitement of secrecy and concealment from their elders.

Now, is all this right? Is such treatment correct in its principle, or desirable in its results? I shall dwell a little on these two questions, and then suggest whether some better course be not practicable.

First. "Is it correct in its principle?" God has formed us intelligent and responsible beings; he has "created us male and fe

male," that we may the better subserve the purposes of his providence, and that our mutual happiness may be augmented. Such being the fact, it is manifestly his intention that we should find pleasure in each other's society. No system can counteract this spontaneous feeling. One which tries to substitute an affected indifference, cannot be in accordance with the will of our Creator. "What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common," may, (without violating the spirit of the imagination), be said to those who endeavour to extirpate as wrong, or to quash as inexpedient, the natural sympathies of the heart.

Secondly. "Is it desirable in it's results?" How many a sorrowing voice and heart could reply to this question in the negative! No force of education can render a girl callous to the studied attentions of a man, or harden her against susceptibility to attachment. Nor can instruction so far supply the place of experience as to fit her for dispassionately considering what claims to her regard a man actually possesses. Further: constituted as society is, every young woman with even moderate attractions receives a certain share of attention; and the instances are rare indeed, where some one does not try to win her affection. Here, then, is a case which surely merits caution and observation; and a mother's fostering care was scarcely more needed when her daughter was a helpless baby, than it is at this period. But the way in which most mothers act, deprives the child of the advantages which Providence, by his wise arrangements, has placed within her reach. The girl, accustomed to have any expressions that relate to the affections received without apparent interest or sympathy by the parent, has learned to avoid the subject, and in nine cases out of ten the mother is the last confidante whom the daughter would choose. The natural result is, that imprudent attachments are formed, and a girl's affection and promise are often engaged, before the parents suspect anything of the kind. They then give a reluctant consent, or enforce a peremptory refusal; in either case the girl is the victim, and through years of ill-assorted married life, or of singleness resulting from disappointment, she has to bewail the capital error in her education.

The third consideration I proposed is, "Whether some better course be not practicable;" I confidently answer that it is. Here and there"6 a more excellent way" is followed, and with the happiest results. The daughter habituated to make the mother her most confidential friend, receives the benefit of maternal council and experience; and the mother, aware of what passes in her daughter's mind, knows how to time her cautions, and how, silently but