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    matt , and no time

    uncultivated minds * If their thoughts are continually occupiedpy the vanities of the world , if that tioje which is not required for the fuifikneat of household duties , is spent in folly , or : even in harmless trifles in which the

    hus-J > and has no m-terest , hew are the powers of pleasing to be perpetuated , how is she to find interesting subjects for social converse ? Surely these desirable objects are best promoted by

    the hours of leisure being devoted to the acquire rneflt of useful knowledge , such knowledge as may excite the reflective powers , enlarge and steady the mind , and raise it , nearly at least , to the level of the other sex . Thus there

    may be companionship between the sexes ^ and surely no woman who aspires to and labours for this end can be accused of neglecting her peculiar duties . But for this object to be completely gained , the work must be begun -early . The powers should be cultivated from infancy , and the mind

    taught to feel pleasure in seeking for information , always in subservience to more important avocations . If the soul be early contracted by too great an attention to trifles , if it be taught that ignorance is to be its portion , no later endeavours will be of any avail to ennoble it .

    If we consider woman as the guardian and instructress of infancy , her claims to cultivation of mind become doubly urgent . It is evident that if the soul of the teacher is narrow and contracted , that of the pupil cannot be enlarged . If we consider that the first years of childhood exert an influence over the whole future life , we

    cannot be too careful to preserve our children from the effects of ignorance and prejudice on their young minds . It has been frequentl y and justly observed , that almost all men , remarkable for talents or virtue , have had excellent mothers , to the early influence

    of whose noble qualities , the future superiority of their children was mainly to be ascribed . If this be true , what might not be hoped from the labours of a race of euliglttened mothers , who would earl y impress on their children ' 9 minds lessonsof piety and

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    wisdom , and who would make the first sentiments of their souls notite and enlarged , who would take in at one comprehensive view all that was to be done to reader them what they ought to be , and who would render their first instructions subservient to

    the objects to be afterwards pursued I If such were to be the foundation of character , what might not the superstructure be ! It may be said that many minds have been great , capable of conceiving and executing noble designs , without

    any advantages of education . It is certainly true , but these minds have been too aspiring to be chained down by the fetters of ignorance ; they have become great in spite of disadvantages ,, and not in consequence of them ; and had their powers been cultivated , their

    efforts would probably have been better directed and doubly successful . But the best proof , that all the usefulness and all the feminine qualities of women may remain unimpaired , notwithstanding the acquisition of kndwledge , may be gained by referring to

    our own observation and experience . I have known young women whose whole time was occupied by the care oif a numerous family of brothers and sisters , stealing a few minutes daily from their breakfast hour , to study the Greek tongue , for the purpose of reading the Testament in the original language ; and in no degree did this pursuit interfere with their active duties ;

    so little so , that it was even , unknown by most of their ov ^ n family . They attained their object , and enjoyed the satisfaction of settling their religious belief for themselves , without any diminution of their usefulness as women . I do not mean by this that I would have all women instructed in the

    learned languages . This would be needless , and for those of inferior talents the time would be wasted . I only wish to shew that even such deep knowledge as these ladies possessed , did not lead them to appropr iate their time too much to selfish purposes . I have also

    known a young lady , who , notwithstanding the disadvantages of a defecr tive early education , has made won * derfui progress in knowledge of varioua kinds , especially in the study of the human mind : and yet she superintends a large domestic establishment , has founded ^ a school , wfcich i » sup-

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    On Female Education . 79

• Citation
  • Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Feb. 2, 1823, page 79, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1781/page/15/