To the EDITOR of the LADY'S I SIR, Again entreat a corner in your Magazine, in confequence of W. Edwy's letter (page 403) which I should not have anfwered, had be not accused me of being an enemy to the fair fex. Of this more hereafter. In the beginning of his letter, he has quoted two texts, as it appears to me, to invalidate my polition, "that the heart of man is naturally evil difpofed." I could mention feveral texts in fupport of my affertion, but shall content myself with one. Gen. viii. 21. "And the Lord faid, I will not curfe the ground any more for man's fake, for the imagination of Man's heart is evil from his youth." ; He fays, I have advanced a falfe pofition by fuppofing women's virtues control them from following their inclinations By his mode of reafoning, it is impoffible any can be good for as the heart of man is naturally evil, unless there is a retraining power, he muft of courfe follow the beat of his evil inclinations, the confequence of which must be his ruin. Now, as there is an abfolute neceffity for a repelling power, unless this power is virtue, what can it be? Befides, do we not addrefs the Deity to inftil into our hearts, the feeds of virtue; that through those feeds we may be enabled to overcome those evil affections which lie lurking in our bofoms, thereby rendering ourselves acceptable in his fight? “When female characters are the "objects of fatire, fuch severity is "particularly reprehenfible. It be 66 trays not only a want of good "breeding, but of good policy. It "is our intereft to fhade the defects "of the fofter fex, the better to con"ceal our own; for, fince we are "all, in fome degree, under the in"fluence of their attractions, the more 66 we depreciate them, the lower we degrade ourselves." I have depreciated the ladies, I understand, by faying, "where they diveft themselves of virtue, pleasure would be their purfuit." As the porfuit of riches, ambition, &c. is attended with an abundance of care and anxiety, is it nor natural, that the pleafing fprightlinefs women poffefs, would lead them to pleasure, which holds out the most alluring fcenes, and promises a fuller conpletion of the virtues than any other purfuit; and as human nature is fond of eafe, and impatient of reftraint, the softness of the fair fex is neceffarily an advocate for my argu ment. But allowing all this to be true, the quotation, W. Edwy has concluded with, taxes me with depreciating them, by mentioning their natural failings. When exhibiting an individual character, either man, or woman, charity fhould undoubtedly lead us to draw a veil over the failings of our fubject, and rather to prefent the picture of their virtues. Mercy is one of the chief doctrines of Chrif tianity. It is far the beft, I allow, to hold up the bright fide of human life, in order by its amiableness to imI now proceed to the principal prefs men with a proper fenfe of the part of his letter, wherein he taxes dignity of their nature; yet, the me with being an enemy to the fair fhaded fide being fometimes prefex. He cannot help thinking fented, is productive of good effects; me their friend when my endeavours for, by pointing out the natural failhave been to depreciate them. Andings of the heart, we awaken the concludes with a quotation from attention to guard againftthem; but if we glofs over thofe frailties, our head. intention intention lofes its effect, for, by painting them in a kind of averted manner, we deprive them of those features which are dangerous, and make them appcar fo weak, that it feems no difficult matter to overcome them; the confequence is, we flacken in our care to guard against them, and thus by degrees they obtain a complete maftery. In my Effay, I held up no particular character, I spoke of the fex in the aggregate, I fpoke of them as mortals, therefore liable to failings; though I allow women generally carry virtue to greater perfection than men ; who will be fo much an enemy to thole they pretend to love, to advance fo base a piece of flattery, as to fay they are free from faults? Women are exposed to all the baneful effects of adulation from their childhood; is it inimical then to put them on their guard, and try to defeat the effects of flattery, and prevent its raifing in their breafts too good an opinion of themselves?— Humility is the ground of Chrifti. anity. I avow myself as great a friend to the fair-fex as W. Edwy, although I have defended Mr. Pope from the affertions of thofe who wish to irritate that fex against him, in my opi. nion, without cause. However, as I am accufed with enmity towards the fair-fex, I throw my caufe into the hands of the ladies, and am quite willing to undergo the ordeal; in particular, I appeal to that lady, whofe works have fo often enriched this publication, under the title of the Matron. If not too much trouble, I fhould be obliged to her to publish her fentiments concerning my paper, (page 298) and fhould fhe conceive that I have infringed that respect due to the fair-fex, to cenfure me accordingly; for I hold it juft that every man fhould be cenfured, who deprives the fair of their dues, one of which is a delicate respect. Sept. 10, 1790. C. J. PITT.. 8. Three fevenths of a woman' Chriftian name, and five sevenths of a spectre. 9. Two thirds of a metal, a vowel, three fifths of a capital city, and a confonant. 10. Two thirds of a drinking utenfil, and three fifths of a fruit. W. B. R. Enigmatical Lift of NAVIGATORS. I. Half an outward garment, one third of a night bird, and the initial of a great perfonage. 2. Two thirds of a queen of England, and a male child. 3. Half a beautiful flower, three fevenths of a country in Europe, and a ferpentine letter. 4. Three tenths of a town in Effex, a ftrong liquor, omitting the first letter, a confonant, and one third of neceffary. DESCRIPTION MOTHER LUDLAM'S HOLE, Near FARNHAM, SURRY. (Embellished with an elegant Engraving.) A BOUT two miles to the South. eaft of Farnham is More-park, formerly the feat of fir William Temple, who ordered by his will, china bafon, and interred under a that his heart fhould be put in a fun dial in his garden, which was accordingly performed. The houfe is feated in a valley, encompaffed on all fides with hills; but a fine On leaving this feat is a high cliff, ftream runs the through garden. under which is a natural grotto, called Mother Ludlam, or Lodo's Hole, through which runs a fine The grotto is large, but diminifies and winds away, as the fpring feems to have directed it. The poffeffor has paved its bottom with a kind of moft fpacious part, which is in the Mofaic tiles, and has feparated the 5. A title, changing a vowel. 6. Four fifths of a fmall branch of a tree, one third of a man's Chrifftream of water. tian name, half a dangerous paffion, and a measure inverted. 7. A confonant, two thirds of a quadruped, and half a county. 8. One of Noah's fon's, changing the first letter, the initial of a king's fon, a diphthong, and one fourth of the highway. 9. One fourth of a liquor, the whole, and one third of a place furrounded by water. 10. A useful carriage, two fifths of a blunder, one fifth of a bird of prey, and a confonant. 11. Three fourths of a fea-port in Yorkshire, changing the first let ter, and a repofitory for the dead. 12. Half of pride, two fevenths of a valuable flone, a tree, omitting a letter, and two thirds of the latter part. W. B. R. behind, by a parapet wall, through which iffues the flow of water, which trilling through marble troughs, one below another, is conveyed out of the grotto, when, after murmuring down a confiderable declivity, over many artificial steps, it falls into the river. This grotto commands a fine profpect of the meadows and woods which lie before it, in a much lower fituation, and these are again bounded by hills, which render the whole one of the most romantic scenes imaginable. front, from the narrower which is POETICAL |