LETTER V. From the Bramin to Maandaara. LET the commands of Maandaara be obeyed. In the plenitude of my defire to open the eyes of your mifguided friend, I haften to proceed to a more particular defcription of the education and manners of the females of England; which the illuftrious Rajah has fo erroneoufly conceived to be in fome meafure influenced by the doctrines of that obfolete Shafter, which feems to exalt the dignity of the female mind, to an equality with that of the lords of the creation. I fhall begin with an account of the ufual mode of conducting the education of females in England, How far that is of a nature calculated for lighting the torch of reafon and expanding the germ of intellect,' let the wisdom of the Rajah decide! During the period of infancy thefe Chriftian females (whofe fouls are, in the erring mind of Zaarmilla, deemed fo precious) are permitted to receive their firft ideas from mercenary attendants, always ignorant, and frequently vicious. When the rifing plant puts forth the tendrils of curiofity, which may at pleasure be directed to the tree of knowledge, or suffered to twine round the hollow bamboo of prejudice, and folly: at that period, left from the converfation of fathers or brothers, these young females might, peradventure, acquire fome degree of information, they are removed from the poffibility of fuch deplorable confequences, and placed where fcience, reafon, and common fenfe, dare not to intrude. In thefe Seminaries, far from being treated as beings, whofe intellectual faculties are capable of progref five improvement through the ages of eternity, their time is folely employed in learning a few tricks, fuch as a monkey might very foon acquire, and these are called accomplishments! Judge how ridiculous it would be to make creatures, believed to be accountable to their Creator, for the employment of their talents, and the improvement of their virtues, fpend the moft precious years of life, in running their fingers over certain bits of wood, which are fo contrived as to make a jingling fort of noise, pleasant enough when one is a little accustomed to it, but which, in the manner executed by them, very feldom equals what is every day to be heard from the itinerant muficians that practice in the streets! Another ingenious contrivance for filling up that portion of time, which the friend of Maandaara fuppofes to be employed in the acquifition of useful knowledge, is, by the affiftance of a master (whose attendance is paid for at a vaft expence) making wretched imitations of trees, and flowers, and this is called learning to paint! It appears as if great care was taken, to avoid the poffibility of the female pupils ever arriving at any degree of perfection in the art, as I am well-informed, that not one in five hundred is ever capable of copying from nature, or of doing any thing, when left to herself, that is not many degrees inferior to the little pictures which purchased for the value of a rupee. may be Another indifpenfible part in the education of females of every Caft, of every rank, and in every fituation, is the knowledge of the language fpoken in their neighbouring nation. I was for fome time at a great lofs to know what reafon could be affigned for fo ftrange a custom, and after many conjectures, I refted in the belief, that as the French nation was frequently at war with the English, it might either be cuftomary to fend the women as Hircarrahs*, into the camp of the enemy, or, in case of defeat, to employ them in *Spies. procuring terms of peace, which from the remarkable complaifance of their adverfaries, to the female fex, it might be supposed would be negociated by the Bibbys, with peculiar advantage to their country. I was, however, forced to give up this conclufion, on being affured, that after years spent in the study of the language, as it is taught at thefe excellent Seminaries, few are capable of reading, and ftill fewer of converfing, with any degree of fluency in this tongue : and that the only real advantage resulting from it was, that by what they knew of it, they were enabled to understand the peculiar terms belonging to the articles of drefs imported from that country, which had an acknowledged right of impofing its fashions on the other nations of Europe. Drefs is, indeed, one fcience in which full scope is given to the faculties of thefe females and the love of it, is at the great Schools of the Chriftians, fo fuccefsfully inculcated, that it remains indelible to the lateft period of life. Nor is the mode of education I speak of confined folely to the children of the higher Cafts, it extends to all, even to the daughters of tradefmen, and mechanics, who are employed, during the years of improvement, exactly in the manner I have defcribed. All the difference is, that at inferior Schools, where in ferior masters are employed, the girls do not, perhaps, arrive at the art of running their fingers over the bits of wood, called Keys of a Harpfichord, with an equal degree of velocity; they make rather more execrable copies, of more wretched pictures, and the knowledge they acquire of the French language does not, perhaps, enable them to run over the names of the new fashions, with an equal degree of volubility; but as to making any attempt at inftructing the daughters of Chriftians, in any thing useful to themselves, or fociety, the idea would be deemed equally ridicu, lous in Seminaries of every class. So far all is right. We behold women moving in their proper fphere, learning no other art, fave that of adorning their perfons; and infpired with no other view, but that of rendering themselves objects of pleasure to the eyes of men. But how fhall I aftonish you, when I unfold the extreme inconfiftency of the foolish Europeans, and inform you, that thefe uninftructed women are frequently fuffered to become intirely their own miftreffes; fome times entrusted with the management of large eftates, and left at liberty to act for themselves! Nay, that it is no uncommon thing for a man, who may, in other ref pects, by no means be confidered as a fool, to leave his children to the care of |