their Bent from the greater or lefs Elevation of the Mind. A young Lady of Talents, inftead of conftantly amufing herself with a Cat or a Bird, enjoys the exquifite Melody of her Harpsichord, heightening it with the accordant Sounds of her Voice; her Mind itself is attuned, and from this Delight fhe can betake herself to fome Book of inftruc. tive Entertainment. Paultry Romances, calculated to pleafe and foment the Reader's Depravity, are not the Books fhe likes. See, my pretty Companions, the Picture of true Felicity, which will afford us Entertainment, when every Thing else fails.

We

We have many Plays, which tend to form the Tafte, and elevate the Mind; but a young Lady, who knows herself, will hardly be seen at those inferior Kinds of Exhibitions, where indecent Songs excite the loud Laugh of a loose Pit, while her Sex blush with Confufion. Such Plays may give a bad Turn to a young Lady's Imagination, but never can it receive any Good from them; and the Imagination, as being a copious Source of Pleasures, fhould be carefully preferved from Futility and Depravation. There is not a Moment, in which a brilliant Imagination cannot ftrike out pure and delicate Pleafures: It is from the Imagination that arifes the foft Pleasure we feel amidst Meadows, Groves, Streams, Zephyrs, and the Warblings of Nightingales: It even enriches the fplendid Decorations of the Universe, and diffuses over Objects a vivid Tint, which gives them fresh Lustre.

Life to thofe, who make a proper Ufe of it, is ftrewed with Pleasures of all Kinds, delightful both to the Senfes and to the Mind; but the latter is never more agreeably recreated, than in the Society of Perfons

of cultivated Understandings, capable of improving and entertaining: Two Qualities which generally go together. Young Ladies cannot be too much exhorted to prefer the Converfations of such valuable Perfons to the empty Difcourfe of fome People: One is all Gain; the other, all Lofs. The Converfation of the former elevates, and infpires her with a new Way of thinking, diverts her from Paffions, and turns her very Leifure to Advantage; whereas the nonfenfical Difcourse of the other, debases her Mind, demeans her, and totally viciates her Heart.

Pleasures, which affect the Soul without agitating it, are not made for the Generality. of the Fair Sex, whom Folly hurries on from one Whim to another. These young Ladies must be in a continual Agitation: Any calm Interval would bring them to think, and overthrow their whole Syftem of Extravagancy.

All their high-finished Defcriptions of their delightful Amusements are in vain : They may laugh as loud, and as long as they please, no Perfon of Difcernment thinks them at all the happier. Felicity detefts that

Tumult

Tumult and Confufion, to which they give themselves up: The Hurry of the great World is not its Element: It feeks Privacy, and the Company of a few Perfons, whom Nature has qualified for it: It is amidst a fmallNumber of virtuous and polished Friends, that it loves to enjoy itself, confining itself to a fmall Circle: It requires no greater Number of Witnesses, and difregards the Applauses of an illiterate Multitude.

With refpect to myself, my kind Companions, you have formed that Circle I have juft mentioned: With you I live happily and contented, and enjoy the Pleasures and the Sweets of an innocent and profitable Converfation. May the kind Hand of Providence, when riper Years fhall call me forth into the bufy World, blefs me with a like Eafe and Tranquillity of Mind, without expofing me to the Temptation of its falfe Pleafures and Follies. If any Thing more remains for me to afk, it can be only this, that each of you may enjoy an equal Share of uninterrupted Felicity.

OBSERVATIONS.

THE Moment Mifs Nancy Goodwill had finished, the whole Affembly rofe up, and paid her the moft refpectful Compliments. Their Governefs, who attentively watched every Look of them, plainly perceived their Little Hearts fwelled with a Gratitude, their Tongues could not find Words for She therefore thought it needlefs for her to add any Thing; and after admonifhing them to be circumfpect in their Behaviour during their Recefs, diffolved the Affembly till a future Occafion.

FINIS.