are precipitate to alleviate the sorrows of the children of affliction; the reverential sex, who appear in social worship, with reverence and godly fear, with becoming modesty, and solemn seriousness: but, alas! what a contrast between them and the votaries of fashion in the house of God,

When they in splendid robes to church repair,
To see, be seen, and say a formal prayer;
They view the images and pews around,

Peep through their fans, and eye the beaus around,
Then listen to the anthem's solemn sound.

}

Their breasts swell'd out, their necks and elbows bare,
Their eyes half screen'd with curls of golden hair;
Hence, while the parson utters hymns of praise,
The impious fop, with lustful eyes surveys
Their charms expos'd, and covets still to gaze.
While they unsham'd, against all sacred rules,
Dart amorous glances at the amorous fools.

I would to Heaven this was only a poetical fiction: alas! alas! it is too true; nay, only the thousandth part of the degrading tale is told. This degeneracy is owing to corrupt educations, and the wrong association of ideas. For instance, when the young female is taught to adorn and beautify her person and physiognomy, in order to gain admirers, and to select a husband from the number; she is of course mechanically led to pollute the house of God as well as the play house, (pollution it undoubtedly is,) and it is more the fault of parents and teachers than of the delinquent herself; for she, no doubt, thinks it is her prerogative to exhibit her charms at every place and opportunity to advantage, according to the fashion. Hence, she is the virtual cause of virtual

*

fornication, being committed in the church at divine service, and-but I must cease the delineation: the concomitant evils are too indelicate to be named.

Would it not be an excellent plan for some ladies of distinction, to organize an university, similar to those established by our sex? A superb edifice to he erected for the purpose by subscription, which would testify to posterity the philanthropy and intrepidity of its founders and patrons; the institution to be trusted to female philosophers, to the exclusion of our sex, By this means the talents of females would be brought into a right channel; works of utility and science would be produced to their own honor, interest, and the benefit of society.

*When we remember the words of Christ, that he who looks upon a woman to lust after her, is guilty of adultery in his heart; and the appearances of the votaries of fashion, calculated not only to compel the bad man to sin in this manner; but are formidable and fiery darts in the hands of Satan, to pierce with anguish, to entice, if not pollute even the good man, who is, by nature, prone to such evils. I say, considering these circumstances, I am led to fear, that sometimes there is more sin committed than good effected in the house of God. If parents who habitually dress their daughters in such apparel, as to be the instruments of Satan, to lead others into sin, would recollect, that they are the auxiliaries and emissaries of hell; and the greatest culprits in the sight of Heaven, when such sins are committed, I am persuaded they would detest the fashions and their concomitant evils; and they are not only guilty in this respect, but also the murderers of their children, when they permit them unreproved to go into the ways of folly in their youth, for evil habits grow with their growth, and strengthen with their strength.

CONTEMPORARY FEMALE GENIUS.

AT no period of our history has female genius triumphed more than in our days. At the present time there are living no less than twenty-four ladies of pre-eminent talents, as writers in various departments of literature and philosophy.

Mrs. Barbauld, distinguished during fifty years, by her elegant productions in verse and prose.

Miss Hannah Moore, for nearly an equal period, for various moral and controversial writings; not inferior, for style and energy of mind, to any thing produced by the other sex.

Mrs. Radcliffe, who as a novelist, may be ranked among the first geniuses of the age and country.

Miss Edgeworth, a distinguished writer of novels, moral composition, and works on education.

Miss Cullen, the amiable and ingenious authoress of Morton and Home, novels distinguished for their benevolent sentiments, and spirited compositions, honorable alike to her heart and head.

Mrs. Opie, whose various works in verse and prose, are distinguished for their originality, good taste, ingenuity, and elegant composition. Mrs. Inchbald, who as a dramatist and novelist, has produced various works, which will ever rank high among the classics of our language.

Miss Hutton, respectable as a novelist, powerful as a general writer, and able as a philosophical geographer, as proved by her recent works on Africa.

Miss H. M. Williams, who. though long resident in Paris, may be claimed as an English woman, and is an honor to the genius of her coun

try women, in history, politics, eloquence and poetry.

Mrs. Cappe, a lady whose strength of understanding, and power of diction, have led her to grapple with subjects of the highest order, as she has published several works on theology, education and biography.

Miss Porter, a novelist of the first rank, in the powers of eloquent composition; whose Thaddeus of Warsaw, and other works, will long be standards of the language.

Miss Benger, who figures with equal distinction as a novelist, historian and poet.

Miss Grant, who has distinguished herself in morals, philosophy, and the belles lettres.

Mrs. Marcet, who has proved her powers of mind in her Conversations on Natural Philoso phy, &c. &c.

Mrs. Lowry, who writes and lectures with great ability on mineralogy and geology.

Miss Owenson, (Lady Morgan) whose eloquent writings, moral and political reasonings, are not surpassed by any author of her time.

Mrs. Wakefield, compiler of many useful and ingenious works for the use of children and schools.

Mrs. Ibbetson, whose discoveries with the microscope in the physiology of plants, rank her high among experienced philosophers.

Miss Herschell, whose ingenuity and industry in astronomical observations, have obtained her a splendid reputation throughout the civilized world.

Miss Aikin, niece of Mrs. Barbauld, who, soaring above productions of mere taste and fancy, has in her memoirs of Elizabeth, proved her powers in history and philosophy.

Miss Graham, the able writer of several volumes of travels, which are distinguished for their sound philosophy and enlightened views of society.

M. D'Arbly, (Miss Burney) whose Evelina, Cecilia, Camilla, and other novels, place her among the first and most original writers of any age.

Miss Baillie, whose plays on the passions, and other productions, are highly esteemed by every person of taste.

Besides others of less celebrity, but perhaps equal merit, whose names are not present to the recollection of the writer.

Few persons till they behold this enumeration, will have suspected that our days could boast such a galaxy of genius in the fair sex; and it may also be questioned whether the other sex can produce a list, in many respects of superior preten 'sions.