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deas be juft, by giving them a place in your Bee, you

will oblige.

Mr. Bee,

Yours, &c.

ALPHABET.

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SIR,

To the Editor of the Bee.

On the Art of Idleness, by a Lady.

I ALSO have been a fuccefsful difciple in the happy art of idleness, recommended by Albanicus; and as the acquifition of this art to my fex, particularly in the higher and more wealthy ranks of fociety, is of infinitely greater confequence, than to yours, I imagine I am about to confer the greateft favour poffible upon the daughters of Eve, all the world over, by initiating them in the myfteries of that art which has brought me from the horrors of languor and weariness of life, to a state of tranquillity, placid enjoyment of nature, and fociety, and a fatisfaction with myfelf and every thing about me, which, if it is not like the happiness of the bleffed in heaven, is, I imagine, as like it as any thing this world can afford.

I was the youngest daughter and child of my parents, who were noble and confpicuous, but not wealthy. I was the favourite of the whole family, not only as being the youngeft, but as beautiful and infinuating, and that my parents growing old and infirm, were averfe from the trouble and uneafinefs of doing any thing with me, but as a play thing, and to make me happy by every indulgence, that all my little childith fallies might be brought forth with the brilliancy and foftnefs of nature.

By this way of training, my feelings were rendered fo acute, and my heart fo foftened by luxury, that, as the poet fings:

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I was fent, in compliance with the abominable fafhion of the times, to a London boarding-school, where, by my beauty, addrefs, and connections, I contrived to be as idle as my heart could almost defire, but learnt to relish dress, dancing, plays, and other places of public amusement; and, at fifteen, I came home thoroughly furnished unto all the works of idlenefs, but without a fingle atom of that fenfe or experience which is neceffary to regulate my conduct in real life.

I was now introduced by my mother into company, and permitted to dance at public affemblies; not that the approved of the frequent repetition of this indulgence, but, as fhe used to say, that as my father could give me little or no fortune, and the forrows of life would come foon enough, it were pity not to make me as happy as poffible at prefent, efpecially as nobody knew where a bleffing might light, and that I might get a rich and great hufband, who would have the advantage of finding me a fheet of white paper, upon which he might write according to his pleasure, and have, what the called, a wife of his own making.

Very foon did I get a husband; but he was neither very great nor very opulent, but amiable, fenfible, and profeffionally eminent. He loved me exceedingly; but fo far from my becoming a wife of his own making, that he became very foon infinitely too much a husband of my making; indulging me in every thing that his fortune would allow

In a few years, I loft my husband; and having loft myself long before, you may guefs my fituation. VOL. III.

X

June 8 I could no longer indulge myself, without bankruptcy and disgrace, in my former pleafures; and I had no refources at home, or in my own mind, to fill up the horrible chaẩm that now appeared, and was soon bitterly felt in my own existence.

The common decencies of widowhood required fome degree of feclufion from gay fociety for half a year; and I had no relish for any other. Driven by this event to the abfolute' neceflity of doing fomething to amuse myself, I had courage enough to begin, and follow out a plan of female education, and had fix hours a day for inftruction in the various departments of needle- work, French, and literature. All was so new to me in the latter, that I became fond of it. I took a courfe of all the beft French and English claffics that were within the reach of my capacity. I wrote down my obfervations as I went along; and I fhewed them to my inftructors. I found that a knowledge of grammar increased my pleasure in reading; and not fatisfied with verbal, I ftudied univerfal grammar, which I found perfectly enchanting. Novels, at leaft the trash dignified by that name in Britain, gave me nomore delight. I found real history infinitely more amufing; for, being copious of nature, or rather originals, they had an effect upon my tafte and perception, which I was quite unable to account for, but which I fenfibly experienced fo much, as to prefer them to every other kind of general reading.

I happened accidentally to meet with a little English compend of Botany; I learnt to distinguish the various kinds of plants, according to the modern fyftem, and amufed myself, on my field walks, with gathering, arranging, and diftinguishing the different fpecies of plants; and having a turn for drawing, a master foon taught me to apply my pencil to the copying thefe charming productions of nature. I did not ftop here; for I ftudied the economy and culture of useful trees, hrubs and vegetables; and having a little garden in

the country on Enfield chace, I fet myself to verify my studies by actual operations, many of which I performed with my own hand. The pleasure of gardening led me to inquire concerning the nature of manures, the growth of plants; and their qualities drawing me gradually on to the knowledge of foffils ufeful in agriculture, or of plants useful in manufactures; in fhort, I became rationally curious, and was rationally employed. I was no longer difgufted with my own infignificancy, and no longer brooded over my disap pointments.

The outfides of men became lefs interefting to me than formerly. I wished to know if there was any thing within my lovers, before I paid any attention to their external exhibition.

Having thus recovered my fenfes, and applied them to the recovery of my character, and the fecuring of my own happiness, independent of the world, though I had only a very moderate jointure, I was able to make it fufficient for all my defires; and my prudence obtained me a proposal of marriage from a gentleman of competent estate in the country, whofe hand I accepted; and I hope I may venture to fay, that he is satisfied with my conduct as a wife and mother, and my manners as a companion, and affectionate friend, who, if he should detect my hand in this letter, will, I dare fay, forgive my becoming authorefs anonymously, for the good of the ladies to whom I recommend, efpecially on their marriage, the reading of Dean Swift's let ter to a very young one upon that occafion; which, to fave them the unfufferable fatigue of looking over the indexes of 13 volumes, I beg leave to inform them, is to be found in the beginning of the fourth of the common editions.

I am, Mr. Editor, your conftant reader and ad

mirer,

A FORTUNATE DAUGHTER OF IDLENESS.

SIR,

To the Editor of the Bee.

I HAVE read your Glasgow correfpondent's anecdotes of Smith, which I dare fay are very authentic; and perhaps he may be in the right, that the Doctor would not have been very angry to have had fuch trifles repeated in the circle of focial intercourfe; but I knew him too well to think he would have liked to have had a pifgah view of fuch frivolous matter obtruded on the learned world after his death. He would very probably have faid, Why, Sir, I would rather my body were injected by Hunter or Monro, and fhewn in Fleet Street, or at Weir's mufæum, than have thefe fecretions of my mind in private converfation, made a fpectacle of to philofophers, when I am laid in my grave!

I had the happiness, Sir, to be a difciple of Adam Smith's when he was at Glasgow. I went there on purpose, after I had entered the bufy world, and completed all the courses in the universities of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, and refided fome time at Oxford, that I might, after the manner of the ancients, walk in the Porticos of Glafgow, with Smith and with Millar, and be imbued with the principles of jurifprudence, law, and philofophy.

I paffed most of my time at Glasgow with thefe two first rate men; and Smith read private lectures to me in jurifprudence, and accompanied them with his commentaries in converfation; exercises which I hope will give a colour and a fubftance to my fentiments, and to my reafon, that will be eternal.

He was a great man, Sir; but, no doubt, he had his weakneffes. They were the weakneffes of a good man, who had seen much of the furface, but little of the inte rior of what is commonly called the world.

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