To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine.

SIR,

No

O work can fafely be defpifed which every one reads and no one forgets: on this account I hope you will indulge me by giving a place to a few ftrictures on Pope's "Epifle on the Characters of Women"-a production which I fhould otherwise be very willing to abandon to the contempt that in almoft every point of view it fo juftly merits.

I trust I am not transported by an undue zeal for the honour of my fex, when I undertake to prove this celebrated, but outrageous, fatire upon it, inconfiftent with itfelf, with truth, and with juftice, replete with falfe maxims, falfe wit, and unprovoked malignity, and equally unworthy the philofopher, the philanthro pift, the man of tafte, and the man of fenfe.

First, what can be more inconfiftent than to preface an Epistle on the Characters of Women with an affertion that "moft women have no character at all?" If indeed they are

"Beft diftinguished by black, brown, or fair," what remained for Pope but to throw down the pen, and borrow the pencil of his friend Jervas to introduce us to a gallery of female portraits? But this would not have gratified his fpleen against a fex which nature had denied him the power to pleafe: nor indeed did he believe it; but it had been faid-it was a fevere thing-a contradiction cost him nothing; and he was refolved to infert it. Before he proceeded however, it was neceffary to get rid of this maxim which muft otherwife have put him to filence; and fkulking, as Sophistry is wont to do, behind the glittering buckler of fimile, which is fo ferviceable in dazzling the eyes of an opponent, he glides off the field, in order to renew the attack from a directly oppofite quarter. He now advances with a charge of univerfal inconfiftency and endless caprice against our lucklefs fex, which he proceeds to illuftrate by inftances of contrarieties in fuch characters as are most ftrongly marked, and feemingly therefore moit confiftent, as first in the Affected." But furely between Rufa attracting "each light gay meteor of a fpark," and "Rufa ftulying Locke," there is no real inconfittency: the effence of affectation is, an attempt to attract admiration by pretending to be what we really are not; the very definition includes verfatility, and what human being can keep clear of "co trarieties" if they are incurred MONTHLY MAG. No. 112.

fimply by purfuing the fame end by different means? Further, may it not be called unphilofophical to mention affectation at all among fexual characteristics? For it is neither a paflion, or difpofition, nor a quality or endowment of the mind, but fimply a habit produced by circumftances, an adventitious garb affumed for particular purposes, and capable of adhering to any one whofe marking feature is vanity.-In Silia, whofe failing is infinuated with fo much felf-complacent flippancy, what "contrariety" is difplayed but that between the fame perfon when fober and when drunk; and furely there is nothing in this peculiar to the fofter fex!-Papillia I would allow to be a fair inftance of feminine caprice, could I be certain that "her amorous fpark," did not partake her ennui, and long, like herself, when the honey-moon was ended, to return to the pleafures and gayeties of a town. Of the four odiously grofs portraitures which follow, I fhall only obferve that the "artful' character is as little to be taxed with inconfiftency as the "affected," and for fimilar reafons; and that the three, mutatis mutandis, are mere fervile draughts after the Whartons, the Villierses, &c. the "riddle" of whofe lives he had already expatiated on in his Satires against the other fex. In fact, it was impoffible for him to fay ftronger things of the inconfiftencies of women, than he had already faid of thofe of men; and if in one cafe he fuppofed he had difcovered a key by which the deepest fecrets of nature were decyphered, and all made plain,- no good reafon can poffibly be given why he fhould not have applied the fame key here alfo, inftead of winding up his won dering remarks with the gracious conclufion,

"Woman and Fool are two hard things to hit,

For true no meaning puzzles more than wit.”

Meeknefs and obftinacy, are in reality very congenial qualities, and may be found in many individuals of both fexes befides "Simo's Mate." The "viciffitude" of "mirth and opium, ratifia and tears," is a mere physical phenomenon, and has nothing to do with chara&er, moral or intellectual. Atoffa I will allow to be a ftriking and fpirited p:cture; it was drawn from an individual, and has probably a caricature likeness of her: but the woman bating artist was probably not aware that, by enlarging the ftrong features of his original, he made them more mafculine than femi

nine.

nine. Atoffa may refemble one paffionate and imperious woman, with ftrong parts and quick feelings: but as a fatire on her fex it lofes its force; for to how many of the other would the greater part apoly with equal aptness? Haughty and felfifh characters are certainly moft common among those who rule, how fhould it be otherwife?—I am not extravagant enough to maintain, that nothing can with truth be alleged against woman; all that I have to fay to Chloe, therefore is, that a more confiftent character was never drawn, and that apathy is not neceffarily of the feminine gender. But our poet now for fakes his leading maxim, that "mut women have no character at all," because they are diftinguifhed by verfatility and incor fiftency; which is indeed fufficiently confuted by the very example of Chloe, who, though the approaches nearer to a mere negative than any one he defcribes, is yet the most unvarying character of the whole. A new and totally different doctrine is to be brought forwards : "In men we various ruling paflions find; In women, two almoft divide the kind; Thofe, only fixed, they firft or last obey, The love of pleasure, and the love of fway." I believe the idea that every individual is governed by fome one ruling paffion, is now fo completely exploded, that nothing need be faid in its confutation. But why our fex fhould be fuppofed influ enced by two only, is hard to conceive: that this is not the fact, it would be easy to prove; ftill eafier would it be to show that Pope himself did not think fo when he brought "The frugal Crone," and poor Narciffa," as apt examples of two other ruling paffions, avarice and vanity, neither of which can be refolved, without the utmost violence to language, into either of the former two. In this very piece indeed, the majority of the portrai tures are compofed without any regaid to this pretended axiom, and are incapable of being folved by it.

That "every woman is at heart a rake,” is a calumny that I fhall not foɔp to difprove it could only have entered the mind of a depraved man conversant with abandoned women. Indeed to confute a writer who is continually contradi&ting himfelf, is but an idle task. To what contufion of head, or perverfity of heart, can it be afcribed, that, after celebrating a woman, "without one jarring atom made," (as he has elfewhere laid of another female) one whofe fex he in vain endeavours to render contemptible by a Atroke of the most pitiful and taftiles

flippancy, he reverts again to his old maxim, "Woman's at beft a contradiction ftill?" By what fophiftry and absurdity too is this palpable untruth fupported! Our "fcorn of fools" accords fingularly well with the love of fops of which he frequently accufes us! "Referve and franknefs, truth and art,” are qualities fo oppofite that they can never really be predicated of the fame perfon, whilft "courage and foftnefs, modelty and pride," are difpofitions congenial enough to co-exist without the flightest incongruity.-To literary criticism this Epiftle lies peculiarly open; but that I fpare. If I have fucceeded in showing, what I believe to be true, that the two fexes have fo much in common, and fo little peculiar to each, that scarce a shaft can be aimed at one exclufively, which does not recoil upon fome vulnerable part of human nature in general; if I have proved Pope, notwithstanding his lofty pretenfions to morality, to philofophy, and to good fense, to have attacked our fex with malignity, flippancy, and indecency, with injuftice, abfurdity and inconfiftency, I thall be more than fatisfied. I believe that he who renders woman contemptible, encourages licentiouf nefs, and injures human happiness; and this perfuafion, exclufive of other motives, would have fufficed to prompt me to become my fex's champion. I am, &c.

MONG the feveral curious and very interefting fragments of Orphie Poetry edited by the learned Gefner, I find, in p. 390, the following line: σε Οίνος, τὸν φιλέεσι θεοί, θηντοί τ' άνθρωποι.

Chap. of Judges) is the following text; And in the parable of Jotham, (9th

"And the Vine faid unto them, Should I leave my Wine which cheereth God and Man ?"

It is well known that Clemens Alexandrinus has pointed out feveral lines which Homer appears to have copied from that elder fon of the Mufes handed down to us under the name of Orpheus; and, after attending to the Ariking fimilarity both of idea and expreffion in the two foregoing paffages, fome of your more learned readers will perhaps, through the channel of your Magazine, favor me with the defired information, whether

there

A

SIR,

SI think every thing which concerns the rifing generation of importance to fociety, I take the liberty, by means of your Magazine, to convey a few hints which I hope may tend to meliorate that state of infancy which we fee fo frequently fhortened by disease, owing to improper food in the firft months. The method of feeding young infants with milk and water, veal-tea, and various other things in preference to the pap of our grandmothers has been very inuch recommended by feveral eminent physicians; but I am afraid, many of my fitter matrons are ftill too much under the influence of the good old nurfes, to pe fevere in oppofition to what they fay must be the best, because fo many bundreds have been brought up with it, and done well-and with the beft intentions poffible, are as fearful of any innovation in their province, as the most pious bishop on the bench. I am defirous of earnestly recommending from my own happy experience the adoption of barleywater and milk, in preference to every other food I have ever met with; till an infant is four months old. I muft relate the contest I had with the good folks about me, and my own perfeverance, in oder to illuftrate my fubject properly. I had prefented my hufband with three very fine children, which were fed in the good old way laid down by my nurfe. The infants were every one of them fo fubject to wind in the stomach and bowels, that it was abfolutely neceffary to have a carminative medic ne always at hand to adminifter. I had nearly loft them all with watery gripes, when they were about three months old. Before my confinement the fourth time, I was recommended by a friend to try the barley-water and milk. I mentioned my determination to my nurse the affured me it would not be fufficient nourishment, but it should be made; a few days afterward I obferved fome rice boiling; the faid it was neceffary on account of the infant being too much relaxed by the barey; in another day or two fome oatmeal was boiled, the rice was too binding. I in

fifted on the barley victuals being adhered to, but I found I could gain no ground in the argument; and I was then too helplefs to take an active part in the management of my infant. However, when I got down ftairs, I one afternoon heard fomething beating in a faucepan, and, fufpecting the matter, I went out. All was ftill-I infifted on feeing what the cook had been preparing ;-when the produced a pint of very nice pap. On my being extremely angry at her impertinence in daring to make it after my exprefs orders to the contrary; the affured me, the had regularly made the fame quantity every day by defire of the nurie, who faid it was very wrong to try experiments on fo young a child, and she was fure it would die if I were fo inhuman as to give it fuch poor ftuff; befides, the child would tire of having the fame food conftantly. I felt myfelf very much irritated at not being allowed a fair trial of the food, and immediately threw the pap away; and told them all, that the firft perfon I faw make any more, I would inftantly dif charge from my fervice. I attended the feeding of the child conftantly myself afterwards; and had the pleasure to obferve that the wind and gripes never returned; the child grew up much stronger than the former ones, and of courfe was nurfed with lefs trouble and care. I have, fince that, reared four more, to whom I have never given any other food whatever, till they were four months old: one of thefe had not the breaft at all, and it proved quite fufficient even for her. My method of making it is as follows:To three deffer-fpoonsfull of pearl-barley (first washed) add three pints of water, which boil up as quick as poffible, till it is of the coniiftence of cream; every time the child is fed, about a tea-cup full of this fhould be made hot, and cooled with one third of new milk, increasing the quantity of milk as the infant's (tomach can bear it; then fweeten it with a little moilt fugar. It fhould never be heated a fecond time, as it will curdle the milk, and by that means render it lefs nutritious. At the end of four months I begin to vary their food, by giving a fmall boiled custard made by firring the yokeof one egg and a little grated ginger into fome milk over the fire till it thickens, taking care that it does not curdle. This given by way of dinner is fufficient for a month longer; after that, make it a little more fubftantial, by adding a little flour. Since I have purfued this method I have never had a carminative in my

houfe

prefent no forefts growing in the immediate vicinity of Roeraas. But it appears from the roots ftill remaining, that this tract of country was in former times covered with pines and firs. The lakes near Roeraas abound in fishes of various fpecies-falmons, trouts, perches, graylings, &c. On the 12th of July, 1678, the Swedes besieged Roeraas, and committed great devaftation over this whole territory. As a defence against any future incurfions of the Swedes, the Government has armed the miners, and formed a corple under the appellation of skielaufers, or foldiers who run upon fnow-fhoes or fkates. The fkates or fnow-fhoes are made of fir, and partly covered with a piece of reindeer skin, that has the hair upon it. These skates are three or four ells long: and the fkait for the left foot is longer than that for the right. The ikaters are the light troops of the country: they run whether on plains, or up and down hills with incredible fwiftnefs. At no great distance from Roraas, are families of genuine Laplanders, or, as they are there called, Finns. They live in tents; not stopping in any one place longer than they can there find nourishment for their cattle. They oblige their wives to act in the inferiority of fervants. Their whole wealth confifts in their reindeer. Their condition of life is extremely miferable: and yet they are very much attached to it. Some of them fend their children to be baptized and educated in the Chriftian religion at Roeraas. As Roeraas is not far from the borders of Sweden; its in abitants carry on fome fmuggling trade with the Swedes; to whom they furnish coffee, brandy, and other articles, in Sweden, either under prohibition or loaded with exorbitant taxes; receiving in return wrought iron and cop per, pelties, caltoreum, and fome other articles. The Copper mine at Roeraas is of the greatest importance. It was dif. covered in the year 1644, by a Laplander following fome reindeer. His portrait is fall to be feen in the town-church. The mine long furnished annually 600 ton of copper. Its whole produce from 1644 to 1778 was more than twenty-two millions of rixdollars in value. The fhares in the flock of the Company were in 1778, at 200 rixdollars each. At Engan, the refidence of Mr. Jordt, Director of the Mines, Mr. Fabric us had opportunity to obferve the contrivance of spreading dung beneath the floor of the talls for the cattle, to mitigate the exceffive cold, by which thefe were liable to be affected in winter. It is remarkable, that on the

The

heights encompaffing the valley of Thydahlen, at the diftance of fomewhat more than thirty miles from Roraas, fome veftiges of tillage are now to be feen. The inhabitants regard thefe as proofs that the climate of Norway was anciently milder than it is at prefent; for, those heights are now fo cold as to be entirely uninhabitable. They fuppofe, that ever fince the depopulation of the country by peftilence, in the fourteenth century, the climate has been continually becoming colder, and has thus hindered many parts from being repeopled, which were before abundantly inhabited. The copper-ore of Roraas is a pyrites. It is piled in large heaps, which are left to burn for eight or ten weeks fucceffively. foundery stands in a low situation contiguous to the heaps. The roafted ore is tranfmitted by a particular paffage from the heaps into the foundery. The foundery contains eight fufing furnaces, and two refining furnaces, all arranged in one row. The ore is fufed in the fix fufing furnaces; in the other two it is refined to black copper. The copper is not above two hours together in the refining furnace. The mines lie in a direction between north and east, and at a mile's distance from the town of Roraas. The moft confiderable of them has the name of Storwaadfgrube. The rock is fchiftus intermixed with mica, quartz, black fchorl, and garnets. The vein of ore runs in a direction between north and fouth.

Our travellers proceeded from Roraas to Hoff, where they again faw fields in tillage. It is only on the fides of the hills.. expofed to the meridian heat of the fun, that con is fown about Hoff And, even with this advantage, the grain does not in every feafon come to full ripeness.

July 15th, they continued their journey from off to Grod. By the way they paffed people of the country, who were driving horlts loaded with copper to Drontheim. At night, they take of the loads, tie finall bells to the necks of the horles, and then allow them to feed without reftraint among the rocks or in the wonds. The drivers themselves fleep under the trees upon their horfe furniture. On their return from Drontheim, the horses are loaded with corn and other commodities for confumption at Roeraas. The payment to the carrier for himself and his horfe, is for each journey 1 rixdollar.

About feven miles from Hoff is the mine of Dragaafhütte, where about 60 tons of black copper are annually prepared. The ore is partly brought from Roraas,

partly