The fpirit which animated the nation at this æra is well known: the diligence and fecrecy with which the different meafures were conducted; the fpirit of enterprize which dif tinguifhed the conductors is too well known to need being parti cularly mentioned. In this general sketch we connect, in fact, the two adminiftrations of Mr. Pitt, paffing over the little interval when court-intrigue removed, and the general voice of the nation restored him. One circumftance, in the first adminiftration, may be mentioned with aftonifhment: he propofed, in the Spanish negotiation in 1757, to cede Gibraltar to Spain; and again, in 1761, offered it as the price of the facrifice of the family-compact. We are fuperior to the empty pride of national punctilio, and well know the refpect which the crudeft idea of lord Chatham deferves; but, on this fubject, we must differ. Without Gibraltar, France and Spain might have impofed duties on every fhip that entered the Mediterranean; the trade of Britain would have been limited; and the first maritime power that the world ever faw might have had an additional fetter on her marine exertions. If the vaft fcheme, refpecting the trade of Poland, had fucceeded, one of the confequences might have been, that the dues on entering the Sound muft have been remitted. In the Appendix it appears that this idea of the renunciation of Gibraltar was not new in the British court. It had occurred to George I. and even that prudent prince had promised it fo far as it depended on him. This, in the court of an abfolute monarch, was confidered as an abfolute promife, and the performance was afterwards demanded. We trust that Great Britain will never again be in a fituation to require fuch a facrifice.

The events on the fucceffion of George III. are recent, and within the memory of many of our readers. It had been the fafhion for fome time to declaim on the misfortunes of victory, on the expences of a war, where fuccefs was pernicious, and defeat ruin. We are now more enlightened, enlightened by dear-bought experience; but, even at that time, it ought to have been feen, that Great Britain could not fubfift as an independent power, without a navy equal to that which, within any probable contingency, could be brought against her; and that conquefts, unconnected with, or not to be controuled by, fuch a navy, were ufelefs. Yet the incroachments of the French on the fide of Canada had been the cause of the war, and the clamours of two million British colonifts demanded its ceffion. There were, however, other facrifices to have purcha fed, at that time, the Weft India islands; and, if Martinico had been ceded, St. Lucia, which would at any time have commanded it, with a fufficient naval force, fhould have been retained Impartial pofterity will at once fee that the eagerness of the

court

court to make peace occafioned them to obtain worse terms than the French before offered; and that Great Britain, in the event of a future war, gave her enemies the advantage. Our author notices Dr. Mufgrave's accufation, and adds his examination before the houfe of commons. It was alledged that the French purchafed the peace; but M. d'Eon, whom Dr. Mufgrave quoted as one of the agents, has fince faid, that money was more probably given by England. Both might have been true; inducements might have led the English leaders to treat; and, when they were committed, it may have been found expedient, by any means, to procure terms apparently honourable and advantageous. In the momentary humiliation of Great Britain, France fecured herfelf in cafe of future hoftilities; and government will find the late ceffion of St. Lucia and Tobago moft inconvenient, in cafe of -hoftilities in the Weft Indies. At prefent a fairer profpect opens to our view.

(To be concluded in the Appendix.)

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman: with Strictures on political Subjects. By Mary Wollstonecraft. 8vo. 6s. boards. Johnfon. 1792.

ONE of the ftricteft proofs in mathematical demonstrations,

is the reducing the question to an abfurdity; by allowing, for inftance, that the propofition is not true, and then fhowing that this would lead to the moft obvious inconfiftencies. Mifs Wollstonecraft has converted this method of proceeding with the fame fuccefs: reafoning on the boafted principles of the Rights of Man, fhe finds they lead very clearly to the object of her work, a Vindication of the Rights of Woman; and, by the abfurdity of many of her conclufions, fhows, while we admit the reafoning, that the premises must be, in some refpects, fallacious.

• Difmiffing then thofe pretty femenine phrafes, which the men condescendingly use to soften our flavish dependence, and defpifing that weak elegancy of mind, exquifite fenfibility, and sweet docility of manners, fuppofed to be the fexual characteristics of the weaker veffel, I wish to fhew that elegance is inferior to virtue, that the first object of laudable ambition is to obtain a character as a human being, regardless of the diftinction of fex; and that fecondary views fhould be brought to this fimple touchstone.'

This is the outline of her plan; but before the proceeds to fhow that this change would be fuitable, ufeful, advantageous, it will be firft neceflary to prove that there is no fexual giftinction

tinction of character; that the female mind is equally fitted for the more arduous mental operations; that women are equally able to pursue the toilfome road of minute, laborious, investigation; that their judgments are equally found, their refolution equally ftrong. After this is done, the benefit derived muft be confidered; and, when all are strong, to whom must the weaker operations belong? The female Plato will find it unfuitable to the dignity of her virtue' to dress the child, and defcend to the difgufting offices of a nurfe: the new Archimedes will measure the shirts by means of the altitude taken by a quadrant; and the young lady, instead of studying the fofter and more amiable arts of pleafing, muft contend with her lover for fuperiority of mind, for greater dignity of virtue; and before the condefcends to become his wife, muft prove herself his equal or fuperior.-It may be fancy, preju dice, or obstinacy, we contend not for a name, but we are infinitely better pleased with the present system; and, in truth, dear young lady, for by the appellation fometimes prefixed to your name we muft fuppofe you to be young, endeavour to attain the weak elegancy of mind,' the fweet docility of manners,'' the exquifite fenfibility,' the former ornaments of your fex; we are certain you will be more pleafing, and we dare pronounce that you will be infinitely happier. Mental fuperiority is not an object worth contending for, if happiness be the aim. But, as this is the first female combatant in the new field of the Rights of Woman, if we fmile only, we shall be accused of wishing to decline the conteft; if we content ourfelves with paying a compliment to her talents, it will be styled inconfiftent with true dignity,' and as fhowing that we want to continue the 'flavish dependence.'-We muft contend then with this new Atalanta; and who knows whether, in this modern inftance, we may not gain two victories by the conteft? There is more than one batchelor in our corps; and, if we should fucceed, mifs Wollstonecraft may take her choice. This work is dedicated to M. Talleyrand-Perigord, late bishop of Autun, who, in his treatife on National Education, does not feem to be perfectly convinced that the rights of man extend to woman; yet in France the diffufion of knowledge, our author afferts, is greater than in any other European mation, on account of the more unreserved communication between the fexes, though what the ladies have gained in knowledge they seem confeffedly to have loft in delicacy. The fol lowing paffage we muft tranfcribe, for we confefs we do not fully understand it.

Contending for the rights of woman, my main argument is built on this fimple principle, that if the be not prepared by edu

cation to become the companion of man, fhe will stop the progress of knowledge, for truth must be common to all, or it will be inefficacious with respect to its influence on general practice. And how can woman be expected to co-operate unless she know why she ought to be virtuous!, unless freedom ftrengthen her reafon till she comprehend her duty, and fee in what manner it is connected with her real good? If children are to be educated to understand the true principle of patriotism, their mother must be a patriot; and the love of mankind, from which an orderly train of virtues fpring! can only be produced by confidering the moral and civil interest of mankind; but the education and fituation of woman, at pres fent, fhuts her out from fuch investigations.

In this work I have produced many arguments, which to me were conclufive, to prove that the prevailing notion respecting a fexual character was fubverfive of morality, and I have contended, that to render the human body and mind more perfect, chastity muft more univerfally prevail, and that chastity will never be refpected in the male world till the person of a woman is not, as it were, idolized, when little virtue or sense embellish it with the grand traces of mental beauty, or the interesting fimplicity of affection."

The firft fentence is erroneous in fact and in reasoning: it is contradicted by the experience of ages, the practice of different nations. The fecond fentence is a curious one-How can The be fuppofed to co-operate (we fuppofe in the progress of knowledge) unless fhe know why the ought to be virtuous? Virtuous! Here must be some mistake: what has virtue to do with the progrefs of knowledge? As to freedom, ftrengthening the reafon, &c. we fee no occafion for metaphyfical inveltigation on this fubject: that virtue is connected with profperity and happinefs, and vice with misfortune and mifery, the might learn, not from Locke, but the New Testament. The concluding fentence of the first paragraph is still more ftrange. Patriotifm may be very properly instilled by a fa"ther; and we must beg leave to differ in opinion from this lady in another point: we are confident, from frequent and exfenfive obfervation, no arguments can confute the opinion that we have formed, and we muft ftill persist in thinking, that the education and fituation of women, at prefent, really and ef fectually inspire the love of mankind. We do believe with mifs Wollstonecraft, that chastity will be refpected more, when the perfon of a woman ceafes to be idolized, and the grand traces of mental beauty are principally confpicuous.

The pathetic address ad hominem, on the injuftice and cruelty

As we write this article profeffedly for the fervice of the lady, we ought to apologise for the Latin word. It may be englished perfonal addrefs;"--but

cruelty of subjugating women, is interesting and well expreffed. It is true, that women cannot by force be confined to domestic concerns:' it is equally true, that they will neglect private duties, to disturb, by cunning tricks, the orderly plans of reafon; and fometimes, we may add, even for worse pur poses. We agree too, that no coercion fhould be established in fociety, and the common law of gravity prevailing, the sexes will fall into their proper place; nor shall we object to another paffage, that if women are not permitted to enjoy legitimate rights, they will render both men and themfelves vicious to obtain illicit privileges.' But to be serious.

We fhould defpife ourselves, if we were capable to garble fentences, in order to make them bear a different or a double meaning. The meaning of mifs Wollstonecraft must be obvious, and we have only marked the equivocal nature of her language by Italics. If the whole was not as defective in reafoning as in propriety, we fhould not for a moment have indulged a smile. The object of this dedication, and indeed of her whole work, is to fhow that women fhould participate in the advantages of education and knowledge, that they may be more fuitable companions for their hufbands, better tutors in the earlier periods of their children's lives, and more usefyl active citizens. When the fteps from the ftilts of patriotism, and omits the laft object, the reafons with accuracy and propriety; not always indeed in a regular method, or by a well compacted chain of argument, but fometimes with a force carrying conviction. When we proceed to examine the fubject more clofely, and enquire into the degree of education and mental improvement neceffary, we fufpect that we must greatly differ. Are the mental powers to be regulated only, and generally informed, or are the fciences to be regularly taught? If a young woman be led to examine a fubject coolly, to compare different arguments, to eftimate the different degrees of evidence which each fubject admits of, and to trace with fome attention the evolutions of the human mind: above all, if the indulges a habit of reflection, and is neither afraid nor afhamed to look at her own errors, and inveftigate their fource, the will be a more pleafing companion, a better wife and mother, a more useful member of fociety. All this a frequent reflection, and the converfation of a fenfible man, will teach better than books, if we except thofe general effays, which, while they improve the mental faculties, add to the ftock of ideas;

• hominem' is a word, in this inftance, peculiarly happy, for it means man er woman—either exclusively man, or thofe manly femalet who endeavour to imi

sate men.