Page:Familiar Letters between the Principal Characters in David Simple.pdf/20

Rh from the fine Ladies of the Age; whereas, if the Behaviour of their Counterparts the Beaus, was to denote the Undertanding of Men, I apprehend the Concluion would be in Favour of the Women, without making a Compliment to that Sex. I can of my own Knowledge, and from my own Acquaintance bear Tetimony to the Poibility of thoe Examples, which Hitory gives of Women eminent for the highet Endowments and Faculties of the Mind. I hall only add an Anwer to the ame Objection, relating to David Simple, given by a Lady of very high Rank, whoe Quality is les an Honour to her than her Undertanding. So far, aid he, from doubting David Simple to be the Performance of a Woman, I am very well convinced it could not have been written by a Man.

the Conduct of Women, in that great and important Buines of their Lives, the Affair of Love, there are Myteries, with which Men are perfectly unacquainted: their Education being on this Head in Contraint of, nay in direct Oppoition to, Truth and Nature, creates uch a contant Struggle between Nature and Habit, Truth and Hypocriy, as introduce often much Humour into their Characters; epecially when drawn by enible Writers of their own