doing no good under my care. I am not respected in the family; the fervants infult me; and my farther progress in learning is stopped." I have often refolved to give up my place; but what will become of me if I do? Others will not enter into my motives; they will attribute my conduct to folly or ill temper; and I fhall be thrown upon the wide world without a friend, without money, and with a mind ill calculated to ftruggle with poverty and misfortunes. It has occurred to me, that, if you print this letter, and Mr. M. chance to fee it, it may produce fome change in my fituation; or, if it has no other effect, it may at least serve as a juftification of my conduct in leaving his. family.

I am, &c.

K. B.

The cafe of Mr. K. B. may perhaps be exaggerated; but I fufpect his fituation is not altogether uncommon. Indeed, I have been often. furprised to see men of excellent fense in every other particular, and fond of their children, fo inattentive to those who have the care of them. It should not, methinks, require much reflection to convince them, that there is a good deal. of refpect due to thofe on whom fo important a

truft

truft as the education of their children is devolved; it should require but little obfervation to fatisfy them, that, unless the parents regard the tutor, it is impoffible the children can; that, unless the inftructor be honoured, his precepts will be contemned. Even, independent of these confiderations, something is due to a young man of education and of learning, who, though his fituation may make it necessary for him to receive a falary for his labours, may, from that learning which he has received, and that taste which it has given him, have a mind as independent as the wealthieft, and as delicate as the highest born.

But, while I venture to fuggeft those hints to fuch gentlemen as may be in a fituation to afford tutors for their children, I would recommend the perufal of Mr. B's letter to perfons in that condition from which he has fprung. I have of late remarked, with regret, in this country, a difpofition in many, who, from their station and circumftances, ought to have been bred farmers or manufacturers, to become scholars, and men of learned profeffions. Let fuch perfons and their parents be affured, that, though there may be a few fingular inftances to the contrary, there is no purfuit which requires a competency, in point of fortune, more than that of a man of learning. A young man who

has not enough to make him easy, and to bear the expence requifite for carrying on his education, can hardly be expected to rife to any eminence. The meannefs of his fituation will humble and deprefs him, and render him unfit for any thing elegant or great; or, if this fhould not be the case, there is much danger of his becoming a prey to anxiety and chagrin, and perhaps paffing a neglected and a miferable life. K. B. feems to have fuffered much; he may ftill have much to fuffer; had he followed his father's profeffion, he might have been both happy and ufeful.

A

I

N° 89. TUESDAY, March 14, 1780.

SIR,

To the AUTHOR of the MIRROR.

WAS lately one of a pretty numerous com❤ pany of both fexes, when a lady then going to be married was the fubject of conversation, and was mentioned, by a gentleman present, as a very accomplished woman, to which the company in general affented. One lady remarked, fhe had often heard that phrase made use of, without being able precisely to understand what was meant by it; that the doubted not it was bestowed with propriety on Mifs ; but, as she was not of her acquaintance, fhe wished to know, whether, when one was faid to be an accomplished woman, we were to understand fuch accomplishments as mufic, dancing, French, &c. which a boarding-fchool affords; or those higher attainments which the mind is fuppofed to acquire by reading and reflection?" Read"ing and reflection!" repeated, with an ironical fneer, a very fine gentleman, who fat opposite to her; "I wonder how any one can fill girls' heads with fuch ridiculous nonsense.

❝ I am

"

"I am fure I never faw a woman's learning "have any other effect than to make her con"ceited of herself, and a plague to her neigh"bours. Were I to enter the shackles, I have "too much regard to my own ease to chufe a lady of reflection; and, had I any daughters, "I fhould probably have plague enough with "them, without their being readers." Another lady, without taking the fmalleft notice of what the gentleman had faid, obferved, that fhe did not wonder young ladies were discouraged from taking much pains in improving their minds, as, whatever a girl's understanding or mental accomplishments might be, they were univerfally neglected, at least by the gentlemen; and the company of any fool, provided she was handfome, preferred to theirs. - But, as this lady was rather homely, I durft not rely on her opinion. An elderly gentleman then faid, he did not fee that reading could do a woman any harm, provided they confined themselves to books fit for them, and did not meddle with fubjects they could not understand-such as religion and politics. As to the firft, he faid, that if a woman went regularly to church, said her prayers, read her Bible, and did as fhe was bid, he thought it all that was neceffary; and as for politics, it was a fubject far beyond the reach of any female capacity. This gentleman had a little