University of Virginia Library

So often, my dear Maria, has the pen of the
divine, the moralist, and the novelist been employed
on the subject of female frailty and seduction;
and so pathetically has each described the
folly and misery of the fatal delusion which involves
many in disgrace, that I am astonished
when I see those, who have the best means of information,
heedlessly sacrificing their reputation,
peace and happiness, to the specious arts of the
libertine! In this case, it is common for our sex
to rail against the other, and endeavour to excite
the pity of the world by painting the advantage
which has been taken of their credulity and
weakness. But are we not sufficiently apprised
of the enemies we have to encounter? And have
we not adequate motives to circumspection and
firmness?

I am generally an advocate for my own sex;
but when they suffer themselves to fall a prey to
seducers, their pusillanimity admits no excuse. I
am bold to affirm that every woman, by behaving
with propriety on all occasions, may not only resist
temptation, but repel the first attempts upon
her honor and virtue.

That levity of deportment, which invites and
encourages designers, ought studiously to be

avoided. Flattery and vanity are two of the
most dangerous foes to the sex. A fondness for
admiration insensibly throws them off their guard,
and leads them to listen and give credit to the
prosessions of those who lie in wait to deceive.

The following remarks, though severe, perhaps,
can hardly be deemed inconsistent with the
character which their author assumes.[4] “Women
would do well to forbear their declamations
against the falsity and wickedness of men; the
fault is theirs, to fall into such coarse-spun snares
as are laid for them.

“That servile obsequiousness which women
should immediately look upon as the mark of fraud,
and which should make them apprehend a surprise,
is the very thing which allures them, and renders
them soon the victims of perjury and inconstancy;
the just punishment of a disposition which
fixes their inclinations on superficial qualities. It
is this disposition which draws after them a crowd
of empty fops, who, if they have any meaning at
all, it is only to deceive. Something pleasing in
a man's person, a giddy air, a perpetual levity,
supply the place of valuable endowments.”

A recent, and singular adventure has rendered
observations of this sort peculiarly striking to
my mind; which may account for the subject
and the length of this letter.

I will give you a detail of it, though I must
conceal the real names of the parties concerned.

Yesterday, the weather being very fine, and
the sleighing excellent, several of our family,
with two or three friends, were induced to make
an excursion a few miles into the country. We
stopped at a house which had formerly been a
tavern, and in which we had often been well entertained
on similar occasions. As we were in
haste to receive the benefit of a good fire, we
did not notice the removal of the sign, nor advert
to the possibility of its being converted to a private
mansion. Being very cold, I stepped first
out of the sleigh, and ran hastily in; leaving the
gentlemen to exercise their gallantry with the
other ladies. The room I entered had no fire.
I therefore opened the door which led to the
next apartment, when I beheld the beautiful and
admired Clarinda sitting in an easy chair, pale
and wan, with an infant in her arms! I stood
mute and motionless, till the woman of the house
appeared to conduct me to another room. Confusion
and shame were visibly depicted in Clarinda's
countenance; and, unable to meet my
eye, she threw her handkerchief over her face,
and fell back in her chair.

I followed the good woman, and, apologizing
for my intrusion, told her the cause. She recollected
my having been there before, and readily
excused my freedom.

By this time the rest of the company, who
had been shown into a decent parlour, were inquiring
for me; and I could scarcely find opportunity
to request my conductress to ask Clarinda's
forgiveness in my name, and to assure her of my
silence, before I had joined them. I assumed an
appearance of cheerfulness very foreign to the
feelings of my heart, and related my mistake
without any mention of the melancholy discovery
I had made. We prevailed on the woman
to accommodate us with tea and coffee, as we
wished to ride no further. While preparations
were making, she came in to lay the table, and
as she withdrew gave me a token to follow her;
when she informed me that Clarinda had been
extremely overcome by my detecting her situation;
but being somewhat recovered, desired a
private interview. I accordingly repaired to her
apartment, where I found her bathed in tears.
Pity operated in my breast, and with an air of
tenderness I offered her my hand; but she withheld
her's, exclaiming in broken accents, O no!
I am polluted—I have forfeited your friendship
—I am unworthy even of your compassion!

I begged her to be calm, and promised her
that she should suffer no inconvenience from my
knowledge of her condition.

She thanked me for my assurances, and subjoined
that, since she knew the candour and generosity
of my disposition, she would entrust me

with every circumstance relative to her shameful
fall; when, after a considerable pause, she proceeded
nearly in the following words.

“Though our acquaintance has been for some
time suspended, and though we have lived in
different parts of the town, yet common same
has doubtless informed you that I was addressed
by the gay, and to me, too charming Florimel!
To the most captivating form, he superadded
the winning graces of politeness, and all those
insinuating arts which imperceptibly engage the
female heart.

“His flattering attentions, and apparent ardour
of affection were to my inexperienced and susceptible
mind proofs of his sincerity; and the
effusions of the most lively passion were returned
with unsuspecting confidence.

“My father, strict in his principles, and watchful
for my real welfare, disapproved his suit; alleging
that although Florimel was calculated to
please in the gayer moments of life, he was nevertheless
destitute of those sentiments of religion
and virtue, which are essentially requisite to durable
felicity. But I could not be persuaded
that he lacked any perfection which maturer
years would not give him; and therefore finding
my attachment unconquerable, my father reluctantly
acquiesced in the proposed connexion.
My ill-judged partiality for this ungenerous man
absorbed every other passion and pursuit; while

he took advantage of my yielding fondness, and
assumed liberties which I knew to be inconsistent
with delicacy, but had not resolution to repel.
One encroachment succeeded another, and every
concession was claimed and granted as a proof of
love, till at length he became absolute master of
my will and my person! Shame and remorse
soon roused me to a sense of my guilt, and I demanded
an immediate performance of his promise
of marriage. This, under one pretext or another,
he constantly evaded. His visits daily became
less frequent, and his attentions less assiduous;
while the most poignant anguish of mind
deprived me of every comfort. I found myself
reduced to the humiliating alternative of entreating
my seducer to screen me from infamy by the
name of wife, though he should never consider
or treat me as such. To this he insultingly replied,
that my situation must necessarily detect
our illicit commerce; and his pride could never
brook the reputation of having a wife whose
chastity had been sacrificed. As soon as rage
and resentment, which at first took from me the
power of utterance, would permit, Wretch! exclaimed
I, is it not to you the sacrifice has been
made? Who but you has triumphed over my
virtue, and subjected me to the disgrace and
wretchedness I now suffer? Was it not in token
of my regard for you that I yielded to your solicitations?
And is this the requital I am to receive?
Base, ungrateful man! I despise your
meanness! I detest the ungenerous disposition
you betray, and henceforth reject all intercourse
and society with you! I will throw myself on
the mercy of my injured parents, and renounce
you forever.

“Seeing me almost frantic, he endeavoured to
soothe and appease me. He apologized for the
harshness of his language, and even made professions
of unabated affection; but gave as a reason
for deferring the conjugal union, at present,
that commercial affairs obliged him to sail immediately
for Europe; assuring me at the same
time that on his return he would not fail to renew
and consummate the connexion. To this I
gave no credit, and therefore made no reply.
He then requested me to accept a purse to defray
my expenses, during his absence, which I
rejected with disdain; and he departed. The
distress and despair of my mind were inexpressible.
For some days, I resigned myself entirely
to the agonizing pangs of grief. My parents
imputed my dejection to Florimel's departure,
and strove to console me. It was not long,
however, before my mother discovered the real
cause. In her, resentment gave place to compassion;
but the anger of my father could not
be appeased. He absolutely forbad me his presence
for some time; but my mother at length
prevailed on him to see, and assure me of forgiveness

and restoration to favour, if I would
consent to renounce and disown my child; to
which, not then knowing the force of maternal
affection, I readily consented. This place was
privately procured for me, and hither, under
pretence of spending a month or two with a
friend in the country, I retired. To-morrow my
dear babe is to be taken from me! It is to be
put to nurse, I know not where! All I am told
is, that it shall be well taken care of! Constantly
will its moans haunt my imagination, while I
am deprived even of the hope of ministering to
its wants; but must leave it to execrate the hour
which gave it birth, and deprived it of a parent's
attention and kindness.

“As soon as possible, I shall return to my father's
house; and as I am unknown here, and
you are the only person, out of our family, who
shares the dreadful secret, I flatter myself that my
crime may still be concealed from the world.
The reproaches of my own mind I can never escape.
Conscious guilt will give the aspect of
accusation to every eye that beholds me; and
however policy may compel me to wear the
mask of gaiety and ease, my heart will be wrung
with inexpressible anguish by the remembrance
of my folly, and always alive to the distressing
sensations of remorse and shame! Oh Julia!
you have witnessed my disgrace! pity and forgive
me! Perhaps I once appeared as virtuous

and respectable, as you now do; but how
changed! how fallen! how debased! Learn
from my fate to despise the flattery of the worthless
coxcomb, and the arts of the abandoned
libertine.”

By this time I was summoned to tea; when,
giving all the consolation in my power to the
unhappy Clarinda, I rejoined my company; and
to prevent their inquisitiveness about my absence,
told them I had been with a sick woman,
upon whom I accidentally intruded when I first
came in; and that she had detained me, all this
time, by a recital of her complaints and misfortunes.
This account satisfied their curiosity;
but the melancholy into which my mind had
been thrown was not easily dissipated; nor could
I, without doing violence to my feelings, put on
the appearance of my usual cheerfulness and
case.

Here, my dear Maria, is a picture of the frailty
and weakness of our sex! How much reason
have we then to “watch and pray that we enter
not into temptation!”

With affectionate regards to your mamma and
sister, I subscribe myself your's most sincerely,