University of Virginia Library

LETTER XL.
Mrs. HOLMES to MYRA.

Having presented you with
several observations on Seduction, I think it
will not be mal apropos to consider the question
in another point of view, and discover
how a woman may be accessary to her own
ruin---It is hardly worth while to contend
about the difference between the meaning
of the terms accessary and principal. The
difference, in fact, is small; but when a woman,
by her imprudence, exposes herself,
she is accessary; for though her heart may be
pure, her conduct is a tacit invitation to the
Seducer.

EDUCATED in the school of luxury and
pride, the female heart grows gradually torpid
to the fine feelings of sensibility—the
blush of modesty wears off—the charms of
elegant simplicity fade by degrees—and the
continual hurry of dissipation supersedes the
improvement of serious reflection. Reflection
is a kind of relaxation from frolicking—
it encourages the progress of virtue, and upholds
the heart from sinking to depravity.

WE may lay it down as a principle, that
that conduct which will bear the test of reflection,
and which creates a pleasure in the mind
from a consciousness of acting right, is virtuous:
And she whose conduct will not bear this
test, is necessarily degenerating, and she is assenting
to her destruction

LET a lady be liberal or even magnificent,
according to her circumstances or situation
in life; but let the heart remain uncorrupt,
let her not be contaminated by wealth, ambition
or splendour. She may then take a
happy retrospect of her conduct—her heart
cannot upbraid her—and the suffrage of her
own mind is a convincing proof that she
has not strayed from the path of virtue.

HAPPY they who can thus reflect—who can
recal to view the scenes that are passed, and
behold their actions with reiterated satisfaction—they
become ambitious of excelling in
everything virtuous, because they are certain
of securing a continual reward: For as a
mighty river fertilizes the country through
which it passes and encreases in magnitude and

force until it empty itself into the ocean: So
virtue fertilizes or improves the heart, and
gathers strength and vigour by continual
progression, until it centre in the consummation
of its desires.

DAZZLED by the glitter of splendour, and
unmindful of the real charms of economy
and simplicity, the female heart sighs for the
enjoyment of fashion, and flutters to join the
motley train of pleasure. But how is it deluded
by empty deceptions! Like the fruit
which sprang up in the infernal regions,
beautiful to the eye, but which left upon the
taste bitter ashes, and was followed by repentance—A
great quantity of this kind of
fruit presents itself to my rashly judging sex;
and it frequently happens that their hearts

have as little inclination to resist the temptation,
as our general parent to refuse the
fatal apple.

WE do not rouse to our aid fortitude to
enable us to surmount the temptation, but
yield ourselves to a kind of voluntary slavery.
Hence it is observable, that a woman is often
unhappy in the midst of pleasures—and petulent
without cause—that she is trifling in
matters of the highest importance; and the
most momentous concern is considered futile,
as whim and caprice may chance to
dictate.

THE progress of female luxury, however
flow it may appear, unless timely checked,
works with infallible and destructive advances.
The rule we at first adopted might

perhaps answer this check; for by the examination
there recommended, we behold the
dangers of a continuation of such conduct—
Ruin and contempt, the invariable concommitants
of vice and immorality, proclaim
their denunciations on a prosecution of it.

LET us examine the gradual steps, and
the consequence of female luxury.—A desire
to be admired is the first. Behold a woman
surrounded by her worshippers, receiving the
sacrifice of adulation—what was given her
at first as compliment, she now demands as
her due. She finds herself disappointed, and
is mortified. The first desire still predominating,
she attaches herself to the votaries
of pride, who direct their feet in the paths of
extravagance and irreligion. Thus sunk

into effeminacy and meanness, she forfeits her
virtue rather than her pride. Thus terminates
the career of a woman, whose mind is
debilitated, and whose life is expended in
the pursuit of vanity.

IT is said of some species of American serpents,
that they have the power of charming
birds and small animals, which they destine
for their prey. The serpent is stretched underneath
a tree—it looks stedfastly on the
bird—their eyes meet to separate no more
—the charm begins to operate—the fascinated
bird flutters and hops from limb to limb,
till unable any longer to extend its wings,
it falls into the voracious jaws of its enemy:
This is no ill emblem of the fascinating power
of pleasure. Surrounded with temptation,

and embarrassed in her circumstances,
a woman of dissipation becomes less tenacious
of her honour—and falls an easy prey
to the fascinating power of theSEDUCER.

HAVING traced to you, my dear Myra,
the rise, advancement and termination of
pleasure and pride in the female heart, it appears
almost unnecessary to remark that this
conduct cannot bear the test of reflection and
serious examination. We may, however,
observe on the contrary, that a woman who
advances a few steps, often hurries on still
further to prevent thought. This bars the
way to a return to that conduct which can
give pleasure on recollection. She behaves
to herself as the populace did formerly to
women suspected of witchcraft—they were

tied neck and heels and thrown into the
river; if they swam they were hung for
witches—if they sank they were acquitted of
the crime, but drowned in the experiment:
So when we only suspect our hearts of an
errour, we plunge still deeper into the sea of
dissipation, to prevent the trial of that conduct
which impartial reason and judgment
would approve.

notwithstanding I give this instance
as an encouragement for virtue; yet in all
those I have mentioned is a woman accessary
to her ruin.

DO not imagine, my dear Myra, that I mean
to argue against all pleasure—Many of us set
out on a principle of false delicacy and destructive
rivalship; we cannot behold a

fine woman without wishing to appear finer.
A laudable emulation in the conduct of all
women is extremely praiseworthy—it stimulates
them in the line of their duty—increases
vivacity and good humour; and ambition,
thus directed and pursued, I beg leave to designate
a female virtue, because it is productive
of the most happy consequences.

BUT it sometimes happens that particular
virtues loose themselves in their neighbouring
vices, and this laudable emulation degenerates
into destructive rivalship.

A GENTEEL, handsome woman, deservedly
shares the esteem and admiration of all
men; but why should this esteem and admiration,
justly paid to merit, give us disquiet?
the answer is ready. That desire to

be admired, so predominant in all females,
by degrees works itself into the ruling passion,
and precludes from the mind the particular
virtue of emulation; for why a woman
who merits the love of the world, should
draw on her the disapprobation of many of
her own sex, can be accounted for, by no
other principle, than the mean, pitiful passion
of envy.

THIS may possibly give rise to defamation.
It is astonishing how this practice prevails
among a few persons—because it is known
by experience, to prove subversive of its very
intention.—The arrows of envy recoil upon
herself.

HOW foolish must that woman appear who
depreciates the merit of another, that she

may appear unrivalled! She raises up the
dykes of ill nature, and inundates the land
with a flood of scandal, but unhappily
drowns herself in the event.

I LEAVE it to the result of your observation,
my dear Myra, whether the woman
who is first to develope her stores of defamation,
and through false emulation, the first
to traduce a woman of real merit and virtue,
is not also the first who becomes a scandal
to herself, and consequently the first that
is contemned.

HOW opposite are the pursuits and rewards
of her who participates in every rational enjoyment
of life, without mixing in those
scenes of indiscretion which give pain on
recollection!—Whose chymical genius leads

her to extract the poison from the most luxuriant
flowers, and to draw honey even from
the weeds of society. She mixes with the
world seemingly indiscriminately—and because
she would secure to herself that satisfaction
which arises from a consciousness of
acting right, she views her conduct with an
eye of scrutiny. Though her temper is free
and unrestrained, her heart is previously secured
by the precepts of prudence—for prudence
is but another name for virtue. Her
manners are unruffled, and her disposition
calm, temperate and dispassionate, however
she may be surrounded by the temptations
of the world.

Adieu!