ents will certainly avail themſelves of; but her views are narrow, and her prejudices as unreaſonable as ſtrong.
I ſhall paſs over her vehement argument in favour of the eternity of future puniſhments, becauſe I bluſh to think that a human being ſhould ever argue vehemently in ſuch a cauſe, and only make a few remarks on her abſurd manner of making the parental authority ſupplant reaſon. For every where does ſhe inculcate not only blind ſubmiſſion to parents; but to the opinion of the world[1].
She tells a ſtory of a young man engaged by his father's expreſs deſire to a girl of fortune. Before the marriage could take place, ſhe is deprived of her fortune, and thrown friendleſs on the world. The father practiſes the moſt infamous arts to ſeparate his ſon from her, and when the ſon detects his villany, and, following the dictates of honour, marries the girl, nothing but miſery enſues; becauſe forſooth he married without his father's conſent. On what ground can religion or morality reſt when juſtice is thus ſet at defiance? In the ſame ſtyle ſhe repreſents an accompliſhed young woman, as ready to marry any body that her mamma pleaſed to recommend; and, as actually marrying the young man of her own choice, without feeling any emotions of paſſions, becauſe
- ↑ A perſon is not to act in this or that way, though convinced they are right in ſo doing, becauſe ſome equivocal circumſtances may lead the world to ſuſpect that they acted from different motives.—This is ſacrificing the ſubſtance for a ſhadow. Let people but watch their own hearts, and act rightly, as far as they can judge, and they may patiently wait till the opinion of the world comes round. It is beſt to be directed by a ſimple motive—for juſtice has too often been ſacrificed to propriety;—another word for convenience.
