from the fine Ladies of the Age; whereas, if the Behaviour of their Counterparts the Beaus, was to denote the Underſtanding of Men, I apprehend the Concluſion 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 Teſtimony to the Poſſibility of thoſe Examples, which Hiſtory gives of Women eminent for the higheſt Endowments and Faculties of the Mind. I ſhall only add an Anſwer to the ſame Objection, relating to David Simple, given by a Lady of very high Rank, whoſe Quality is leſs an Honour to her than her Underſtanding. So far, ſaid ſhe, 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.
In the Conduct of Women, in that great and important Buſineſs of their Lives, the Affair of Love, there are Myſteries, with which Men are perfectly unacquainted: their Education being on this Head in Conſtraint of, nay in direct Oppoſition to, Truth and Nature, creates ſuch a conſtant Struggle between Nature and Habit, Truth and Hypocriſy, as introduce often much Humour into their Characters; eſpecially when drawn by ſenſible Writers of their
