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INSTRUCTIONS

For the Ufe of

A young LADY of Quality, &c.

but

XIETY is a Virtue fo effential to the Happiness of Mankind in general, and of that of the Fair Sex in particular, that, without it, the Advantages of Birth and Fortune too often prove fo many Mischiefs and Snares. Indeed it is not eafy to conceive, how a young Lady, in the Bloom of Beauty, and expos'd to a thousand Hazards and Sollicitations, of which her perfonal Perfection is the innocent but unhappy Caufe, can long defend herself by the fole Affiftance of her Reafon. Her Enemies are the more dangerous, the lefs they appear to be fo; and fhe has every Thing to apprehend from thofe, who employ all the Arts of Complaifance and Submiffion to obtain their End.

FORMERLY there was a Kind of Idol, or Deity, call'd Reputation, from whom your Sex received

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no inconfiderable Support, at least their Regard for it obliged them to keep great Meafures with refpect to Decency, and preferve themfelves from publick Cenfure. But infenfibly this Caution has yeilded to the prevailing Force of Cuftom and Example, and it is now thought a fufficient Excufe for a Lady's Weaknefs, to plead the Merit, or good Qualities, of thofe who have triumph'd over it.

ESTIMATE by this, MADAM, the Situation of a young Lady of Birth and Fortune, at her firft Appearance in the Grand Monde, fubject to the fecret Disturbance of her own Paffions, and liable to the Importunity of thofe fhe has rais'd in others, unconfin'd by the Laws of Piety, and either indifferent with regard to Reputation, or not fully appris'd of the Value of it. Establish, then, Piety, as the Bafis of your Conduct, I mean, a calm and folid Senfe of Religion, free from Scepticifm on the one Hand, and Superftition on the other; and be affur'd, that, without this Foundation, the feverest Virtue cannot be anfwerable for its own Security.

Do not from hence, MADAM, imagine, that I would have you think yourself unfortunate in that uncommon Share of Beauty Heaven has bestow'd upon you. I own, thofe, to whom it has deny'd this Favour, are, in my Opinion, happier, by the Advantage of being lefs expos'd; but as this is owing to their being lefs taken Notice of, there is the lefs Merit in it. The World is apt to look on their Refervednefs as a Kind of Conftraint, for which it is no Way obliged to them; and whenever they are fo unhappy as to

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forfeit their Virtue, they are lure to be condemn'd without Mercy.

BEAUTY, MADAM, is the Gift of Heaven, for which you owe it no lefs Thanks, than for its having form'd you without any perfonal Blemish. It is your Duty to take Care of it, but not with Anxiety; to confider it as the fuperfluous Bounty of indulgent Providence, and be always prepar'd to resign it, when the fame Authority hall think fit to take it away.

I AM no Enemy to thofe Ornaments of Drefs ment that are fuitable to your Age and Quality. Since Custom has establifh'd fuch Things in that World which you live in, it is a Point of Prudence to accommodate your felf to the Fafhion. After all, it is not the Choice or Colour of a Ribband, the Adjustment of a Curl, or the Pofition of a Patch, which produce fuch ill Confequences (1). An irregular Carriage, an artful Glance, an affeted Air, all the fubtil Methods employ'd to engage a Lover, purposely to display your Vanity in the Conqueft, or footh your Pride, by giving him Pain; thefe, MADAM, are the fatal Signs I would have you molt carefully avoid.

Ir is by fuch Marks fo many Ladies are enroll'd in that numerous Society, the Members of which

(1) The Archbishop of Cambray is of a very different Opinion on this Head. He was too great an Admirer of the true Beauty and Simplicity of Nature, to approve the Inconftancy of Fashions that reigns in France. His Sentiments on Drefs and Beauty are worth the Perufal, in the 10th Chapter of his Advice to a Daughter.

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which go under the Denomination of Coquettes, : No very amiable Character, MADAM, for a La dy of Quality, whofe Sentiments fhould be anfwerable to the Dignity of her Birth. To confirm in you a lasting Contempt and Averfion for the Title, allow me to mention a few of the Qualities, commonly found in Ladies of this Clafs, and you will find, that an Understanding tainted with Levity, is join'd with a Heart intoxicated with Pleafure; That their Souls are void of Humanity, and incapable of Friendship; That they have Reafon without Reflection, a narrow Judgment, and unbounded Vanity; That their Wishes are extravagant, and their Paffions indirected. In short, that foolish Jealoufies, and frivolous Converfation, diffembled Goodness, with perpetual Hypocrify, a cold and malicious Way of praifing others, to be flatter'd themselves, a Profufion of Words, or rather a complaifant Kind of Jargon, with which they entertain the World, moft or all of thofe, are the infallible Symptoms of a Mind diftemper'd with Coquettry.

It is not, however, MADAM, by thefe Means, that the Efteem of Men of Merit and Honour is to be gain'd, and yet it is their Approbation only is worth the Acquifition. But how defireable foever that may be, I would not have you to be too follicitous to obtain it. Leave your Beauty and Virtue to procure it for you, without troubling your felf farther, than the Care of always deferving it: When you come to bestow thofe Affiduities on your Perfon, in which Cuftom has indulg'd your Sex. Let the Manner of your Drefs, rather be calculated to appear like

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thofe of your own Quality, than with any Ambition of excelling this Way, much lefs with any View of being particular. Let it be your principal Care, in the ftricteft Manner, to obferve the Rules of Decency. Let all your Actions carry in them an Air of that internal Wisdom and Modefty, that never fail to charm and improve those who behold them. Let your Behaviour be affable, and without Conftraint. Treat none with your Severity, but fuch as may deferve it by failing in the Refpe&t they owe you; and, great as your Beauty is, regard it as greatly inferior in Value and Importance to the Worth of your Mind.

To tell you, that the one is uncertain and tranfitory, and that the other is infeparable from your Existence, would be to repeat to you a Truth as old as the Creation. I would rather chufe to point out to you the excellent and fuperior Nature of your Soul, and the Obligations you lie under by rightly improving that, to adorn the high Rank you are plac'd in. This will be no eafy Task, MADAM, if you do not early accuftom yourself to understand, and cultivate this nobler Part of you, and take a fecret Pleafure in the Reflection, That, exalted as your Birth is, it is yet furpass'd by the native Grandeur and Magnificence of your Soul.

READING will be a confiderable Help to you in this Cafe. The only Difficulty is, how to make a right Choice for yourself. There are fome Books, I think, indifferent; fuch as thofe that treat of Hiftory, Travels, and fome few Pieces in the Belles Lettres, that have been written by Men of Politeness and Gallantry, in Ho

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