ty are every way too often guilty of, and are
perhaps more without excuse for, than for any other that they are
ordinarily taxable with. For tho' it is to be fear'd that few Ladies
(from the disadvantage of their own Education) are so well fitted as
they ought to be, to take the care of their Children, yet not to be
willing to do what they can herein, either as thinking this a matter
of too much pains for them, or below their Condition, expresses so
senseless a Pride, and so much want of the affectionate and
compassionate Tenderness natural to that Sex and Relation, that one
would almost be tempted to question whether such Women were any more
capable of, than worthy to be the Mothers of Rational Creatures.

But natural Affection apart, it should be consider'd by these, that no
one is Born into the World to live idly; enjoying the Fruit and
Benefit of other Peoples Labours, without contributing reciprocally
some way or other, to the good of the Community answerably to that
Station wherein God (the common Father of all) has plac'd them; who
has evidently intended Humane kind for Society and mutual Communion,
as Members of the same Body, useful every one each to other in their
respective places. Now in what can Women whose Condition puts them
above all the Necessities or Cares of a mean or scanty Fortune, at
once so honourably and so usefully, both to themselves and others, be
employ'd in as in looking after the Education and Instruction of their
own Children? This seems indeed to be more particularly the Business
and Duty of such than of any others: And if example be necessary to
perswade them that they will not herein do any thing mis-becoming
their Rank, the greatest Ladies amongst us may be assur'd that those
of a Condition superior to theirs, have heretofore been so far from
thinking it any abasement to them to charge themselves with the
instruction of their own Children, that (to their Immortal Honour)
they have made it part of their Business to assist to that of other
Peoples also, who were likely one day to be of consequence to the
Common-wealth. And could the bare Love of their Country induce, among
many more, the great _Cornelia_, Mother of the _Gracchi_, and
_Aurelia_ the Mother of _Julius Caesar_, to do this for the Sons of
Noble-men of _Rome_ to whom they had no Relation but that of their
common Country, and shall not the like consideration, or what is
infinitely beyond this, that of their Children being herea