| Citation |
CJ-B.781.036
30 Aug 1781:11,12,13,21 (288)
Mr. Gill, August, 1781. The following letter taken from a
publication of the Rev. Mr. Sherlock, may serve as an
appendix to a few pieces which made their appearance in your
paper at the time you advertised for sale, that excellent
performance of Dr. Fordyce, entitled the Character and
Conduct of the Female Sex. . . [13 lines, introduction to 3-
column essay beginning]
Woman is a very nice and a very complicated machine. . .
[footnote in first column:] I should rather say culture
than talents. I have known women very uncommonly endowed by
nature, and more of them of this country than of any other.
Lady Hamilton, for example has a very superior talent for
music. Her execution on the harpsichord is perfect; and she
composes extempore better than any woman in Europe. Lady
Althorp too have a very uncommon talent for drawing . . .
[At top of 2nd column:]
Let a + man and a woman of apparently equal understandings
go together to an Opera or to a masquerade: see which of
them will enjoy the most pleasure, and bring home the
greatest number of interesting anecdotes. Have they a
character to pourtray, or a figure to describe? They give
but three traits of either one of the other, and the
character is known, or the figure placed before our eyes. .
.
[+ footnote to above:]
Let it rather be a boy and a girl of the same age, who go to
an opera or a play for the first time. The novelty is
equally striking and interesting for both. See which will
comprehend the quickest, which will receive the liveliest
impressions, and retain longest the impressions they
receive. . .
[footnote to reference in text to Count d'Estaing, top of
page 2:] The circumstances I alluded to about this officer
I was an eye witness of. I saw him last April surrounded in
the public gardens at Paris by crouds of admirers; and one
night that he came to the opera, the whole theatre received
him with repeated acclamations.
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