The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1818-12-09
@isrriianp.
From Review, enti,lrd, the I.auence oil weH
tC on manners and literature.

observed, women possessed more ot what Can
be called moral existence but IL was only in
the interior Of their families that they obtain
ed any sscerdapt. Their manners were re.
setvet & sustere their virtues could scarcsiy
be called the result Of sentiment. They rails.
ed for the republic . race of laborcrs aad sol.
diers, and made clothes fer their husbands
aad children. Gfea, psins were taken BY tue
grave magistrates oil kouo, 10 Prestsss tAem
In this slate cf negative virtue. II 10 we'll
known fhst Cato the Censor struck y, Eon
the hat Of the Senate, husband who nd per.
mi,ted himself 10 salute his wife IN the pres.
encc Of his daeghtsr. This was paying 10
great compliment 10 the young lady but
when The mind is Left unstored with ktowi-
edge, IL Is necessary to put tho passions No
der strong restraint. When the severity of
the rspnblicsn institutions yielded 10 the pro.
gress oTiuxu,y AID The innovauons Of tvrsnny,
the regularity OF femslo manners was die.
placedty the mos, frighGul iicentiousncss.
This was carried to such . degree, that the
bounds OF nature wcfc overlesped, and The
traces OF humanity lost 10 the abyss of vice
About this period commenced tho custom OF
praiAins wonen OF rank, altar their death, in
in public ora,ions and the most dislinguish-
ed some imss received The henofs el divioity.
MIR. Thomas, in his essay on the history oi
the ismair character, ssys IL was then more
easy 10 make goddess than to find an hsocs,
Woman. he notices that the appeasanees Of
ismSlr ,i'lSu which yet renamed, were Of
the ar.iEcisl md isrced k,nd, being the offs
p'ins OF tic ato;cnl philosophy. Like rhs
vices Of the time, the virtues wess unnatural.
The most striking contrasts we're thus die
ht al . nhs hv 4 ha
aide o! ox,IcHle baseDoss end tho most rigid
sus,eri,y near the most dishons, able. license.
The aushss whom we have Just quoted sks,eh-
% iu lively manner the picture Of Juliss tho
wife Of the Emperor Severns; sud IL comes
nearer modern porlrsit than any other We
nee, wilh IN ancient history but indeed she
lived ON the vc,y brink Of nodctn times. She
was witty aud beautiful, always surrounded by
philosophers and men OF letters; soGetiacs
changing puramouss into sasans. and sumo.
times ssyaas ialo parsmoors. Her husband
occupied principal place in the group. She
was the esn aad moss shining objsct In all
The mes spmsfk4tIs sGaite ct the A. H.
poli,ics, pleasure end scienes, her sway sod
example were omnlpoteut. Her rank assist
ed her dispesitions, snd Ter dispositions 10
duced hsr - take every sdvsrtaec Of her
rank. Sho played brilliant part daiog her
life and her repusslion alier dsaths sIys the
author, would have been complete had Il bat
| included vittcs.
Psoccsding with tbis historian Of The ser,
we srtive at the tbi,d century Of the Chiis-
tiAn era, when . new snd YsrmsRsot prinsi-
| pie began TO act sn the female character.
Huherlo the IiNlv Of virtue, aud The cislms
Of d.ccney, had vailed according 10 systeuA
ofphrosopby and views Of policy. Lycorgus,
| as Montcsouicn expresses IL, took nodcsly
from chastity i,selt; and the most virsuous
| girls OF Sparta behaved 10 way that would
eeuse the mos, vicious in worse times 10
blush. In fact, the sncients bad no steady
principles, or certain guides, 10 regard even
TO the common moral duties: for although
the words ssiigi0n and deny are for ever in
use among them /; yet correctly spsskins,
they had 10 religion whatsvsr.-Thsyss ssans-
| planned to Heaven the vices and cspticss Of
earth sod regarded themselves either a. the
subjects Of fanlssical and oligsrchiesl iyssn-
| ny, or Of presiding dei,ios, who betrayed thsis
| trust, aud lei, them to them selves, while they
| qaaifed lheis nectar in nHeavsu.---Chtlsliani,y
| bore very difessnt character en- Its birth
IL ssssm "a y, once the laog usge and functioOs
| Of supreme Legislation. Il yielded 10 moth.
ing il demanded that every thing should
'yiele TO It's su,hsriy. To women, ~ to nen,
! Il prescribed 6xsd and severe rules Of con.
duct. Il interfsred With sesious, nss stopped
| there. /, ex,sodsd i,s smpirs over the
Thoughts Of the heart. Hitherfo the loose
ssd sccidsotsl sirOusa stances Of politics, cli-
mate, OF other psipts Of oatiossl coalition,
hsd given their character 70 the customs aod
laws sud morals Of an unsrring sysssm. estsb-
lishsd iaself ~ single, equal, and un.ssssal
power.
The selisjsn Of Chris, 10 iosompssitls with
the dsgradAson Of wsmsn and IL 10 sdOirs-
bly, esIcoisssd 10 illuyssts their proper vis.
\ tuss.- Necklaces, long suffering, psticncs
under iujurisss huma6i,y and perseverance, 10
du,ys even when il 10 most bsrrea Of reward (;
such sss the dispSsitioos iaculssted BY the
Gospel such are the qssIiiies that form The
power add beauty Of the femsIs character, and
which casblish its sscendsecy Ia the heart sf
! msn, ~hstsvss advantage he may seem 10
take ef the suributss ohAs ere peculiar 70 him
.selG- Whsrevsr this religion has prevailed,
the condition Of shs seq has beeo elevated ;
L e. l. s~s~~s~d swoo. ~,