TO
THE WOMEN
OF
ENGLAND.

[Extract from the British Neptune of Sunday, August 7.]

A T a time when every Man who is a Briton acknowledges the bleffing by preffing forward to offer his pecuniary and perſonal ſervices in its defence, are the Women of England to remain (if not careleſs) in inactive witnessſes of ſo fearful a conteſt? Placed in an illand every way cut off from foreign ſanctuary, by a ſea which divides it from the neighbouring nations, can they hear of horrors perpetrated in the ſacked cities of the Continent? Can they lifen to preparations which the general and implacable ſoe is making to invade us? Can they fee their fathers, their hufbands, their ſons, their brothers, their lovers, borne to the front of danger? Can they hear and fee all this, without a ſigh? Without an inward ſhuddering at the great die that is about to be caſt? Freedom and happineſs, amidſt friends whom they love; or miſery and chains, with thoſe friends ſlaughtered in the field, or perſihing on the caſfold? We cannot hide from our eyes the motions of the Tyrant who has overrun two thirds of the globe: Terror flies before him; Outrage, Devaſtation, and Famine purfue his ſteps, Kingdoms, Republics, laid in the duſt,---he turns the whole weight of that artiſery by which they were demolifhed, upon the illand of Great Britain: to level her "proud towers," to lay waſe her "pleaſant places;" to ſmother the aſhes of her towns, and of her villages with the mangled bodies of her ſons; to call tears of blood down the deathful cheeks of her violated daughters, is now the ſanguinary dream of Buonaparte. To oppoſe this Tyrant and his followers, our brave Englifhmen are preparing themſelves. Brutal Ferocity will affaile on the one hand; Manly Courage will defend on the other. And are the Women of England to ſtand neuter? Are they to look quietly on, as if referving their beauty and their "coſtly attire" to be the Victor's prize---his ſpoil?---Far be it from one who is the leaſt amongst them to affume the character of a British Joan of Arc---Woman's ſlation is the tent, not the field. Heaven has preſcribed her means of refiſtance. Though her arm was not formed to wield the ſabre, nor her heart to behold the flow of blood, yet her patriotic enthufſaſm, has reſtored the ſainting vigour of the foldier; her generous attentions affuaged the anguſh of his wounds. It is true that the age of Chivalry is gone; but the age of Valor has not departed with it; and though the Scarf and the Pennon be paffed from the hand of the fair, along with the Lance and the Helm which armed the errant Warrior; yet there are means by which women may give animation to their Defenders---What the women of Israel, the women of Rome, the women of Poland, did for their countries in times of public calamity, is a ſhining example to the women of England; they brought forth their gold, their filver, their jewels, and laid them at the feet of their country. Let future ages ſpeak of Englifh women with the fame reverence which theſe illuſtrious women exact! Let future Chronicles ſay---"When England was beſet by a prefumptuous and vindiſtive ſoe, and the men of that nation ſpread themſelves along the coaſt, from rock to rock, from fhore to fhore, in order that the bafe foot of an Invader ſhould never fully their foil, the Women of England remembered the Battles of Creſſy, Poſtiers, Agincourt, Blenheim, Quebec, St. Jean d'Acre, and Alexandria, and reſolv ing to give their ſupport to a Bravery that was their Glory and their Guard, they made a Voluntary Contribution towards ſuſtaining the expences of the War."

What has been thus feebly urged and attempted by an obſcure individual, the affections which live in the breaſts of the Mother, the Wife, the Sifter, will enforce and accompliſh. Poor in every thing but love to Britain, my native land, the citadel of my comforts, I throw my MITE into the British Treasury. When compared with the magnitude of the cauſe, it is indeed "leſs than two farthings;" but it is all I have to give. From this ſingle Acorn, the Women of England have it in their power to raife a Tree that will grow to their Honour, and ſtand for centuries a Monument of their Patriotifm.

AN ENGLISH WOMAN.

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