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CONDITION and TREATMENT of the GRECIAN WOMEN.

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hitherto found it neceffary particularly to defcribe the manners and influence of the Grecian women; but the character and condition of the fair fex will throw light on the preceding obfervations in this chapter, and prefent the most striking contrait of any to be met with in history. If we knew not the confideration in which women were anciently held in Greece, and the advantages which they enjoyed at Sparta, after the laws of Lycurgus had revived the inftitutions of the heroic ages, we should be apt to fufpect that the ungenerous treatment of the feebler fex, which afterwards fo univerfally prevailed, had been derived from the Egyptian and Aliatic colonies, which early fettled in that part of Europe. Excluded from focial intercourse,

> which nature had fitted them to adorn, the Grecian women were rigorously confined to the most retired apartments of the family, and employed in the meanest offices of domeftic oeconomy. It was thought indecent for them to venture abroad, unless to attend a proceffion, to accompany a funeral, or to affift at certain other religious folemnities. Even on these occafions, their behaviour was attentively watched and often malignantly interpreted. The moft in nocent freedom was conftrued into a breach of decorum; and their reputation once fullied by the flightest imprudence, would never afterwards be retrieved. If fuch unreasonable severities had proceeded from that abfurd jealousy 1786.

degree is nearly connected with the delicacy of paffion between the fexes, the condition of the Grecian women, though little lefs miferable would have been far lefs contemptible. But the Greeks were utter ftrangers to that refinement of fentiment which in the ages of chivalry, and which, till in fome fouthern countries of Europe, renders women the objects of a suspicious, but refpectful paffion, and leads men to gratify their vanity at the expence of their freedom. Married or unmarried, the Gre cian females were kept in equal restraint; no pains were taken to render them, at any one period of their lives, agreeable meinbers of fociety; and their education was either entirely neglected, or confined at least to fuch humble objects, as inftead of elevating and enlarging the mind, tended only to narrow and to debafe. it. Though neither qualified for holding an honourable rank in fociety, nor permitted to enjoy the company of their nearest friends and relations, they were thought capable of fuperintending or performing the drudgery of domeftic labour, of acting as fewards for their hufbands, and thus relieving them from a multiplicity of little cares, which feemed unworthy their at tention, and unfuitable to their dignity. The whole burden of fuch mercenary cares being im pofed on the women, the first in ftructions and treatment were adapted to that lowly rank, beyond which they could never afterwards D

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afpire. Nothing was allowed to divert the r minds from thofe fervile Occupations in which it was intended that their whole lives fhould be fpent, no liberal idea was prefented to their imaginations that might raife them above the ignoble arts in which they were ever def tined to labour; the fmaileft familiarity with frangers was deemed a dangerous offence; and any intimacy or connection beyond the walls of their own family, a heinous crime; fince it might en gage them to embezzle the houfe hold furniture and effects committed to their care and cultody. Even the laws of Athens confirmed this miferable degradation of wo men, holding the fecurity of the

hufband's property a matter of greater importance than defending the wife's perfon from outrage, and protecting her character from infamy. By fuch illiberal inftitutions were the most amiable part of the human fpecies infulted, among a people in other refpects the most improved of all antiquity. They were totally debarred from thofe refined arts and entertain. ments, to which their agreeable qualities might have added a new charm. Intlead of directing the tale and enlivening the pleasures of fociety, their value was estimated, like that of the ignobleft objects, merely by profit or utility. Their chief virtue was referve, and their point of honour, economy.

CHARACTER and MANNERS of the ANCIENT WELSH.

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[From Warrington's Hiftory of Wales.].

HE Welfh (according to Giraldus Cambrentis, who was himfelf a native of the country, and wrote in a period when their native manners, were pure and unadulterated by foreign intercourte) were a nation light and nimble, and more fierce than trong; from the lowest to the highest of the people they were devoted to arms, which the plowman as well as the courtier was prepared to feize on the first fummons. Their chief employment in works of hufbandry was, that for oats they opened the foil, once only in March and April; and for wheat or rye, they turned it up, twice in the fummer, and a third time in winter, about the feafon of thrashing.

"The chief fuftenance of this people, in respect of their food,

was cattle and oats, befides milk, cheese, and butter; though they ufually ate more plentifully of fiefh meat than of bread.

"As they were not engaged in the occupations of traffic either by fea or land, their time was entirely employed in military affairs. They were fo anxious for the prefervation of their country and its liberties, that they elecmed it delightful not only to fight for them, but even to facrifice their lives: and, agreeably to this fpirit, they entertained an idea that it was a difgrace to die in their beds, but an honour to fall in the field. Such was their eager courage, that although unarmed, they often dared to engage with men entirely covered with armour. And in fuch engagements, by their actiyity and valour, they ufually came

off conquerors. That their activity might not be impeded by any unneceffary incumbrance, they made nfe of light armour; fuch as fmall ler coats of mail, fhields, and fometimes of iron greaves; their offenfive weapons were arrows and long fpears. Their bows were ufually made of flight twigs joined or twifted together, and though rude in their form, they difcharged an arrow with great force. The people of North Wales were remarkable for fpears fo long and well pointed, that they could pierce through an iron coat of mail; the men of South Wales were accounted the most expert archers. The chieftains, when they went to war, were mounted on fwift horfes, bred in the country; the lower forts of people, on account of the marthes, as well as the inequalities of the ground, marched on foot to battle; though, whenever the oc afion or the place rendered it neceffary for the purpofes either of fighting or flying, the horsemen themfelves difmounted and ferved on foot.

"The Welsh either went with their feet entirely bare, or they ufed boots of raw leather, instead of fhoes, fewed together with raw fkin.

"In the time of peace, the young men accustomed themfelves to penetrate the woods and thickets, and to run over the tops of mountains; and by continuing this cxercite through the day and night, they prepared themfelves for the fatigues and employments of war.

"Thele people were not given to excefs either in eating or drinking. They had no fet time appointed for their meals, nor any expenfive riches in their cloaths. Their whole attention was occupied in the fplendid appearance of their horfes and arms, in the defence of their

country, and in the care of their plunder. Accustomed to faft from morning till night, their minds were wholly employed on bufinefs, they gave up the day entirely to prudent deliberations, and in the evening they partook of a fober fupper. But if, at any time, it happened, that they were not able to procure any, or only a very fparing repaft, they patiently waited till the next morning; and in this fituation, prevented neither by hunger nor cold, they were eager to take advantage of dark and tormy nights for hoftile invafions.

"There was not a beggar to be feen among these people; for the tables of all were common to all; and with them bounty, and particu larly hofpitable entertainment, were in higher eftimation than any of the other virtues. Hofpitality, indeed, was fo much the habit of this nation, by a mutual return of fuch civilities, that it was neither offered to, nor requested by travellers. As foon as they en ered any houfe, they immediately delivered their arms into the cuftody of fome perfon; then if they fuffered their feet to be washed by thofe, who for that purpofe directly offered thenr water, they were confidered as lodg ers for the night. The refufal of this offered civility, intimated their delire of a morning's refreshment only. The offer of water for the purpose of washing the feet, was confidered as an invitation to accept of hofpitable entertainment. The young men ufually marched in parties, or in tribes, a leader being appointed to each; and as they were devoted to arms, or given up to leifure, and were courageous in the defence of their country, they were permitted to enter the houfe of any perfon with the fame fecurity as their own. The ftrangers who ar

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rived in the morning were entertained until the evening, w th the converfation of young women, and with the mufic of the harp; for in this country almost every houfe was provided with both. Hence we may reafonably conclude, that the peo ple were not much inclined to jealoufy. Such an influence had the powers of mufic on their minds, that in every family, or in every tr.be, they effeemed ikill in playing on the harp beyond any kind of learning.

n the evening, when the vifitors were all come, an entertain ment was provided according to the number and dignity of the perfons, and the wealth of the houfe, on which occafion the cook was not fatigued with dreffing many difhes, nor fuch as were high feafoned as ftimulatives to gluttony; nor was the houfe fet off with tables, napkins, or towels; for in all these things they ftudied nature more than fhew. The guests were placed by threes at fupper, and the dithes at the fame time were put on ruthes, in large and ample platters made of clean grafs, with thin and broad cakes of bread, baked every day. At the fame time that the whole family, with a kind of emulation in their civilities, were in waiting, the mafter and miftrefs in particular, were always ftanding, very attentively overlooking the whole At length, when the hour of fleep approached, they all lay down in common on the public bed, ranged lengthwife along the fides of the room; a few rufhes being ftrowed on the floor, and covered only with a coarfe hard cloth, the produce of the country. The fame garb that the people were ufed to wear in the day, ferved them alfo in the night; and this confifted of a thin mantle, and a garment or fhir tworn next to the ikin. The fire was kept burning

at their feet throughout the night, as well as in the day.

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"The Welsh were a people of an acute and fubtile genius; and whatever ftudies they applied their minds, enjoying fo rich a vein of natural endowments, they excelled in wit and ingenuity any other of the western nations. In civil caufes and actions, they exerted all the powers of rhetoric, and, in the conduct of these, their talents for infinuation, invention, and refutation, were confpicuous rhythmical fongs, and in extempore effutions, they excelled to a great degree, both in refpect to invention and elegance of ftyle; and for thefe purposes poets or bards were appointed. But beyond all other rhetorical ornaments they preferred the ufe of alliteration, and that kind more especially which repeats the first letters or fyllables of words. They made fo much use of this ornament in every tinifhed difcourse, that they thought nothing elegantly spoken without it.

"In private company, or in fea fons of public festivity, they were very facetious in their converfation, to entertain the company and dif play their own wit. With this view, perfons of lively parts, fometimes in mild and fometimes in biting terms, under the cover of a double meaning, by a peculiar turn of voice, or by the tranfpofition of words, were continually uttering humorous, or fatirical expreflions.

The lowest of the people, as well as the nobles, were indebted to nature for a certain boldnefs in fpeech, and an honeft confidence in giving anfwers to great men on matters of bufinefs, or in the prefence of princes.

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Pride of ancestry and nobility of family were points held in the highest eftimation among the Welfi,

and of courfe they were far more delirous of noble than of rich and fplendid marriages. So deeply rooted was this fpirit, that even the very lowest of the people carefully preferved the genealogy of their families, and were able from memory readily to recite the names, not only of their immediate ancef tors, but even to the fixth and feventh generation, and even to trace them till farther back; in this manner, Rhys ap Griffydh, ap Rhys, ap Tewdur, ap Enion, ap Owen, ap Howel, ap Cadwal, ap

Roderic the Great.

"A Welfhman was confidered as honourable, if among his ancestors there had been neither flave, nor foreigner, nor infamous perfon, yet it any foreigner had faved the life of a Welfhman, or delivered him from captivity, he might be naturalized, and was entitled to the rights of Welfhmen. And any foreign family, having refided in

Wales for four generations, were alfo admitted to the fame privileges.

The love which they felt for family connections was eager and warm; and of confequence they were keen in their refentments, and revenged deeply any injury committed on their family either of blood or dishonour. They were vindictive and bloody in their anger; and exceedingly prompt to revenge not only recent injuries, but even those which were past and committed in a rem te period. What spread ftill farther this fpirit of revenge, was a custom prevalent among this people, of tending their children to be fostered or nurfed in other families; who, in confequence, regarded themfelves as interefted to promote the welfare of, or revenge any injuries done to, fuch fostered children. This cuftom, it is probable principally prevailed in the families of princes and chieftains.

MANNERS of the MODERN EGYPTIANS. [From the Firit Volume of SAVARY'S LETTERS on EGYPT.]

"L'

IFE is more a paffive than an active existence at Grand Cairo. The body, during nine months of the year, is oppreffed with the exceffive heats. The mind partakes of this state of indolence. Far from being continually tor mented by the defire of feeing, of acquiring knowledge, and of acting, it highs after calm and tranquillity. Under a temperate fky inactivity is a pain; here, on the contrary, repofe is an enjoyment. The most frequent falutation, therefore, that which is made ufe of on accotting, and repeated on quitting

you, is, Peace be with you! Effe minacy is born with the Egyptian, grows up with him as he advances in life, and follows him to the tomb. It is a vice of the climate. It influences his tafte, and governs all his actions. It is to fatisfy this difpofition that the most luxurious piece of furniture in his apartment is the fopha; that his gardens have delightful fhades, convenient feats, and not a fingle alley one can walk in. The Frenchman born in a climate, the temperature of which is continually changing, receives every inftant new impreffions, which D 3

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