under the Sun," so, the reader will not expect to find novelty in the following pages. If anything, however, shall be pleasant herein, to the minds of those who can appreciate the motives of the Author; and neither the public nor private taste be offended, it will be sufficient satisfaction to one, whose only desire is, to "eschew evil and do good." He feels grateful to all, for their kind reception of his labours, and heartily wishing success to the Institution, for whose benefit he exerted himself, he humbly hopes, this explanation will be satisfactory to his friends and the public.

RECTORY, WORTHAM,

Diss,

May 13th, 1848.

PROGRAMME.

PART I.

INTRODUCTION.

THE IDEAL CHARACTER OF WOMAN.

SCULPTURE.

PAINTING.

POETRY.

PART II.

THE REAL CHARACTER OF WOMAN.

HISTORICAL.

BIOGRAPHICAL.

PRACTICALLY CHRISTIAN.

CONCLUSION.

1

LECTURE.

PART I.

INTRODUCTION.

MY LORDS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,

The very first words I utter by way

of introduction, must be those of apology for the presumption. which I may seem to be guilty of, in venturing to give a lecture upon such a subject. This apology is freely offered in the very outset, not only on account of the difficulty of the subject which your lecturer has undertaken, but, because some may suppose him to be stepping out of the bounds of his profession, as a quiet country clergyman. Five and twenty years of daily devotion to the pastoral duties of his profession, mostly spent in a retired village, might be considered sufficient to disqualify any man for addressing such an assembly as that which I now see before me. The very rusticity of occupation-the total ab

B

sence of any thing like that which may be termed the cultivation of letters-and but little acquaintance with the elegancies, refinements and accomplishments of social life, might be enough to deter me from offering these observations to your attention.

These very things, however, may induce your generous minds to admit the validity of my apology, and superinduce a feeling of critical leniency towards one so totally unaccustomed to present himself to the public gaze of a metropolitan assembly. These things may, moreover, induce others to believe that there is a Power acting upon the mind of man, so superior to all common and ordinary calculations, as to enable him to undertake a task, for which, his nearest, dearest, and most intimate friends might deem him to be disqualified. I freely acknowledge the working of that Power, and ascribe it solely to Him who actuates every feeling of Charity, that I am here this day to advocate the cause of that class of the British community to which, in some measure, every family in this great kingdom is indebted.

It is the cause of that unprotected-unprotected did I say? neglected class, which makes me breathe an eloquence to which I might otherwise appear a stranger; and prompts me to be bold, not audacious, but honestly brave, in my endeavour to promote the welfare of an institution which has for its object, the relief of such an invaluable portion of the community.

Honourable it must ever be in man to stand forward in behalf of the defenceless! but, when he sees before him the cause of injured excellence; when he hears the sighs of female poverty,