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different relations of human beings to society and life.

To so ridiculous an extent are the notions formed of the nature of women, mere empirical generalizations, framed, without philosophy or analysis, upon the first instances which present themselves, that the popular idea of it is different in different countries, according as the opinions and social circumstances of the country have given to the women living in it any speciality of develop­ment or non-development. An Oriental thinks that women are by nature peculiarly voluptuous; see the violent abuse of them on this ground in Hindoo writings. An Englishman usually thinks that they are by nature cold. The sayings about women's fickleness are mostly of French origin; from the famous distich of Francis the First, up­ward and downward. In England it is a common remark, how much more constant women are than men. Inconstancy has been longer reckoned dis­creditable to a woman, in England than in France ; and Englishwomen are besides, in their inmost nature, much more subdued to opinion. It may be remarked by the way, that Englishmen are in peculiarly unfavourable circumstances for attempt­ing to judge what is or is not natural, not merely to women, but to men, or to human beings alto­gether, at least if they have only English expe­rience to go upon : because there is no place where