ABSTRACT
… notwithstanding many women may at this day equal her in private excellencies, her literary abilities render her an honour to her sex, and give her that kind of preheminence, that is beheld with reverence and acknowledged with delight; for in proportion as the feminine character is amiable, so it ever more flies the applauding multitude, nature having pointed out the walk of obscurity as wisest, safest, best, to the generality of her fair favourites; but when we find an exception, as in the present instance, where to the domestic virtues are superadded the powers of uncommon perspicuity; we place it in the most conspicuous point of view, and unite astonishment to approbation. 1
