others, of whose Judgments I have as high an Opinion, affirm the contrary; my ignorance of Latin disables me from determining whether we are in the right, but the Beauty of what I have already seen by the means of those Gentlemen, has so far prejudic’d me in favour of the latter; that might I have ’em entire from the same hands, I think I shou’d scarce envy those who can tast the pleasure of the Originals. Nor is it to the Poets only, that we stand indebted for the Treasure of Antiquity, we have no less Engagements to those, who have successfully labour’d in Prose, and have mads us familiar with _Plutarch_, _Seneca_, _Cicero_, and in general with all the famous Philosophers, Orators and Historians, from whom we may at once learn both the Opinions and Practices of their Times. Assisted by these helps, ’tis impossible for any Woman to be ignorant that is but desirous to be otherwise, though she know no part of Speech out of her Mother Tongue. But these are neither the only, nor the greatest Advantages we have; all that is excellent in _France_, _Italy_, or any of our neighbouring Nations is now become our own; to one of whom, I may be bold to say, we are beholding for more, and greater Improvements of Conversation, than to all Antiquity, and the learned Languages together. [Sidenote: _The name of Learning unjustly restrained to the knowledge of Latin and Greek only._] Nor can I imagine for what good Reason a Man skill’d in Latin and Greek, and vers’d in the Authors of Ancient Times shall be call’d Learned; yet another who perfectly understands _Italian_, _French_, _Spanish_, _High Dutch_, and the rest of the _European_ Languages, is acquainted with the Modern History of all those Countries, knows their Policies, has div’d into all the Intrigues of the several Courts, and can tell their mutual Dispositions, Obligations and Ties of Interest one to another, shall after all this be thought Unlearned for want of those two Languages. Nay, though he be never so well vers’d in the Modern Philosophy, Astronomy, Geometry and Algebra, he shall notwithstanding never be allow’d that honourable Title. I can see but one apparent Reason for this unfair Procedure; which is, that when about an Age and an half ago, all the poor Remains of Learning then in Being, were in the hands of the Schoolmen; they wou’d suffer none to pass Muster, that were not deeply engag’d in those intricate, vexatious and unintelligible Trifles, for which themselves contended with so much Noise and Heat; or at least were not acquainted with _Plato_ and _Aristotle_, and their Commentators; from whence the Sophistry and Subtleties of the Schools at that time were drawn. This Usurpation was maintain’d by their Successors, the Divines, who to this day pretend almost to the Monopoly of Learning; and though some generous Spirits have in good measure broke the neck of this Arbitrary, Tyrannical Authority; yet can’t they prevail