Produced by Jonathan Ingram, JoAnn Greenwood and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) LETTERS ON THE IMPROVEMENT OF THE MIND. ADDRESSED TO A LADY. BY MRS. CHAPONE. WITH _THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR._ * * * * * I consider an human Soul, without Education, like marble in the Quarry, which shows none of its inherent Beauties till the Skill of the Polisher fetches out the colours, makes the surface shine, and discovers every ornamental Cloud, Spot, and Vein, that runs through the Body of it. Education, after the same manner, when it works upon a noble Mind, draws out to view every latent Virtue and Perfection, which, without such Helps, are never able to make their Appearance. ADDISON. * * * * * A New Edition. _LONDON_: Printed by Weed and Rider, Little Britain, FOR SCATCHERD AND LETTERMAN, AVE-MARIA LANE; LONGMAN, HURST, REES, ORME, AND BROWN; CADELL AND DAVIES; F. C. AND J. RIVINGTON; SHERWOOD, NEELY, AND JONES; G. AND W. B. WHITTAKER; BALDWIN, CRADOCK, AND JOY; J. MAWMAN; J. HARRIS AND SONS; HARVEY AND DARTON; AND C. TAYLOR. 1820. _CONTENTS._ Letter Page DEDICATION v Life of Hester Chapone vii I. On the first Principles of Religion 1 II. On the Study of the Holy Scriptures 15 III. The same Subject continued 34 IV. On the Regulation of the Heart and Affections 51 V. The same Subject continued 66 VI. On the Government of the Temper 98 VII. On Economy 121 VIII. On Politeness and Accomplishments 143 IX. On Geography and Chronology 170 X. On the Manner and Course of reading History 186 Conclusion 209 TO _MRS. MONTAGU_. MADAM,