At all events, we have never found it applicable to those whom we have had the honour of becoming acquainted with. Nevertheless, for the last hundred years our literature has been constantly hurling anathemas at the instability of female virtue; until even the ladies themselves have been forced into the belief of it. “Frailty, thy name is woman,” is a sentiment in the mouth of every dissipated coxcomb. Yet despite the prevalent idea that the most virtuous woman may easily be made to fall, we venture to affirm that unchaste thoughts and everything which tends, even remotely, to impurity, is far less common among women than men. We know something about the disgusting details whereby the amount of our most dreadful moral scourge may be estimated; and it only confirms us in our opinion that woman is more sinned against than sinning. Given one hundred young men, and ten hundred maidens, of the same age and station; out of the former, at least fifty will run a course of sinful pleasure for a period; while out of the latter, not more than six; after many conflicts, prayers, and convulsive sobbings, to which the others were strangers, will fall under the power of temptation. On which side then lies the frailty? According to what is reckoned a moderate computation, for one abandoned woman there are one hundred licentious men, therefore there are more “frail” men than women, and consequently the proverb should be, “Frailty, thy name is man!” Nor is this all. It would seem that what is wrong in woman is not wrong in man. While the slightest laxity of conduct irrevocably injures the fame and worldly prospects of the former, the latter may lead a loose life with impunity. Society thinks that a young man will be all the better for “sowing his wild oats;” but unless his sister be as pure as Diana, society will cast _her_ off and leave her to drink the dregs of her damning course. Modesty is the sweetest charm of woman, and the richest gem of her honour. _DISCERNMENT OF CHARACTER._