pinion, never to be
pleaded with the public in excuse for defects of any importance,
because if the writer has not sufficient strength of mind to
overcome the common difficulties that lie in his way, nature seems
to command him, with a very audible voice, to leave the task of
instructing others to those who can. This kind of vain humility has
ever disgusted me; and I should say to an author, who humbly sued
for forbearance, If you have not a tolerably good opinion of your
own production, why intrude it on the public? We have plenty of bad
books already, that have just gasped for breath and died. The last
paragraph I particularly object to, it is so full of vanity. Your
male friends will still treat you like a woman; and many a man, for
instance Dr. Johnson, Lord Littleton, and even Dr. Priestley have
insensibly been led to utter warm eulogiums in private that they
would be sorry openly to avow without some cooling explanatory ifs.
An author, especially a woman, should be cautious, lest she too
hastily swallows the crude praises which partial friend and polite
acquaintance bestow thoughtlessly when the supplicating eye looks
for them. In short, it requires great resolution to try rather to
be useful than to please. With this remark in your head, I must beg
you to pardon my freedom whilst you consider the purport of what I
am going to add,--rest on yourself. If your essays have merit,
they will stand alone; if not, the _shouldering up_ of Dr. this or
that will not long keep them from falling to the ground. The vulgar
have a pertinent proverb, 'Too many cooks spoil the broth;' and let
me remind you that when weakness claims indulgence, it seems to
justify the despotism of strength. Indeed, the preface, and even
your pamphlet, is too full of yourself. Inquiries ought to be made
before they are answered; and till a work strongly interests the
public, true modesty should keep the author in the background, for
it is only about the character and life of a _good_ author that
curiosity is active. A blossom is but a blossom."

It is a pity that most of Mary's contributions to the "Analytical
Review," being unsigned, cannot be credited to her. She wrote for it many
reviews and similar articles, and they probably were characterized by her
uncompromising honesty and straightforwardn