a vindication of the rights of woman-第17章

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t　they　are　gratuitously　granted　them；　few　will　ever　think　of　works　of　supererogation；　to　obtain　the　esteem　of　a　small　number　of　superior　people。　When　do　we　hear　of　women；　who　starting　out　of　obscurity；　boldly　claim　respect　on　account　of　their　great　abilities　or　daring　virtues？　　Where　are　they　to　be　found？　　〃To　be　observed；　to　be　attended　to；　to　be　taken　notice　of　with　sympathy；　complacency；　and　approbation；　are　all　the　advantages　which　they　seek。〃　　True！　my　male　readers　will　probably　exclaim；　but　let　them；　before　they　draw　any　conclusion；　recollect；　that　this　was　not　written　originally　as　descriptive　of　women；　but　of　the　rich。　　In　Dr。　Smith's　Theory　of　Moral　Sentiments；　I　have　found　a　general　character　of　people　of　rank　and　fortune；　that　in　my　opinion；　might　with　the　greatest　propriety　be　applied　to　the　female　sex。　　I　refer　the　sagacious　reader　to　the　whole　comparison；　but　must　be　allowed　to　quote　a　passage　to　enforce　an　argument　that　I　mean　to　insist　on；　as　the　one　most　conclusive　against　a　sexual　character。　　For　if；　excepting　warriors；　no　great　men　of　any　denomination；　have　ever　appeared　amongst　the　nobility；　may　it　not　be　fairly　inferred；　that　their　local　situation　swallowed　up　the　man；　and　produced　a　character　similar　to　that　of　women；　who　are　LOCALIZED；　if　I　may　be　allowed　the　word；　by　the　rank　they　are　placed　in；　by　COURTESY？　　Women；　commonly　called　Ladies；　are　not　to　be　contradicted　in　company；　are　not　allowed　to　exert　any　manual　strength；　and　from　them　the　negative　virtues　only　are　expected；　when　any　virtues　are　expected；　patience；　docility；　good…humour；　and　flexibility；　virtues　incompatible　with　any　vigorous　exertion　of　intellect。　　Besides　by　living　more　with　each　other；　and　to　being　seldom　absolutely　alone；　they　are　more　under　the　influence　of　sentiments　than　passions。　Solitude　and　reflection　are　necessary　to　give　to　wishes　the　force　of　passions；　and　enable　the　imagination　to　enlarge　the　object　and　make　it　the　most　desirable。　　The　same　may　be　said　of　the　rich；　they　do　not　sufficiently　deal　in　general　ideas；　collected　by　impassionate　thinking；　or　calm　investigation；　to　acquire　that　strength　of　character；　on　which　great　resolves　are　built。　　But　hear　what　an　acute　observer　says　of　the　great。　〃Do　the　great　seem　insensible　of　the　easy　price　at　which　they　may　acquire　the　public　admiration？　or　do　they　seem　to　imagine；　that　to　them；　as　to　other　men；　it　must　be　the　purchase　either　of　sweat　or　of　blood？　　By　what　important　accomplishments　is　the　young　nobleman　instructed　to　support　the　dignity　of　his　rank；　and　to　render　himself　worthy　of　that　superiority　over　his　fellow　citizens；　to　which　the　virtue　of　his　ancestors　had　raised　them？　Is　it　by　knowledge；　by　industry；　by　patience；　by　self…denial；　or　by　virtue　of　any　kind？　　As　all　his　words；　as　all　his　motions　are　attended　to；　he　learns　an　habitual　regard　for　every　circumstance　of　ordinary　behaviour；　and　studies　to　perform　all　those　small　duties　with　the　most　exact　propriety。　　As　he　is　conscious　how　much　he　is　observed；　and　how　much　mankind　are　disposed　to　favour　all　his　inclinations；　he　acts；　upon　the　most　indifferent　occasions；　with　that　freedom　and　elevation　which　the　thought　of　this　naturally　inspires。　　His　air；　his　manner；　his　deportment　all　mark　that　elegant　and　graceful　sense　of　his　own　superiority；　which　those　who　are　born　to　an　inferior　station　can　hardly　ever　arrive　at。　　These　are　the　arts　by　which　he　proposes　to　make　mankind　more　easily　submit　to　his　authority；　and　to　govern　their　inclinations　according　to　his　own　pleasure：　　and　in　this　he　is　seldom　disappointed。　　These　arts；　supported　by　rank　and　pre…eminence；　are；　upon　ordinary　occasions；　sufficient　to　govern　the　world。　　Lewis　XIV。　during　the　greater　part　of　his　reign；　was　regarded；　not　only　in　France；　but　over　all　Europe；　as　the　most　perfect　model　of　a　great　prince。　　But　what　were　the　talents　and　virtues；　by　which　he　acquired　this　great　reputation？　Was　it　by　the　scrupulous　and　inflexible　justice　of　all　his　undertakings；　by　the　immense　dangers　and　difficulties　with　which　they　were　attended；　or　by　the　unwearied　and　unrelenting　application　with　which　he　pursued　them？　　Was　it　by　his　extensive　knowledge；　by　his　exquisite　judgment；　or　by　his　heroic　valour？　　It　was　by　none　of　these　qualities。　　But　he　was；　first　of　all；　the　most　powerful　prince　in　Europe；　and　consequently　held　the　highest　rank　among　kings；　and　then；　says　his　historian；　'he　surpassed　all　his　courtiers　in　the　gracefulness　of　his　shape；　and　the　majestic　beauty　of　his　features。　The　sound　of　his　voice　noble　and　affecting；　gained　those　hearts　which　his　presence　intimidated。　　He　had　a　step　and　a　deportment；　which　could　suit　only　him　and　his　rank；　and　which　would　have　been　ridiculous　in　any　other　person。　　The　embarrassment　which　he　occasioned　to　those　who　spoke　to　him；　flattered　that　secret　satisfaction　with　which　he　felt　his　own　superiority。'　These　frivolous　accomplishments；　supported　by　his　rank；　and；　no　doubt；　too；　by　a　degree　of　other　talents　and　virtues；　which　seems；　however；　not　to　have　been　much　above　mediocrity；　established　this　prince　in　the　esteem　of　his　own　age；　and　have　drawn　even　from　posterity；　a　good　deal　of　respect　for　his　memory。　　Compared　with　these；　in　his　own　times；　and　in　his　own　presence；　no　other　virtue；　it　seems；　appeared　to　have　any　merit。　　Knowledge；　industry；　valour；　and　beneficence；　trembling；　were　abashed；　and　lost　all　dignity　before　them。〃　Woman；　also；　thus　〃in　herself　complete；〃　by　possessing　all　these　FRIVOLOUS　accomplishments；　so　changes　the　nature　of　things；　〃That　what　she　wills　to　do　or　say　Seems　wisest；　virtuousest；　discreetest；　best；　All　higher　knowledge　in　HER　PRESENCE　falls　Degraded。　　Wisdom　in　discourse　with　her　Loses　discountenanc'd；　and　like　folly　shows；　Authority　and　reason　on　her　wait。〃　And　all　this　is　built　on　her　loveliness！　In　the　middle　rank　of　life；　to　continue　the　comparison；　men；　in　their　youth；　are　prepared　for　professions；　and　marriage　is　not　considered　as　the　grand　feature　in　their　lives；　whilst　women；　on　the　contrary；　have　no　other　scheme　to　sharpen　their　faculties。　　It　is　not　business；　extensive　plans；　or　any　of　the　excursive　flights　of　ambition；　that　engross　their　attention；　no；　their　thoughts　are　not　employed　in　rearing　such　noble　structures。　　To　rise　in　the　world；　and　have　the　liberty　of　running　from　pleasure　to　pleasure；　they　must　marry　advantageously；　and　to　this　object　their　time　is　sacrificed；　and　their　persons　often　legally　prostituted。　　A　man；　when　he　enters　any　profession；　has　his　eye　steadily　fixed　on　some　future　advantage　（and　the　mind　gains　great　strength　by　having　all　its　efforts　directed　to　one　point）　and；　full　of　his　business；　pleasure　is　considered　as　mere　relaxation；　whilst　women　seek　for　pleasure　as　the　main　purpose　of　existence。　　In　fact；　from　the　education　which　they　receive　from　society；　the　love　of　pleasure　may　be　said　to　govern　them　all；　but　does　this　prove　that　there　is　a　sex　in　souls？　　It　would　be　just　as　rational　to　declare；　that　the　courtiers　in　France；　when　a　destructive　system　of　despotism　had　formed　their　character；　were　not　men；　because　liberty；　virtue；　and　humanity；　were　sacrificed　to　pleasure　and　vanity。　　Fatal　passions；　which　have　ever　domineered　over　the　WHOLE　race！　The　same　love　of　pleasure；　fostered　by　the　whole　tendency　of　their　education；　gives　a　trifling　turn　to　the　conduct　of　women　in　most　circumstances：　　for　instance；　they　are　ever　anxious　about　secondary　things；　and　on　the　watch　for　adventures；　instead　of　being　occupied　by　duties。　A　man；　when　he　undertakes　a　journey；　has；　in　general　the　end　in　view；　a　woman　thinks　more　of　the　incidental　occurrences；　the　strange　things　that　may　possibly　occur　on　the　road；　the　impression　that　she　may　make　on　her　fellow　travellers；　and；　above　all；　she　is　anxiously　intent　on　the　care　of　the　finery　that　she　carries　with　her；　which　is　more　than　ever　a　part　of　herself；　when　going　to　figure　on　a　new　scene；　when；　to　use　an　apt　French　turn　of　expression；　she　is　going　to　produce　a　sensation。　　Can　dignity　of　mind　exist　with　such　trivial　cares？　In　short；　women；　in　general；　as　well　as　the　rich　of　both　sexes；　have　acquired　all　the　follies　and　vices　of　civilization；　and　missed　the　useful　fruit。　　It　is　not　necessary　for　me　always　to　premise；　that　I　speak　of　the　condition　of　the　whole　sex；　leaving　exceptions　out　of　the　question。　　Their　senses　are　inflamed；　and　their　understandings　neglected；　consequently　they　become　the　prey　of　their　senses；　delicately　termed　sensibility；　and　are　blown　about　by　every　momentary　gust　of　feeling。　　They　are；　therefore；　in　a　much　worse　condition　than　they　would　be　in；　were　they　in　a　state　nearer　to　nature。　　Ever　restless　and　anxious；　their　over　exercised　sensibility　not　only　renders　them　uncomfortable　themselves；　but　troublesome；　to　use　a　soft　phrase；　to　others。　　All　their　thoughts　turn　on　things　calculated　to　excite　emotion；　and；　feeling；　when　they　should　reason；　their　conduct　is　unstable；　and　their　opinions　are　wavering；　not　the　wavering　produced　by　deliberation　or　progressive　views；　but　by　contradictory　emotions。　　By　fits　and　starts　they　are　warm　in　many　pursuits；　yet　this　warmth；　never　concentrated　into　perseverance；　soon　exhausts　itself；　exhaled　by　its　own　heat；　or　meeting　with　some　other　fleeting　passion；　to　which　reason　has　never