a vindication of the rights of woman-第20章

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harm　be　polished　to　intoxicate　the　senses；　but；　if　they　are　moral　beings；　let　them　have　a　chance　to　become　intelligent；　and　let　love　to　man　be　only　a　part　of　that　glowing　flame　of　universal　love；　which；　after　encircling　humanity；　mounts　in　grateful　incense　to　God。　To　fulfil　domestic　duties　much　resolution　is　necessary；　and　a　serious　kind　of　perseverance　that　requires　a　more　firm　support　than　emotions；　however　lively　and　true　to　nature。　　To　give　an　example　of　order；　the　soul　of　virtue；　some　austerity　of　behaviour　must　be　adopted；　scarcely　to　be　expected　from　a　being　who；　from　its　infancy；　has　been　made　the　weathercock　of　its　own　sensations。　Whoever　rationally　means　to　be　useful；　must　have　a　plan　of　conduct；　and；　in　the　discharge　of　the　simplest　duty；　we　are　often　obliged　to　act　contrary　to　the　present　impulse　of　tenderness　or　compassion。　Severity　is　frequently　the　most　certain；　as　well　as　the　most　sublime　proof　of　affection；　and　the　want　of　this　power　over　the　feelings；　and　of　that　lofty；　dignified　affection；　which　makes　a　person　prefer　the　future　good　of　the　beloved　object　to　a　present　gratification；　is　the　reason　why　so　many　fond　mothers　spoil　their　children；　and　has　made　it　questionable；　whether　negligence　or　indulgence　is　most　hurtful：　　but　I　am　inclined　to　think；　that　the　latter　has　done　most　harm。　Mankind　seem　to　agree；　that　children　should　be　left　under　the　management　of　women　during　their　childhood。　　Now；　from　all　the　observation　that　I　have　been　able　to　make；　women　of　sensibility　are　the　most　unfit　for　this　task；　because　they　will　infallibly；　carried　away　by　their　feelings；　spoil　a　child's　temper。　　The　management　of　the　temper；　the　first　and　most　important　branch　of　education；　requires　the　sober　steady　eye　of　reason；　a　plan　of　conduct　equally　distant　from　tyranny　and　indulgence；　yet　these　are　the　extremes　that　people　of　sensibility　alternately　fall　into；　always　shooting　beyond　the　mark。　　I　have　followed　this　train　of　reasoning　much　further；　till　I　have　concluded；　that　a　person　of　genius　is　the　most　improper　person　to　be　employed　in　education；　public　or　private。　Minds　of　this　rare　species　see　things　too　much　in　masses；　and　seldom；　if　ever；　have　a　good　temper。　　That　habitual　cheerfulness；　termed　good　humour；　is；　perhaps；　as　seldom　united　with　great　mental　powers；　as　with　strong　feelings。　　And　those　people　who　follow；　with　interest　and　admiration；　the　flights　of　genius；　or；　with　cooler　approbation　suck　in　the　instruction；　which　has　been　elaborately　prepared　for　them　by　the　profound　thinker；　ought　not　to　be　disgusted；　if　they　find　the　former　choleric；　and　the　latter　morose；　because　liveliness　of　fancy；　and　a　tenacious　comprehension　of　mind；　are　scarcely　compatible　with　that　pliant　urbanity　which　leads　a　man；　at　least　to　bend　to　the　opinions　and　prejudices　of　others；　instead　of　roughly　confronting　them。　But；　treating　of　education　or　manners；　minds　of　a　superior　class　are　not　to　be　considered；　they　may　be　left　to　chance；　it　is　the　multitude；　with　moderate　abilities；　who　call　for　instruction；　and　catch　the　colour　of　the　atmosphere　they　breathe。　　This　respectable　concourse；　I　contend；　men　and　women；　should　not　have　their　sensations　heightened　in　the　hot…bed　of　luxurious　indolence；　at　the　expence　of　their　understanding；　for；　unless　there　be　a　ballast　of　understanding；　they　will　never　become　either　virtuous　or　free：　　an　aristocracy；　founded　on　property；　or　sterling　talents；　will　ever　sweep　before　it；　the　alternately　timid　and　ferocious　slaves　of　feeling。　Numberless　are　the　arguments；　to　take　another　view　of　the　subject；　brought　forward　with　a　show　of　reason；　because　supposed　to　be　deduced　from　nature；　that　men　have　used　morally　and　physically　to　degrade　the　sex。　　I　must　notice　a　few。　The　female　understanding　has　often　been　spoken　of　with　contempt；　as　arriving　sooner　at　maturity　than　the　male。　　I　shall　not　answer　this　argument　by　alluding　to　the　early　proofs　of　reason；　as　well　as　genius；　in　Cowley；　Milton；　and　Pope；　（Many　other　names　might　be　added。）　but　only　appeal　to　experience　to　decide　whether　young　men；　who　are　early　introduced　into　company　（and　examples　now　abound）　do　not　acquire　the　same　precocity。　　So　notorious　is　this　fact；　that　the　bare　mentioning　of　it　must　bring　before　people；　who　at　all　mix　in　the　world；　the　idea　of　a　number　of　swaggering　apes　of　men　whose　understandings　are　narrowed　by　being　brought　into　the　society　of　men　when　they　ought　to　have　been　spinning　a　top　or　twirling　a　hoop。　It　has　also　been　asserted；　by　some　naturalists；　that　men　do　not　attain　their　full　growth　and　strength　till　thirty；　but　that　women　arrive　at　maturity　by　twenty。　　I　apprehend　that　they　reason　on　false　ground；　led　astray　by　the　male　prejudice；　which　deems　beauty　the　perfection　of　womanmere　beauty　of　features　and　complexion；　the　vulgar　acceptation　of　the　world；　whilst　male　beauty　is　allowed　to　have　some　connexion　with　the　mind。　　Strength　of　body；　and　that　character　of　countenance；　which　the　French　term　a　physionomie；　women　do　not　acquire　before　thirty；　any　more　than　men。　　The　little　artless　tricks　of　children；　it　is　true；　are　particularly　pleasing　and　attractive；　yet；　when　the　pretty　freshness　of　youth　is　worn　off；　these　artless　graces　become　studied　airs；　and　disgust　every　person　of　taste。　　In　the　countenance　of　girls　we　only　look　for　vivacity　and　bashful　modesty；　but；　the　springtide　of　life　over；　we　look　for　soberer　sense　in　the　face；　and　for　traces　of　passion；　instead　of　the　dimples　of　animal　spirits；　expecting　to　see　individuality　of　character；　the　only　fastener　of　the　affections。　We　then　wish　to　converse；　not　to　fondle；　to　give　scope　to　our　imaginations；　as　well　as　to　the　sensations　of　our　hearts。　At　twenty　the　beauty　of　both　sexes　is　equal；　but　the　libertinism　of　man　leads　him　to　make　the　distinction；　and　superannuated　coquettes　are　commonly　of　the　same　opinion；　for　when　they　can　no　longer　inspire　love；　they　pay　for　the　vigour　and　vivacity　of　youth。　　The　French　who　admit　more　of　mind　into　their　notions　of　beauty；　give　the　preference　to　women　of　thirty。　　I　mean　to　say；　that　they　allow　women　to　be　in　their　most　perfect　state；　when　vivacity　gives　place　to　reason；　and　to　that　majestic　seriousness　of　character；　which　marks　maturity；　or；　the　resting　point。　　In　youth；　till　twenty　the　body　shoots　out；　till　thirty　the　solids　are　attaining　a　degree　of　density；　and　the　flexible　muscles；　growing　daily　more　rigid；　give　character　to　the　countenance；　that　is；　they　trace　the　operations　of　the　mind　with　the　iron　pen　of　fate；　and　tell　us　not　only　what　powers　are　within；　but　how　they　have　been　employed。　It　is　proper　to　observe；　that　animals　who　arrive　slowly　at　maturity；　are　the　longest　lived；　and　of　the　noblest　species。　　Men　cannot；　however；　claim　any　natural　superiority　from　the　grandeur　of　longevity；　for　in　this　respect　nature　has　not　distinguished　the　male。　Polygamy　is　another　physical　degradation；　and　a　plausible　argument　for　a　custom；　that　blasts　every　domestic　virtue；　is　drawn　from　the　well…attested　fact；　that　in　the　countries　where　it　is　established；　more　females　are　born　than　males。　　This　appears　to　be　an　indication　of　nature；　and　to　nature　apparently　reasonable　speculations　must　yield。　　A　further　conclusion　obviously　presents　itself；　if　polygamy　be　necessary；　woman　must　be　inferior　to　man；　and　made　for　him。　With　respect　to　the　formation　of　the　foetus　in　the　womb；　we　are　very　ignorant；　but　it　appears　to　me　probable；　that　an　accidental　physical　cause　may　account　for　this　phenomenon；　and　prove　it　not　to　be　a　law　of　nature。　　I　have　met　with　some　pertinent　observations　on　the　subject　in　Forster's　Account　of　the　Isles　of　the　South　Sea；　that　will　explain　my　meaning。　　After　observing　that　of　the　two　sexes　amongst　animals；　the　most　vigorous　and　hottest　constitution　always　prevails；　and　produces　its　kind；　he　adds；〃If　this　be　applied　to　the　inhabitants　of　Africa；　it　is　evident　that　the　men　there；　accustomed　to　polygamy；　are　enervated　by　the　use　of　so　many　women；　and　therefore　less　vigorous；　the　women　on　the　contrary；　are　of　a　hotter　constitution；　not　only　on　account　of　their　more　irritable　nerves；　more　sensitive　organization；　and　more　lively　fancy；　but　likewise　because　they　are　deprived　in　their　matrimony　of　that　share　of　physical　love　which　in　a　monogamous　condition；　would　all　be　theirs；　and　thus　for　the　above　reasons；　the　generality　of　children　are　born　females。〃　〃In　the　greater　part　of　Europe　it　has　been　proved　by　the　most　accurate　lists　of　mortality；　that　the　proportion　of　men　to　women　is　nearly　equal；　or；　if　any　difference　takes　place；　the　males　born　are　more　numerous；　in　the　proportion　of　105　to　100。〃　The　necessity　of　polygamy；　therefore；　does　not　appear；　yet　when　a　man　seduces　a　woman；　it　should　I　think；　be　termed　a　LEFT…HANDED　marriage；　and　the　man　should　be　LEGALLY　obliged　to　maintain　the　woman　and　her　children；　unless　adultery；　a　natural　divorcement；　abrogated　the　law。　　And　this　law　should　remain　in　force　as　long　as　the　weakness　of　women　caused　the　word　seduction　to　be　used　as　an　excuse　for　their　frailty　and　want　of　principle；　nay；　while　they　depend　on　man　for　a　subsistence；　instead　of　earning　it　by　the　exercise　of　their　own　hands　or　heads。　　But　these　women　should　not　in　the　full　meaning　of　the　relationship；　be　termed　wives；　or　the　very　purpose　of　marria