a vindication of the rights of woman-第23章

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ing　of　all　her　actions；　when　it　is　proved　to　be　the　iron　bed　of　fate；　to　fit　which；　her　character　should　be　stretched　or　contracted；　regardless　of　all　moral　or　physical　distinctions。　　But　if；　as　I　think　may　be　demonstrated；　the　purposes　of　even　this　life；　viewing　the　whole；　are　subverted　by　practical　rules　built　upon　this　ignoble　base；　I　may　be　allowed　to　doubt　whether　woman　was　created　for　man：　　and　though　the　cry　of　irreligion；　or　even　atheism　be　raised　against　me；　I　will　simply　declare；　that　were　an　angel　from　heaven　to　tell　me　that　Moses's　beautiful；　poetical　cosmogony；　and　the　account　of　the　fall　of　man；　were　literally　true；　I　could　not　believe　what　my　reason　told　me　was　derogatory　to　the　character　of　the　Supreme　Being：　　and；　having　no　fear　of　the　devil　before　mine　eyes；　I　venture　to　call　this　a　suggestion　of　reason；　instead　of　resting　my　weakness　on　the　broad　shoulders　of　the　first　seducer　of　my　frail　sex。　〃It　being　once　demonstrated；〃　continues　Rousseau；　〃that　man　and　woman　are　not；　nor　ought　to　be；　constituted　alike　in　temperament　and　character；　it　follows　of　course；　that　they　should　not　be　educated　in　the　same　manner。　　In　pursuing　the　directions　of　nature；　they　ought　indeed　to　act　in　concert；　but　they　should　not　be　engaged　in　the　same　employments：　　the　end　of　their　pursuits　should　be　the　same；　but　the　means　they　should　take　to　accomplish　them；　and；　of　consequence；　their　tastes　and　inclinations　should　be　different。〃　（Rousseau's　'Emilius'；　Volume　3　page　176。）　〃Girls　are　from　their　earliest　infancy　fond　of　dress。　　Not　content　with　being　pretty；　they　are　desirous　of　being　thought　so；　we　see；　by　all　their　little　airs；　that　this　thought　engages　their　attention；　and　they　are　hardly　capable　of　understanding　what　is　said　to　them；　before　they　are　to　be　governed　by　talking　to　them　of　what　people　will　think　of　their　behaviour。　　The　same　motive；　however；　indiscreetly　made　use　of　with　boys；　has　not　the　same　effect：　　provided　they　are　let　to　pursue　their　amusements　at　pleasure；　they　care　very　little　what　people　think　of　them。　　Time　and　pains　are　necessary　to　subject　boys　to　this　motive。　〃Whencesoever　girls　derive　this　first　lesson　it　is　a　very　good　one。　As　the　body　is　born；　in　a　manner　before　the　soul；　our　first　concern　should　be　to　cultivate　the　former；　this　order　is　common　to　both　sexes；　but　the　object　of　that　cultivation　is　different。　　In　the　one　sex　it　is　the　developement　of　corporeal　powers；　in　the　other；　that　of　personal　charms：　　not　that　either　the　quality　of　strength　or　beauty　ought　to　be　confined　exclusively　to　one　sex；　but　only　that　the　order　of　the　cultivation　of　both　is　in　that　respect　reversed。　Women　certainly　require　as　much　strength　as　to　enable　them　to　move　and　act　gracefully；　and　men　as　much　address　as　to　qualify　them　to　act　with　ease。〃　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　〃Children　of　both　sexes　have　a　great　many　amusements　in　common；　and　so　they　ought；　have　they　not　also　many　such　when　they　are　grown　up？　Each　sex　has　also　its　peculiar　taste　to　distinguish　in　this　particular。　　Boys　love　sports　of　noise　and　activity；　to　beat　the　drum；　to　whip　the　top；　and　to　drag　about　their　little　carts：　girls；　on　the　other　hand；　are　fonder　of　things　of　show　and　ornament；　such　as　mirrors；　trinkets；　and　dolls；　the　doll　is　the　peculiar　amusement　of　the　females；　from　whence　we　see　their　taste　plainly　adapted　to　their　destination。　　The　physical　part　of　the　art　of　pleasing　lies　in　dress；　and　this　is　all　which　children　are　capacitated　to　cultivate　of　that　art。〃　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　　　　*　〃Here　then　we　see　a　primary　propensity　firmly　established；　which　you　need　only　to　pursue　and　regulate。　　The　little　creature　will　doubtless　be　very　desirous　to　know　how　to　dress　up　her　doll；　to　make　its　sleeve　knots；　its　flounces；　its　head　dress；　etc。；　she　is　obliged　to　have　so　much　recourse　to　the　people　about　her；　for　their　assistance　in　these　articles；　that　it　would　be　much　more　agreeable　to　her　to　owe　them　all　to　her　own　industry。　　Hence　we　have　a　good　reason　for　the　first　lessons　which　are　usually　taught　these　young　females：　　in　which　we　do　not　appear　to　be　setting　them　a　task；　but　obliging　them；　by　instructing　them　in　what　is　immediately　useful　to　themselves。　　And；　in　fact；　almost　all　of　them　learn　with　reluctance　to　read　and　write；　but　very　readily　apply　themselves　to　the　use　of　their　needles。　　They　imagine　themselves　already　grown　up；　and　think　with　pleasure　that　such　qualifications　will　enable　them　to　decorate　themselves。〃　This　is　certainly　only　an　education　of　the　body；　but　Rousseau　is　not　the　only　man　who　has　indirectly　said　that　merely　the　person　of　a　young　woman；　without　any　mind；　unless　animal　spirits　come　under　that　description；　is　very　pleasing。　　To　render　it　weak；　and　what　some　may　call　beautiful；　the　understanding　is　neglected；　and　girls　forced　to　sit　still；　play　with　dolls；　and　listen　to　foolish　conversations；　the　effect　of　habit　is　insisted　upon　as　an　undoubted　indication　of　nature。　　I　know　it　was　Rousseau's　opinion　that　the　first　years　of　youth　should　be　employed　to　form　the　body；　though　in　educating　Emilius　he　deviates　from　this　plan；　yet　the　difference　between　strengthening　the　body；　on　which　strength　of　mind　in　a　great　measure　depends；　and　only　giving　it　an　easy　motion；　is　very　wide。　Rousseau's　observations；　it　is　proper　to　remark；　were　made　in　a　country　where　the　art　of　pleasing　was　refined　only　to　extract　the　grossness　of　vice。　　He　did　not　go　back　to　nature；　or　his　ruling　appetite　disturbed　the　operations　of　reason；　else　he　would　not　have　drawn　these　crude　inferences。　In　France；　boys　and　girls；　particularly　the　latter；　are　only　educated　to　please；　to　manage　their　persons；　and　regulate　their　exterior　behaviour；　and　their　minds　are　corrupted　at　a　very　early　age；　by　the　worldly　and　pious　cautions　they　receive；　to　guard　them　against　immodesty。　　I　speak　of　past　times。　　The　very　confessions　which　mere　children　are　obliged　to　make；　and　the　questions　asked　by　the　holy　men　I　assert　these　facts　on　good　authority；　were　sufficient　to　impress　a　sexual　character；　and　the　education　of　society　was　a　school　of　coquetry　and　art。　　At　the　age　of　ten　or　eleven；　nay；　often　much　sooner；　girls　began　to　coquet；　and　talked；　unreproved；　of　establishing　themselves　in　the　world　by　marriage。　In　short；　they　were　made　women；　almost　from　their　very　birth；　and　compliments　were　listened　to　instead　of　instruction。　　These；　weakening　the　mind；　Nature　was　supposed　to　have　acted　like　a　step…mother；　when　she　formed　this　after…thought　of　creation。　Not　allowing　them　understanding；　however；　it　was　but　consistent　to　subject　them　to　authority；　independent　of　reason；　and　to　prepare　them　for　this　subjection；　he　gives　the　following　advice：　〃Girls　ought　to　be　active　and　diligent；　nor　is　that　all；　they　should　also　be　early　subjected　to　restraint。　　This　misfortune；　if　it　really　be　one；　is　inseparable　from　their　sex；　nor　do　they　ever　throw　it　off　but　to　suffer　more　cruel　evils。　　They　must　be　subject；　all　their　lives；　to　the　most　constant　and　severe　restraint；　which　is　that　of　decorum：　　it　is；　therefore；　necessary　to　accustom　them　early　to　such　confinement；　that　it　may　not　afterward　cost　them　too　dear；　and　to　the　suppression　of　their　caprices；　that　they　may　the　more　readily　submit　to　the　will　of　others。　　If；　indeed；　they　are　fond　of　being　always　at　work；　they　should　be　sometimes　compelled　to　lay　it　aside。　　Dissipation；　levity；　and　inconstancy；　are　faults　that　readily　spring　up　from　their　first　propensities；　when　corrupted　or　perverted　by　too　much　indulgence。　　To　prevent　this　abuse；　we　should　learn　them；　above　all　things；　to　lay　a　due　restraint　on　themselves。　　The　life　of　a　modest　woman　is　reduced；　by　our　absurd　institutions；　to　a　perpetual　conflict　with　herself：　　not　but　it　is　just　that　this　sex　should　partake　of　the　sufferings　which　arise　from　those　evils　it　hath　caused　us。〃　And　why　is　the　life　of　a　modest　woman　a　perpetual　conflict？　　I　should　answer；　that　this　very　system　of　education　makes　it　so。　Modesty；　temperance；　and　self…denial；　are　the　sober　offspring　of　reason；　but　when　sensibility　is　nurtured　at　the　expense　of　the　understanding；　such　weak　beings　must　be　restrained　by　arbitrary　means；　and　be　subjected　to　continual　conflicts；　but　give　their　activity　of　mind　a　wider　range；　and　nobler　passions　and　motives　will　govern　their　appetites　and　sentiments。　〃The　common　attachment　and　regard　of　a　mother；　nay；　mere　habit；　will　make　her　beloved　by　her　children；　if　she　does　nothing　to　incur　their　hate。　　Even　the　restraint　she　lays　them　under；　if　well　directed；　will　increase　their　affection；　instead　of　lessening　it；　because　a　state　of　dependence　being　natural　to　the　sex；　they　perceive　themselves　formed　for　obedience。〃　This　is　begging　the　question；　for　servitude　not　only　debases　the　individual；　but　its　effects　seem　to　be　transmitted　to　posterity。　Considering　the　length　of　time　that　women　have　been　dependent；　is　it　surprising　that　some　of　them　hug　their　chains；　and　fawn　like　the　spaniel？　〃These　dogs；〃　observes　a　naturalist；　〃at　first　kept　their　ears　erect；　but　custom　has　superseded　nature；　and　a　token　of　fear　is　become　a　beauty。〃　〃For　the　same　reason；〃　adds　Rousseau；　〃women　have　or　ought　to　have；　but　little　liberty；　they　are　apt　to　in