a vindication of the rights of woman-第24章

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he　same　reason；〃　adds　Rousseau；　〃women　have　or　ought　to　have；　but　little　liberty；　they　are　apt　to　indulge　themselves　excessively　in　what　is　allowed　them。　　Addicted　in　every　thing　to　extremes；　they　are　even　more　transported　at　their　diversions　than　boys。〃　The　answer　to　this　is　very　simple。　　Slaves　and　mobs　have　always　indulged　themselves　in　the　same　excesses；　when　once　they　broke　loose　from　authority。　　The　bent　bow　recoils　with　violence；　when　the　hand　is　suddenly　relaxed　that　forcibly　held　it：　　and　sensibility；　the　plaything　of　outward　circumstances；　must　be　subjected　to　authority；　or　moderated　by　reason。　〃There　results；〃　he　continues；　〃from　this　habitual　restraint；　a　tractableness　which　the　women　have　occasion　for　during　their　whole　lives；　as　they　constantly　remain　either　under　subjection　to　the　men；　or　to　the　opinions　of　mankind；　and　are　never　permitted　to　set　themselves　above　those　opinions。　　The　first　and　most　important　qualification　in　a　woman　is　good…nature　or　sweetness　of　temper；　formed　to　obey　a　being　so　imperfect　as　man；　often　full　of　vices；　and　always　full　of　faults；　she　ought　to　learn　betimes　even　to　suffer　injustice；　and　to　bear　the　insults　of　a　husband　without　complaint；　it　is　not　for　his　sake；　but　her　own；　that　she　should　be　of　a　mild　disposition。　　The　perverseness　and　ill…nature　of　the　women　only　serve　to　aggravate　their　own　misfortunes；　and　the　misconduct　of　their　husbands；　they　might　plainly　perceive　that　such　are　not　the　arms　by　which　they　gain　the　superiority。〃　Formed　to　live　with　such　an　imperfect　being　as　man；　they　ought　to　learn　from　the　exercise　of　their　faculties　the　necessity　of　forbearance；　but　all　the　sacred　rights　of　humanity　are　violated　by　insisting　on　blind　obedience；　or；　the　most　sacred　rights　belong　ONLY　to　man。　The　being　who　patiently　endures　injustice；　and　silently　bears　insults；　will　soon　become　unjust；　or　unable　to　discern　right　from　wrong。　　Besides；　I　deny　the　fact；　this　is　not　the　true　way　to　form　or　meliorate　the　temper；　for；　as　a　sex；　men　have　better　tempers　than　women；　because　they　are　occupied　by　pursuits　that　interest　the　head　as　well　as　the　heart；　and　the　steadiness　of　the　head　gives　a　healthy　temperature　to　the　heart。　　People　of　sensibility　have　seldom　good　tempers。　　The　formation　of　the　temper　is　the　cool　work　of　reason；　when；　as　life　advances；　she　mixes　with　happy　art；　jarring　elements。　　I　never　knew　a　weak　or　ignorant　person　who　had　a　good　temper；　though　that　constitutional　good　humour；　and　that　docility；　which　fear　stamps　on　the　behaviour；　often　obtains　the　name。　　I　say　behaviour；　for　genuine　meekness　never　reached　the　heart　or　mind；　unless　as　the　effect　of　reflection；　and；　that　simple　restraint　produces　a　number　of　peccant　humours　in　domestic　life；　many　sensible　men　will　allow；　who　find　some　of　these　gentle　irritable　creatures；　very　troublesome　companions。　〃Each　sex；〃　he　further　argues；　〃should　preserve　its　peculiar　tone　and　manner：　　a　meek　husband　may　make　a　wife　impertinent；　but　mildness　of　disposition　on　the　woman's　side　will　always　bring　a　man　back　to　reason；　at　least　if　he　be　not　absolutely　a　brute；　and　will　sooner　or　later　triumph　over　him。〃　　True；　the　mildness　of　reason；　but　abject　fear　always　inspires　contempt；　and　tears　are　only　eloquent　when　they　flow　down　fair　cheeks。　Of　what　materials　can　that　heart　be　composed；　which　can　melt　when　insulted；　and　instead　of　revolting　at　injustice；　kiss　the　rod？　　Is　it　unfair　to　infer；　that　her　virtue　is　built　on　narrow　views　and　selfishness；　who　can　caress　a　man；　with　true　feminine　softness；　the　very　moment　when　he　treats　her　tyrannically？　　Nature　never　dictated　such　insincerity；　and　though　prudence　of　this　sort　be　termed　a　virtue；　morality　becomes　vague　when　any　part　is　supposed　to　rest　on　falsehood。　　These　are　mere　expedients；　and　expedients　are　only　useful　for　the　moment。　Let　the　husband　beware　of　trusting　too　implicitly　to　this　servile　obedience；　for　if　his　wife　can　with　winning　sweetness　caress　him　when　angry；　and　when　she　ought　to　be　angry；　unless　contempt　had　stifled　a　natural　effervescence；　she　may　do　the　same　after　parting　with　a　lover。　　These　are　all　preparations　for　adultery；　or；　should　the　fear　of　the　world；　or　of　hell；　restrain　her　desire　of　pleasing　other　men；　when　she　can　no　longer　please　her　husband；　what　substitute　can　be　found　by　a　being　who　was　only　formed　by　nature　and　art　to　please　man？　　what　can　make　her　amends　for　this　privation；　or　where　is　she　to　seek　for　a　fresh　employment？　　where　find　sufficient　strength　of　mind　to　determine　to　begin　the　search；　when　her　habits　are　fixed；　and　vanity　has　long　ruled　her　chaotic　mind？　But　this　partial　moralist　recommends　cunning　systematically　and　plausibly。　〃Daughters　should　be　always　submissive；　their　mothers；　however；　should　not　be　inexorable。　　To　make　a　young　person　tractable；　she　ought　not　to　be　made　unhappy；　to　make　her　modest　she　ought　not　to　be　rendered　stupid。　　On　the　contrary；　I　should　not　be　displeased　at　her　being　permitted　to　use　some　art；　not　to　elude　punishment　in　case　of　disobedience；　but　to　exempt　herself　from　the　necessity　of　obeying。　　It　is　not　necessary　to　make　her　dependence　burdensome；　but　only　to　let　her　feel　it。　　Subtilty　is　a　talent　natural　to　the　sex；　and　as　I　am　persuaded；　all　our　natural　inclinations　are　right　and　good　in　themselves；　I　am　of　opinion　this　should　be　cultivated　as　well　as　the　others：　　it　is　requisite　for　us　only　to　prevent　its　abuse。〃　〃Whatever　is；　is　right；〃　he　then　proceeds　triumphantly　to　infer。　Granted；　yet；　perhaps；　no　aphorism　ever　contained　a　more　paradoxical　assertion。　　It　is　a　solemn　truth　with　respect　to　God。　He；　reverentially　I　speak；　sees　the　whole　at　once；　and　saw　its　just　proportions　in　the　womb　of　time；　but　man；　who　can　only　inspect　disjointed　parts；　finds　many　things　wrong；　and　it　is　a　part　of　the　system；　and　therefore　right；　that　he　should　endeavour　to　alter　what　appears　to　him　to　be　so；　even　while　he　bows　to　the　wisdom　of　his　Creator；　and　respects　the　darkness　he　labours　to　disperse。　The　inference　that　follows　is　just；　supposing　the　principle　to　be　sound：　〃The　superiority　of　address；　peculiar　to　the　female　sex；　is　a　very　equitable　indemnification　for　their　inferiority　in　point　of　strength：　without　this；　woman　would　not　be　the　companion　of　man；　but　his　slave：　　it　is　by　her　superiour　art　and　ingenuity　that　she　preserves　her　equality；　and　governs　him　while　she　affects　to　obey。　Woman　has　every　thing　against　her；　as　well　our　faults　as　her　own　timidity　and　weakness：　she　has　nothing　in　her　favour；　but　her　subtilty　and　her　beauty。　　Is　it　not　very　reasonable；　therefore；　she　should　cultivate　both？〃　　Greatness　of　mind　can　never　dwell　with　cunning　or　address；　for　I　shall　not　boggle　about　words；　when　their　direct　signification　is　insincerity　and　falsehood；　but　content　myself　with　observing；　that　if　any　class　of　mankind　be　so　created　that　it　must　necessarily　be　educated　by　rules；　not　strictly　deducible　from　truth；　virtue　is　an　affair　of　convention。　　How　could　Rousseau　dare　to　assert；　after　giving　this　advice；　that　in　the　grand　end　of　existence；　the　object　of　both　sexes　should　be　the　same；　when　he　well　knew；　that　the　mind　formed　by　its　pursuits；　is　expanded　by　great　views　swallowing　up　little　ones；　or　that　it　becomes　itself　little？　Men　have　superiour　strength　of　body；　but　were　it　not　for　mistaken　notions　of　beauty；　women　would　acquire　sufficient　to　enable　them　to　earn　their　own　subsistence；　the　true　definition　of　independence；　and　to　bear　those　bodily　inconveniences　and　exertions　that　are　requisite　to　strengthen　the　mind。　Let　us　then；　by　being　allowed　to　take　the　same　exercise　as　boys；　not　only　during　infancy；　but　youth；　arrive　at　perfection　of　body；　that　we　may　know　how　far　the　natural　superiority　of　man　extends。　For　what　reason　or　virtue　can　be　expected　from　a　creature　when　the　seed…time　of　life　is　neglected？　Nonedid　not　the　winds　of　heaven　casually　scatter　many　useful　seeds　in　the　fallow　ground。　〃Beauty　cannot　be　acquired　by　dress；　and　coquetry　is　an　art　not　so　early　and　speedily　attained。　　While　girls　are　yet　young；　however；　they　are　in　a　capacity　to　study　agreeable　gesture；　a　pleasing　modulation　of　voice；　an　easy　carriage　and　behaviour；　as　well　as　to　take　the　advantage　of　gracefully　adapting　their　looks　and　attitudes　to　time；　place；　and　occasion。　　Their　application；　therefore；　should　not　be　solely　confined　to　the　arts　of　industry　and　the　needle；　when　they　come　to　display　other　talents；　whose　utility　is　already　apparent。〃　〃For　my　part　I　would　have　a　young　Englishwoman　cultivate　her　agreeable　talents；　in　order　to　please　her　future　husband；　with　as　much　care　and　assiduity　as　a　young　Circassian　cultivates　her's；　to　fit　her　for　the　Haram　of　an　Eastern　bashaw。〃　To　render　women　completely　insignificant；　he　adds；〃The　tongues　of　women　are　very　voluble；　they　speak　earlier；　more　readily；　and　more　agreeably　than　the　men；　they　are　accused　also　of　speaking　much　more：　　but　so　it　ought　to　be；　and　I　should　be　very　ready　to　convert　this　reproach　into　a　compliment；　their　lips　and　eyes　have　the　same　activity；　and　for　the　same　reason。　　A　man　speaks　of　what　he　knows；　a　woman　of　what　pleases　her；　the　one　requires　knowledge；　the　other　taste；　the　principal　object　of　a　man's　discourse　should　be　what　is　useful；　that　of　a　woman's　what　is　agreeable。　　There　ought　to　be