a vindication of the rights of woman-第25章

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　a　man's　discourse　should　be　what　is　useful；　that　of　a　woman's　what　is　agreeable。　　There　ought　to　be　nothing　in　common　between　their　different　conversation　but　truth。〃　〃We　ought　not；　therefore；　to　restrain　the　prattle　of　girls；　in　the　same　manner　as　we　should　that　of　boys；　with　that　severe　question；　'To　what　purpose　are　you　talking？'　but　by　another；　which　is　no　less　difficult　to　answer；　'How　will　your　discourse　be　received？'　　In　infancy；　while　they　are　as　yet　incapable　to　discern　good　from　evil；　they　ought　to　observe　it　as　a　law；　never　to　say　any　thing　disagreeable　to　those　whom　they　are　speaking　to：　　what　will　render　the　practice　of　this　rule　also　the　more　difficult；　is；　that　it　must　ever　be　subordinate　to　the　former；　of　never　speaking　falsely　or　telling　an　untruth。〃　　To　govern　the　tongue　in　this　manner　must　require　great　address　indeed；　and　it　is　too　much　practised　both　by　men　and　women。　　Out　of　the　abundance　of　the　heart　how　few　speak！　So　few；　that　I；　who　love　simplicity；　would　gladly　give　up　politeness　for　a　quarter　of　the　virtue　that　has　been　sacrificed　to　an　equivocal　quality；　which；　at　best；　should　only　be　the　polish　of　virtue。　But　to　complete　the　sketch。　　〃It　is　easy　to　be　conceived；　that　if　male　children　be　not　in　a　capacity　to　form　any　true　notions　of　religion；　those　ideas　must　be　greatly　above　the　conception　of　the　females：　　it　is　for　this　very　reason；　I　would　begin　to　speak　to　them　the　earlier　on　this　subject；　for　if　we　were　to　wait　till　they　were　in　a　capacity　to　discuss　methodically　such　profound　questions；　we　should　run　a　risk　of　never　speaking　to　them　on　this　subject　as　long　as　they　lived。　　Reason　in　women　is　a　practical　reason；　capacitating　them　artfully　to　discover　the　means　of　attaining　a　known　end；　but　which　would　never　enable　them　to　discover　that　end　itself。　　The　social　relations　of　the　sexes　are　indeed　truly　admirable：　　from　their　union　there　results　a　moral　person；　of　which　woman　may　be　termed　the　eyes；　and　man　the　hand；　with　this　dependence　on　each　other；　that　it　is　from　the　man　that　the　woman　is　to　learn　what　she　is　to　see；　and　it　is　of　the　woman　that　man　is　to　learn　what　he　ought　to　do。　　If　woman　could　recur　to　the　first　principles　of　things　as　well　as　man；　and　man　was　capacitated　to　enter　into　their　minutae　as　well　as　woman；　always　independent　of　each　other；　they　would　live　in　perpetual　discord；　and　their　union　could　not　subsist。　　But　in　the　present　harmony　which　naturally　subsists　between　them；　their　different　faculties　tend　to　one　common　end；　it　is　difficult　to　say　which　of　them　conduces　the　most　to　it：　each　follows　the　impulse　of　the　other；　each　is　obedient；　and　both　are　masters。〃　〃As　the　conduct　of　a　woman　is　subservient　to　the　public　opinion；　her　faith　in　matters　of　religion；　should　for　that　very　reason；　be　subject　to　authority。　　'Every　daughter　ought　to　be　of　the　same　religion　as　her　mother；　and　every　wife　to　be　of　the　same　religion　as　her　husband：　　for；　though　such　religion　should　be　false；　that　docility　which　induces　the　mother　and　daughter　to　submit　to　the　order　of　nature；　takes　away；　in　the　sight　of　God；　the　criminality　of　their　error'。*　　As　they　are　not　in　a　capacity　to　judge　for　themselves；　they　ought　to　abide　by　the　decision　of　their　fathers　and　husbands　as　confidently　as　by　that　of　the　church。〃　（*Footnote。　　What　is　to　be　the　consequence；　if　the　mother's　and　husband's　opinion　should　chance　not　to　agree？　　An　ignorant　person　cannot　be　reasoned　out　of　an　error；　and　when　persuaded　to　give　up　one　prejudice　for　another　the　mind　is　unsettled。　　Indeed；　the　husband　may　not　have　any　religion　to　teach　her　though　in　such　a　situation　she　will　be　in　great　want　of　a　support　to　her　virtue；　independent　of　worldly　considerations。）　〃As　authority　ought　to　regulate　the　religion　of　the　women；　it　is　not　so　needful　to　explain　to　them　the　reasons　for　their　belief；　as　to　lay　down　precisely　the　tenets　they　are　to　believe：　　for　the　creed；　which　presents　only　obscure　ideas　to　the　mind；　is　the　source　of　fanaticism；　and　that　which　presents　absurdities；　leads　to　infidelity。〃　Absolute；　uncontroverted　authority；　it　seems；　must　subsist　somewhere：　　but　is　not　this　a　direct　and　exclusive　appropriation　of　reason？　　The　RIGHTS　of　humanity　have　been　thus　confined　to　the　male　line　from　Adam　downwards。　　Rousseau　would　carry　his　male　aristocracy　still　further；　for　he　insinuates；　that　he　should　not　blame　those；　who　contend　for　leaving　woman　in　a　state　of　the　most　profound　ignorance；　if　it　were　not　necessary；　in　order　to　preserve　her　chastity；　and　justify　the　man's　choice　in　the　eyes　of　the　world；　to　give　her　a　little　knowledge　of　men；　and　the　customs　produced　by　human　passions；　else　she　might　propagate　at　home　without　being　rendered　less　voluptuous　and　innocent　by　the　exercise　of　her　understanding：　　excepting；　indeed；　during　the　first　year　of　marriage；　when　she　might　employ　it　to　dress；　like　Sophia。　　〃Her　dress　is　extremely　modest　in　appearance；　and　yet　very　coquettish　in　fact：　　she　does　not　make　a　display　of　her　charms；　she　conceals　them；　but；　in　concealing　them；　she　knows　how　to　affect　your　imagination。　　Every　one　who　sees　her；　will　say；　There　is　a　modest　and　discreet　girl；　but　while　you　are　near　her；　your　eyes　and　affections　wander　all　over　her　person；　so　that　you　cannot　withdraw　them；　and　you　would　conclude　that　every　part　of　her　dress；　simple　as　it　seems；　was　only　put　in　its　proper　order　to　be　taken　to　pieces　by　the　imagination。〃　　Is　this　modesty？　　Is　this　a　preparation　for　immortality？　　Again。　　What　opinion　are　we　to　form　of　a　system　of　education；　when　the　author　says　of　his　heroine；　〃that　with　her；　doing　things　well　is　but　a　SECONDARY　concern；　her　principal　concern　is　to　do　them　NEATLY。〃　Secondary；　in　fact；　are　all　her　virtues　and　qualities；　for；　respecting　religion；　he　makes　her　parents　thus　address　her；　accustomed　to　submission〃Your　husband　will　instruct　you　in　good　time。〃　After　thus　cramping　a　woman's　mind；　if；　in　order　to　keep　it　fair；　he　has　not　made　it　quite　a　blank；　he　advises　her　to　reflect；　that　a　reflecting　man　may　not　yawn　in　her　company；　when　he　is　tired　of　caressing　her。　　What　has　she　to　reflect　about；　who　must　obey？　and　would　it　not　be　a　refinement　on　cruelty　only　to　open　her　mind　to　make　the　darkness　and　misery　of　her　fate　VISIBLE？　　Yet　these　are　his　sensible　remarks；　how　consistent　with　what　I　have　already　been　obliged　to　quote；　to　give　a　fair　view　of　the　subject；　the　reader　may　determine。　〃They　who　pass　their　whole　lives　in　working　for　their　daily　bread；　have　no　ideas　beyond　their　business　or　their　interest；　and　all　their　understanding　seems　to　lie　in　their　fingers'　ends。　　This　ignorance　is　neither　prejudicial　to　their　integrity　nor　their　morals；　it　is　often　of　service　to　them。　　Sometimes；　by　means　of　reflection；　we　are　led　to　compound　with　our　duty；　and　we　conclude；　by　substituting　a　jargon　of　words；　in　the　room　of　things。　　Our　own　conscience　is　the　most　enlightened　philosopher。　　There　is　no　need　of　being　acquainted　with　Tully's　offices；　to　make　a　man　of　probity：　and　perhaps　the　most　virtuous　woman　in　the　world　is　the　least　acquainted　with　the　definition　of　virtue。　　But　it　is　no　less　true；　than　an　improved　understanding　only　can　render　society　agreeable；　and　it　is　a　melancholy　thing　for　a　father　of　a　family；　who　is　fond　of　home；　to　be　obliged　to　be　always　wrapped　up　in　himself；　and　to　have　nobody　about　him　to　whom　he　can　impart　his　sentiments。　〃Besides；　how　should　a　woman　void　of　reflection　be　capable　of　educating　her　children？　　How　should　she　discern　what　is　proper　for　them？　　How　should　she　incline　them　to　those　virtues　she　is　unacquainted　with；　or　to　that　merit　of　which　she　has　no　idea？　　She　can　only　sooth　or　chide　them；　render　them　insolent　or　timid；　she　will　make　them　formal　coxcombs；　or　ignorant　blockheads；　but　will　never　make　them　sensible　or　amiable。〃　　How　indeed　should　she；　when　her　husband　is　not　always　at　hand　to　lend　her　his　reason　when　they　both　together　make　but　one　moral　being？　　A　blind　will；　〃eyes　without　hands；〃　would　go　a　very　little　way；　and　perchance　his　abstract　reason；　that　should　concentrate　the　scattered　beams　of　her　practical　reason；　may　be　employed　in　judging　of　the　flavour　of　wine；　discanting　on　the　sauces　most　proper　for　turtle；　or；　more　profoundly　intent　at　a　card…table；　he　may　be　generalizing　his　ideas　as　he　bets　away　his　fortune；　leaving　all　the　minutiae　of　education　to　his　helpmate　or　chance。　But；　granting　that　woman　ought　to　be　beautiful；　innocent；　and　silly；　to　render　her　a　more　alluring　and　indulgent　companionwhat　is　her　understanding　sacrificed　for？　　And　why　is　all　this　preparation　necessary　only；　according　to　Rousseau's　own　account；　to　make　her　the　mistress　of　her　husband；　a　very　short　time？　　For　no　man　ever　insisted　more　on　the　transient　nature　of　love。　　Thus　speaks　the　philosopher。　　〃Sensual　pleasures　are　transient。　　The　habitual　state　of　the　affections　always　loses　by　their　gratification。　　The　imagination；　which　decks　the　object　of　our　desires；　is　lost　in　fruition。　　Excepting　the　Supreme　Being；　who　is　self…existent；　there　is　nothing　beautiful　but　what　is　ideal。〃　But　he　returns　to　his　unintelligible　paradoxes　again；　when　he　thus　addresses　Sophia。　　〃Emilius；　in　becoming　your　husband；　is　become　your　master；　and　claims　your　obedience。　　Such　is　the　order　of　nature。　　When　a　man　is　marr