a vindication of the rights of woman-第26章

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　is　become　your　master；　and　claims　your　obedience。　　Such　is　the　order　of　nature。　　When　a　man　is　married；　however；　to　such　a　wife　as　Sophia；　it　is　proper　he　should　be　directed　by　her：　　this　is　also　agreeable　to　the　order　of　nature：　　it　is；　therefore；　to　give　you　as　much　authority　over　his　heart　as　his　sex　gives　him　over　your　person；　that　I　have　made　you　the　arbiter　of　his　pleasures。　　It　may　cost　you；　perhaps；　some　disagreeable　self…denial；　but　you　will　be　certain　of　maintaining　your　empire　over　him；　if　you　can　preserve　it　over　yourself；　　what　I　have　already　observed；　also　shows　me；　that　this　difficult　attempt　does　not　surpass　your　courage。　〃Would　you　have　your　husband　constantly　at　your　feet？　keep　him　at　some　distance　from　your　person。　　You　will　long　maintain　the　authority　of　love；　if　you　know　but　how　to　render　your　favours　rare　and　valuable。　　It　is　thus　you　may　employ　even　the　arts　of　coquetry　in　the　service　of　virtue；　and　those　of　love　in　that　of　reason。〃　I　shall　close　my　extracts　with　a　just　description　of　a　comfortable　couple。　　〃And　yet　you　must　not　imagine；　that　even　such　management　will　always　suffice。　　Whatever　precaution　be　taken；　enjoyment　will；　by　degrees；　take　off　the　edge　of　passion。　　But　when　love　hath　lasted　as　long　as　possible；　a　pleasing　habitude　supplies　its　place；　and　the　attachment　of　a　mutual　confidence　succeeds　to　the　transports　of　passion。　　Children　often　form　a　more　agreeable　and　permanent　connexion　between　married　people　than　even　love　itself。　When　you　cease　to　be　the　mistress　of　Emilius；　you　will　continue　to　be　his　wife　and　friend；　you　will　be　the　mother　of　his　children。〃　（Rousseau's　Emilius。）　Children；　he　truly　observes；　form　a　much　more　permanent　connexion　between　married　people　than　love。　　Beauty　he　declares　will　not　be　valued；　or　even　seen；　after　a　couple　have　lived　six　months　together；　artificial　graces　and　coquetry　will　likewise　pall　on　the　senses：　　why　then　does　he　say；　that　a　girl　should　be　educated　for　her　husband　with　the　same　care　as　for　an　eastern　haram？　I　now　appeal　from　the　reveries　of　fancy　and　refined　licentiousness　to　the　good　sense　of　mankind；　whether；　if　the　object　of　education　be　to　prepare　women　to　become　chaste　wives　and　sensible　mothers；　the　method　so　plausibly　recommended　in　the　foregoing　sketch；　be　the　one　best　calculated　to　produce　those　ends？　　Will　it　be　allowed　that　the　surest　way　to　make　a　wife　chaste；　is　to　teach　her　to　practise　the　wanton　arts　of　a　mistress；　termed　virtuous　coquetry　by　the　sensualist　who　can　no　longer　relish　the　artless　charms　of　sincerity；　or　taste　the　pleasure　arising　from　a　tender　intimacy；　when　confidence　is　unchecked　by　suspicion；　and　rendered　interesting　by　sense？　The　man　who　can　be　contented　to　live　with　a　pretty　useful　companion　without　a　mind；　has　lost　in　voluptuous　gratifications　a　taste　for　more　refined　enjoyments；　he　has　never　felt　the　calm　satisfaction　that　refreshes　the　parched　heart；　like　the　silent　dew　of　heavenof　being　beloved　by　one　who　could　understand　him。　　In　the　society　of　his　wife　he　is　still　alone；　unless　when　the　man　is　sunk　in　the　brute。　　〃The　charm　of　life；〃　says　a　grave　philosophical　reasoner；　is　〃sympathy；　nothing　pleases　us　more　than　to　observe　in　other　men　a　fellow…feeling　with　all　the　emotions　of　our　own　breast。〃　But；　according　to　the　tenor　of　reasoning　by　which　women　are　kept　from　the　tree　of　knowledge；　the　important　years　of　youth；　the　usefulness　of　age；　and　the　rational　hopes　of　futurity；　are　all　to　be　sacrificed；　to　render　woman　an　object　of　desire　for　a　short　time。　　Besides；　how　could　Rousseau　expect　them　to　be　virtuous　and　constant　when　reason　is　neither　allowed　to　be　the　foundation　of　their　virtue；　nor　truth　the　object　of　their　inquiries？　But　all　Rousseau's　errors　in　reasoning　arose　from　sensibility；　and　sensibility　to　their　charms　women　are　very　ready　to　forgive！　　When　he　should　have　reasoned　he　became　impassioned；　and　reflection　inflamed　his　imagination；　instead　of　enlightening　his　understanding。　　Even　his　virtues　also　led　him　farther　astray；　for；　born　with　a　warm　constitution　and　lively　fancy；　nature　carried　him　toward　the　other　sex　with　such　eager　fondness；　that　he　soon　became　lascivious。　　Had　he　given　way　to　these　desires；　the　fire　would　have　extinguished　itself　in　a　natural　manner；　but　virtue；　and　a　romantic　kind　of　delicacy；　made　him　practise　self…denial；　yet；　when　fear；　delicacy；　or　virtue　restrained　him；　he　debauched　his　imagination；　and　reflecting　on　the　sensations　to　which　fancy　gave　force；　he　traced　them　in　the　most　glowing　colours；　and　sunk　them　deep　into　his　soul。　He　then　sought　for　solitude；　not　to　sleep　with　the　man　of　nature；　or　calmly　investigate　the　causes　of　things　under　the　shade　where　Sir　Isaac　Newton　indulged　contemplation；　but　merely　to　indulge　his　feelings。　　And　so　warmly　has　he　painted　what　he　forcibly　felt；　that；　interesting　the　heart　and　inflaming　the　imagination　of　his　readers；　in　proportion　to　the　strength　of　their　fancy；　they　imagine　that　their　understanding　is　convinced；　when　they　only　sympathize　with　a　poetic　writer；　who　skilfully　exhibits　the　objects　of　sense；　most　voluptuously　shadowed；　or　gracefully　veiled；　and　thus　making　us　feel；　whilst　dreaming　that　we　reason；　erroneous　conclusions　are　left　in　the　mind。　Why　was　Rousseau's　life　divided　between　ecstasy　and　misery？　　Can　any　other　answer　be　given　than　this；　that　the　effervescence　of　his　imagination　produced　both；　but；　had　his　fancy　been　allowed　to　cool；　it　is　possible　that　he　might　have　acquired　more　strength　of　mind。　Still；　if　the　purpose　of　life　be　to　educate　the　intellectual　part　of　man；　all　with　respect　to　him　was　right；　yet；　had　not　death　led　to　a　nobler　scene　of　action；　it　is　probable　that　he　would　have　enjoyed　more　equal　happiness　on　earth；　and　have　felt　the　calm　sensations　of　the　man　of　nature；　instead　of　being　prepared　for　another　stage　of　existence　by　nourishing　the　passions　which　agitate　the　civilized　man。　But　peace　to　his　manes！　　I　war　not　with　his　ashes；　but　his　opinions。　　I　war　only　with　the　sensibility　that　led　him　to　degrade　woman　by　making　her　the　slave　of　love。　。。。。〃Curs'd　vassalage；　First　idoliz'd　till　love's　hot　fire　be　o'er；　Then　slaves　to　those　who　courted　us　before。〃　Dryden。　The　pernicious　tendency　of　those　books；　in　which　the　writers　insidiously　degrade　the　sex；　whilst　they　are　prostrate　before　their　personal　charms；　cannot　be　too　often　or　too　severely　exposed。　Let　us；　my　dear　contemporaries；　arise　above　such　narrow　prejudices！　If　wisdom　is　desirable　on　its　own　account；　if　virtue；　to　deserve　the　name；　must　be　founded　on　knowledge；　let　us　endeavour　to　strengthen　our　minds　by　reflection；　till　our　heads　become　a　balance　for　our　hearts；　let　us　not　confine　all　our　thoughts　to　the　petty　occurrences　of　the　day；　nor　our　knowledge　to　an　acquaintance　with　our　lovers'　or　husbands'　hearts；　but　let　the　practice　of　every　duty　be　subordinate　to　the　grand　one　of　improving　our　minds；　and　preparing　our　affections　for　a　more　exalted　state！　Beware　then；　my　friends；　of　suffering　the　heart　to　be　moved　by　every　trivial　incident：　　the　reed　is　shaken　by　a　breeze；　and　annually　dies；　but　the　oak　stands　firm；　and　for　ages　braves　the　storm。　Were　we；　indeed；　only　created　to　flutter　our　hour　out　and　diewhy　let　us　then　indulge　sensibility；　and　laugh　at　the　severity　of　reason。　　Yet；　alas！　even　then　we　should　want　strength　of　body　and　mind；　and　life　would　be　lost　in　feverish　pleasures　or　wearisome　languor。　But　the　system　of　education；　which　I　earnestly　wish　to　see　exploded；　seems　to　presuppose；　what　ought　never　to　be　taken　for　granted；　that　virtue　shields　us　from　the　casualties　of　life；　and　that　fortune；　slipping　off　her　bandage；　will　smile　on　a　well…educated　female；　and　bring　in　her　hand　an　Emilius　or　a　Telemachus。　　Whilst；　on　the　contrary；　the　reward　which　virtue　promises　to　her　votaries　is　confined；　it　is　clear；　to　their　own　bosoms；　and　often　must　they　contend　with　the　most　vexatious　worldly　cares；　and　bear　with　the　vices　and　humours　of　relations　for　whom　they　can　never　feel　a　friendship。　There　have　been　many　women　in　the　world　who；　instead　of　being　supported　by　the　reason　and　virtue　of　their　fathers　and　brothers；　have　strengthened　their　own　minds　by　struggling　with　their　vices　and　follies；　yet　have　never　met　with　a　hero；　in　the　shape　of　a　husband；　who；　paying　the　debt　that　mankind　owed　them；　might　chance　to　bring　back　their　reason　to　its　natural　dependent　state；　and　restore　the　usurped　prerogative；　of　rising　above　opinion；　to　man。　SECTION　5。2。　Dr。　Fordyce's　sermons　have　long　made　a　part　of　a　young　woman's　library；　nay；　girls　at　school　are　allowed　to　read　them；　but　I　should　instantly　dismiss　them　from　my　pupil's；　if　I　wished　to　strengthen　her　understanding；　by　leading　her　to　form　sound　principles　on　a　broad　basis；　or；　were　I　only　anxious　to　cultivate　her　taste；　though　they　must　be　allowed　to　contain　many　sensible　observations。　Dr。　Fordyce　may　have　had　a　very　laudable　end　in　view；　but　these　discourses　are　written　in　such　an　affected　style；　that　were　it　only　on　that　account；　and　had　I　nothing　to　object　against　his　MELLIFLUOUS　precepts；　I　should　not　allow　girls　to　peruse　them；　unless　I　designed　to　hunt　every　spark　of　nature　out　of　their　composition；　melting　every　human　quality　into　female　weakness　and　artificial　grace。　　I　say　artificial；　for　true　grace　ar