a vindication of the rights of woman-第27章

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　every　human　quality　into　female　weakness　and　artificial　grace。　　I　say　artificial；　for　true　grace　arises　from　some　kind　of　independence　of　mind。　Children；　careless　of　pleasing；　and　only　anxious　to　amuse　themselves；　are　often　very　graceful；　and　the　nobility　who　have　mostly　lived　with　inferiors；　and　always　had　the　command　of　money；　acquire　a　graceful　ease　of　deportment；　which　should　rather　be　termed　habitual　grace　of　body；　than　that　superiour　gracefulness　which　is　truly　the　expression　of　the　mind。　　This　mental　grace；　not　noticed　by　vulgar　eyes；　often　flashes　across　a　rough　countenance；　and　irradiating　every　feature；　shows　simplicity　and　independence　of　mind。　　It　is　then　we　read　characters　of　immortality　in　the　eye；　and　see　the　soul　in　every　gesture；　though　when　at　rest；　neither　the　face　nor　limbs　may　have　much　beauty　to　recommend　them；　or　the　behaviour；　any　thing　peculiar　to　attract　universal　attention。　　The　mass　of　mankind；　however；　look　for　more　TANGIBLE　beauty；　yet　simplicity　is；　in　general；　admired；　when　people　do　not　consider　what　they　admire；　and　can　there　be　simplicity　without　sincerity？　but；　to　have　done　with　remarks　that　are　in　some　measure　desultory；　though　naturally　excited　by　the　subject。　In　declamatory　periods　Dr。　Fordyce　spins　out　Rousseau's　eloquence；　and　in　most　sentimental　rant；　details　his　opinions　respecting　the　female　character；　and　the　behaviour　which　woman　ought　to　assume　to　render　her　lovely。　He　shall　speak　for　himself；　for　thus　he　makes　nature　address　man。　〃Behold　these　smiling　innocents；　whom　I　have　graced　with　my　fairest　gifts；　and　committed　to　your　protection；　behold　them　with　love　and　respect；　treat　them　with　tenderness　and　honour。　　They　are　timid　and　want　to　be　defended。　　They　are　frail；　O　do　not　take　advantage　of　their　weakness！　　Let　their　fears　and　blushes　endear　them。　　Let　their　confidence　in　you　never　be　abused。　　But　is　it　possible；　that　any　of　you　can　be　such　barbarians；　so　supremely　wicked；　as　to　abuse　it？　　Can　you　find　in　your　hearts*　to　despoil　the　gentle；　trusting　creatures　of　their　treasure；　or　do　any　thing　to　strip　them　of　their　native　robe　of　virtue？　　Curst　be　the　impious　hand　that　would　dare　to　violate　the　unblemished　form　of　Chastity！　　Thou　wretch！　thou　ruffian！　forbear；　nor　venture　to　provoke　heaven's　fiercest　vengeance。〃　　I　know　not　any　comment　that　can　be　made　seriously　on　this　curious　passage；　and　I　could　produce　many　similar　ones；　and　some；　so　very　sentimental；　that　I　have　heard　rational　men　use　the　word　indecent；　when　they　mentioned　them　with　disgust。　（*Footnote。　　Can　you？Can　you？　would　be　the　most　emphatical　comment；　were　it　drawled　out　in　a　whining　voice。）　Throughout　there　is　a　display　of　cold；　artificial　feelings；　and　that　parade　of　sensibility　which　boys　and　girls　should　be　taught　to　despise　as　the　sure　mark　of　a　little　vain　mind。　　Florid　appeals　are　made　to　heaven；　and　to　the　BEAUTEOUS　INNOCENTS；　the　fairest　images　of　heaven　here　below；　whilst　sober　sense　is　left　far　behind。　　This　is　not　the　language　of　the　heart；　nor　will　it　ever　reach　it；　though　the　ear　may　be　tickled。　I　shall　be　told；　perhaps；　that　the　public　have　been　pleased　with　these　volumes。　　Trueand　Hervey's　Meditations　are　still　read；　though　he　equally　sinned　against　sense　and　taste。　I　particularly　object　to　the　lover…like　phrases　of　pumped　up　passion；　which　are　every　where　interspersed。　　If　women　be　ever　allowed　to　walk　without　leading…strings；　why　must　they　be　cajoled　into　virtue　by　artful　flattery　and　sexual　compliments？　　Speak　to　them　the　language　of　truth　and　soberness；　and　away　with　the　lullaby　strains　of　condescending　endearment！　　Let　them　be　taught　to　respect　themselves　as　rational　creatures；　and　not　led　to　have　a　passion　for　their　own　insipid　persons。　　It　moves　my　gall　to　hear　a　preacher　descanting　on　dress　and　needle…work；　and　still　more；　to　hear　him　address　the　'British　fair；　the　fairest　of　the　fair'；　as　if　they　had　only　feelings。　Even　recommending　piety　he　uses　the　following　argument。　　〃Never；　perhaps；　does　a　fine　woman　strike　more　deeply；　than　when；　composed　into　pious　recollection；　and　possessed　with　the　noblest　considerations；　she　assumes；　without　knowing　it；　superiour　dignity　and　new　graces；　so　that　the　beauties　of　holiness　seem　to　radiate　about　her；　and　the　by…standers　are　almost　induced　to　fancy　her　already　worshipping　amongst　her　kindred　angels！〃　　Why　are　women　to　be　thus　bred　up　with　a　desire　of　conquest？　the　very　epithet；　used　in　this　sense；　gives　me　a　sickly　qualm！　　Does　religion　and　virtue　offer　no　stronger　motives；　no　brighter　reward？　　Must　they　always　be　debased　by　being　made　to　consider　the　sex　of　their　companions？　Must　they　be　taught　always　to　be　pleasing？　　And　when　levelling　their　small　artillery　at　the　heart　of　man；　is　it　necessary　to　tell　them　that　a　little　sense　is　sufficient　to　render　their　attention　INCREDIBLY　SOOTHING？　　〃As　a　small　degree　of　knowledge　entertains　in　a　woman；　so　from　a　woman；　though　for　a　different　reason；　a　small　expression　of　kindness　delights；　particularly　if　she　have　beauty！〃　I　should　have　supposed　for　the　same　reason。　Why　are　girls　to　be　told　that　they　resemble　angels；　but　to　sink　them　below　women？　　Or；　that　a　gentle；　innocent　female　is　an　object　that　comes　nearer　to　the　idea　which　we　have　formed　of　angels　than　any　other。　　Yet　they　are　told；　at　the　same　time；　that　they　are　only　like　angels　when　they　are　young　and　beautiful；　consequently；　it　is　their　persons；　not　their　virtues；　that　procure　them　this　homage。　Idle　empty　words！　　what　can　such　delusive　flattery　lead　to；　but　vanity　and　folly？　　The　lover；　it　is　true；　has　a　poetic　licence　to　exalt　his　mistress；　his　reason　is　the　bubble　of　his　passion；　and　he　does　not　utter　a　falsehood　when　he　borrows　the　language　of　adoration。　　His　imagination　may　raise　the　idol　of　his　heart；　unblamed；　above　humanity；　and　happy　would　it　be　for　women；　if　they　were　only　flattered　by　the　men　who　loved　them；　I　mean；　who　love　the　individual；　not　the　sex；　but　should　a　grave　preacher　interlard　his　discourses　with　such　fooleries？　In　sermons　or　novels；　however；　voluptuousness　is　always　true　to　its　text。　　Men　are　allowed　by　moralists　to　cultivate；　as　nature　directs；　different　qualities；　and　assume　the　different　characters；　that　the　same　passions；　modified　almost　to　infinity；　give　to　each　individual。　　A　virtuous　man　may　have　a　choleric　or　a　sanguine　constitution；　be　gay　or　grave；　unreproved；　be　firm　till　be　is　almost　over…bearing；　or；　weakly　submissive；　have　no　will　or　opinion　of　his　own；　but　all　women　are　to　be　levelled；　by　meekness　and　docility；　into　one　character　of　yielding　softness　and　gentle　compliance。　I　will　use　the　preacher's　own　words。　　〃Let　it　be　observed；　that　in　your　sex　manly　exercises　are　never　graceful；　that　in　them　a　tone　and　figure；　as　well　as　an　air　and　deportment；　of　the　masculine　kind；　are　always　forbidding；　and　that　men　of　sensibility　desire　in　every　woman　soft　features；　and　a　flowing　voice；　a　form　not　robust；　and　demeanour　delicate　and　gentle。〃　Is　not　the　following　portraitthe　portrait　of　a　house　slave？　　〃I　am　astonished　at　the　folly　of　many　women；　who　are　still　reproaching　their　husbands　for　leaving　them　alone；　for　preferring　this　or　that　company　to　theirs；　for　treating　them　with　this　and　the　other　mark　of　disregard　or　indifference；　when；　to　speak　the　truth；　they　have　themselves　in　a　great　measure　to　blame。　　Not　that　I　would　justify　the　men　in　any　thing　wrong　on　their　part。　　But　had　you　behaved　to　them　with　more　RESPECTFUL　OBSERVANCE；　and　a　more　EQUAL　TENDERNESS；　STUDYING　THEIR　HUMOURS；　OVERLOOKING　THEIR　MISTAKES；　SUBMITTING　TO　THEIR　OPINIONS　in　matters　indifferent；　passing　by　little　instances　of　unevenness；　caprice；　or　passion；　giving　SOFT　answers　to　hasty　words；　complaining　as　seldom　as　possible；　and　making　it　your　daily　care　to　relieve　their　anxieties　and　prevent　their　wishes；　to　enliven　the　hour　of　dulness；　and　call　up　the　ideas　of　felicity：　had　you　pursued　this　conduct；　I　doubt　not　but　you　would　have　maintained　and　even　increased　their　esteem；　so　far　as　to　have　secured　every　degree　of　influence　that　could　conduce　to　their　virtue；　or　your　mutual　satisfaction；　and　your　house　might　at　this　day　have　been　the　abode　of　domestic　bliss。〃　　Such　a　woman　ought　to　be　an　angelor　she　is　an　assfor　I　discern　not　a　trace　of　the　human　character；　neither　reason　nor　passion　in　this　domestic　drudge；　whose　being　is　absorbed　in　that　of　a　tyrant's。　Still　Dr。　Fordyce　must　have　very　little　acquaintance　with　the　human　heart；　if　he　really　supposed　that　such　conduct　would　bring　back　wandering　love；　instead　of　exciting　contempt。　　No；　beauty；　gentleness；　etc。　etc。　may　gain　a　heart；　but　esteem；　the　only　lasting　affection；　can　alone　be　obtained　by　virtue　supported　by　reason。　　It　is　respect　for　the　understanding　that　keeps　alive　tenderness　for　the　person。　As　these　volumes　are　so　frequently　put　into　the　hands　of　young　people；　I　have　taken　more　notice　of　them　than　strictly　speaking；　they　deserve；　but　as　they　have　contributed　to　vitiate　the　taste；　and　enervate　the　understanding　of　many　of　my　fellow…creatures；　I　could　not　pass　them　silently　over。　SECTION　5。3。　Such　paternal　solicitude　pervades　Dr。　Gregory's　Legacy　to　his　daughters；　that　I　enter　on　the　task　of　criticism　with　affectionate　respect；　but　as　this　little　volume　has　many　attractions　to　recommend　it　to　the　noti