a vindication of the rights of woman-第28章

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ith　affectionate　respect；　but　as　this　little　volume　has　many　attractions　to　recommend　it　to　the　notice　of　the　most　respectable　part　of　my　sex；　I　cannot　silently　pass　over　arguments　that　so　speciously　support　opinions　which；　I　think；　have　had　the　most　baneful　effect　on　the　morals　and　manners　of　the　female　world。　His　easy　familiar　style　is　particularly　suited　to　the　tenor　of　his　advice；　and　the　melancholy　tenderness　which　his　respect　for　the　memory　of　a　beloved　wife　diffuses　through　the　whole　work；　renders　it　very　interesting；　yet　there　is　a　degree　of　concise　elegance　conspicuous　in　many　passages；　that　disturbs　this　sympathy；　and　we　pop　on　the　author；　when　we　only　expected　to　meet　thefather。　Besides；　having　two　objects　in　view；　he　seldom　adhered　steadily　to　either；　for；　wishing　to　make　his　daughters　amiable；　and　fearing　lest　unhappiness　should　only　be　the　consequence；　of　instilling　sentiments；　that　might　draw　them　out　of　the　track　of　common　life；　without　enabling　them　to　act　with　consonant　independence　and　dignity；　he　checks　the　natural　flow　of　his　thoughts；　and　neither　advises　one　thing　nor　the　other。　In　the　preface　he　tells　them　a　mournful　truth；　〃that　they　will　hear；　at　least　once　in　their　lives；　the　genuine　sentiments　of　a　man；　who　has　no　interest　in　deceiving　them。〃　Hapless　woman！　what　can　be　expected　from　thee；　when　the　beings　on　whom　thou　art　said　naturally　to　depend　for　reason　and　support；　have　all　an　interest　in　deceiving　thee！　　This　is　the　root　of　the　evil　that　has　shed　a　corroding　mildew　on　all　thy　virtues；　and　blighting　in　the　bud　thy　opening　faculties；　has　rendered　thee　the　weak　thing　thou　art！　　It　is　this　separate　interest　this　insidious　state　of　warfare；　that　undermines　morality；　and　divides　mankind！　If　love　has　made　some　women　wretchedhow　many　more　has　the　cold　unmeaning　intercourse　of　gallantry　rendered　vain　and　useless！　yet　this　heartless　attention　to　the　sex　is　reckoned　so　manly；　so　polite；　that　till　society　is　very　differently　organized；　I　fear；　this　vestige　of　gothic　manners　will　not　be　done　away　by　a　more　reasonable　and　affectionate　mode　of　conduct。　　Besides；　to　strip　it　of　its　imaginary　dignity；　I　must　observe；　that　in　the　most　civilized　European　states；　this　lip…service　prevails　in　a　very　great　degree；　accompanied　with　extreme　dissoluteness　of　morals。　　In　Portugal；　the　country　that　I　particularly　allude　to；　it　takes　place　of　the　most　serious　moral　obligations；　for　a　man　is　seldom　assassinated　when　in　the　company　of　a　woman。　　The　savage　hand　of　rapine　is　unnerved　by　this　chivalrous　spirit；　and；　if　the　stroke　of　vengeance　cannot　be　stayedthe　lady　is　entreated　to　pardon　the　rudeness　and　depart　in　peace；　though　sprinkled；　perhaps；　with　her　husband's　or　brother's　blood。　I　shall　pass　over　his　strictures　on　religion；　because　I　mean　to　discuss　that　subject　in　a　separate　chapter。　The　remarks　relative　to　behaviour；　though　many　of　them　very　sensible；　I　entirely　disapprove　of；　because　it　appears　to　me　to　be　beginning；　as　it　were　at　the　wrong　end。　　A　cultivated　understanding；　and　an　affectionate　heart；　will　never　want　starched　rules　of　decorum；　something　more　substantial　than　seemliness　will　be　the　result；　and；　without　understanding；　the　behaviour　here　recommended；　would　be　rank　affectation。　　Decorum；　indeed；　is　the　one　thing　needful！　　decorum　is　to　supplant　nature；　and　banish　all　simplicity　and　variety　of　character　out　of　the　female　world。　　Yet　what　good　end　can　all　this　superficial　counsel　produce？　　It　is；　however；　much　easier　to　point　out　this　or　that　mode　of　behaviour；　than　to　set　the　reason　to　work；　but；　when　the　mind　has　been　stored　with　useful　knowledge；　and　strengthened　by　being　employed；　the　regulation　of　the　behaviour　may　safely　be　left　to　its　guidance。　Why；　for　instance；　should　the　following　caution　be　given；　when　art　of　every　kind　must　contaminate　the　mind；　and　why　entangle　the　grand　motives　of　action；　which　reason　and　religion　equally　combine　to　enforce；　with　pitiful　worldly　shifts　and　slight　of　hand　tricks　to　gain　the　applause　of　gaping　tasteless　fools？　　〃Be　even　cautious　in　displaying　your　good　sense。*　　It　will　be　thought　you　assume　a　superiority　over　the　rest　of　the　company　But　if　you　happen　to　have　any　learning　keep　it　a　profound　secret；　especially　from　the　men；　who　generally　look　with　a　jealous　and　malignant　eye　on　a　woman　of　great　parts；　and　a　cultivated　understanding。〃　　If　men　of　real　merit；　as　he　afterwards　observes；　are　superior　to　this　meanness；　where　is　the　necessity　that　the　behaviour　of　the　whole　sex　should　be　modulated　to　please　fools；　or　men；　who　having　little　claim　to　respect　as　individuals；　choose　to　keep　close　in　their　phalanx。　Men；　indeed；　who　insist　on　their　common　superiority；　having　only　this　sexual　superiority；　are　certainly　very　excusable。　（*Footnote。　　Let　women　once　acquire　good　senseand　if　it　deserve　the　name；　it　will　teach　them；　or；　of　what　use　will　it　be　how　to　employ　it。）　There　would　be　no　end　to　rules　for　behaviour；　if　it　be　proper　always　to　adopt　the　tone　of　the　company；　for　thus；　for　ever　varying　the　key；　a　FLAT　would　often　pass　for　a　NATURAL　note。　Surely　it　would　have　been　wiser　to　have　advised　women　to　improve　themselves　till　they　rose　above　the　fumes　of　vanity；　and　then　to　let　the　public　opinion　come　roundfor　where　are　rules　of　accommodation　to　stop？　　The　narrow　path　of　truth　and　virtue　inclines　neither　to　the　right　nor　left；　it　is　a　straight…forward　business；　and　they　who　are　earnestly　pursuing　their　road；　may　bound　over　many　decorous　prejudices；　without　leaving　modesty　behind。　Make　the　heart　clean；　and　give　the　head　employment；　and　I　will　venture　to　predict　that　there　will　be　nothing　offensive　in　the　behaviour。　The　air　of　fashion；　which　many　young　people　are　so　eager　to　attain；　always　strikes　me　like　the　studied　attitudes　of　some　modern　prints；　copied　with　tasteless　servility　after　the　antiques；　the　soul　is　left　out；　and　none　of　the　parts　are　tied　together　by　what　may　properly　be　termed　character。　　This　varnish　of　fashion；　which　seldom　sticks　very　close　to　sense；　may　dazzle　the　weak；　but　leave　nature　to　itself；　and　it　will　seldom　disgust　the　wise。　　Besides；　when　a　woman　has　sufficient　sense　not　to　pretend　to　any　thing　which　she　does　not　understand　in　some　degree；　there　is　no　need　of　determining　to　hide　her　talents　under　a　bushel。　　Let　things　take　their　natural　course；　and　all　will　be　well。　It　is　this　system　of　dissimulation；　throughout　the　volume；　that　I　despise。　　Women　are　always　to　SEEM　to　be　this　and　thatyet　virtue　might　apostrophize　them；　in　the　words　of　HamletSeems！　　I　know　not　seems！Have　that　within　that　passeth　show！　Still　the　same　tone　occurs；　for　in　another　place；　after　recommending；　（without　sufficiently　discriminating）　delicacy；　he　adds；　〃The　men　will　complain　of　your　reserve。　　They　will　assure　you　that　a　franker　behaviour　would　make　you　more　amiable。　　But；　trust　me；　they　are　not　sincere　when　they　tell　you　so。　　I　acknowledge　that　on　some　occasions　it　might　render　you　more　agreeable　as　companions；　but　it　would　make　you　less　amiable　as　women：　　an　important　distinction；　which　many　of　your　sex　are　not　aware　of。〃　This　desire　of　being　always　women；　is　the　very　consciousness　that　degrades　the　sex。　　Excepting　with　a　lover；　I　must　repeat　with　emphasis；　a　former　observationit　would　be　well　if　they　were　only　agreeable　or　rational　companions。　　But　in　this　respect　his　advice　is　even　inconsistent　with　a　passage　which　I　mean　to　quote　with　the　most　marked　approbation。　〃The　sentiment；　that　a　woman　may　allow　all　innocent　freedoms；　provided　her　virtue　is　secure；　is　both　grossly　indelicate　and　dangerous；　and　has　proved　fatal　to　many　of　your　sex。〃　　With　this　opinion　I　perfectly　coincide。　　A　man；　or　a　woman；　of　any　feeling　must　always　wish　to　convince　a　beloved　object　that　it　is　the　caresses　of　the　individual；　not　the　sex；　that　is　received　and　returned　with　pleasure；　and；　that　the　heart；　rather　than　the　senses；　is　moved。　　Without　this　natural　delicacy；　love　becomes　a　selfish　personal　gratification　that　soon　degrades　the　character。　I　carry　this　sentiment　still　further。　　Affection；　when　love　is　out　of　the　question；　authorises　many　personal　endearments；　that　naturally　flowing　from　an　innocent　heart　give　life　to　the　behaviour；　but　the　personal　intercourse　of　appetite；　gallantry；　or　vanity；　is　despicable。　　When　a　man　squeezes　the　hand　of　a　pretty　woman；　handing　her　to　a　carriage；　whom　he　has　never　seen　before；　she　will　consider　such　an　impertinent　freedom　in　the　light　of　an　insult；　if　she　have　any　true　delicacy；　instead　of　being　flattered　by　this　unmeaning　homage　to　beauty。　　These　are　the　privileges　of　friendship；　or　the　momentary　homage　which　the　heart　pays　to　virtue；　when　it　flashes　suddenly　on　the　noticemere　animal　spirits　have　no　claim　to　the　kindnesses　of　affection。　Wishing　to　feed　the　affections　with　what　is　now　the　food　of　vanity；　I　would　fain　persuade　my　sex　to　act　from　simpler　principles。　　Let　them　merit　love；　and　they　will　obtain　it；　though　they　may　never　be　told　that：　　〃The　power　of　a　fine　woman　over　the　hearts　of　men；　of　men　of　the　finest　parts；　is　even　beyond　what　she　conceives。〃　I　have　already　noticed　the　narrow　cautions　with　respect　to　duplicity；　female　softness；　delicacy　of　constitution；　for　these　are　the　changes　which　he　rings　round　without　ceasing；　in　a　more　decorous　manner；　it