a vindication of the rights of woman-第3章

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ded；　without　having　a　voice；　from　a　participation　of　the　natural　rights　of　mankind；　prove　first；　to　ward　off　the　charge　of　injustice　and　inconsistency；　that　they　want　reason；　else　this　flaw　in　your　NEW　CONSTITUTION；　the　first　constitution　founded　on　reason；　will　ever　show　that　man　must；　in　some　shape；　act　like　a　tyrant；　and　tyranny；　in　whatever　part　of　society　it　rears　its　brazen　front；　will　ever　undermine　morality。　I　have　repeatedly　asserted；　and　produced　what　appeared　to　me　irrefragable　arguments　drawn　from　matters　of　fact；　to　prove　my　assertion；　that　women　cannot；　by　force；　be　confined　to　domestic　concerns；　for　they　will　however　ignorant；　intermeddle　with　more　weighty　affairs；　neglecting　private　duties　only　to　disturb；　by　cunning　tricks；　the　orderly　plans　of　reason　which　rise　above　their　comprehension。　Besides；　whilst　they　are　only　made　to　acquire　personal　accomplishments；　men　will　seek　for　pleasure　in　variety；　and　faithless　husbands　will　make　faithless　wives；　such　ignorant　beings；　indeed；　will　be　very　excusable　when；　not　taught　to　respect　public　good；　nor　allowed　any　civil　right；　they　attempt　to　do　themselves　justice　by　retaliation。　The　box　of　mischief　thus　opened　in　society；　what　is　to　preserve　private　virtue；　the　only　security　of　public　freedom　and　universal　happiness？　Let　there　be　then　no　coercion　ESTABLISHED　in　society；　and　the　common　law　of　gravity　prevailing；　the　sexes　will　fall　into　their　proper　places。　　And；　now　that　more　equitable　laws　are　forming　your　citizens；　marriage　may　become　more　sacred；　your　young　men　may　choose　wives　from　motives　of　affection；　and　your　maidens　allow　love　to　root　out　vanity。　The　father　of　a　family　will　not　then　weaken　his　constitution　and　debase　his　sentiments；　by　visiting　the　harlot；　nor　forget；　in　obeying　the　call　of　appetite；　the　purpose　for　which　it　was　implanted；　and　the　mother　will　not　neglect　her　children　to　practise　the　arts　of　coquetry；　when　sense　and　modesty　secure　her　the　friendship　of　her　husband。　But；　till　men　become　attentive　to　the　duty　of　a　father；　it　is　vain　to　expect　women　to　spend　that　time　in　their　nursery　which　they；　〃wise　in　their　generation；〃　choose　to　spend　at　their　glass；　for　this　exertion　of　cunning　is　only　an　instinct　of　nature　to　enable　them　to　obtain　indirectly　a　little　of　that　power　of　which　they　are　unjustly　denied　a　share；　for；　if　women　are　not　permitted　to　enjoy　legitimate　rights；　they　will　render　both　men　and　themselves　vicious；　to　obtain　illicit　privileges。　I　wish；　sir；　to　set　some　investigations　of　this　kind　afloat　in　France；　and　should　they　lead　to　a　confirmation　of　my　principles；　when　your　constitution　is　revised；　the　rights　of　woman　may　be　respected；　if　it　be　fully　proved　that　reason　calls　for　this　respect；　and　loudly　demands　JUSTICE　for　one　half　of　the　human　race。　I　am；　sir；　Yours　respectfully；　M。　W。



INTRODUCTION

After　considering　the　historic　page；　and　viewing　the　living　world　with　anxious　solicitude；　the　most　melancholy　emotions　of　sorrowful　indignation　have　depressed　my　spirits；　and　I　have　sighed　when　obliged　to　confess；　that　either　nature　has　made　a　great　difference　between　man　and　man；　or　that　the　civilization；　which　has　hitherto　taken　place　in　the　world；　has　been　very　partial。　　I　have　turned　over　various　books　written　on　the　subject　of　education；　and　patiently　observed　the　conduct　of　parents　and　the　management　of　schools；　but　what　has　been　the　result？　a　profound　conviction；　that　the　neglected　education　of　my　fellow　creatures　is　the　grand　source　of　the　misery　I　deplore；　and　that　women　in　particular；　are　rendered　weak　and　wretched　by　a　variety　of　concurring　causes；　originating　from　one　hasty　conclusion。　　The　conduct　and　manners　of　women；　in　fact；　evidently　prove；　that　their　minds　are　not　in　a　healthy　state；　for；　like　the　flowers　that　　are　planted　in　too　rich　a　soil；　strength　and　usefulness　are　sacrificed　to　beauty；　and　the　flaunting　leaves；　after　having　pleased　a　fastidious　eye；　fade；　disregarded　on　the　stalk；　long　before　the　season　when　they　ought　to　have　arrived　at　maturity。　　One　cause　of　this　barren　blooming　I　attribute　to　a　false　system　of　education；　gathered　from　the　books　written　on　this　subject　by　men；　who；　considering　females　rather　as　women　than　human　creatures；　have　been　more　anxious　to　make　them　alluring　mistresses　than　rational　wives；　and　the　understanding　of　the　sex　has　been　so　bubbled　by　this　specious　homage；　that　the　civilized　women　of　the　present　century；　with　a　few　exceptions；　are　only　anxious　to　inspire　love；　when　they　ought　to　cherish　a　nobler　ambition；　and　by　their　abilities　and　virtues　exact　respect。　In　a　treatise；　therefore；　on　female　rights　and　manners；　the　works　which　have　been　particularly　written　for　their　improvement　must　not　be　overlooked；　especially　when　it　is　asserted；　in　direct　terms；　that　the　minds　of　women　are　enfeebled　by　false　refinement；　that　the　books　of　instruction；　written　by　men　of　genius；　have　had　the　same　tendency　as　more　frivolous　productions；　and　that；　in　the　true　style　of　Mahometanism；　they　are　only　considered　as　females；　and　not　as　a　part　of　the　human　species；　when　improvable　reason　is　allowed　to　be　the　dignified　distinction；　which　raises　men　above　the　brute　creation；　and　puts　a　natural　sceptre　in　a　feeble　hand。　Yet；　because　I　am　a　woman；　I　would　not　lead　my　readers　to　suppose；　that　I　mean　violently　to　agitate　the　contested　question　respecting　the　equality　and　inferiority　of　the　sex；　but　as　the　subject　lies　in　my　way；　and　I　cannot　pass　it　over　without　subjecting　the　main　tendency　of　my　reasoning　to　misconstruction；　I　shall　stop　a　moment　to　deliver；　in　a　few　words；　my　opinion。　　In　the　government　of　the　physical　world；　it　is　observable　that　the　female；　in　general；　is　inferior　to　the　male。　　The　male　pursues；　the　female　yieldsthis　is　the　law　of　nature；　and　it　does　not　appear　to　be　suspended　or　abrogated　in　favour　of　woman。　　This　physical　superiority　cannot　be　deniedand　it　is　a　noble　prerogative！　　But　not　content　with　this　natural　pre…eminence；　men　endeavour　to　sink　us　still　lower；　merely　to　render　us　alluring　objects　for　a　moment；　and　women；　intoxicated　by　the　adoration　which　men；　under　the　influence　of　their　senses；　pay　them；　do　not　seek　to　obtain　a　durable　interest　in　their　hearts；　or　to　become　the　friends　of　the　fellow　creatures　who　find　amusement　in　their　society。　I　am　aware　of　an　obvious　inference：　from　every　quarter　have　I　heard　exclamations　against　masculine　women；　but　where　are　they　to　be　found？　　If；　by　this　appellation；　men　mean　to　inveigh　against　their　ardour　in　hunting；　shooting；　and　gaming；　I　shall　most　cordially　join　in　the　cry；　but　if　it　be；　against　the　imitation　of　manly　virtues；　or；　more　properly　speaking；　the　attainment　of　those　talents　and　virtues；　the　exercise　of　which　ennobles　the　human　character；　and　which　raise　females　in　the　scale　of　animal　being；　when　they　are　comprehensively　termed　mankindall　those　who　view　them　with　a　philosophical　eye　must；　I　should　think；　wish　with　me；　that　they　may　every　day　grow　more　and　more　masculine。　This　discussion　naturally　divides　the　subject。　　I　shall　first　consider　women　in　the　grand　light　of　human　creatures；　who；　in　common　with　men；　are　placed　on　this　earth　to　unfold　their　faculties；　and　afterwards　I　shall　more　particularly　point　out　their　peculiar　designation。　I　wish　also　to　steer　clear　of　an　error；　which　many　respectable　writers　have　fallen　into；　for　the　instruction　which　has　hitherto　been　addressed　to　women；　has　rather　been　applicable　to　LADIES；　if　the　little　indirect　advice；　that　is　scattered　through　Sandford　and　Merton；　be　excepted；　but；　addressing　my　sex　in　a　firmer　tone；　I　pay　particular　attention　to　those　in　the　middle　class；　because　they　appear　to　be　in　the　most　natural　state。　　Perhaps　the　seeds　of　false　refinement；　immorality；　and　vanity　have　ever　been　shed　by　the　great。　　Weak；　artificial　beings　raised　above　the　common　wants　and　affections　of　their　race；　in　a　premature　unnatural　manner；　undermine　the　very　foundation　of　virtue；　and　spread　corruption　through　the　whole　mass　of　society！　　As　a　class　of　mankind　they　have　the　strongest　claim　to　pity！　the　education　of　the　rich　tends　to　render　them　vain　and　helpless；　and　the　unfolding　mind　is　not　strengthened　by　the　practice　of　those　duties　which　dignify　the　human　character。　　They　only　live　to　amuse　themselves；　and　by　the　same　law　which　in　nature　invariably　produces　certain　effects；　they　soon　only　afford　barren　amusement。　But　as　I　purpose　taking　a　separate　view　of　the　different　ranks　of　society；　and　of　the　moral　character　of　women；　in　each；　this　hint　is；　for　the　present；　sufficient；　and　I　have　only　alluded　to　the　subject；　because　it　appears　to　me　to　be　the　very　essence　of　an　introduction　to　give　a　cursory　account　of　the　contents　of　the　work　it　introduces。　My　own　sex；　I　hope；　will　excuse　me；　if　I　treat　them　like　rational　creatures；　instead　of　flattering　their　FASCINATING　graces；　and　viewing　them　as　if　they　were　in　a　state　of　perpetual　childhood；　unable　to　stand　alone。　　I　earnestly　wish　to　point　out　in　what　true　dignity　and　human　happiness　consistsI　wish　to　persuade　women　to　endeavour　to　acquire　strength；　both　of　mind　and　body；　and　to　convince　them；　that　the　soft　phrases；　susceptibility　of　heart；　delicacy　of　sentiment；　and　refinement　of　taste；　are　almost　synonymous　with　epithets　of　weakness；　and　that　th