a vindication of the rights of woman-第36章

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　man；　as　man　is　the　foundation　of　every　noble　sentiment。　　How　much　more　modest　is　the　libertine　who　obeys　the　call　of　appetite　or　fancy；　than　the　lewd　joker　who　sets　the　table　in　a　roar。　This　is　one　of　the　many　instances　in　which　the　sexual　distinction　respecting　modesty　has　proved　fatal　to　virtue　and　happiness。　　It　is；　however；　carried　still　further；　and　woman；　weak　woman！　made　by　her　education　the　slave　of　sensibility；　is　required；　on　the　most　trying　occasions；　to　resist　that　sensibility。　　〃Can　any　thing；〃　says　Knox；　be　more　absurd　than　keeping　women　in　a　state　of　ignorance；　and　yet　so　vehemently　to　insist　on　their　resisting　temptation？　　Thus　when　virtue　or　honour　make　it　proper　to　check　a　passion；　the　burden　is　thrown　on　the　weaker　shoulders；　contrary　to　reason　and　true　modesty；　which；　at　least；　should　render　the　self…denial　mutual；　to　say　nothing　of　the　generosity　of　bravery；　supposed　to　be　a　manly　virtue。　In　the　same　strain　runs　Rousseau's　and　Dr。　Gregory's　advice　respecting　modesty；　strangely　miscalled！　for　they　both　desire　a　wife　to　leave　it　in　doubt；　whether　sensibility　or　weakness　led　her　to　her　husband's　arms。　　The　woman　is　immodest　who　can　let　the　shadow　of　such　a　doubt　remain　on　her　husband's　mind　a　moment。　But　to　state　the　subject　in　a　different　light。　　The　want　of　modesty；　which　I　principally　deplore　as　subversive　of　morality；　arises　from　the　state　of　warfare　so　strenuously　supported　by　voluptuous　men　as　the　very　essence　of　modesty；　though；　in　fact；　its　bane；　because　it　is　a　refinement　on　sensual　desire；　that　men　fall　into　who　have　not　sufficient　virtue　to　relish　the　innocent　pleasures　of　love。　　A　man　of　delicacy　carries　his　notions　of　modesty　still　further；　for　neither　weakness　nor　sensibility　will　gratify　himhe　looks　for　affection。　Again；　men　boast　of　their　triumphs　over　women；　what　do　they　boast　of？　Truly　the　creature　of　sensibility　was　surprised　by　her　sensibility　into　follyinto　vice；*　and　the　dreadful　reckoning　falls　heavily　on　her　own　weak　head；　when　reason　wakes。　　For　where　art　thou　to　find　comfort；　forlorn　and　disconsolate　one？　　He　who　ought　to　have　directed　thy　reason；　and　supported　thy　weakness；　has　betrayed　thee！　　In　a　dream　of　passion　thou　consentedst　to　wander　through　flowery　lawns；　and　heedlessly　stepping　over　the　precipice　to　which　thy　guide；　instead　of　guarding；　lured　thee；　thou　startest　from　thy　dream　only　to　face　a　sneering；　frowning　world；　and　to　find　thyself　alone　in　a　waste；　for　he　that　triumphed　in　thy　weakness　is　now　pursuing　new　conquests；　but　for　theethere　is　no　redemption　on　this　side　the　grave！　　And　what　resource　hast　thou　in　an　enervated　mind　to　raise　a　sinking　heart？　（*Footnote。　　The　poor　moth　fluttering　round　a　candle；　burns　its　wings。）　But；　if　the　sexes　be　really　to　live　in　a　state　of　warfare；　if　nature　has　pointed　it　out；　let　men　act　nobly；　or　let　pride　whisper　to　them；　that　the　victory　is　mean　when　they　merely　vanquish　sensibility。　　The　real　conquest　is　that　over　affection　not　taken　by　surprisewhen；　like　Heloisa；　a　woman　gives　up　all　the　world；　deliberately；　for　love。　　I　do　not　now　consider　the　wisdom　or　virtue　of　such　a　sacrifice；　I　only　contend　that　it　was　a　sacrifice　to　affection；　and　not　merely　to　sensibility；　though　she　had　her　share。　And　I　must　be　allowed　to　call　her　a　modest　woman；　before　I　dismiss　this　part　of　the　subject；　by　saying；　that　till　men　are　more　chaste；　women　will　be　immodest。　　Where；　indeed；　could　modest　women　find　husbands　from　whom　they　would　not　continually　turn　with　disgust？　Modesty　must　be　equally　cultivated　by　both　sexes；　or　it　will　ever　remain　a　sickly　hot…house　plant；　whilst　the　affectation　of　it；　the　fig　leaf　borrowed　by　wantonness；　may　give　a　zest　to　voluptuous　enjoyments。）　Men　will　probably　still　insist　that　woman　ought　to　have　more　modesty　than　man；　but　it　is　not　dispassionate　reasoners　who　will　most　earnestly　oppose　my　opinion。　　No；　they　are　the　men　of　fancy；　the　favourites　of　the　sex；　who　outwardly　respect；　and　inwardly　despise　the　weak　creatures　whom　they　thus　sport　with。　　They　cannot　submit　to　resign　the　highest　sensual　gratification；　nor　even　to　relish　the　epicurism　of　virtueself…denial。　To　take　another　view　of　the　subject；　confining　my　remarks　to　women。　The　ridiculous　falsities　which　are　told　to　children；　from　mistaken　notions　of　modesty；　tend　very　early　to　inflame　their　imaginations　and　set　their　little　minds　to　work；　respecting　subjects；　which　nature　never　intended　they　should　think　of；　till　the　body　arrived　at　some　degree　of　maturity；　then　the　passions　naturally　begin　to　take　place　of　the　senses；　as　instruments　to　unfold　the　understanding；　and　form　the　moral　character。　In　nurseries；　and　boarding　schools；　I　fear；　girls　are　first　spoiled；　particularly　in　the　latter。　　A　number　of　girls　sleep　in　the　same　room；　and　wash　together。　　And；　though　I　should　be　sorry　to　contaminate　an　innocent　creature's　mind　by　instilling　false　delicacy；　or　those　indecent　prudish　notions；　which　early　cautions　respecting　the　other　sex　naturally　engender；　I　should　be　very　anxious　to　prevent　their　acquiring　indelicate；　or　immodest　habits；　and　as　many　girls　have　learned　very　indelicate　tricks；　from　ignorant　servants；　the　mixing　them　thus　indiscriminately　together；　is　very　improper。　To　say　the　truth；　women　are；　in　general；　too　familiar　with　each　other；　which　leads　to　that　gross　degree　of　familiarity　that　so　frequently　renders　the　marriage　state　unhappy。　　Why　in　the　name　of　decency　are　sisters；　female　intimates；　or　ladies　and　their　waiting　women；　to　be　so　grossly　familiar　as　to　forget　the　respect　which　one　human　creature　owes　to　another？　　That　squeamish　delicacy　which　shrinks　from　the　most　disgusting　offices　when　affection　or　humanity　lead　us　to　watch　at　a　sick　pillow；　is　despicable。　　But；　why　women　in　health　should　be　more　familiar　with　each　other　than　men　are；　when　they　boast　of　their　superiour　delicacy；　is　a　solecism　in　manners　which　I　could　never　solve。　In　order　to　preserve　health　and　beauty；　I　should　earnestly　recommend　frequent　ablutions；　to　dignify　my　advice　that　it　may　not　offend　the　fastidious　ear；　and；　by　example；　girls　ought　to　be　taught　to　wash　and　dress　alone；　without　any　distinction　of　rank；　and　if　custom　should　make　them　require　some　little　assistance；　let　them　not　require　it　till　that　part　of　the　business　is　over　which　ought　never　to　be　done　before　a　fellow…creature；　because　it　is　an　insult　to　the　majesty　of　human　nature。　　Not　on　the　score　of　modesty；　but　decency；　for　the　care　which　some　modest　women　take；　making　at　the　same　time　a　display　of　that　care；　not　to　let　their　legs　be　seen；　is　as　childish　as　immodest。*　（*Footnote。　　I　remember　to　have　met　with　a　sentence；　in　a　book　of　education　that　made　me　smile。　　〃It　would　be　needless　to　caution　you　against　putting　your　hand；　by　chance；　under　your　neck…handkerchief；　for　a　modest　woman　never　did　so！〃）　I　could　proceed　still　further；　till　I　animadverted　on　some　still　more　indelicate　customs；　which　men　never　fall　into。　　Secrets　are　toldwhere　silence　ought　to　reign；　and　that　regard　to　cleanliness；　which　some　religious　sects　have；　perhaps；　carried　too　far；　especially　the　Essenes；　amongst　the　Jews；　by　making　that　an　insult　to　God　which　is　only　an　insult　to　humanity；　is　violated　in　a　brutal　manner。　　How　can　DELICATE　women　obtrude　on　notice　that　part　of　the　animal　economy；　which　is　so　very　disgusting？　　And　is　it　not　very　rational　to　conclude；　that　the　women　who　have　not　been　taught　to　respect　the　human　nature　of　their　own　sex；　in　these　particulars；　will　not　long　respect　the　mere　difference　of　sex；　in　their　husbands？　　After　their　maidenish　bashfulness　is　once　lost；　I；　in　fact；　have　generally　observed；　that　women　fall　into　old　habits；　and　treat　their　husbands　as　they　did　their　sisters　or　female　acquaintance。　Besides；　women　from　necessity；　because　their　minds　are　not　cultivated；　have　recourse　very　often；　to　what　I　familiarly　term　bodily　wit；　and　their　intimacies　are　of　the　same　kind。　　In　short；　with　respect　to　both　mind　and　body；　they　are　too　intimate。　　That　decent　personal　reserve；　which　is　the　foundation　of　dignity　of　character；　must　be　kept　up　between　women；　or　their　minds　will　never　gain　strength　or　modesty。　On　this　account　also；　I　object　to　many　females　being　shut　up　together　in　nurseries；　schools；　or　convents。　　I　cannot　recollect　without　indignation；　the　jokes　and　hoiden　tricks；　which　knots　of　young　women　indulged　themselves　in；　when　in　my　youth　accident　threw　me；　an　awkward　rustic；　in　their　way。　　They　were　almost　on　a　par　with　the　double　meanings；　which　shake　the　convivial　table　when　the　glass　has　circulated　freely。　　But　it　is　vain　to　attempt　to　keep　the　heart　pure；　unless　the　head　is　furnished　with　ideas；　and　set　to　work　to　compare　them；　in　order；　to　acquire　judgment；　by　generalizing　simple　ones；　and　modesty　by　making　the　understanding　damp　the　sensibility。　It　may　be　thought　that　I　lay　too　great　a　stress　on　personal　reserve；　but　it　is　ever　the　hand…maid　of　modesty。　　So　that　were　I　to　name　the　graces　that　ought　to　adorn　beauty；　I　should　instantly　exclaim；　cleanliness；　neatness；　and　personal　reserve。　　It　is　obvious；　I　suppose；　that　the　reserve　I　mean；　has　nothing　sexual　in　it；　and　that　I　think　it　EQUALLY　necessary　in　both　sexes。　　So　necessary　indeed；　is　that　reserve　and　cleanliness　which　indolent　women　too　often　neglect；　that　I　wil