a vindication of the rights of woman-第40章

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　off　when　born。　　Nature　in　every　thing　demands　respect；　and　those　who　violate　her　laws　seldom　violate　them　with　impunity。　　The　weak　enervated　women　who　particularly　catch　the　attention　of　libertines；　are　unfit　to　be　mothers；　though　they　may　conceive；　so　that　the　rich　sensualist；　who　has　rioted　among　women；　spreading　depravity　and　misery；　when　he　wishes　to　perpetuate　his　name；　receives　from　his　wife　only　an　half…formed　being　that　inherits　both　its　father's　and　mother's　weakness。　Contrasting　the　humanity　of　the　present　age　with　the　barbarism　of　antiquity；　great　stress　has　been　laid　on　the　savage　custom　of　exposing　the　children　whom　their　parents　could　not　maintain；　whilst　the　man　of　sensibility；　who　thus；　perhaps；　complains；　by　his　promiscuous　amours　produces　a　most　destructive　barrenness　and　contagious　flagitiousness　of　manners。　　Surely　nature　never　intended　that　women；　by　satisfying　an　appetite；　should　frustrate　the　very　purpose　for　which　it　was　implanted？　I　have　before　observed；　that　men　ought　to　maintain　the　women　whom　they　have　seduced；　this　would　be　one　means　of　reforming　female　manners；　and　stopping　an　abuse　that　has　an　equally　fatal　effect　on　population　and　morals。　　Another；　no　less　obvious；　would　be　to　turn　the　attention　of　woman　to　the　real　virtue　of　chastity；　for　to　little　respect　has　that　woman　a　claim；　on　the　score　of　modesty；　though　her　reputation　may　be　white　as　the　driven　snow；　who　smiles　on　the　libertine　whilst　she　spurns　the　victims　of　his　lawless　appetites　and　their　own　folly。　Besides；　she　has　a　taint　of　the　same　folly；　pure　as　she　esteems　herself；　when　she　studiously　adorns　her　person　only　to　be　seen　by　men；　to　excite　respectful　sighs；　and　all　the　idle　homage　of　what　is　called　innocent　gallantry。　　Did　women　really　respect　virtue　for　its　own　sake；　they　would　not　seek　for　a　compensation　in　vanity；　for　the　self…denial　which　they　are　obliged　to　practise　to　preserve　their　reputation；　nor　would　they　associate　with　men　who　set　reputation　at　defiance。　The　two　sexes　mutually　corrupt　and　improve　each　other。　　This　I　believe　to　be　an　indisputable　truth；　extending　it　to　every　virtue。　Chastity；　modesty；　public　spirit；　and　all　the　noble　train　of　virtues；　on　which　social　virtue　and　happiness　are　built；　should　be　understood　and　cultivated　by　all　mankind；　or　they　will　be　cultivated　to　little　effect。　　And；　instead　of　furnishing　the　vicious　or　idle　with　a　pretext　for　violating　some　sacred　duty；　by　terming　it　a　sexual　one；　it　would　be　wiser　to　show；　that　nature　has　not　made　any　difference；　for　that　the　unchaste　man　doubly　defeats　the　purpose　of　nature　by　rendering　women　barren；　and　destroying　his　own　constitution；　though　he　avoids　the　shame　that　pursues　the　crime　in　the　other　sex。　　These　are　the　physical　consequences；　the　moral　are　still　more　alarming；　for　virtue　is　only　a　nominal　distinction　when　the　duties　of　citizens；　husbands；　wives；　fathers；　mothers；　and　directors　of　families；　become　merely　the　selfish　ties　of　convenience。　Why　then　do　philosophers　look　for　public　spirit？　　Public　spirit　must　be　nurtured　by　private　virtue；　or　it　will　resemble　the　factitious　sentiment　which　makes　women　careful　to　preserve　their　reputation；　and　men　their　honour。　　A　sentiment　that　often　exists　unsupported　by　virtue；　unsupported　by　that　sublime　morality　which　makes　the　habitual　breach　of　one　duty　a　breach　of　the　whole　moral　law。

CHAPTER　9。　OF　THE　PERNICIOUS　EFFECTS　WHICH　ARISE　FROM　THE　UNNATURAL　DISTINCTIONS　ESTABLISHED　IN　SOCIETY。　》From　the　respect　paid　to　property　flow；　as　from　a　poisoned　fountain；　most　of　the　evils　and　vices　which　render　this　world　such　a　dreary　scene　to　the　contemplative　mind。　　For　it　is　in　the　most　polished　society　that　noisome　reptiles　and　venomous　serpents　lurk　under　the　rank　herbage；　and　there　is　voluptuousness　pampered　by　the　still　sultry　air；　which　relaxes　every　good　disposition　before　it　ripens　into　virtue。　One　class　presses　on　another；　for　all　are　aiming　to　procure　respect　on　account　of　their　property：　　and　property；　once　gained；　will　procure　the　respect　due　only　to　talents　and　virtue。　　Men　neglect　the　duties　incumbent　on　man；　yet　are　treated　like　demi…gods；　religion　is　also　separated　from　morality　by　a　ceremonial　veil；　yet　men　wonder　that　the　world　is　almost；　literally　speaking；　a　den　of　sharpers　or　oppressors。　There　is　a　homely　proverb；　which　speaks　a　shrewd　truth；　that　whoever　the　devil　finds　idle　he　will　employ。　　And　what　but　habitual　idleness　can　hereditary　wealth　and　titles　produce？　　For　man　is　so　constituted　that　he　can　only　attain　a　proper　use　of　his　faculties　by　exercising　them；　and　will　not　exercise　them　unless　necessity；　of　some　kind；　first　set　the　wheels　in　motion。　　Virtue　likewise　can　only　be　acquired　by　the　discharge　of　relative　duties；　but　the　importance　of　these　sacred　duties　will　scarcely　be　felt　by　the　being　who　is　cajoled　out　of　his　humanity　by　the　flattery　of　sycophants。　　There　must　be　more　equality　established　in　society；　or　morality　will　never　gain　ground；　and　this　virtuous　equality　will　not　rest　firmly　even　when　founded　on　a　rock；　if　one　half　of　mankind　are　chained　to　its　bottom　by　fate；　for　they　will　be　continually　undermining　it　through　ignorance　or　pride。　　It　is　vain　to　expect　virtue　from　women　till　they　are；　in　some　degree；　independent　of　men；　nay；　it　is　vain　to　expect　that　strength　of　natural　affection；　which　would　make　them　good　wives　and　good　mothers。　　Whilst　they　are　absolutely　dependent　on　their　husbands；　they　will　be　cunning；　mean；　and　selfish；　and　the　men　who　can　be　gratified　by　the　fawning　fondness；　of　spaniel…like　affection；　have　not　much　delicacy；　for　love　is　not　to　be　bought；　in　any　sense　of　the　word；　its　silken　wings　are　instantly　shrivelled　up　when　any　thing　beside　a　return　in　kind　is　sought。　　Yet　whilst　wealth　enervates　men；　and　women　live；　as　it　were；　by　their　personal　charms；　how；　can　we　expect　them　to　discharge　those　ennobling　duties　which　equally　require　exertion　and　self…denial。　　Hereditary　property　sophisticates　the　mind；　and　the　unfortunate　victims　to　it；　if　I　may　so　express　myself；　swathed　from　their　birth；　seldom　exert　the　locomotive　faculty　of　body　or　mind；　and；　thus　viewing　every　thing　through　one　medium；　and　that　a　false　one；　they　are　unable　to　discern　in　what　true　merit　and　happiness　consist。　　False；　indeed；　must　be　the　light　when　the　drapery　of　situation　hides　the　man；　and　makes　him　stalk　in　masquerade；　dragging　from　one　scene　of　dissipation　to　another　the　nerveless　limbs　that　hang　with　stupid　listlessness；　and　rolling　round　the　vacant　eye　which　plainly　tells　us　that　there　is　no　mind　at　home。　I　mean；　therefore；　to　infer；　that　the　society　is　not　properly　organized　which　does　not　compel　men　and　women　to　discharge　their　respective　duties；　by　making　it　the　only　way　to　acquire　that　countenance　from　their　fellow　creatures；　which　every　human　being　wishes　some　way　to　attain。　　The　respect；　consequently；　which　is　paid　to　wealth　and　mere　personal　charms；　is　a　true　north…east　blast；　that　blights　the　tender　blossoms　of　affection　and　virtue。　Nature　has　wisely　attached　affections　to　duties；　to　sweeten　toil；　and　to　give　that　vigour　to　the　exertions　of　reason　which　only　the　heart　can　give。　　But；　the　affection　which　is　put　on　merely　because　it　is　the　appropriated　insignia　of　a　certain　character；　when　its　duties　are　not　fulfilled　is　one　of　the　empty　compliments　which　vice　and　folly　are　obliged　to　pay　to　virtue　and　the　real　nature　of　things。　To　illustrate　my　opinion；　I　need　only　observe；　that　when　a　woman　is　admired　for　her　beauty；　and　suffers　herself　to　be　so　far　intoxicated　by　the　admiration　she　receives；　as　to　neglect　to　discharge　the　indispensable　duty　of　a　mother；　she　sins　against　herself　by　neglecting　to　cultivate　an　affection　that　would　equally　tend　to　make　her　useful　and　happy。　　True　happiness；　I　mean　all　the　contentment；　and　virtuous　satisfaction　that　can　be　snatched　in　this　imperfect　state；　must　arise　from　well　regulated　affections；　and　an　affection　includes　a　duty。　　Men　are　not　aware　of　the　misery　they　cause；　and　the　vicious　weakness　they　cherish；　by　only　inciting　women　to　render　themselves　pleasing；　they　do　not　consider；　that　they　thus　make　natural　and　artificial　duties　clash；　by　sacrificing　the　comfort　and　respectability　of　a　woman's　life　to　voluptuous　notions　of　beauty；　when　in　nature　they　all　harmonize。　Cold　would　be　the　heart　of　a　husband；　were　he　not　rendered　unnatural　by　early　debauchery；　who　did　not　feel　more　delight　at　seeing　his　child　suckled　by　its　mother；　than　the　most　artful　wanton　tricks　could　ever　raise；　yet　this　natural　way　of　cementing　the　matrimonial　tie；　and　twisting　esteem　with　fonder　recollections；　wealth　leads　women　to　spurn。　　To　preserve　their　beauty；　and　wear　the　flowery　crown　of　the　day；　that　gives　them　a　kind　of　right　to　reign　for　a　short　time　over　the　sex；　they　neglect　to　stamp　impressions　on　their　husbands'　hearts；　that　would　be　remembered　with　more　tenderness　when　the　snow　on　the　head　began　to　chill　the　bosom；　than　even　their　virgin　charms。　　The　maternal　solicitude　of　a　reasonable　affectionate　woman　is　very　interesting；　and　the　chastened　dignity　with　which　a　mother　returns　the　caresses　that　she　and　her　child　receive　from　a　father　who　has　been　fulfilling　the　serious　duties　of　his　station；　is　not　only　a　respectable；　but　a　beautiful　sight。　　So　singular；　ind