a vindication of the rights of woman-第44章

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　in　a　few　words：　　The　parent　who　pays　proper　attention　to　helpless　infancy　has　a　right　to　require　the　same　attention　when　the　feebleness　of　age　comes　upon　him。　　But　to　subjugate　a　rational　being　to　the　mere　will　of　another；　after　he　is　of　age　to　answer　to　society　for　his　own　conduct；　is　a　most　cruel　and　undue　stretch　of　power；　and　perhaps　as　injurious　to　morality；　as　those　religious　systems　which　do　not　allow　right　and　wrong　to　have　any　existence；　but　in　the　Divine　will。　I　never　knew　a　parent　who　had　paid　more　than　common　attention　to　his　children；　disregarded　（Dr。　Johnson　makes　the　same　observation。）；　on　the　contrary；　the　early　habit　of　relying　almost　implicitly　on　the　opinion　of　a　respected　parent　is　not　easily　shaken；　even　when　matured　reason　convinces　the　child　that　his　father　is　not　the　wisest　man　in　the　world。　　This　weakness；　for　a　weakness　it　is；　though　the　epithet　AMIABLE　may　be　tacked　to　it；　a　reasonable　man　must　steel　himself　against；　for　the　absurd　duty；　too　often　inculcated；　of　obeying　a　parent　only　on　account　of　his　being　a　parent；　shackles　the　mind；　and　prepares　it　for　a　slavish　submission　to　any　power　but　reason。　I　distinguish　between　the　natural　and　accidental　duty　due　to　parents。　The　parent　who　sedulously　endeavours　to　form　the　heart　and　enlarge　the　understanding　of　his　child；　has　given　that　dignity　to　the　discharge　of　a　duty；　common　to　the　whole　animal　world；　that　only　reason　can　give。　　This　is　the　parental　affection　of　humanity；　and　leaves　instinctive　natural　affection　far　behind。　　Such　a　parent　acquires　all　the　rights　of　the　most　sacred　friendship；　and　his　advice；　even　when　his　child　is　advanced　in　life；　demands　serious　consideration。　With　respect　to　marriage；　though　after　one　and　twenty　a　parent　seems　to　have　no　right　to　withhold　his　consent　on　any　account；　yet　twenty　years　of　solicitude　call　for　a　return；　and　the　son　ought；　at　least；　to　promise　not　to　marry　for　two　or　three　years；　should　the　object　of　his　choice　not　entirely　meet　with　the　approbation　of　his　first　friend。　But；　respect　for　parents　is；　generally　speaking；　a　much　more　debasing　principle；　it　is　only　a　selfish　respect　for　property。　　The　father　who　is　blindly　obeyed；　is　obeyed　from　sheer　weakness；　or　from　motives　that　degrade　the　human　character。　A　great　proportion　of　the　misery　that　wanders；　in　hideous　forms　around　the　world；　is　allowed　to　rise　from　the　negligence　of　parents；　and　still　these　are　the　people　who　are　most　tenacious　of　what　they　term　a　natural　right；　though　it　be　subversive　of　the　birth　right　of　man；　the　right　of　acting　according　to　the　direction　of　his　own　reason。　I　have　already　very　frequently　had　occasion　to　observe；　that　vicious　or　indolent　people　are　always　eager　to　profit　by　enforcing　arbitrary　privileges；　and　generally　in　the　same　proportion　as　they　neglect　the　discharge　of　the　duties　which　alone　render　the　privileges　reasonable。　　This　is　at　the　bottom；　a　dictate　of　common　sense；　or　the　instinct　of　self…defence；　peculiar　to　ignorant　weakness；　resembling　that　instinct；　which　makes　a　fish　muddy　the　water　it　swims　in　to　elude　its　enemy；　instead　of　boldly　facing　it　in　the　clear　stream。　》From　the　clear　stream　of　argument；　indeed；　the　supporters　of　prescription；　of　every　denomination；　fly：　　and　taking　refuge　in　the　darkness；　which；　in　the　language　of　sublime　poetry；　has　been　supposed　to　surround　the　throne　of　Omnipotence；　they　dare　to　demand　that　implicit　respect　which　is　only　due　to　His　unsearchable　ways。　But；　let　me　not　be　thought　presumptuous；　the　darkness　which　hides　our　God　from　us；　only　respects　speculative　truths　it　never　obscures　moral　ones；　they　shine　clearly；　for　God　is　light；　and　never；　by　the　constitution　of　our　nature；　requires　the　discharge　of　a　duty；　the　reasonableness　of　which　does　not　beam　on　us　when　we　open　our　eyes。　The　indolent　parent　of　high　rank　may；　it　is　true；　extort　a　show　of　respect　from　his　child；　and　females　on　the　continent　are　particularly　subject　to　the　views　of　their　families；　who　never　think　of　consulting　their　inclination；　or　providing　for　the　comfort　of　the　poor　victims　of　their　pride。　　The　consequence　is　notorious；　these　dutiful　daughters　become　adulteresses；　and　neglect　the　education　of　their　children；　from　whom　they；　in　their　turn；　exact　the　same　kind　of　obedience。　Females；　it　is　true；　in　all　countries；　are　too　much　under　the　dominion　of　their　parents；　and　few　parents　think　of　addressing　their　children　in　the　following　manner；　though　it　is　in　this　reasonable　way　that　Heaven　seems　to　command　the　whole　human　race。　It　is　your　interest　to　obey　me　till　you　can　judge　for　yourself；　and　the　Almighty　Father　of　all　has　implanted　an　affection　in　me　to　serve　as　a　guard　to　you　whilst　your　reason　is　unfolding；　but　when　your　mind　arrives　at　maturity；　you　must　only　obey　me；　or　rather　respect　my　opinions；　so　far　as　they　coincide　with　the　light　that　is　breaking　in　on　your　own　mind。　A　slavish　bondage　to　parents　cramps　every　faculty　of　the　mind；　and　Mr。　Locke　very　judiciously　observes；　that　〃if　the　mind　be　curbed　and　humbled　too　much　in　children；　if　their　spirits　be　abased　and　broken　much　by　too　strict　an　hand　over　them；　they　lose　all　their　vigour　and　industry。〃　　This　strict　hand　may；　in　some　degree；　account　for　the　weakness　of　women；　for　girls；　from　various　causes；　are　more　kept　down　by　their　parents；　in　every　sense　of　the　word；　than　boys。　　The　duty　expected　from　them　is；　like　all　the　duties　arbitrarily　imposed　on　women；　more　from　a　sense　of　propriety；　more　out　of　respect　for　decorum；　than　reason；　and　thus　taught　slavishly　to　submit　to　their　parents；　they　are　prepared　for　the　slavery　of　marriage。　　I　may　be　told　that　a　number　of　women　are　not　slaves　in　the　marriage　state。　　True；　but　they　then　become　tyrants；　for　it　is　not　rational　freedom；　but　a　lawless　kind　of　power；　resembling　the　authority　exercised　by　the　favourites　of　absolute　monarchs；　which　they　obtain　by　debasing　means。　　I　do　not；　likewise；　dream　of　insinuating　that　either　boys　or　girls　are　always　slaves；　I　only　insist；　that　when　they　are　obliged　to　submit　to　authority　blindly；　their　faculties　are　weakened；　and　their　tempers　rendered　imperious　or　abject。　　I　also　lament；　that　parents；　indolently　availing　themselves　of　a　supposed　privilege；　damp　the　first　faint　glimmering　of　reason　rendering　at　the　same　time　the　duty；　which　they　are　so　anxious　to　enforce；　an　empty　name；　because　they　will　not　let　it　rest　on　the　only　basis　on　which　a　duty　can　rest　securely：　　for；　unless　it　be　founded　on　knowledge；　it　cannot　gain　sufficient　strength　to　resist　the　squalls　of　passion；　or　the　silent　sapping　of　self…love。　　But　it　is　not　the　parents　who　have　given　the　surest　proof　of　their　affection　for　their　children；　（or；　to　speak　more　properly；　who　by　fulfilling　their　duty；　have　allowed　a　natural　parental　affection　to　take　root　in　their　hearts；　the　child　of　exercised　sympathy　and　reason；　and　not　the　over…weening　offspring　of　selfish　pride；）　who　most　vehemently　insist　on　their　children　submitting　to　their　will；　merely　because　it　is　their　will。　　On　the　contrary；　the　parent　who　sets　a　good　example；　patiently　lets　that　example　work；　and　it　seldom　fails　to　produce　its　natural　effectfilial　respect。　Children　cannot　be　taught　too　early　to　submit　to　reason；　the　true　definition　of　that　necessity；　which　Rousseau　insisted　on；　without　defining　it；　for　to　submit　to　reason；　is　to　submit　to　the　nature　of　things；　and　to　that　God　who　formed　them　so；　to　promote　our　real　interest。　Why　should　the　minds　of　children　be　warped　as　they　just　begin　to　expand；　only　to　favour　the　indolence　of　parents；　who　insist　on　a　privilege　without　being　willing　to　pay　the　price　fixed　by　nature？　I　have　before　had　occasion　to　observe；　that　a　right　always　includes　a　duty；　and　I　think　it　may；　likewise　fairly　be　inferred；　that　they　forfeit　the　right；　who　do　not　fulfil　the　duty。　It　is　easier；　I　grant；　to　command　than　reason；　but　it　does　not　follow　from　hence；　that　children　cannot　comprehend　the　reason　why　they　are　made　to　do　certain　things　habitually；　for；　from　a　steady　adherence　to　a　few　simple　principles　of　conduct　flows　that　salutary　power；　which　a　judicious　parent　gradually　gains　over　a　child's　mind。　　And　this　power　becomes　strong　indeed；　if　tempered　by　an　even　display　of　affection　brought　home　to　the　child's　heart。　　For；　I　believe；　as　a　general　rule；　it　must　be　allowed；　that　the　affection　which　we　inspire　always　resembles　that　we　cultivate；　so　that　natural　affections；　which　have　been　supposed　almost　distinct　from　reason；　may　be　found　more　nearly　connected　with　judgment　than　is　commonly　allowed。　　Nay；　as　another　proof　of　the　necessity　of　cultivating　the　female　understanding；　it　is　but　just　to　observe；　that　the　affections　seem　to　have　a　kind　of　animal　capriciousness　when　they　merely　reside　in　the　heart。　It　is　the　irregular　exercise　of　parental　authority　that　first　injures　the　mind；　and　to　these　irregularities　girls　are　more　subject　than　boys。　　The　will　of　those　who　never　allow　their　will　to　be　disputed；　unless　they　happen　to　be　in　a　good　humour；　when　they　relax　proportionally；　is　almost　always　unreasonable。　　To　elude　this　arbitrary　authority；　girls　very　early　learn　the　lessons　which　they　afterwards　practise　on　their　husbands；　for　I　have　frequently　seen　a　little　sharp…faced　miss　rule　a　whole　family；　excepting　that　now　and　then　mamma's