a vindication of the rights of woman-第48章

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e。　It　is　the　want　of　domestic　taste；　and　not　the　acquirement　of　knowledge；　that　takes　women　out　of　their　families；　and　tears　the　smiling　babe　from　the　breast　that　ought　to　afford　it　nourishment。　Women　have　been　allowed　to　remain　in　ignorance；　and　slavish　dependence；　many；　very　many　years；　and　still　we　hear　of　nothing　but　their　fondness　of　pleasure　and　sway；　their　preference　of　rakes　and　soldiers；　their　childish　attachment　to　toys；　and　the　vanity　that　makes　them　value　accomplishments　more　than　virtues。　History　brings　forward　a　fearful　catalogue　of　the　crimes　which　their　cunning　has　produced；　when　the　weak　slaves　have　had　sufficient　address　to　over…reach　their　masters。　　In　France；　and　in　how　many　other　countries　have　men　been　the　luxurious　despots；　and　women　the　crafty　ministers？　　Does　this　prove　that　ignorance　and　dependence　domesticate　them？　　Is　not　their　folly　the　by…word　of　the　libertines；　who　relax　in　their　society；　and　do　not　men　of　sense　continually　lament；　that　an　immoderate　fondness　for　dress　and　dissipation　carries　the　mother　of　a　family　for　ever　from　home？　Their　hearts　have　not　been　debauched　by　knowledge；　nor　their　minds　led　astray　by　scientific　pursuits；　yet；　they　do　not　fulfil　the　peculiar　duties；　which　as　women　they　are　called　upon　by　nature　to　fulfil。　　On　the　contrary；　the　state　of　warfare　which　subsists　between　the　sexes；　makes　them　employ　those　wiles；　that　frustrate　the　more　open　designs　of　force。　When；　therefore；　I　call　women　slaves；　I　mean　in　a　political　and　civil　sense；　for；　indirectly　they　obtain　too　much　power；　and　are　debased　by　their　exertions　to　obtain　illicit　sway。　Let　an　enlightened　nation　then　try　what　effect　reason　would　have　to　bring　them　back　to　nature；　and　their　duty；　and　allowing　them　to　share　the　advantages　of　education　and　government　with　man；　see　whether　they　will　become　better；　as　they　grow　wiser　and　become　free。　　They　cannot　be　injured　by　the　experiment；　for　it　is　not　in　the　power　of　man　to　render　them　more　insignificant　than　they　are　at　present。　To　render　this　practicable；　day　schools　for　particular　ages　should　be　established　by　government；　in　which　boys　and　girls　might　be　educated　together。　　The　school　for　the　younger　children；　from　five　to　nine　years　of　age；　ought　to　be　absolutely　free　and　open　to　all　classes。*　　A　sufficient　number　of　masters　should　also　be　chosen　by　a　select　committee；　in　each　parish；　to　whom　any　complaint　of　negligence；　etc。　might　be　made；　if　signed　by　six　of　the　children's　parents。　（*Footnote。　　Treating　this　part　of　the　subject；　I　have　borrowed　some　hints　from　a　very　sensible　pamphlet　written　by　the　late　bishop　of　Autun　on　public　Education。）　Ushers　would　then　be　unnecessary；　for；　I　believe；　experience　will　ever　prove；　that　this　kind　of　subordinate　authority　is　particularly　injurious　to　the　morals　of　youth。　　What；　indeed；　can　tend　to　deprave　the　character　more　than　outward　submission　and　inward　contempt？　　Yet；　how　can　boys　be　expected　to　treat　an　usher　with　respect　when　the　master　seems　to　consider　him　in　the　light　of　a　servant；　and　almost　to　countenance　the　ridicule　which　becomes　the　chief　amusement　of　the　boys　during　the　play　hours？　But　nothing　of　this　kind　could　occur　in　an　elementary　day…school；　where　boys　and　girls；　the　rich　and　poor；　should　meet　together。　　And　to　prevent　any　of　the　distinctions　of　vanity；　they　should　be　dressed　alike；　and　all　obliged　to　submit　to　the　same　discipline；　or　leave　the　school。　　The　school…room　ought　to　be　surrounded　by　a　large　piece　of　ground；　in　which　the　children　might　be　usefully　exercised；　for　at　this　age　they　should　not　be　confined　to　any　sedentary　employment　for　more　than　an　hour　at　a　time。　　But　these　relaxations　might　all　be　rendered　a　part　of　elementary　education；　for　many　things　improve　and　amuse　the　senses；　when　introduced　as　a　kind　of　show；　to　the　principles　of　which　dryly　laid　down；　children　would　turn　a　deaf　ear。　　For　instance；　botany；　mechanics；　and　astronomy。　　Reading；　writing；　arithmetic；　natural　history；　and　some　simple　experiments　in　natural　philosophy；　might　fill　up　the　day；　but　these　pursuits　should　never　encroach　on　gymnastic　plays　in　the　open　air。　　The　elements　of　religion；　history；　the　history　of　man；　and　politics；　might　also　be　taught　by　conversations；　in　the　socratic　form。　After　the　age　of　nine；　girls　and　boys；　intended　for　domestic　employments；　or　mechanical　trades；　ought　to　be　removed　to　other　schools；　and　receive　instruction；　in　some　measure　appropriated　to　the　destination　of　each　individual；　the　two　sexes　being　still　together　in　the　morning；　but　in　the　afternoon；　the　girls　should　attend　a　school；　where　plain　work；　mantua…making；　millinery；　etc。　would　be　their　employment。　The　young　people　of　superior　abilities；　or　fortune；　might　now　be　taught；　in　another　school；　the　dead　and　living　languages；　the　elements　of　science；　and　continue　the　study　of　history　and　politics；　on　a　more　extensive　scale；　which　would　not　exclude　polite　literature。　　Girls　and　boys　still　together？　I　hear　some　readers　ask：　　yes。　　And　I　should　not　fear　any　other　consequence；　than　that　some　early　attachment　might　take　place；　which；　whilst　it　had　the　best　effect　on　the　moral　character　of　the　young　people；　might　not　perfectly　agree　with　the　views　of　the　parents；　for　it　will　be　a　long　time；　I　fear；　before　the　world　is　so　enlightened；　that　parents；　only　anxious　to　render　their　children　virtuous；　will　let　them　choose　companions　for　life　themselves。　Besides；　this　would　be　a　sure　way　to　promote　early　marriages；　and　from　early　marriages　the　most　salutary　physical　and　moral　effects　naturally　flow。　　What　a　different　character　does　a　married　citizen　assume　from　the　selfish　coxcomb；　who　lives　but　for　himself；　and　who　is　often　afraid　to　marry　lest　he　should　not　be　able　to　live　in　a　certain　style。　　Great　emergencies　excepted；　which　would　rarely　occur　in　a　society　of　which　equality　was　the　basis；　a　man　could　only　be　prepared　to　discharge　the　duties　of　public　life；　by　the　habitual　practice　of　those　inferior　ones　which　form　the　man。　In　this　plan　of　education；　the　constitution　of　boys　would　not　be　ruined　by　the　early　debaucheries；　which　now　make　men　so　selfish；　nor　girls　rendered　weak　and　vain；　by　indolence　and　frivolous　pursuits。　　But；　I　presuppose；　that　such　a　degree　of　equality　should　be　established　between　the　sexes　as　would　shut　out　gallantry　and　coquetry；　yet　allow　friendship　and　love　to　temper　the　heart　for　the　discharge　of　higher　duties。　These　would　be　schools　of　moralityand　the　happiness　of　man；　allowed　to　flow　from　the　pure　springs　of　duty　and　affection；　what　advances　might　not　the　human　mind　make？　　Society　can　only　be　happy　and　free　in　proportion　as　it　is　virtuous；　but　the　present　distinctions；　established　in　society；　corrode　all　private；　and　blast　all　public　virtue。　I　have　already　inveighed　against　the　custom　of　confining　girls　to　their　needle；　and　shutting　them　out　from　all　political　and　civil　employments；　for　by　thus　narrowing　their　minds　they　are　rendered　unfit　to　fulfil　the　peculiar　duties　which　nature　has　assigned　them。　Only　employed　about　the　little　incidents　of　the　day；　they　necessarily　grow　up　cunning。　　My　very　soul　has　often　sickened　at　observing　the　sly　tricks　practised　by　women　to　gain　some　foolish　thing　on　which　their　silly　hearts　were　set。　　Not　allowed　to　dispose　of　money；　or　call　any　thing　their　own；　they　learn　to　turn　the　market　penny；　or；　should　a　husband　offend；　by　staying　from　home；　or　give　rise　to　some　emotions　of　jealousya　new　gown；　or　any　pretty　bauble；　smooths　Juno's　angry　brow。　But　these　LITTLENESSES　would　not　degrade　their　character；　if　women　were　led　to　respect　themselves；　if　political　and　moral　subjects　were　opened　to　them；　and　I　will　venture　to　affirm；　that　this　is　the　only　way　to　make　them　properly　attentive　to　their　domestic　duties。　An　active　mind　embraces　the　whole　circle　of　its　duties；　and　finds　time　enough　for　all。　　It　is　not；　I　assert；　a　bold　attempt　to　emulate　masculine　virtues；　it　is　not　the　enchantment　of　literary　pursuits；　or　the　steady　investigation　of　scientific　subjects；　that　lead　women　astray　from　duty。　　No；　it　is　indolence　and　vanity　the　love　of　pleasure　and　the　love　of　sway；　that　will　reign　paramount　in　an　empty　mind。　　I　say　empty；　emphatically；　because　the　education　which　women　now　receive　scarcely　deserves　the　name。　　For　the　little　knowledge　they　are　led　to　acquire　during　the　important　years　of　youth；　is　merely　relative　to　accomplishments；　and　accomplishments　without　a　bottom；　for　unless　the　understanding　be　cultivated；　superficial　and　monotonous　is　every　grace。　　Like　the　charms　of　a　made…up　face；　they　only　strike　the　senses　in　a　crowd；　but　at　home；　wanting　mind；　they　want　variety。　　The　consequence　is　obvious；　in　gay　scenes　of　dissipation　we　meet　the　artificial　mind　and　face；　for　those　who　fly　from　solitude　dread　next　to　solitude；　the　domestic　circle；　not　having　it　in　their　power　to　amuse　or　interest；　they　feel　their　own　insignificance；　or　find　nothing　to　amuse　or　interest　themselves。　Besides；　what　can　be　more　indelicate　than　a　girl's　coming　out　in　the　fashionable　world？　　Which；　in　other　words；　is　to　bring　to　market　a　marriageable　miss；　whose　person　is　taken　from　one　public　place　to　another；　richly　caparisoned。　　Yet；　mixing　in　the　giddy　circle　under　restraint；　these　butterflies　long　to　flutter　at　large；　for　the　first