a vindication of the rights of woman-第53章

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　innocent　frivolous　mind；　inspires。　　Unable　to　grasp　any　thing　great；　is　it　surprising　that　they　find　the　reading　of　history　a　very　dry　task；　and　disquisitions　addressed　to　the　understanding；　intolerably　tedious；　and　almost　unintelligible？　　Thus　are　they　necessarily　dependent　on　the　novelist　for　amusement。　　Yet；　when　I　exclaim　against　novels；　I　mean　when　contrasted　with　those　works　which　exercise　the　understanding　and　regulate　the　imagination。　　For　any　kind　of　reading　I　think　better　than　leaving　a　blank　still　a　blank；　because　the　mind　must　receive　a　degree　of　enlargement；　and　obtain　a　little　strength　by　a　slight　exertion　of　its　thinking　powers；　besides；　even　the　productions　that　are　only　addressed　to　the　imagination；　raise　the　reader　a　little　above　the　gross　gratification　of　appetites；　to　which　the　mind　has　not　given　a　shade　of　delicacy。　This　observation　is　the　result　of　experience；　for　I　have　known　several　notable　women；　and　one　in　particular；　who　was　a　very　good　womanas　good　as　such　a　narrow　mind　would　allow　her　to　be；　who　took　care　that　her　daughters　（three　in　number）　should　never　see　a　novel。　　As　she　was　a　woman　of　fortune　and　fashion；　they　had　various　masters　to　attend　them；　and　a　sort　of　menial　governess　to　watch　their　footsteps。　　From　their　masters　they　learned　how　tables；　chairs；　etc。　were　called　in　French　and　Italian；　but　as　the　few　books　thrown　in　their　way　were　far　above　their　capacities；　or　devotional；　they　neither　acquired　ideas　nor　sentiments；　and　passed　their　time；　when　not　compelled　to　repeat　WORDS；　in　dressing；　quarrelling　with　each　other；　or　conversing　with　their　maids　by　stealth；　till　they　were　brought　into　company　as　marriageable。　Their　mother；　a　widow；　was　busy　in　the　mean　time　in　keeping　up　her　connexions；　as　she　termed　a　numerous　acquaintance　lest　her　girls　should　want　a　proper　introduction　into　the　great　world。　　And　these　young　ladies；　with　minds　vulgar　in　every　sense　of　the　word；　and　spoiled　tempers；　entered　life　puffed　up　with　notions　of　their　own　consequence；　and　looking　down　with　contempt　on　those　who　could　not　vie　with　them　in　dress　and　parade。　With　respect　to　love；　nature；　or　their　nurses；　had　taken　care　to　teach　them　the　physical　meaning　of　the　word；　and；　as　they　had　few　topics　of　conversation；　and　fewer　refinements　of　sentiment；　they　expressed　their　gross　wishes　not　in　very　delicate　phrases；　when　they　spoke　freely；　talking　of　matrimony。　Could　these　girls　have　been　injured　by　the　perusal　of　novels？　　I　almost　forgot　a　shade　in　the　character　of　one　of　them；　she　affected　a　simplicity　bordering　on　folly；　and　with　a　simper　would　utter　the　most　immodest　remarks　and　questions；　the　full　meaning　of　which　she　had　learned　whilst　secluded　from　the　world；　and　afraid　to　speak　in　her　mother's　presence；　who　governed　with　a　high　hand；　　they　were　all　educated；　as　she　prided　herself；　in　a　most　exemplary　manner；　and　read　their　chapters　and　psalms　before　breakfast；　never　touching　a　silly　novel。　This　is　only　one　instance；　but　I　recollect　many　other　women　who；　not　led　by　degrees　to　proper　studies；　and　not　permitted　to　choose　for　themselves；　have　indeed　been　overgrown　children；　or　have　obtained；　by　mixing　in　the　world；　a　little　of　what　is　termed　common　sense；　　that　is；　a　distinct　manner　of　seeing　common　occurrences；　as　they　stand　detached：　　but　what　deserves　the　name　of　intellect；　the　power　of　gaining　general　or　abstract　ideas；　or　even　intermediate　ones；　was　out　of　the　question。　　Their　minds　were　quiescent；　and　when　they　were　not　roused　by　sensible　objects　and　employments　of　that　kind；　they　were　low…spirited；　would　cry；　or　go　to　sleep。　When；　therefore；　I　advise　my　sex　not　to　read　such　flimsy　works；　it　is　to　induce　them　to　read　something　superior；　for　I　coincide　in　opinion　with　a　sagacious　man；　who；　having　a　daughter　and　niece　under　his　care；　pursued　a　very　different　plan　with　each。　The　niece；　who　had　considerable　abilities；　had；　before　she　was　left　to　his　guardianship；　been　indulged　in　desultory　reading。　　Her　he　endeavoured　to　lead；　and　did　lead；　to　history　and　moral　essays；　but　his　daughter　whom　a　fond　weak　mother　had　indulged；　and　who　consequently　was　averse　to　every　thing　like　application；　he　allowed　to　read　novels；　　and　used　to　justify　his　conduct　by　saying；　that　if　she　ever　attained　a　relish　for　reading　them；　he　should　have　some　foundation　to　work　upon；　and　that　erroneous　opinions　were　better　than　none　at　all。　In　fact；　the　female　mind　has　been　so　totally　neglected；　that　knowledge　was　only　to　be　acquired　from　this　muddy　source；　till　from　reading　novels　some　women　of　superior　talents　learned　to　despise　them。　The　best　method；　I　believe；　that　can　be　adopted　to　correct　a　fondness　for　novels　is　to　ridicule　them；　　not　indiscriminately；　for　then　it　would　have　little　effect；　but；　if　a　judicious　person；　with　some　turn　for　humour；　would　read　several　to　a　young　girl；　and　point　out；　both　by　tones　and　apt　comparisons　with　pathetic　incidents　and　heroic　characters　in　history；　how　foolishly　and　ridiculously　they　caricatured　human　nature；　just　opinions　might　be　substituted　instead　of　romantic　sentiments。　In　one　respect；　however；　the　majority　of　both　sexes　resemble；　and　equally　show　a　want　of　taste　and　modesty。　　Ignorant　women；　forced　to　be　chaste　to　preserve　their　reputation；　allow　their　imagination　to　revel　in　the　unnatural　and　meretricious　scenes　sketched　by　the　novel　writers　of　the　day；　slighting　as　insipid　the　sober　dignity　and　matronly　grace　of　history；*　whilst　men　carry　the　same　vitiated　taste　into　life；　and　fly　for　amusement　to　the　wanton；　from　the　unsophisticated　charms　of　virtue；　and　the　grave　respectability　of　sense。　（*Footnote。　　I　am　not　now　alluding　to　that　superiority　of　mind　which　leads　to　the　creation　of　ideal　beauty；　when　life　surveyed　with　a　penetrating　eye；　appears　a　tragi…comedy；　in　which　little　can　be　seen　to　satisfy　the　heart　without　the　help　of　fancy。）　Besides；　the　reading　of　novels　makes　women；　and　particularly　ladies　of　fashion；　very　fond　of　using　strong　expressions　and　superlatives　in　conversation；　and；　though　the　dissipated　artificial　life　which　they　lead　prevents　their　cherishing　any　strong　legitimate　passion；　the　language　of　passion　in　affected　tones　slips　for　ever　from　their　glib　tongues；　and　every　trifle　produces　those　phosphoric　bursts　which　only　mimick　in　the　dark　the　flame　of　passion。　SECTION　13。3。　Ignorance　and　the　mistaken　cunning　that　nature　sharpens　in　weak　heads；　as　a　principle　of　self…preservation；　render　women　very　fond　of　dress；　and　produce　all　the　vanity　which　such　a　fondness　may　naturally　be　expected　to　generate；　to　the　exclusion　of　emulation　and　magnanimity。　I　agree　with　Rousseau；　that　the　physical　part　of　the　art　of　pleasing　consists　in　ornaments；　and　for　that　very　reason　I　should　guard　girls　against　the　contagious　fondness　for　dress　so　common　to　weak　women；　that　they　may　not　rest　in　the　physical　part。　　Yet；　weak　are　the　women　who　imagine　that　they　can　long　please　without　the　aid　of　the　mind；　or；　in　other　words；　without　the　moral　art　of　pleasing。　But　the　moral　art；　if　it　be　not　a　profanation　to　use　the　word　art；　when　alluding　to　the　grace　which　is　an　effect　of　virtue；　and　not　the　motive　of　action；　is　never　to　be　found　with　ignorance；　the　sportiveness　of　innocence；　so　pleasing　to　refined　libertines　of　both　sexes；　is　widely　different　in　its　essence　from　this　superior　gracefulness。　A　strong　inclination　for　external　ornaments　ever　appears　in　barbarous　states；　only　the　men　not　the　women　adorn　themselves；　for　where　women　are　allowed　to　be　so　far　on　a　level　with　men；　society　has　advanced　at　least　one　step　in　civilization。　The　attention　to　dress；　therefore；　which　has　been　thought　a　sexual　propensity；　I　think　natural　to　mankind。　　But　I　ought　to　express　myself　with　more　precision。　　When　the　mind　is　not　sufficiently　opened　to　take　pleasure　in　reflection；　the　body　will　be　adorned　with　sedulous　care；　and　ambition　will　appear　in　tattooing　or　painting　it。　So　far　is　the　first　inclination　carried；　that　even　the　hellish　yoke　of　slavery　cannot　stifle　the　savage　desire　of　admiration　which　the　black　heroes　inherit　from　both　their　parents；　for　all　the　hardly…earned　savings　of　a　slave　are　commonly　expended　in　a　little　tawdry　finery。　　And　I　have　seldom　known　a　good　male　or　female　servant　that　was　not　particularly　fond　of　dress。　　Their　clothes　were　their　riches；　and　I　argue　from　analogy；　that　the　fondness　for　dress；　so　extravagant　in　females；　arises　from　the　same　causewant　of　cultivation　of　mind。　　When　men　meet　they　converse　about　business；　politics；　or　literature；　but；　says　Swift；　〃how　naturally　do　women　apply　their　hands　to　each　others　lappets　and　ruffles。〃　And　very　natural　it　isfor　they　have　not　any　business　to　interest　them；　have　not　a　taste　for　literature；　and　they　find　politics　dry；　because　they　have　not　acquired　a　love　for　mankind　by　turning　their　thoughts　to　the　grand　pursuits　that　exalt　the　human　race　and　promote　general　happiness。　Besides；　various　are　the　paths　to　power　and　fame；　which　by　accident　or　choice　men　pursue；　and　though　they　jostle　against　each　other；　for　men　of　the　same　profession　are　seldom　friends；　yet　there　is　a　much　greater　number　of　their　fellow…creatures　with　whom　they　never　clash。　　But　women　are　very　differently　situated　with　respect　to　each　otherfor　they　are　all　rivals。　Before　marriage　it　is　thei