a vindication of the rights of woman-第6章

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olent；　when　not　discharging　the　ceremonials　of　their　station；　whilst　the　insignificant　fluttering　of　soldiers　may　be　termed　active　idleness。　　More　confined　to　the　society　of　men；　the　former　acquire　a　fondness　for　humour　and　mischievous　tricks；　whilst　the　latter；　mixing　frequently　with　well…bred　women；　catch　a　sentimental　cant。　　But　mind　is　equally　out　of　the　question；　whether　they　indulge　the　horse…laugh　or　polite　simper。　May　I　be　allowed　to　extend　the　comparison　to　a　profession　where　more　mind　is　certainly　to　be　found；　for　the　clergy　have　superior　opportunities　of　improvement；　though　subordination　almost　equally　cramps　their　faculties？　The　blind　submission　imposed　at　college　to　forms　of　belief；　serves　as　a　noviciate　to　the　curate　who　most　obsequiously　respects　the　opinion　of　his　rector　or　patron；　if　he　means　to　rise　in　his　profession。　　Perhaps　there　cannot　be　a　more　forcible　contrast　than　between　the　servile；　dependent　gait　of　a　poor　curate；　and　the　courtly　mien　of　a　bishop。　　And　the　respect　and　contempt　they　inspire　render　the　discharge　of　their　separate　functions　equally　useless。　It　is　of　great　importance　to　observe；　that　the　character　of　every　man　is；　in　some　degree；　formed　by　his　profession。　　A　man　of　sense　may　only　have　a　cast　of　countenance　that　wears　off　as　you　trace　his　individuality；　whilst　the　weak；　common　man；　has　scarcely　ever　any　character；　but　what　belongs　to　the　body；　at　least；　all　his　opinions　have　been　so　steeped　in　the　vat　consecrated　by　authority；　that　the　faint　spirit　which　the　grape　of　his　own　vine　yields　cannot　be　distinguished。　Society；　therefore；　as　it　becomes　more　enlightened；　should　be　very　careful　not　to　establish　bodies　of　men　who　must　necessarily　be　made　foolish　or　vicious　by　the　very　constitution　of　their　profession。　In　the　infancy　of　society；　when　men　were　just　emerging　out　of　barbarism；　chiefs　and　priests；　touching　the　most　powerful　springs　of　savage　conducthope　and　fearmust　have　had　unbounded　sway。　　An　aristocracy；　of　course；　is　naturally　the　first　form　of　government。　But　clashing　interests　soon　losing　their　equipoise；　a　monarchy　and　hierarchy　break　out　of　the　confusion　of　ambitious　struggles；　and　the　foundation　of　both　is　secured　by　feudal　tenures。　　This　appears　to　be　the　origin　of　monarchial　and　priestly　power；　and　the　dawn　of　civilization。　　But　such　combustible　materials　cannot　long　be　pent　up；　and　getting　vent　in　foreign　wars　and　intestine　insurrections；　the　people　acquire　some　power　in　the　tumult；　which　obliges　their　rulers　to　gloss　over　their　oppression　with　a　show　of　right。　　Thus；　as　wars；　agriculture；　commerce；　and　literature；　expands　the　mind；　despots　are　compelled；　to　make　covert　corruption　hold　fast　the　power　which　was　formerly　snatched　by　open　force。*　　And　this　baneful　lurking　gangrene　is　most　quickly　spread　by　luxury　and　superstition；　the　sure　dregs　of　ambition。　　The　indolent　puppet　of　a　court　first　becomes　a　luxurious　monster；　or　fastidious　sensualist；　and　then　makes　the　contagion　which　his　unnatural　state　spreads；　the　instrument　of　tyranny。　（*Footnote。　　Men　of　abilities　scatter　seeds　that　grow　up；　and　have　a　great　influence　on　the　forming　opinion；　and　when　once　the　public　opinion　preponderates；　through　the　exertion　of　reason；　the　overthrow　of　arbitrary　power　is　not　very　distant。）　It　is　the　pestiferous　purple　which　renders　the　progress　of　civilization　a　curse；　and　warps　the　understanding；　till　men　of　sensibility　doubt　whether　the　expansion　of　intellect　produces　a　greater　portion　of　happiness　or　misery。　　But　the　nature　of　the　poison　points　out　the　antidote；　and　had　Rousseau　mounted　one　step　higher　in　his　investigation；　or　could　his　eye　have　pierced　through　the　foggy　atmosphere；　which　he　almost　disdained　to　breathe；　his　active　mind　would　have　darted　forward　to　contemplate　the　perfection　of　man　in　the　establishment　of　true　civilization；　instead　of　taking　his　ferocious　flight　back　to　the　night　of　sensual　ignorance。

CHAPTER　2。　THE　PREVAILING　OPINION　OF　A　SEXUAL　CHARACTER　DISCUSSED。　To　account　for；　and　excuse　the　tyranny　of　man；　many　ingenious　arguments　have　been　brought　forward　to　prove；　that　the　two　sexes；　in　the　acquirement　of　virtue；　ought　to　aim　at　attaining　a　very　different　character：　　or；　to　speak　explicitly；　women　are　not　allowed　to　have　sufficient　strength　of　mind　to　acquire　what　really　deserves　the　name　of　virtue。　　Yet　it　should　seem；　allowing　them　to　have　souls；　that　there　is　but　one　way　appointed　by　providence　to　lead　MANKIND　to　either　virtue　or　happiness。　If　then　women　are　not　a　swarm　of　ephemeron　triflers；　why　should　they　be　kept　in　ignorance　under　the　specious　name　of　innocence？　Men　complain；　and　with　reason；　of　the　follies　and　caprices　of　our　sex；　when　they　do　not　keenly　satirize　our　headstrong　passions　and　groveling　vices。　　Behold；　I　should　answer；　the　natural　effect　of　ignorance！　　The　mind　will　ever　be　unstable　that　has　only　prejudices　to　rest　on；　and　the　current　will　run　with　destructive　fury　when　there　are　no　barriers　to　break　its　force。　　Women　are　told　from　their　infancy；　and　taught　by　the　example　of　their　mothers；　that　a　little　knowledge　of　human　weakness；　justly　termed　cunning；　softness　of　temper；　OUTWARD　obedience；　and　a　scrupulous　attention　to　a　puerile　kind　of　propriety；　will　obtain　for　them　the　protection　of　man；　and　should　they　be　beautiful；　every　thing　else　is　needless；　for　at　least　twenty　years　of　their　lives。　Thus　Milton　describes　our　first　frail　mother；　though　when　he　tells　us　that　women　are　formed　for　softness　and　sweet　attractive　grace；　I　cannot　comprehend　his　meaning；　unless；　in　the　true　Mahometan　strain；　he　meant　to　deprive　us　of　souls；　and　insinuate　that　we　were　beings　only　designed　by　sweet　attractive　grace；　and　docile　blind　obedience；　to　gratify　the　senses　of　man　when　he　can　no　longer　soar　on　the　wing　of　contemplation。　How　grossly　do　they　insult　us；　who　thus　advise　us　only　to　render　ourselves　gentle；　domestic　brutes！　　For　instance；　the　winning　softness；　so　warmly；　and　frequently　recommended；　that　governs　by　obeying。　　What　childish　expressions；　and　how　insignificant　is　the　beingcan　it　be　an　immortal　one？　　who　will　condescend　to　govern　by　such　sinister　methods！　　〃Certainly；〃　says　Lord　Bacon；　〃man　is　of　kin　to　the　beasts　by　his　body：　and　if　he　be　not　of　kin　to　God　by　his　spirit；　he　is　a　base　and　ignoble　creature！〃　　Men；　indeed；　appear　to　me　to　act　in　a　very　unphilosophical　manner；　when　they　try　to　secure　the　good　conduct　of　women　by　attempting　to　keep　them　always　in　a　state　of　childhood。　　Rousseau　was　more　consistent　when　he　wished　to　stop　the　progress　of　reason　in　both　sexes；　for　if　men　eat　of　the　tree　of　knowledge；　women　will　come　in　for　a　taste：　　but；　from　the　imperfect　cultivation　which　their　understandings　now　receive；　they　only　attain　a　knowledge　of　evil。　Children；　I　grant；　should　be　innocent；　but　when　the　epithet　is　applied　to　men；　or　women；　it　is　but　a　civil　term　for　weakness。　　For　if　it　be　allowed　that　women　were　destined　by　Providence　to　acquire　human　virtues；　and　by　the　exercise　of　their　understandings；　that　stability　of　character　which　is　the　firmest　ground　to　rest　our　future　hopes　upon；　they　must　be　permitted　to　turn　to　the　fountain　of　light；　and　not　forced　to　shape　their　course　by　the　twinkling　of　a　mere　satellite。　　Milton；　I　grant；　was　of　a　very　different　opinion；　for　he　only　bends　to　the　indefeasible　right　of　beauty；　though　it　would　be　difficult　to　render　two　passages；　which　I　now　mean　to　contrast；　consistent：　　but　into　similar　inconsistencies　are　great　men　often　led　by　their　senses：　〃To　whom　thus　Eve　with　perfect　beauty　adorned：　My　author　and　disposer；　what　thou　bidst　Unargued　I　obey；　so　God　ordains；　God　is　thy　law；　thou　mine；　to　know　no　more　Is　woman's　happiest　knowledge　and　her　praise。〃　These　are　exactly　the　arguments　that　I　have　used　to　children；　but　I　have　added；　〃Your　reason　is　now　gaining　strength；　and；　till　it　arrives　at　some　degree　of　maturity；　you　must　look　up　to　me　for　advice：　　then　you　ought　to　THINK；　and　only　rely　on　God。〃　Yet；　in　the　following　lines；　Milton　seems　to　coincide　with　me；　when　he　makes　Adam　thus　expostulate　with　his　Maker：　〃Hast　thou　not　made　me　here　thy　substitute；　And　these　inferior　far　beneath　me　set？　Among　unequals　what　society　Can　sort；　what　harmony　or　delight？　Which　must　be　mutual；　in　proportion　due　Given　and　received；　but　in　disparity　The　one　intense；　the　other　still　remiss　Cannot　well　suit　with　either；　but　soon　prove　Tedious　alike：　　of　fellowship　I　speak　Such　as　I　seek　fit　to　participate　All　rational　delight。〃　In　treating；　therefore；　of　the　manners　of　women；　let　us；　disregarding　sensual　arguments；　trace　what　we　should　endeavour　to　make　them　in　order　to　co…operate；　if　the　expression　be　not　too　bold；　with　the　Supreme　Being。　By　individual　education；　I　meanfor　the　sense　of　the　word　is　not　precisely　definedsuch　an　attention　to　a　child　as　will　slowly　sharpen　the　senses；　form　the　temper；　regulate　the　passions；　as　they　begin　to　ferment；　and　set　the　understanding　to　work　before　the　body　arrives　at　maturity；　so　that　the　man　may　only　have　to　proceed；　not　to　begin；　the　important　task　of　learning　to　think　and　reason。　To　prevent　any　misconstruction；　I　must　add；　that　I　do　not　believe　that　a　private　education　can　work　the　wonders　which　some　sanguine　writers　have　attributed　to　it。　　Men　and　women　must　be　educated；　in　a　great　de