a vindication of the rights of woman-第8章

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nnize　over　their　sisters；　wives；　and　daughters。　　This　is　only　keeping　them　in　rank　and　file；　it　is　true。　　Strengthen　the　female　mind　by　enlarging　it；　and　there　will　be　an　end　to　blind　obedience；　but；　as　blind　obedience　is　ever　sought　for　by　power；　tyrants　and　sensualists　are　in　the　right　when　they　endeavour　to　keep　women　in　the　dark；　because　the　former　only　want　slaves；　and　the　latter　a　play…thing。　　The　sensualist；　indeed；　has　been　the　most　dangerous　of　tyrants；　and　women　have　been　duped　by　their　lovers；　as　princes　by　their　ministers；　whilst　dreaming　that　they　reigned　over　them。　I　now　principally　allude　to　Rousseau；　for　his　character　of　Sophia　is；　undoubtedly；　a　captivating　one；　though　it　appears　to　me　grossly　unnatural；　however；　it　is　not　the　superstructure；　but　the　foundation　of　her　character；　the　principles　on　which　her　education　was　built；　that　I　mean　to　attack；　nay；　warmly　as　I　admire　the　genius　of　that　able　writer；　whose　opinions　I　shall　often　have　occasion　to　cite；　indignation　always　takes　place　of　admiration；　and　the　rigid　frown　of　insulted　virtue　effaces　the　smile　of　complacency；　which　his　eloquent　periods　are　wont　to　raise；　when　I　read　his　voluptuous　reveries。　　Is　this　the　man；　who；　in　his　ardour　for　virtue；　would　banish　all　the　soft　arts　of　peace；　and　almost　carry　us　back　to　Spartan　discipline？　　Is　this　the　man　who　delights　to　paint　the　useful　struggles　of　passion；　the　triumphs　of　good　dispositions；　and　the　heroic　flights　which　carry　the　glowing　soul　out　of　itself？　　How　are　these　mighty　sentiments　lowered　when　he　describes　the　prettyfoot　and　enticing　airs　of　his　little　favourite！　But；　for　the　present；　I　waive　the　subject；　and；　instead　of　severely　reprehending　the　transient　effusions　of　overweening　sensibility；　I　shall　only　observe；　that　whoever　has　cast　a　benevolent　eye　on　society；　must　often　have　been　gratified　by　the　sight　of　humble　mutual　love；　not　dignified　by　sentiment；　nor　strengthened　by　a　union　in　intellectual　pursuits。　　The　domestic　trifles　of　the　day　have　afforded　matter　for　cheerful　converse；　and　innocent　caresses　have　softened　toils　which　did　not　require　great　exercise　of　mind；　or　stretch　of　thought：　　yet；　has　not　the　sight　of　this　moderate　felicity　excited　more　tenderness　than　respect？　　An　emotion　similar　to　what　we　feel　when　children　are　playing；　or　animals　sporting；　whilst　the　contemplation　of　the　noble　struggles　of　suffering　merit　has　raised　admiration；　and　carried　our　thoughts　to　that　world　where　sensation　will　give　place　to　reason。　Women　are；　therefore；　to　be　considered　either　as　moral　beings；　or　so　weak　that　they　must　be　entirely　subjected　to　the　superior　faculties　of　men。　Let　us　examine　this　question。　　Rousseau　declares；　that　a　woman　should　never；　for　a　moment　feel　herself　independent；　that　she　should　be　governed　by　fear　to　exercise　her　NATURAL　cunning；　and　made　a　coquetish　slave　in　order　to　render　her　a　more　alluring　object　of　desire；　a　SWEETER　companion　to　man；　whenever　he　chooses　to　relax　himself。　　He　carries　the　arguments；　which　he　pretends　to　draw　from　the　indications　of　nature；　still　further；　and　insinuates　that　truth　and　fortitude　the　corner　stones　of　all　human　virtue；　shall　be　cultivated　with　certain　restrictions；　because　with　respect　to　the　female　character；　obedience　is　the　grand　lesson　which　ought　to　be　impressed　with　unrelenting　rigour。　What　nonsense！　　When　will　a　great　man　arise　with　sufficient　strength　of　mind　to　puff　away　the　fumes　which　pride　and　sensuality　have　thus　spread　over　the　subject！　　If　women　are　by　nature　inferior　to　men；　their　virtues　must　be　the　same　in　quality；　if　not　in　degree；　or　virtue　is　a　relative　idea；　consequently；　their　conduct　should　be　founded　on　the　same　principles；　and　have　the　same　aim。　Connected　with　man　as　daughters；　wives；　and　mothers；　their　moral　character　may　be　estimated　by　their　manner　of　fulfilling　those　simple　duties；　but　the　end；　the　grand　end　of　their　exertions　should　be　to　unfold　their　own　faculties；　and　acquire　the　dignity　of　conscious　virtue。　　They　may　try　to　render　their　road　pleasant；　but　ought　never　to　forget；　in　common　with　man；　that　life　yields　not　the　felicity　which　can　satisfy　an　immortal　soul。　　I　do　not　mean　to　insinuate；　that　either　sex　should　be　so　lost；　in　abstract　reflections　or　distant　views；　as　to　forget　the　affections　and　duties　that　lie　before　them；　and　are；　in　truth；　the　means　appointed　to　produce　the　fruit　of　life；　on　the　contrary；　I　would　warmly　recommend　them；　even　while　I　assert；　that　they　afford　most　satisfaction　when　they　are　considered　in　their　true　subordinate　light。　Probably　the　prevailing　opinion；　that　woman　was　created　for　man；　may　have　taken　its　rise　from　Moses's　poetical　story；　yet；　as　very　few　it　is　presumed；　who　have　bestowed　any　serious　thought　on　the　subject；　ever　supposed　that　Eve　was；　literally　speaking；　one　of　Adam's　ribs；　the　deduction　must　be　allowed　to　fall　to　the　ground；　or；　only　be　so　far　admitted　as　it　proves　that　man；　from　the　remotest　antiquity；　found　it　convenient　to　exert　his　strength　to　subjugate　his　companion；　and　his　invention　to　show　that　she　ought　to　have　her　neck　bent　under　the　yoke；　because　she　as　well　as　the　brute　creation；　was　created　to　do　his　pleasure。　Let　it　not　be　concluded；　that　I　wish　to　invert　the　order　of　things；　I　have　already　granted；　that；　from　the　constitution　of　their　bodies；　men　seem　to　be　designed　by　Providence　to　attain　a　greater　degree　of　virtue。　　I　speak　collectively　of　the　whole　sex；　but　I　see　not　the　shadow　of　a　reason　to　conclude　that　their　virtues　should　differ　in　respect　to　their　nature。　　In　fact；　how　can　they；　if　virtue　has　only　one　eternal　standard？　　I　must；　therefore；　if　I　reason　consequentially；　as　strenuously　maintain；　that　they　have　the　same　simple　direction；　as　that　there　is　a　God。　It　follows　then；　that　cunning　should　not　be　opposed　to　wisdom；　little　cares　to　great　exertions；　nor　insipid　softness；　varnished　over　with　the　name　of　gentleness；　to　that　fortitude　which　grand　views　alone　can　inspire。　I　shall　be　told；　that　woman　would　then　lose　many　of　her　peculiar　graces；　and　the　opinion　of　a　well　known　poet　might　be　quoted　to　refute　my　unqualified　assertions。　　For　Pope　has　said；　in　the　name　of　the　whole　male　sex；　〃Yet　ne'er　so　sure　our　passions　to　create；　As　when　she　touch'd　the　brink　of　all　we　hate。〃　In　what　light　this　sally　places　men　and　women；　I　shall　leave　to　the　judicious　to　determine；　meanwhile　I　shall　content　myself　with　observing；　that　I　cannot　discover　why；　unless　they　are　mortal；　females　should　always　be　degraded　by　being　made　subservient　to　love　or　lust。　To　speak　disrespectfully　of　love　is；　I　know；　high　treason　against　sentiment　and　fine　feelings；　but　I　wish　to　speak　the　simple　language　of　truth；　and　rather　to　address　the　head　than　the　heart。　To　endeavour　to　reason　love　out　of　the　world；　would　be　to　out　Quixote　Cervantes；　and　equally　offend　against　common　sense；　but　an　endeavour　to　restrain　this　tumultuous　passion；　and　to　prove　that　it　should　not　be　allowed　to　dethrone　superior　powers；　or　to　usurp　the　sceptre　which　the　understanding　should　ever　coolly　wield；　appears　less　wild。　Youth　is　the　season　for　love　in　both　sexes；　but　in　those　days　of　thoughtless　enjoyment；　provision　should　be　made　for　the　more　important　years　of　life；　when　reflection　takes　place　of　sensation。　But　Rousseau；　and　most　of　the　male　writers　who　have　followed　his　steps；　have　warmly　inculcated　that　the　whole　tendency　of　female　education　ought　to　be　directed　to　one　point　to　render　them　pleasing。　Let　me　reason　with　the　supporters　of　this　opinion；　who　have　any　knowledge　of　human　nature；　do　they　imagine　that　marriage　can　eradicate　the　habitude　of　life？　　The　woman　who　has　only　been　taught　to　please；　will　soon　find　that　her　charms　are　oblique　sun…beams；　and　that　they　cannot　have　much　effect　on　her　husband's　heart　when　they　are　seen　every　day；　when　the　summer　is　past　and　gone。　　Will　she　then　have　sufficient　native　energy　to　look　into　herself　for　comfort；　and　cultivate　her　dormant　faculties？　or；　is　it　not　more　rational　to　expect；　that　she　will　try　to　please　other　men；　and；　in　the　emotions　raised　by　the　expectation　of　new　conquests；　endeavour　to　forget　the　mortification　her　love　or　pride　has　received？　　When　the　husband　ceases　to　be　a　loverand　the　time　will　inevitably　come；　her　desire　of　pleasing　will　then　grow　languid；　or　become　a　spring　of　bitterness；　and　love；　perhaps；　the　most　evanescent　of　all　passions；　gives　place　to　jealousy　or　vanity。　I　now　speak　of　women　who　are　restrained　by　principle　or　prejudice；　such　women　though　they　would　shrink　from　an　intrigue　with　real　abhorrence；　yet；　nevertheless；　wish　to　be　convinced　by　the　homage　of　gallantry；　that　they　are　cruelly　neglected　by　their　husbands；　or；　days　and　weeks　are　spent　in　dreaming　of　the　happiness　enjoyed　by　congenial　souls；　till　the　health　is　undermined　and　the　spirits　broken　by　discontent。　　How　then　can　the　great　art　of　pleasing　be　such　a　necessary　study？　it　is　only　useful　to　a　mistress；　the　chaste　wife；　and　serious　mother；　should　only　consider　her　power　to　please　as　the　polish　of　her　virtues；　and　the　affection　of　her　husband　as　one　of　the　comforts　that　render　her　task　less　difficult；　and　her　life　happier。　　But；　whether　she　be　loved　or　neglected；　her　first　wish　should　be　to　make　herself　respectable；　and　not　rely　for　all　her　happiness　on　a　being　s