a vindication of the rights of woman-第18节

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elf；　exhaled　by　its　own　heat；　or　meeting　with　some　other　fleeting　passion；　to　which　reason　has　never　given　any　specific　gravity；　neutrality　ensues。　Miserable；　indeed；　must　be　that　being　whose　cultivation　of　mind　has　only　tended　to　inflame　its　passions！　　A　distinction　should　be　made　between　inflaming　and　strengthening　them。　　The　passions　thus　pampered；　whilst　the　judgment　is　left　unformed；　what　can　be　expected　to　ensue？　　Undoubtedly；　a　mixture　of　madness　and　folly！　This　observation　should　not　be　confined　to　the　FAIR　sex；　however；　at　present；　I　only　mean　to　apply　it　to　them。　Novels；　music；　poetry　and　gallantry；　all　tend　to　make　women　the　creatures　of　sensation；　and　their　character　is　thus　formed　during　the　time　they　are　acquiring　accomplishments；　the　only　improvement　they　are　excited；　by　their　station　in　society；　to　acquire。　　This　overstretched　sensibility　naturally　relaxes　the　other　powers　of　the　mind；　and　prevents　intellect　from　attaining　that　sovereignty　which　it　ought　to　attain；　to　render　a　rational　creature　useful　to　others；　and　content　with　its　own　station；　for　the　exercise　of　the　understanding；　as　life　advances；　is　the　only　method　pointed　out　by　nature　to　calm　the　passions。　Satiety　has　a　very　different　effect；　and　I　have　often　been　forcibly　struck　by　an　emphatical　description　of　damnation；　when　the　spirit　is　represented　as　continually　hovering　with　abortive　eagerness　round　the　defiled　body；　unable　to　enjoy　any　thing　without　the　organs　of　sense。　　Yet；　to　their　senses；　are　women　made　slaves；　because　it　is　by　their　sensibility　that　they　obtain　present　power。　And　will　moralists　pretend　to　assert；　that　this　is　the　condition　in　which　one　half　of　the　human　race　should　be　encouraged　to　remain　with　listless　inactivity　and　stupid　acquiescence？　　Kind　instructors！　what　were　we　created　for？　　To　remain；　it　may　be　said；　innocent；　they　mean　in　a　state　of　childhood。　　We　might　as　well　never　have　been　born；　unless　it　were　necessary　that　we　should　be　created　to　enable　man　to　acquire　the　noble　privilege　of　reason；　the　power　of　discerning　good　from　evil；　whilst　we　lie　down　in　the　dust　from　whence　we　were　taken；　never　to　rise　again。　It　would　be　an　endless　task　to　trace　the　variety　of　meannesses；　cares；　and　sorrows；　into　which　women　are　plunged　by　the　prevailing　opinion；　that　they　were　created　rather　to　feel　than　reason；　and　that　all　the　power　they　obtain；　must　be　obtained　by　their　charms　and　weakness；　〃Fine　by　defect；　and　amiably　weak！〃　And；　made　by　this　amiable　weakness　entirely　dependent；　excepting　what　they　gain　by　illicit　sway；　on　man；　not　only　for　protection；　but　advice；　is　it　surprising　that；　neglecting　the　duties　that　reason　alone　points　out；　and　shrinking　from　trials　calculated　to　strengthen　their　minds；　they　only　exert　themselves　to　give　their　defects　a　graceful　covering；　which　may　serve　to　heighten　their　charms　in　the　eye　of　the　voluptuary；　though　it　sink　them　below　the　scale　of　moral　excellence？　Fragile　in　every　sense　of　the　word；　they　are　obliged　to　look　up　to　man　for　every　comfort。　　In　the　most　trifling　dangers　they　cling　to　their　support；　with　parasitical　tenacity；　piteously　demanding　succour；　and　their　NATURAL　protector　extends　his　arm；　or　lifts　up　his　voice；　to　guard　the　lovely　tremblerfrom　what？　　Perhaps　the　frown　of　an　old　cow；　or　the　jump　of　a　mouse；　a　rat；　would　be　a　serious　danger。　　In　the　name　of　reason；　and　even　common　sense；　what　can　save　such　beings　from　contempt；　even　though　they　be　soft　and　fair？　These　fears；　when　not　affected；　may　be　very　pretty；　but　they　shew　a　degree　of　imbecility；　that　degrades　a　rational　creature　in　a　way　women　are　not　aware　offor　love　and　esteem　are　very　distinct　things。　I　am　fully　persuaded；　that　we　should　hear　of　none　of　these　infantine　airs；　if　girls　were　allowed　to　take　sufficient　exercise　and　not　confined　in　close　rooms　till　their　muscles　are　relaxed　and　their　powers　of　digestion　destroyed。　　To　carry　the　remark　still　further；　if　fear　in　girls；　instead　of　being　cherished；　perhaps；　created；　were　treated　in　the　same　manner　as　cowardice　in　boys；　we　should　quickly　see　women　with　more　dignified　aspects。　　It　is　true；　they　could　not　then　with　equal　propriety　be　termed　the　sweet　flowers　that　smile　in　the　walk　of　man；　but　they　would　be　more　respectable　members　of　society；　and　discharge　the　important　duties　of　life　by　the　light　of　their　own　reason。　　〃Educate　women　like　men；〃　says　Rousseau；　〃and　the　more　they　resemble　our　sex　the　less　power　will　they　have　over　us。〃　　This　is　the　very　point　I　aim　at。　　I　do　not　wish　them　to　have　power　over　men；　but　over　themselves。　In　the　same　strain　have　I　heard　men　argue　against　instructing　the　poor；　for　many　are　the　forms　that　aristocracy　assumes。　　〃Teach　them　to　read　and　write；〃　say　they；　〃and　you　take　them　out　of　the　station　assigned　them　by　nature。〃　　An　eloquent　Frenchman；　has　answered　them；　I　will　borrow　his　sentiments。　　But　they　know　not；　when　they　make　man　a　brute；　that　they　may　expect　every　instant　to　see　him　transformed　into　a　ferocious　beast。　　Without　knowledge　there　can　be　no　morality！　Ignorance　is　a　frail　base　for　virtue！　　Yet；　that　it　is　the　condition　for　which　woman　was　organized；　has　been　insisted　upon　by　the　writers　who　have　most　vehemently　argued　in　favour　of　the　superiority　of　man；　a　superiority　not　in　degree；　but　essence；　though；　to　soften　the　argument；　they　have　laboured　to　prove；　with　chivalrous　generosity；　that　the　sexes　ought　not　to　be　compared；　man　was　made　to　reason；　woman　to　feel：　　and　that　together；　flesh　and　spirit；　they　make　the　most　perfect　whole；　by　blending　happily　reason　and　sensibility　into　one　character。　And　what　is　sensibility？　　〃Quickness　of　sensation；　quickness　of　perception；　delicacy。〃　　Thus　is　it　defined　by　Dr。　Johnson；　and　the　definition　gives　me　no　other　idea　than　of　the　most　exquisitely　polished　instinct。　　I　discern　not　a　trace　of　the　image　of　God　in　either　sensation　or　matter。　　Refined　seventy　times　seven；　they　are　still　material；　intellect　dwells　not　there；　nor　will　fire　ever　make　lead　gold！　I　come　round　to　my　old　argument；　if　woman　be　allowed　to　have　an　immortal　soul；　she　must　have　as　the　employment　of　life；　an　understanding　to　improve。　　And　when；　to　render　the　present　state　more　complete；　though　every　thing　proves　it　to　be　but　a　fraction　of　a　mighty　sum；　she　is　incited　by　present　gratification　to　forget　her　grand　destination。　　Nature　is　counteracted；　or　she　was　born　only　to　procreate　and　rot。　　Or；　granting　brutes；　of　every　description；　a　soul；　though　not　a　reasonable　one；　the　exercise　of　instinct　and　sensibility　may　be　the　step；　which　they　are　to　take；　in　this　life；　towards　the　attainment　of　reason　in　the　next；　so　that　through　all　eternity　they　will　lag　behind　man；　who；　why　we　cannot　tell；　had　the　power　given　him　of　attaining　reason　in　his　first　mode　of　existence。　When　I　treat　of　the　peculiar　duties　of　women；　as　I　should　treat　of　the　peculiar　duties　of　a　citizen　or　father；　it　will　be　found　that　I　do　not　mean　to　insinuate；　that　they　should　be　taken　out　of　their　families；　speaking　of　the　majority。　　〃He　that　hath　wife　and　children；〃　says　Lord　Bacon；　〃hath　given　hostages　to　fortune；　for　they　are　impediments　to　great　enterprises；　either　of　virtue　or　mischief。　　Certainly　the　best　works；　and　of　greatest　merit　for　the　public；　have　proceeded　from　the　unmarried　or　childless　men。〃　I　say　the　same　of　women。　　But；　the　welfare　of　society　is　not　built　on　extraordinary　exertions；　and　were　it　more　reasonably　organized；　there　would　be　still　less　need　of　great　abilities；　or　heroic　virtues。　　In　the　regulation　of　a　family；　in　the　education　of　children；　understanding；　in　an　unsophisticated　sense；　is　particularly　required：　　strength　both　of　body　and　mind；　yet　the　men　who；　by　their　writings；　have　most　earnestly　laboured　to　domesticate　women；　have　endeavoured　by　arguments　dictated　by　a　gross　appetite；　that　satiety　had　rendered　fastidious；　to　weaken　their　bodies　and　cramp　their　minds。　　But；　if　even　by　these　sinister　methods　they　really　PERSUADED　women；　by　working　on　their　feelings；　to　stay　at　home；　and　fulfil　the　duties　of　a　mother　and　mistress　of　a　family；　I　should　cautiously　oppose　opinions　that　led　women　to　right　conduct；　by　prevailing　on　them　to　make　the　discharge　of　a　duty　the　business　of　life；　though　reason　were　insulted。　　Yet；　and　I　appeal　to　experience；　if　by　neglecting　the　understanding　they　are　as　much；　nay；　more　attached　from　these　domestic　duties；　than　they　could　be　by　the　most　serious　intellectual　pursuit；　though　it　may　be　observed；　that　the　mass　of　mankind　will　never　vigorously　pursue　an　intellectual　object；　I　may　be　allowed　to　infer；　that　reason　is　absolutely　necessary　to　enable　a　woman　to　perform　any　duty　properly；　and　I　must　again　repeat；　that　sensibility　is　not　reason。　The　comparison　with　the　rich　still　occurs　to　me；　for；　when　men　neglect　the　duties　of　humanity；　women　will　do　the　same；　a　common　stream　hurries　them　both　along　with　thoughtless　celerity。　　Riches　and　honours　prevent　a　man　from　enlarging　his　understanding；　and　enervate　all　his　powers；　by　reversing　the　order　of　nature；　which　has　ever　made　true　pleasure　the　reward　of　labour。　Pleasureenervating　pleasure　is；　likewise；　within　woman's　reach　without　earning　it。　　But；　till　hereditary　possessions　are　spread　abroad；　how　can　we　expect　men　to　be　proud　of　virtue？　　And；　till　they　are；　women　will