a vindication of the rights of woman-第32节

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very　easy　to　catch　the　flying　stream？　　Such　slaves　are　we　to　hope　and　fear！　But；　vain　as　the　ambitious　man's　pursuit　would　be；　he　is　often　striving　for　something　more　substantial　than　famethat　indeed　would　be　the　veriest　meteor；　the　wildest　fire　that　could　lure　a　man　to　ruin。　　What！　renounce　the　most　trifling　gratification　to　be　applauded　when　he　should　be　no　more！　Wherefore　this　struggle；　whether　man　is　mortal　or　immortal；　if　that　noble　passion　did　not　really　raise　the　being　above　his　fellows？　And　love！　　What　diverting　scenes　would　it　producePantaloon's　tricks　must　yield　to　more　egregious　folly。　　To　see　a　mortal　adorn　an　object　with　imaginary　charms；　and　then　fall　down　and　worship　the　idol　which　he　had　himself　set　uphow　ridiculous！　　But　what　serious　consequences　ensue　to　rob　man　of　that　portion　of　happiness；　which　the　Deity　by　calling　him　into　existence　has　（or；　on　what　can　his　attributes　rest？）　indubitably　promised；　would　not　all　the　purposes　of　life　have　been　much　better　fulfilled　if　he　had　only　felt　what　has　been　termed　physical　love？　　And；　would　not　the　sight　of　the　object；　not　seen　through　the　medium　of　the　imagination；　soon　reduce　the　passion　to　an　appetite；　if　reflection；　the　noble　distinction　of　man；　did　not　give　it　force；　and　make　it　an　instrument　to　raise　him　above　this　earthy　dross；　by　teaching　him　to　love　the　centre　of　all　perfection！　whose　wisdom　appears　clearer　and　clearer　in　the　works　of　nature；　in　proportion　as　reason　is　illuminated　and　exalted　by　contemplation；　and　by　acquiring　that　love　of　order　which　the　struggles　of　passion　produce？　The　habit　of　reflection；　and　the　knowledge　attained　by　fostering　any　passion；　might　be　shown　to　be　equally　useful　though　the　object　be　proved　equally　fallacious；　for　they　would　all　appear　in　the　same　light；　if　they　were　not　magnified　by　the　governing　passion　implanted　in　us　by　the　Author　of　all　good；　to　call　forth　and　strengthen　the　faculties　of　each　individual；　and　enable　it　to　attain　all　the　experience　that　an　infant　can　obtain；　who　does　certain　things；　it　cannot　tell　why。　I　descend　from　my　height；　and　mixing　with　my　fellow　creatures；　feel　myself　hurried　along　the　common　stream；　ambition；　love；　hope；　and　fear；　exert　their　wonted　power；　though　we　be　convinced　by　reason　that　their　present　and　most　attractive　promises　are　only　lying　dreams；　but　had　the　cold　hand　of　circumspection　damped　each　generous　feeling　before　it　had　left　any　permanent　character；　or　fixed　some　habit；　what　could　be　expected；　but　selfish　prudence　and　reason　just　rising　above　instinct？　　Who　that　has　read　Dean　Swift's　disgusting　description　of　the　Yahoos；　and　insipid　one　of　Houyhnhnm　with　a　philosophical　eye；　can　avoid　seeing　the　futility　of　degrading　the　passions；　or　making　man　rest　in　contentment？　The　youth　should　ACT；　for　had　he　the　experience　of　a　grey　head；　he　would　be　fitter　for　death　than　life；　though　his　virtues；　rather　residing　in　his　head　than　his　heart　could　produce　nothing　great；　and　his　understanding　prepared　for　this　world；　would　not；　by　its　noble　flights；　prove　that　it　had　a　title　to　a　better。　Besides；　it　is　not　possible　to　give　a　young　person　a　just　view　of　life；　he　must　have　struggled　with　his　own　passions　before　he　can　estimate　the　force　of　the　temptation　which　betrayed　his　brother　into　vice。　　Those　who　are　entering　life；　and　those　who　are　departing；　see　the　world　from　such　very　different　points　of　view；　that　they　can　seldom　think　alike；　unless　the　unfledged　reason　of　the　former　never　attempted　a　solitary　flight。　When　we　hear　of　some　daring　crimeit　comes　full　upon　us　in　the　deepest　shade　of　turpitude；　and　raises　indignation；　but　the　eye　that　gradually　saw　the　darkness　thicken；　must　observe　it　with　more　compassionate　forbearance。　　The　world　cannot　be　seen　by　an　unmoved　spectator；　we　must　mix　in　the　throng；　and　feel　as　men　feel　before　we　can　judge　of　their　feelings。　　If　we　mean；　in　short；　to　live　in　the　world　to　grow　wiser　and　better；　and　not　merely　to　enjoy　the　good　things　of　life；　we　must　attain　a　knowledge　of　others　at　the　same　time　that　we　become　acquainted　with　ourselves　knowledge　acquired　any　other　way　only　hardens　the　heart　and　perplexes　the　understanding。　I　may　be　told；　that　the　knowledge　thus　acquired；　is　sometimes　purchased　at　too　dear　a　rate。　　I　can　only　answer；　that　I　very　much　doubt　whether　any　knowledge　can　be　attained　without　labour　and　sorrow；　and　those　who　wish　to　spare　their　children　both；　should　not　complain　if　they　are　neither　wise　nor　virtuous。　　They　only　aimed　at　making　them　prudent；　and　prudence；　early　in　life；　is　but　the　cautious　craft　of　ignorant　self…love。　　I　have　observed；　that　young　people；　to　whose　education　particular　attention　has　been　paid；　have；　in　general；　been　very　superficial　and　conceited；　and　far　from　pleasing　in　any　respect；　because　they　had　neither　the　unsuspecting　warmth　of　youth；　nor　the　cool　depth　of　age。　　I　cannot　help　imputing　this　unnatural　appearance　principally　to　that　hasty　premature　instruction；　which　leads　them　presumptuously　to　repeat　all　the　crude　notions　they　have　taken　upon　trust；　so　that　the　careful　education　which　they　received；　makes　them　all　their　lives　the　slaves　of　prejudices。　Mental　as　well　as　bodily　exertion　is；　at　first；　irksome；　so　much　so；　that　the　many　would　fain　let　others　both　work　and　think　for　them。　　An　observation　which　I　have　often　made　will　illustrate　my　meaning。　　When　in　a　circle　of　strangers；　or　acquaintances；　a　person　of　moderate　abilities；　asserts　an　opinion　with　heat；　I　will　venture　to　affirm；　for　I　have　traced　this　fact　home；　very　often；　that　it　is　a　prejudice。　　These　echoes　have　a　high　respect　for　the　understanding　of　some　relation　or　friend；　and　without　fully　comprehending　the　opinions；　which　they　are　so　eager　to　retail；　they　maintain　them　with　a　degree　of　obstinacy；　that　would　surprise　even　the　person　who　concocted　them。　I　know　that　a　kind　of　fashion　now　prevails　of　respecting　prejudices；　and　when　any　one　dares　to　face　them；　though　actuated　by　humanity　and　armed　by　reason；　he　is　superciliously　asked；　whether　his　ancestors　were　fools。　　No；　I　should　reply；　opinions；　at　first；　of　every　description；　were　all；　probably；　considered；　and　therefore　were　founded　on　some　reason；　yet　not　unfrequently；　of　course；　it　was　rather　a　local　expedient　than　a　fundamental　principle；　that　would　be　reasonable　at　all　times。　　But；　moss…covered　opinions　assume　the　disproportioned　form　of　prejudices；　when　they　are　indolently　adopted　only　because　age　has　given　them　a　venerable　aspect；　though　the　reason　on　which　they　were　built　ceases　to　be　a　reason；　or　cannot　be　traced。　　Why　are　we　to　love　prejudices；　merely　because　they　are　prejudices？　　A　prejudice　is　a　fond　obstinate　persuasion；　for　which　we　can　give　no　reason；　for　the　moment　a　reason　can　be　given　for　an　opinion；　it　ceases　to　be　a　prejudice；　though　it　may　be　an　error　in　judgment：　　and　are　we　then　advised　to　cherish　opinions　only　to　set　reason　at　defiance？　　This　mode　of　arguing；　if　arguing　it　may　be　called；　reminds　me　of　what　is　vulgarly　termed　a　woman's　reason。　　For　women　sometimes　declare　that　they　love；　or　believe　certain　things；　BECAUSE　they　love；　or　believe　them。　It　is　impossible　to　converse　with　people　to　any　purpose；　who；　in　this　style；　only　use　affirmatives　and　negatives。　　Before　you　can　bring　them　to　a　point；　to　start　fairly　from；　you　must　go　back　to　the　simple　principles　that　were　antecedent　to　the　prejudices　broached　by　power；　and　it　is　ten　to　one　but　you　are　stopped　by　the　philosophical　assertion；　that　certain　principles　are　as　practically　false　as　they　are　abstractly　true。　　Nay；　it　may　be　inferred；　that　reason　has　whispered　some　doubts；　for　it　generally　happens　that　people　assert　their　opinions　with　the　greatest　heat　when　they　begin　to　waver；　striving　to　drive　out　their　own　doubts　by　convincing　their　opponent；　they　grow　angry　when　those　gnawing　doubts　are　thrown　back　to　prey　on　themselves。　The　fact　is；　that　men　expect　from　education；　what　education　cannot　give。　　A　sagacious　parent　or　tutor　may　strengthen　the　body　and　sharpen　the　instruments　by　which　the　child　is　to　gather　knowledge；　but　the　honey　must　be　the　reward　of　the　individual's　own　industry。　It　is　almost　as　absurd　to　attempt　to　make　a　youth　wise　by　the　experience　of　another；　as　to　expect　the　body　to　grow　strong　by　the　exercise　which　is　only　talked　of；　or　seen。　Many　of　those　children　whose　conduct　has　been　most　narrowly　watched；　become　the　weakest　men；　because　their　instructors　only　instill　certain　notions　into　their　minds；　that　have　no　other　foundation　than　their　authority；　and　if　they　are　loved　or　respected；　the　mind　is　cramped　in　its　exertions　and　wavering　in　its　advances。　　The　business　of　education　in　this　case；　is　only　to　conduct　the　shooting　tendrils　to　a　proper　pole；　yet　after　laying　precept　upon　precept；　without　allowing　a　child　to　acquire　judgment　itself；　parents　expect　them　to　act　in　the　same　manner　by　this　borrowed　fallacious　light；　as　if　they　had　illuminated　it　themselves；　and　be；　when　they　enter　life；　what　their　parents　are　at　the　close。　　They　do　not　consider　that　the　tree；　and　even　the　human　body；　does　not　strengthen　its　fibres　till　it　has　reached　its　full　growth。　There　appears　to　be　something　analogous　in　the　mind。　　The　senses　and　the　imagination　give　a　form　to　the　character；　during　childhood　and　youth；　and　the　underst