a vindication of the rights of woman-第35节

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racter　that　leads　us　to　form　a　just　opinion　of　ourselves；　equally　distant　from　vanity　or　presumption；　though　by　no　means　incompatible　with　a　lofty　consciousness　of　our　own　dignity。　　Modesty　in　the　latter　signification　of　the　term；　is　that　soberness　of　mind　which　teaches　a　man　not　to　think　more　highly　of　himself　than　he　ought　to　think；　and　should　be　distinguished　from　humility；　because　humility　is　a　kind　of　self…abasement。　　A　modest　man　often　conceives　a　great　plan；　and　tenaciously　adheres　to　it；　conscious　of　his　own　strength；　till　success　gives　it　a　sanction　that　determines　its　character。　　Milton　was　not　arrogant　when　he　suffered　a　suggestion　of　judgment　to　escape　him　that　proved　a　prophesy；　nor　was　General　Washington　when　he　accepted　of　the　command　of　the　American　forces。　　The　latter　has　always　been　characterized　as　a　modest　man；　but　had　he　been　merely　humble；　he　would　probably　have　shrunk　back　irresolute；　afraid　of　trusting　to　himself　the　direction　of　an　enterprise　on　which　so　much　depended。　A　modest　man　is　steady；　an　humble　man　timid；　and　a　vain　one　presumptuous；　this　is　the　judgment；　which　the　observation　of　many　characters；　has　led　me　to　form。　　Jesus　Christ　was　modest；　Moses　was　humble；　and　Peter　vain。　Thus　discriminating　modesty　from　humility　in　one　case；　I　do　not　mean　to　confound　it　with　bashfulness　in　the　other。　　Bashfulness；　in　fact；　is　so　distinct　from　modesty；　that　the　most　bashful　lass；　or　raw　country　lout；　often　becomes　the　most　impudent；　for　their　bashfulness　being　merely　the　instinctive　timidity　of　ignorance；　custom　soon　changes　it　into　assurance。*　（*Footnote。　　〃Such　is　the　country…maiden's　fright；　When　first　a　red…coat　is　in　sight；　Behind　the　door　she　hides　her　face；　Next　time　at　distance　eyes　the　lace：　She　now　can　all　his　terrors　stand；　Nor　from　his　squeeze　withdraws　her　hand；　She　plays　familiar　in　his　arms；　And　every　soldier　hath　his　charms；　》From　tent　to　tent　she　spreads　her　flame；　For　custom　conquers　fear　and　shame。〃）　The　shameless　behaviour　of　the　prostitutes　who　infest　the　streets　of　London；　raising　alternate　emotions　of　pity　and　disgust；　may　serve　to　illustrate　this　remark。　　They　trample　on　virgin　bashfulness　with　a　sort　of　bravado；　and　glorying　in　their　shame；　become　more　audaciously　lewd　than　men；　however　depraved；　to　whom　the　sexual　quality　has　not　been　gratuitously　granted；　ever　appear　to　be。　　But　these　poor　ignorant　wretches　never　had　any　modesty　to　lose；　when　they　consigned　themselves　to　infamy；　for　modesty　is　a　virtue　not　a　quality。　　No；　they　were　only　bashful；　shame…faced　innocents；　and　losing　their　innocence；　their　shame…facedness　was　rudely　brushed　off；　a　virtue　would　have　left　some　vestiges　in　the　mind；　had　it　been　sacrificed　to　passion；　to　make　us　respect　the　grand　ruin。　Purity　of　mind；　or　that　genuine　delicacy；　which　is　the　only　virtuous　support　of　chastity；　is　near　a…kin　to　that　refinement　of　humanity；　which　never　resides　in　any　but　cultivated　minds。　　It　is　something　nobler　than　innocence；　it　is　the　delicacy　of　reflection；　and　not　the　coyness　of　ignorance。　　The　reserve　of　reason；　which　like　habitual　cleanliness；　is　seldom　seen　in　any　great　degree；　unless　the　soul　is　active；　may　easily　be　distinguished　from　rustic　shyness　or　wanton　skittishness；　and　so　far　from　being　incompatible　with　knowledge；　it　is　its　fairest　fruit。　　What　a　gross　idea　of　modesty　had　the　writer　of　the　following　remark！　　〃The　lady　who　asked　the　question　whether　women　may　be　instructed　in　the　modern　system　of　botany；　consistently　with　female　delicacy？〃　was　accused　of　ridiculous　prudery：　　nevertheless；　if　she　had　proposed　the　question　to　me；　I　should　certainly　have　answeredThey　cannot。〃　Thus　is　the　fair　book　of　knowledge　to　be　shut　with　an　everlasting　seal！　　On　reading　similar　passages　I　have　reverentially　lifted　up　my　eyes　and　heart　to　Him　who　liveth　for　ever　and　ever；　and　said；　O　my　Father；　hast　Thou　by　the　very　constitution　of　her　nature　forbid　Thy　child　to　seek　Thee　in　the　fair　forms　of　truth？　　And；　can　her　soul　be　sullied　by　the　knowledge　that　awfully　calls　her　to　Thee？　I　have　then　philosophically　pursued　these　reflections　till　I　inferred；　that　those　women　who　have　most　improved　their　reason　must　have　the　most　modesty　though　a　dignified　sedateness　of　deportment　may　have　succeeded　the　playful；　bewitching　bashfulness　of　youth。*　（*Footnote。　　Modesty；　is　the　graceful　calm　virtue　of　maturity；　bashfulness；　the　charm　of　vivacious　youth。）　And　thus　have　I　argued。　　To　render　chastity　the　virtue　from　which　unsophisticated　modesty　will　naturally　flow；　the　attention　should　be　called　away　from　employments；　which　only　exercise　the　sensibility；　and　the　heart　made　to　beat　time　to　humanity；　rather　than　to　throb　with　love。　　The　woman　who　has　dedicated　a　considerable　portion　of　her　time　to　pursuits　purely　intellectual；　and　whose　affections　have　been　exercised　by　humane　plans　of　usefulness；　must　have　more　purity　of　mind；　as　a　natural　consequence；　than　the　ignorant　beings　whose　time　and　thoughts　have　been　occupied　by　gay　pleasures　or　schemes　to　conquer　hearts。　　The　regulation　of　the　behaviour　is　not　modesty；　though　those　who　study　rules　of　decorum；　are；　in　general　termed　modest　women。　　Make　the　heart　clean；　let　it　expand　and　feel　for　all　that　is　human；　instead　of　being　narrowed　by　selfish　passions；　and　let　the　mind　frequently　contemplate　subjects　that　exercise　the　understanding；　without　heating　the　imagination；　and　artless　modesty　will　give　the　finishing　touches　to　the　picture。　She　who　can　discern　the　dawn　of　immortality；　in　the　streaks　that　shoot　athwart　the　misty　night　of　ignorance；　promising　a　clearer　day；　will　respect；　as　a　sacred　temple；　the　body　that　enshrines　such　an　improvable　soul。　　True　love；　likewise；　spreads　this　kind　of　mysterious　sanctity　round　the　beloved　object；　making　the　lover　most　modest　when　in　her　presence。　　So　reserved　is　affection；　that；　receiving　or　returning　personal　endearments；　it　wishes；　not　only　to　shun　the　human　eye；　as　a　kind　of　profanation；　but　to　diffuse　an　encircling　cloudy　obscurity　to　shut　out　even　the　saucy　sparkling　sunbeams。　　Yet；　that　affection　does　not　deserve　the　epithet　of　chaste　which　does　not　receive　a　sublime　gloom　of　tender　melancholy；　that　allows　the　mind　for　a　moment　to　stand　still　and　enjoy　the　present　satisfaction；　when　a　consciousness　of　the　Divine　presence　is　feltfor　this　must　ever　be　the　food　of　joy！　As　I　have　always　been　fond　of　tracing　to　its　source　in　nature　any　prevailing　custom；　I　have　frequently　thought　that　it　was　a　sentiment　of　affection　for　whatever　had　touched　the　person　of　an　absent　or　lost　friend；　which　gave　birth　to　that　respect　for　relics；　so　much　abused　by　selfish　priests。　　Devotion；　or　love；　may　be　allowed　to　hallow　the　garments　as　well　as　the　person；　for　the　lover　must　want　fancy；　who　has　not　a　sort　of　sacred　respect　for　the　glove　or　slipper　of　his　mistress。　　He　could　not　confound　them　with　vulgar　things　of　the　same　kind。　This　fine　sentiment；　perhaps；　would　not　bear　to　be　analyzed　by　the　experimental　philosopherbut　of　such　stuff　is　human　rapture　made　up！　A　shadowy　phantom　glides　before　us；　obscuring　every　other　object；　yet　when　the　soft　cloud　is　grasped；　the　form　melts　into　common　air；　leaving　a　solitary　void；　or　sweet　perfume；　stolen　from　the　violet；　that　memory　long　holds　dear。　　But；　I　have　tripped　unawares　on　fairy　ground；　feeling　the　balmy　gale　of　spring　stealing　on　me；　though　November　frowns。　As　a　sex；　women　are　more　chaste　than　men；　and　as　modesty　is　the　effect　of　chastity；　they　may　deserve　to　have　this　virtue　ascribed　to　them　in　rather　an　appropriated　sense；　yet；　I　must　be　allowed　to　add　an　hesitating　if：　for　I　doubt；　whether　chastity　will　produce　modesty；　though　it　may　propriety　of　conduct；　when　it　is　merely　a　respect　for　the　opinion　of　the　world；　and　when　coquetry　and　the　lovelorn　tales　of　novelists　employ　the　thoughts。　　Nay；　from　experience；　and　reason；　I　should　be　lead　to　expect　to　meet　with　more　modesty　amongst　men　than　women；　simply　because　men　exercise　their　understandings　more　than　women。　But；　with　respect　to　propriety　of　behaviour；　excepting　one　class　of　females；　women　have　evidently　the　advantage。　　What　can　be　more　disgusting　than　that　impudent　dross　of　gallantry；　thought　so　manly；　which　makes　many　men　stare　insultingly　at　every　female　they　meet？　Is　this　respect　for　the　sex？　　This　loose　behaviour　shows　such　habitual　depravity；　such　weakness　of　mind；　that　it　is　vain　to　expect　much　public　or　private　virtue；　till　both　men　and　women　grow　more　modesttill　men；　curbing　a　sensual　fondness　for　the　sex；　or　an　affectation　of　manly　assurance；　more　properly　speaking；　impudence；　treat　each　other　with　respectunless　appetite　or　passion　gives　the　tone；　peculiar　to　it；　to　their　behaviour。　　I　mean　even　personal　respectthe　modest　respect　of　humanity；　and　fellow…feeling；　not　the　libidinous　mockery　of　gallantry；　nor　the　insolent　condescension　of　protectorship。　To　carry　the　observation　still　further；　modesty　must　heartily　disclaim；　and　refuse　to　dwell　with　that　debauchery　of　mind；　which　leads　a　man　coolly　to　bring　forward；　without　a　blush；　indecent　allusions；　or　obscene　witticisms；　in　the　presence　of　a　fellow　creature；　women　are　now　out　of　the　question；　for　then　it　is　brutality。　　Respect　for　man；　as　man　is　the　foundation　of　every　noble　sentiment。　　How　much　more　modest　is　the　libertine　who