a vindication of the rights of woman-第41节

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e　serious　duties　of　his　station；　is　not　only　a　respectable；　but　a　beautiful　sight。　　So　singular；　indeed；　are　my　feelings；　and　I　have　endeavoured　not　to　catch　factitious　ones；　that　after　having　been　fatigued　with　the　sight　of　insipid　grandeur　and　the　slavish　ceremonies　that　with　cumberous　pomp　supplied　the　place　of　domestic　affections；　I　have　turned　to　some　other　scene　to　relieve　my　eye；　by　resting　it　on　the　refreshing　green　every　where　scattered　by　nature。　I　have　then　viewed　with　pleasure　a　woman　nursing　her　children；　and　discharging　the　duties　of　her　station　with；　perhaps；　merely　a　servant　made　to　take　off　her　hands　the　servile　part　of　the　household　business。　　I　have　seen　her　prepare　herself　and　children；　with　only　the　luxury　of　cleanliness；　to　receive　her　husband；　who　returning　weary　home　in　the　evening；　found　smiling　babes　and　a　clean　hearth。　　My　heart　has　loitered　in　the　midst　of　the　group；　and　has　even　throbbed　with　sympathetic　emotion；　when　the　scraping　of　the　well　known　foot　has　raised　a　pleasing　tumult。　Whilst　my　benevolence　has　been　gratified　by　contemplating　this　artless　picture；　I　have　thought　that　a　couple　of　this　description；　equally　necessary　and　independent　of　each　other；　because　each　fulfilled　the　respective　duties　of　their　station；　possessed　all　that　life　could　give。　　Raised　sufficiently　above　abject　poverty　not　to　be　obliged　to　weigh　the　consequence　of　every　farthing　they　spend；　and　having　sufficient　to　prevent　their　attending　to　a　frigid　system　of　economy　which　narrows　both　heart　and　mind。　　I　declare；　so　vulgar　are　my　conceptions；　that　I　know　not　what　is　wanted　to　render　this　the　happiest　as　well　as　the　most　respectable　situation　in　the　world；　but　a　taste　for　literature；　to　throw　a　little　variety　and　interest　into　social　converse；　and　some　superfluous　money　to　give　to　the　needy；　and　to　buy　books。　　For　it　is　not　pleasant　when　the　heart　is　opened　by　compassion；　and　the　head　active　in　arranging　plans　of　usefulness；　to　have　a　prim　urchin　continually　twitching　back　the　elbow　to　prevent　the　hand　from　drawing　out　an　almost　empty　purse；　whispering　at　the　same　time　some　prudential　maxim　about　the　priority　of　justice。　Destructive；　however；　as　riches　and　inherited　honours　are　to　the　human　character；　women　are　more　debased　and　cramped；　if　possible　by　them；　than　men；　because　men　may　still；　in　some　degree；　unfold　their　faculties　by　becoming　soldiers　and　statesmen。　As　soldiers；　I　grant；　they　can　now　only　gather；　for　the　most　part；　vainglorious　laurels；　whilst　they　adjust　to　a　hair　the　European　balance；　taking　especial　care　that　no　bleak　northern　nook　or　sound　incline　the　beam。　　But　the　days　of　true　heroism　are　over；　when　a　citizen　fought　for　his　country　like　a　Fabricius　or　a　Washington；　and　then　returned　to　his　farm　to　let　his　virtuous　fervour　run　in　a　more　placid；　but　not　a　less　salutary　stream。　　No；　our　British　heroes　are　oftener　sent　from　the　gaming　table　than　from　the　plough；　and　their　passions　have　been　rather　inflamed　by　hanging　with　dumb　suspense　on　the　turn　of　a　die；　than　sublimated　by　panting　after　the　adventurous　march　of　virtue　in　the　historic　page。　The　statesman；　it　is　true；　might　with　more　propriety　quit　the　Faro　Bank；　or　card…table；　to　guide　the　helm；　for　he　has　still　but　to　shuffle　and　trick。　　The　whole　system　of　British　politics；　if　system　it　may　courteously　be　called；　consisting　in　multiplying　dependents　and　contriving　taxes　which　grind　the　poor　to　pamper　the　rich；　thus　a　war；　or　any　wild　goose　chace　is；　as　the　vulgar　use　the　phrase；　a　lucky　turn…up　of　patronage　for　the　minister；　whose　chief　merit　is　the　art　of　keeping　himself　in　place。　It　is　not　necessary　then　that　he　should　have　bowels　for　the　poor；　so　he　can　secure　for　his　family　the　odd　trick。　　Or　should　some　show　of　respect；　for　what　is　termed　with　ignorant　ostentation　an　Englishman's　birth…right；　be　expedient　to　bubble　the　gruff　mastiff　that　he　has　to　lead　by　the　nose；　he　can　make　an　empty　show；　very　safely；　by　giving　his　single　voice；　and　suffering　his　light　squadron　to　file　off　to　the　other　side。　　And　when　a　question　of　humanity　is　agitated；　he　may　dip　a　sop　in　the　milk　of　human　kindness；　to　silence　Cerberus；　and　talk　of　the　interest　which　his　heart　takes　in　an　attempt　to　make　the　earth　no　longer　cry　for　vengeance　as　it　sucks　in　its　children's　blood；　though　his　cold　hand　may　at　the　very　moment　rivet　their　chains；　by　sanctioning　the　abominable　traffick。　　A　minister　is　no　longer　a　minister　than　while　he　can　carry　a　point；　which　he　is　determined　to　carry。　　Yet　it　is　not　necessary　that　a　minister　should　feel　like　a　man；　when　a　bold　push　might　shake　his　seat。　But；　to　have　done　with　these　episodical　observations；　let　me　return　to　the　more　specious　slavery　which　chains　the　very　soul　of　woman；　keeping　her　for　ever　under　the　bondage　of　ignorance。　The　preposterous　distinctions　of　rank；　which　render　civilization　a　curse；　by　dividing　the　world　between　voluptuous　tyrants；　and　cunning　envious　dependents；　corrupt；　almost　equally；　every　class　of　people；　because　respectability　is　not　attached　to　the　discharge　of　the　relative　duties　of　life；　but　to　the　station；　and　when　the　duties　are　not　fulfilled；　the　affections　cannot　gain　sufficient　strength　to　fortify　the　virtue　of　which　they　are　the　natural　reward。　　Still　there　are　some　loop…holes　out　of　which　a　man　may　creep；　and　dare　to　think　and　act　for　himself；　but　for　a　woman　it　is　an　herculean　task；　because　she　has　difficulties　peculiar　to　her　sex　to　overcome；　which　require　almost　super…human　powers。　A　truly　benevolent　legislator　always　endeavours　to　make　it　the　interest　of　each　individual　to　be　virtuous；　and　thus　private　virtue　becoming　the　cement　of　public　happiness；　an　orderly　whole　is　consolidated　by　the　tendency　of　all　the　parts　towards　a　common　centre。　　But；　the　private　or　public　virtue　of　women　is　very　problematical；　for　Rousseau；　and　a　numerous　list　of　male　writers；　insist　that　she　should　all　her　life；　be　subjected　to　a　severe　restraint；　that　of　propriety。　　Why　subject　her　to　proprietyblind　propriety；　if　she　be　capable　of　acting　from　a　nobler　spring；　if　she　be　an　heir　of　immortality？　　Is　sugar　always　to　be　produced　by　vital　blood？　　Is　one　half　of　the　human　species；　like　the　poor　African　slaves；　to　be　subject　to　prejudices　that　brutalize　them；　when　principles　would　be　a　surer　guard　only　to　sweeten　the　cup　of　man？　Is　not　this　indirectly　to　deny　women　reason？　for　a　gift　is　a　mockery；　if　it　be　unfit　for　use。　Women　are　in　common　with　men；　rendered　weak　and　luxurious　by　the　relaxing　pleasures　which　wealth　procures；　but　added　to　this；　they　are　made　slaves　to　their　persons；　and　must　render　them　alluring；　that　man　may　lend　them　his　reason　to　guide　their　tottering　steps　aright。　　Or　should　they　be　ambitious；　they　must　govern　their　tyrants　by　sinister　tricks；　for　without　rights　there　cannot　be　any　incumbent　duties。　　The　laws　respecting　woman；　which　I　mean　to　discuss　in　a　future　part；　make　an　absurd　unit　of　a　man　and　his　wife；　and　then；　by　the　easy　transition　of　only　considering　him　as　responsible；　she　is　reduced　to　a　mere　cypher。　The　being　who　discharges　the　duties　of　its　station；　is　independent；　and；　speaking　of　women　at　large；　their　first　duty　is　to　themselves　as　rational　creatures；　and　the　next；　in　point　of　importance；　as　citizens；　is　that；　which　includes　so　many；　of　a　mother。　　The　rank　in　life　which　dispenses　with　their　fulfilling　this　duty；　necessarily　degrades　them　by　making　them　mere　dolls。　　Or；　should　they　turn　to　something　more　important　than　merely　fitting　drapery　upon　a　smooth　block；　their　minds　are　only　occupied　by　some　soft　platonic　attachment；　or；　the　actual　management　of　an　intrigue　may　keep　their　thoughts　in　motion；　for　when　they　neglect　domestic　duties；　they　have　it　not　in　their　power　to　take　the　field　and　march　and　counter…march　like　soldiers；　or　wrangle　in　the　senate　to　keep　their　faculties　from　rusting。　I　know；　that　as　a　proof　of　the　inferiority　of　the　sex；　Rousseau　has　exultingly　exclaimed；　How　can　they　leave　the　nursery　for　the　camp！　And　the　camp　has　by　some　moralists　been　termed　the　school　of　the　most　heroic　virtues；　though；　I　think；　it　would　puzzle　a　keen　casuist　to　prove　the　reasonableness　of　the　greater　number　of　wars；　that　have　dubbed　heroes。　　I　do　not　mean　to　consider　this　question　critically；　because；　having　frequently　viewed　these　freaks　of　ambition　as　the　first　natural　mode　of　civilization；　when　the　ground　must　be　torn　up；　and　the　woods　cleared　by　fire　and　sword；　I　do　not　choose　to　call　them　pests；　but　surely　the　present　system　of　war；　has　little　connection　with　virtue　of　any　denomination；　being　rather　the　school　of　FINESSE　and　effeminacy；　than　of　fortitude。　Yet；　if　defensive　war；　the　only　justifiable　war；　in　the　present　advanced　state　of　society；　where　virtue　can　show　its　face　and　ripen　amidst　the　rigours　which　purify　the　air　on　the　mountain's　top；　were　alone　to　be　adopted　as　just　and　glorious；　the　true　heroism　of　antiquity　might　again　animate　female　bosoms。　　But　fair　and　softly；　gentle　reader；　male　or　female；　do　not　alarm　thyself；　for　though　I　have　contrasted　the　character　of　a　modern　soldier　with　that　of　a　civilized　woman；　I　am　not　going　to　advise　them　to　turn　their　distaff　into　a　musket；　though　I　sincerely　wish　to　see　the　bayonet　converted　into　a　pruning　hook。　　I　only　recreated　an　imagination；　fatigued