a vindication of the rights of woman-第55节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


their　children；　they　would　preserve　their　own　health；　and　there　would　be　such　an　interval　between　the　birth　of　each　child；　that　we　should　seldom　see　a　house　full　of　babes。　　And　did　they　pursue　a　plan　of　conduct；　and　not　waste　their　time　in　following　the　fashionable　vagaries　of　dress；　the　management　of　their　household　and　children　need　not　shut　them　out　from　literature；　nor　prevent　their　attaching　themselves　to　a　science；　with　that　steady　eye　which　strengthens　the　mind；　or　practising　one　of　the　fine　arts　that　cultivate　the　taste。　But；　visiting　to　display　finery；　card　playing；　and　balls；　not　to　mention　the　idle　bustle　of　morning　trifling；　draw　women　from　their　duty；　to　render　them　insignificant；　to　render　them　pleasing；　according　to　the　present　acceptation　of　the　word；　to　every　man；　but　their　husband。　　For　a　round　of　pleasures　in　which　the　affections　are　not　exercised；　cannot　be　said　to　improve　the　understanding；　though　it　be　erroneously　called　seeing　the　world；　yet　the　heart　is　rendered　cold　and　averse　to　duty；　by　such　a　senseless　intercourse；　which　becomes　necessary　from　habit；　even　when　it　has　ceased　to　amuse。　But；　till　more　equality　be　established　in　society；　till　ranks　are　confounded　and　women　freed；　we　shall　not　see　that　dignified　domestic　happiness；　the　simple　grandeur　of　which　cannot　be　relished　by　ignorant　or　vitiated　minds；　nor　will　the　important　task　of　education　ever　be　properly　begun　till　the　person　of　a　woman　is　no　longer　preferred　to　her　mind。　　For　it　would　be　as　wise　to　expect　corn　from　tares；　or　figs　from　thistles；　as　that　a　foolish　ignorant　woman　should　be　a　good　mother。　SECTION　13。6。　It　is　not　necessary　to　inform　the　sagacious　reader；　now　I　enter　on　my　concluding　reflections；　that　the　discussion　of　this　subject　merely　consists　in　opening　a　few　simple　principles；　and　clearing　away　the　rubbish　which　obscured　them。　　But；　as　all　readers　are　not　sagacious；　I　must　be　allowed　to　add　some　explanatory　remarks　to　bring　the　subject　home　to　reasonto　that　sluggish　reason；　which　supinely　takes　opinions　on　trust；　and　obstinately　supports　them　to　spare　itself　the　labour　of　thinking。　Moralists　have　unanimously　agreed；　that　unless　virtue　be　nursed　by　liberty；　it　will　never　attain　due　strengthand　what　they　say　of　man　I　extend　to　mankind；　insisting；　that　in　all　cases　morals　must　be　fixed　on　immutable　principles；　and　that　the　being　cannot　be　termed　rational　or　virtuous；　who　obeys　any　authority　but　that　of　reason。　To　render　women　truly　useful　members　of　society；　I　argue；　that　they　should　be　led；　by　having　their　understandings　cultivated　on　a　large　scale；　to　acquire　a　rational　affection　for　their　country；　founded　on　knowledge；　because　it　is　obvious；　that　we　are　little　interested　about　what　we　do　not　understand。　　And　to　render　this　general　knowledge　of　due　importance；　I　have　endeavoured　to　show　that　private　duties　are　never　properly　fulfilled；　unless　the　understanding　enlarges　the　heart；　and　that　public　virtue　is　only　an　aggregate　of　private。　　But；　the　distinctions　established　in　society　undermine　both；　by　beating　out　the　solid　gold　of　virtue；　till　it　becomes　only　the　tinsel…covering　of　vice；　for；　whilst　wealth　renders　a　man　more　respectable　than　virtue；　wealth　will　be　sought　before　virtue；　and；　whilst　women's　persons　are　caressed；　when　a　childish　simper　shows　an　absence　of　mindthe　mind　will　lie　fallow。　Yet；　true　voluptuousness　must　proceed　from　the　mindfor　what　can　equal　the　sensations　produced　by　mutual　affection；　supported　by　mutual　respect？　　What　are　the　cold　or　feverish　caresses　of　appetite；　but　sin　embracing　death；　compared　with　the　modest　overflowings　of　a　pure　heart　and　exalted　imagination？　　Yes；　let　me　tell　the　libertine　of　fancy　when　he　despises　understanding　in　womanthat　the　mind；　which　he　disregards；　gives　life　to　the　enthusiastic　affection　from　which　rapture；　short…lived　as　it　is；　alone　can　flow！　　And；　that；　without　virtue；　a　sexual　attachment　must　expire；　like　a　tallow　candle　in　the　socket；　creating　intolerable　disgust。　　To　prove　this；　I　need　only　observe；　that　men　who　have　wasted　great　part　of　their　lives　with　women；　and　with　whom　they　have　sought　for　pleasure　with　eager　thirst；　entertain　the　meanest　opinion　of　the　sex。　　Virtue；　true　refiner　of　joy！　if　foolish　men　were　to　fright　thee　from　earth；　in　order　to　give　loose　to　all　their　appetites　without　a　checksome　sensual　wight　of　taste　would　scale　the　heavens　to　invite　thee　back；　to　give　a　zest　to　pleasure！　That　women　at　present　are　by　ignorance　rendered　foolish　or　vicious；　is；　I　think；　not　to　be　disputed；　and；　that　the　most　salutary　effects　tending　to　improve　mankind；　might　be　expected　from　a　REVOLUTION　in　female　manners；　appears　at　least；　with　a　face　of　probability；　to　rise　out　of　the　observation。　　For　as　marriage　has　been　termed　the　parent　of　those　endearing　charities；　which　draw　man　from　the　brutal　herd；　the　corrupting　intercourse　that　wealth；　idleness；　and　folly　produce　between　the　sexes；　is　more　universally　injurious　to　morality；　than　all　the　other　vices　of　mankind　collectively　considered。　　To　adulterous　lust　the　most　sacred　duties　are　sacrificed；　because；　before　marriage；　men；　by　a　promiscuous　intimacy　with　women；　learned　to　consider　love　as　a　selfish　gratificationlearned　to　separate　it　not　only　from　esteem；　but　from　the　affection　merely　built　on　habit；　which　mixes　a　little　humanity　with　it。　　Justice　and　friendship　are　also　set　at　defiance；　and　that　purity　of　taste　is　vitiated；　which　would　naturally　lead　a　man　to　relish　an　artless　display　of　affection；　rather　than　affected　airs。　　But　that　noble　simplicity　of　affection；　which　dares　to　appear　unadorned；　has　few　attractions　for　the　libertine；　though　it　be　the　charm；　which；　by　cementing　the　matrimonial　tie；　secures　to　the　pledges　of　a　warmer　passion　the　necessary　parental　attention；　for　children　will　never　be　properly　educated　till　friendship　subsists　between　parents。　　Virtue　flies　from　a　house　divided　against　itselfand　a　whole　legion　of　devils　take　up　their　residence　there。　The　affection　of　husbands　and　wives　cannot　be　pure　when　they　have　so　few　sentiments　in　common；　and　when　so　little　confidence　is　established　at　home；　as　must　be　the　case　when　their　pursuits　are　so　different。　　That　intimacy　from　which　tenderness　should　flow；　will　not；　cannot　subsist　between　the　vicious。　Contending；　therefore；　that　the　sexual　distinction；　which　men　have　so　warmly　insisted　upon；　is　arbitrary；　I　have　dwelt　on　an　observation；　that　several　sensible　men；　with　whom　I　have　conversed　on　the　subject；　allowed　to　be　well　founded；　and　it　is　simply　this；　that　the　little　chastity　to　be　found　amongst　men；　and　consequent　disregard　of　modesty；　tend　to　degrade　both　sexes；　and　further；　that　the　modesty　of　women；　characterized　as　such；　will　often　be　only　the　artful　veil　of　wantonness；　instead　of　being　the　natural　reflection　of　purity；　till　modesty　be　universally　respected。　From　the　tyranny　of　man；　I　firmly　believe；　the　greater　number　of　female　follies　proceed；　and　the　cunning；　which　I　allow；　makes　at　present　a　part　of　their　character；　I　likewise　have　repeatedly　endeavoured　to　prove；　is　produced　by　oppression。　　Were　not　dissenters；　for　instance；　a　class　of　people；　with　strict　truth　characterized　as　cunning？　　And　may　I　not　lay　some　stress　on　this　fact　to　prove；　that　when　any　power　but　reason　curbs　the　free　spirit　of　man；　dissimulation　is　practised；　and　the　various　shifts　of　art　are　naturally　called　forth？　　Great　attention　to　decorum；　which　was　carried　to　a　degree　of　scrupulosity；　and　all　that　puerile　bustle　about　trifles　and　consequential　solemnity；　which　Butler's　caricature　of　a　dissenter　brings　before　the　imagination；　shaped　their　persons　as　well　as　their　minds　in　the　mould　of　prim　littleness。　　I　speak　collectively；　for　I　know　how　many　ornaments　to　human　nature　have　been　enrolled　amongst　sectaries；　yet；　I　assert；　that　the　same　narrow　prejudice　for　their　sect；　which　women　have　for　their　families；　prevailed　in　the　dissenting　part　of　the　community；　however　worthy　in　other　respects；　and　also　that　the　same　timid　prudence；　or　headstrong　efforts；　often　disgraced　the　exertions　of　both。　　Oppression　thus　formed　many　of　the　features　of　their　character　perfectly　to　coincide　with　that　of　the　oppressed　half　of　mankind；　for　is　it　not　notorious；　that　dissenters　were　like　women；　fond　of　deliberating　together；　and　asking　advice　of　each　other；　till　by　a　complication　of　little　contrivances；　some　little　end　was　brought　about？　　A　similar　attention　to　preserve　their　reputation　was　conspicuous　in　the　dissenting　and　female　world；　and　was　produced　by　a　similar　cause。　Asserting　the　rights　which　women　in　common　with　men　ought　to　contend　for；　I　have　not　attempted　to　extenuate　their　faults；　but　to　prove　them　to　be　the　natural　consequence　of　their　education　and　station　in　society。　　If　so；　it　is　reasonable　to　suppose；　that　they　will　change　their　character；　and　correct　their　vices　and　follies；　when　they　are　allowed　to　be　free　in　a　physical；　moral；　and　civil　sense。　Let　woman　share　the　rights；　and　she　will　emulate　the　virtues　of　man；　for　she　must　grow　more　perfect　when　emancipated；　or　justify　the　authority　that　chains　such　a　weak　being　to　her　duty。　　If　the　latter；　it　will　be　expedient　to　open　a　fresh　trade　with　Russia　for　whips；　a　present　which　a　father　should　always　make　to　his　son…in…law　on　his　wed