a vindication of the rights of woman-第7节

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rs　which　some　sanguine　writers　have　attributed　to　it。　　Men　and　women　must　be　educated；　in　a　great　degree；　by　the　opinions　and　manners　of　the　society　they　live　in。　　In　every　age　there　has　been　a　stream　of　popular　opinion　that　has　carried　all　before　it；　and　given　a　family　character；　as　it　were；　to　the　century。　　It　may　then　fairly　be　inferred；　that；　till　society　be　differently　constituted；　much　cannot　be　expected　from　education。　　It　is；　however；　sufficient　for　my　present　purpose　to　assert；　that；　whatever　effect　circumstances　have　on　the　abilities；　every　being　may　become　virtuous　by　the　exercise　of　its　own　reason；　for　if　but　one　being　was　created　with　vicious　inclinationsthat　is；　positively　bad　what　can　save　us　from　atheism？　or　if　we　worship　a　God；　is　not　that　God　a　devil？　Consequently；　the　most　perfect　education；　in　my　opinion；　is　such　an　exercise　of　the　understanding　as　is　best　calculated　to　strengthen　the　body　and　form　the　heart；　or；　in　other　words；　to　enable　the　individual　to　attain　such　habits　of　virtue　as　will　render　it　independent。　　In　fact；　it　is　a　farce　to　call　any　being　virtuous　whose　virtues　do　not　result　from　the　exercise　of　its　own　reason。　This　was　Rousseau's　opinion　respecting　men：　　I　extend　it　to　women；　and　confidently　assert　that　they　have　been　drawn　out　of　their　sphere　by　false　refinement；　and　not　by　an　endeavour　to　acquire　masculine　qualities。　　Still　the　regal　homage　which　they　receive　is　so　intoxicating；　that；　till　the　manners　of　the　times　are　changed；　and　formed　on　more　reasonable　principles；　it　may　be　impossible　to　convince　them　that　the　illegitimate　power；　which　they　obtain　by　degrading　themselves；　is　a　curse；　and　that　they　must　return　to　nature　and　equality；　if　they　wish　to　secure　the　placid　satisfaction　that　unsophisticated　affections　impart。　　But　for　this　epoch　we　must　waitwait；　perhaps；　till　kings　and　nobles；　enlightened　by　reason；　and；　preferring　the　real　dignity　of　man　to　childish　state；　throw　off　their　gaudy　hereditary　trappings；　and　if　then　women　do　not　resign　the　arbitrary　power　of　beauty；　they　will　prove　that　they　have　LESS　mind　than　man。　　I　may　be　accused　of　arrogance；　still　I　must　declare；　what　I　firmly　believe；　that　all　the　writers　who　have　written　on　the　subject　of　female　education　and　manners；　from　Rousseau　to　Dr。　Gregory；　have　contributed　to　render　women　more　artificial；　weaker　characters；　than　they　would　otherwise　have　been；　and；　consequently；　more　useless　members　of　society。　　I　might　have　expressed　this　conviction　in　a　lower　key；　but　I　am　afraid　it　would　have　been　the　whine　of　affectation；　and　not　the　faithful　expression　of　my　feelings；　of　the　clear　result；　which　experience　and　reflection　have　led　me　to　draw。　　When　I　come　to　that　division　of　the　subject；　I　shall　advert　to　the　passages　that　I　more　particularly　disapprove　of；　in　the　works　of　the　authors　I　have　just　alluded　to；　but　it　is　first　necessary　to　observe；　that　my　objection　extends　to　the　whole　purport　of　those　books；　which　tend；　in　my　opinion；　to　degrade　one　half　of　the　human　species；　and　render　women　pleasing　at　the　expense　of　every　solid　virtue。　Though　to　reason　on　Rousseau's　ground；　if　man　did　attain　a　degree　of　perfection　of　mind　when　his　body　arrived　at　maturity；　it　might　be　proper　in　order　to　make　a　man　and　his　wife　ONE；　that　she　should　rely　entirely　on　his　understanding；　and　the　graceful　ivy；　clasping　the　oak　that　supported　it；　would　form　a　whole　in　which　strength　and　beauty　would　be　equally　conspicuous。　　But；　alas！　husbands；　as　well　as　their　helpmates；　are　often　only　overgrown　children；　nay；　thanks　to　early　debauchery；　scarcely　men　in　their　outward　form；　and　if　the　blind　lead　the　blind；　one　need　not　come　from　heaven　to　tell　us　the　consequence。　Many　are　the　causes　that；　in　the　present　corrupt　state　of　society；　contribute　to　enslave　women　by　cramping　their　understandings　and　sharpening　their　senses。　　One；　perhaps；　that　silently　does　more　mischief　than　all　the　rest；　is　their　disregard　of　order。　To　do　every　thing　in　an　orderly　manner；　is　a　most　important　precept；　which　women；　who；　generally　speaking；　receive　only　a　disorderly　kind　of　education；　seldom　attend　to　with　that　degree　of　exactness　that　men；　who　from　their　infancy　are　broken　into　method；　observe。　　This　negligent　kind　of　guesswork；　for　what　other　epithet　can　be　used　to　point　out　the　random　exertions　of　a　sort　of　instinctive　common　sense；　never　brought　to　the　test　of　reason？　prevents　their　generalizing　matters　of　fact；　so　they　do　to…day；　what　they　did　yesterday；　merely　because　they　did　it　yesterday。　This　contempt　of　the　understanding　in　early　life　has　more　baneful　consequences　than　is　commonly　supposed；　for　the　little　knowledge　which　women　of　strong　minds　attain；　is；　from　various　circumstances；　of　a　more　desultory　kind　than　the　knowledge　of　men；　and　it　is　acquired　more　by　sheer　observations　on　real　life；　than　from　comparing　what　has　been　individually　observed　with　the　results　of　experience　generalized　by　speculation。　　Led　by　their　dependent　situation　and　domestic　employments　more　into　society；　what　they　learn　is　rather　by　snatches；　and　as　learning　is　with　them；　in　general；　only　a　secondary　thing；　they　do　not　pursue　any　one　branch　with　that　persevering　ardour　necessary　to　give　vigour　to　the　faculties；　and　clearness　to　the　judgment。　　In　the　present　state　of　society；　a　little　learning　is　required　to　support　the　character　of　a　gentleman；　and　boys　are　obliged　to　submit　to　a　few　years　of　discipline。　　But　in　the　education　of　women　the　cultivation　of　the　understanding　is　always　subordinate　to　the　acquirement　of　some　corporeal　accomplishment；　even　while　enervated　by　confinement　and　false　notions　of　modesty；　the　body　is　prevented　from　attaining　that　grace　and　beauty　which　relaxed　half…formed　limbs　never　exhibit。　Besides；　in　youth　their　faculties　are　not　brought　forward　by　emulation；　and　having　no　serious　scientific　study；　if　they　have　natural　sagacity　it　is　turned　too　soon　on　life　and　manners。　　They　dwell　on　effects；　and　modifications；　without　tracing　them　back　to　causes；　and　complicated　rules　to　adjust　behaviour　are　a　weak　substitute　for　simple　principles。　As　a　proof　that　education　gives　this　appearance　of　weakness　to　females；　we　may　instance　the　example　of　military　men；　who　are；　like　them；　sent　into　the　world　before　their　minds　have　been　stored　with　knowledge　or　fortified　by　principles。　　The　consequences　are　similar；　soldiers　acquire　a　little　superficial　knowledge；　snatched　from　the　muddy　current　of　conversation；　and；　from　continually　mixing　with　society；　they　gain；　what　is　termed　a　knowledge　of　the　world；　and　this　acquaintance　with　manners　and　customs　has　frequently　been　confounded　with　a　knowledge　of　the　human　heart。　But　can　the　crude　fruit　of　casual　observation；　never　brought　to　the　test　of　judgment；　formed　by　comparing　speculation　and　experience；　deserve　such　a　distinction？　Soldiers；　as　well　as　women；　practice　the　minor　virtues　with　punctilious　politeness。　　Where　is　then　the　sexual　difference；　when　the　education　has　been　the　same；　all　the　difference　that　I　can　discern；　arises　from　the　superior　advantage　of　liberty　which　enables　the　former　to　see　more　of　life。　It　is　wandering　from　my　present　subject；　perhaps；　to　make　a　political　remark；　but　as　it　was　produced　naturally　by　the　train　of　my　reflections；　I　shall　not　pass　it　silently　over。　Standing　armies　can　never　consist　of　resolute；　robust　men；　they　may　be　well　disciplined　machines；　but　they　will　seldom　contain　men　under　the　influence　of　strong　passions　or　with　very　vigorous　faculties。　　And　as　for　any　depth　of　understanding；　I　will　venture　to　affirm；　that　it　is　as　rarely　to　be　found　in　the　army　as　amongst　women；　and　the　cause；　I　maintain；　is　the　same。　　It　may　be　further　observed；　that　officers　are　also　particularly　attentive　to　their　persons；　fond　of　dancing；　crowded　rooms；　adventures；　and　ridicule。　Like　the　FAIR　sex；　the　business　of　their　lives　is　gallantry。　　They　were　taught　to　please；　and　they　only　live　to　please。　　Yet　they　do　not　lose　their　rank　in　the　distinction　of　sexes；　for　they　are　still　reckoned　superior　to　women；　though　in　what　their　superiority　consists；　beyond　what　I　have　just　mentioned；　it　is　difficult　to　discover。　The　great　misfortune　is　this；　that　they　both　acquire　manners　before　morals；　and　a　knowledge　of　life　before　they　have　from　reflection；　any　acquaintance　with　the　grand　ideal　outline　of　human　nature。　　The　consequence　is　natural；　satisfied　with　common　nature；　they　become　a　prey　to　prejudices；　and　taking　all　their　opinions　on　credit；　they　blindly　submit　to　authority。　　So　that　if　they　have　any　sense；　it　is　a　kind　of　instinctive　glance；　that　catches　proportions；　and　decides　with　respect　to　manners；　but　fails　when　arguments　are　to　be　pursued　below　the　surface；　or　opinions　analyzed。　May　not　the　same　remark　be　applied　to　women？　　Nay；　the　argument　may　be　carried　still　further；　for　they　are　both　thrown　out　of　a　useful　station　by　the　unnatural　distinctions　established　in　civilized　life。　　Riches　and　hereditary　honours　have　made　cyphers　of　women　to　give　consequence　to　the　numerical　figure；　and　idleness　has　produced　a　mixture　of　gallantry　and　despotism　in　society；　which　leads　the　very　men　who　are　the　slaves　of　their　mistresses；　to　tyrannize　over　their　sisters；　wives；　and　daughters。　　This　is　only　keeping　them　in　rank　and　file；　it　is　t