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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

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