a vindication of the rights of woman-第11章

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oyment；　provision　should　be　made　for　the　more　important　years　of　life；　when　reflection　takes　place　of　sensation。　But　Rousseau；　and　most　of　the　male　writers　who　have　followed　his　steps；　have　warmly　inculcated　that　the　whole　tendency　of　female　education　ought　to　be　directed　to　one　point　to　render　them　pleasing。　Let　me　reason　with　the　supporters　of　this　opinion；　who　have　any　knowledge　of　human　nature；　do　they　imagine　that　marriage　can　eradicate　the　habitude　of　life？　　The　woman　who　has　only　been　taught　to　please；　will　soon　find　that　her　charms　are　oblique　sun…beams；　and　that　they　cannot　have　much　effect　on　her　husband's　heart　when　they　are　seen　every　day；　when　the　summer　is　past　and　gone。　　Will　she　then　have　sufficient　native　energy　to　look　into　herself　for　comfort；　and　cultivate　her　dormant　faculties？　or；　is　it　not　more　rational　to　expect；　that　she　will　try　to　please　other　men；　and；　in　the　emotions　raised　by　the　expectation　of　new　conquests；　endeavour　to　forget　the　mortification　her　love　or　pride　has　received？　　When　the　husband　ceases　to　be　a　loverand　the　time　will　inevitably　come；　her　desire　of　pleasing　will　then　grow　languid；　or　become　a　spring　of　bitterness；　and　love；　perhaps；　the　most　evanescent　of　all　passions；　gives　place　to　jealousy　or　vanity。　I　now　speak　of　women　who　are　restrained　by　principle　or　prejudice；　such　women　though　they　would　shrink　from　an　intrigue　with　real　abhorrence；　yet；　nevertheless；　wish　to　be　convinced　by　the　homage　of　gallantry；　that　they　are　cruelly　neglected　by　their　husbands；　or；　days　and　weeks　are　spent　in　dreaming　of　the　happiness　enjoyed　by　congenial　souls；　till　the　health　is　undermined　and　the　spirits　broken　by　discontent。　　How　then　can　the　great　art　of　pleasing　be　such　a　necessary　study？　it　is　only　useful　to　a　mistress；　the　chaste　wife；　and　serious　mother；　should　only　consider　her　power　to　please　as　the　polish　of　her　virtues；　and　the　affection　of　her　husband　as　one　of　the　comforts　that　render　her　task　less　difficult；　and　her　life　happier。　　But；　whether　she　be　loved　or　neglected；　her　first　wish　should　be　to　make　herself　respectable；　and　not　rely　for　all　her　happiness　on　a　being　subject　to　like　infirmities　with　herself。　The　amiable　Dr。　Gregory　fell　into　a　similar　error。　　I　respect　his　heart；　but　entirely　disapprove　of　his　celebrated　Legacy　to　his　Daughters。　He　advises　them　to　cultivate　a　fondness　for　dress；　because　a　fondness　for　dress；　he　asserts；　is　natural　to　them。　　I　am　unable　to　comprehend　what　either　he　or　Rousseau　mean；　when　they　frequently　use　this　indefinite　term。　　If　they　told　us；　that　in　a　pre…existent　state　the　soul　was　fond　of　dress；　and　brought　this　inclination　with　it　into　a　new　body；　I　should　listen　to　them　with　a　half　smile；　as　I　often　do　when　I　hear　a　rant　about　innate　elegance。　　But　if　he　only　meant　to　say　that　the　exercise　of　the　faculties　will　produce　this　fondness；　I　deny　it。　　It　is　not　natural；　but　arises；　like　false　ambition　in　men；　from　a　love　of　power。　Dr。　Gregory　goes　much　further；　he　actually　recommends　dissimulation；　and　advises　an　innocent　girl　to　give　the　lie　to　her　feelings；　and　not　dance　with　spirit；　when　gaiety　of　heart　would　make　her　feet　eloquent；　without　making　her　gestures　immodest。　　In　the　name　of　truth　and　common　sense；　why　should　not　one　woman　acknowledge　that　she　can　take　more　exercise　than　another？　or；　in　other　words；　that　she　has　a　sound　constitution；　and　why　to　damp　innocent　vivacity；　is　she　darkly　to　be　told；　that　men　will　draw　conclusions　which　she　little　thinks　of？　　Let　the　libertine　draw　what　inference　he　pleases；　but；　I　hope；　that　no　sensible　mother　will　restrain　the　natural　frankness　of　youth；　by　instilling　such　indecent　cautions。　　Out　of　the　abundance　of　the　heart　the　mouth　speaketh；　and　a　wiser　than　Solomon　hath　said；　that　the　heart　should　be　made　clean；　and　not　trivial　ceremonies　observed；　which　it　is　not　very　difficult　to　fulfill　with　scrupulous　exactness　when　vice　reigns　in　the　heart。　Women　ought　to　endeavour　to　purify　their　hearts；　but　can　they　do　so　when　their　uncultivated　understandings　make　them　entirely　dependent　on　their　senses　for　employment　and　amusement；　when　no　noble　pursuit　sets　them　above　the　little　vanities　of　the　day；　or　enables　them　to　curb　the　wild　emotions　that　agitate　a　reed　over　which　every　passing　breeze　has　power？　　To　gain　the　affections　of　a　virtuous　man；　is　affectation　necessary？　Nature　has　given　woman　a　weaker　frame　than　man；　but；　to　ensure　her　husband's　affections；　must　a　wife；　who；　by　the　exercise　of　her　mind　and　body；　whilst　she　was　discharging　the　duties　of　a　daughter；　wife；　and　mother；　has　allowed　her　constitution　to　retain　its　natural　strength；　and　her　nerves　a　healthy　tone；　is　she；　I　say；　to　condescend；　to　use　art；　and　feign　a　sickly　delicacy；　in　order　to　secure　her　husband's　affection？　Weakness　may　excite　tenderness；　and　gratify　the　arrogant　pride　of　man；　but　the　lordly　caresses　of　a　protector　will　not　gratify　a　noble　mind　that　pants　for　and　deserves　to　be　respected。　　Fondness　is　a　poor　substitute　for　friendship！　In　a　seraglio；　I　grant；　that　all　these　arts　are　necessary；　the　epicure　must　have　his　palate　tickled；　or　he　will　sink　into　apathy；　but　have　women　so　little　ambition　as　to　be　satisfied　with　such　a　condition？　　Can　they　supinely　dream　life　away　in　the　lap　of　pleasure；　or　in　the　languor　of　weariness；　rather　than　assert　their　claim　to　pursue　reasonable　pleasures；　and　render　themselves　conspicuous；　by　practising　the　virtues　which　dignify　mankind？　Surely　she　has　not　an　immortal　soul　who　can　loiter　life　away；　merely　employed　to　adorn　her　person；　that　she　may　amuse　the　languid　hours；　and　soften　the　cares　of　a　fellow…creature　who　is　willing　to　be　enlivened　by　her　smiles　and　tricks；　when　the　serious　business　of　life　is　over。　Besides；　the　woman　who　strengthens　her　body　and　exercises　her　mind　will；　by　managing　her　family　and　practising　various　virtues；　become　the　friend；　and　not　the　humble　dependent　of　her　husband；　and　if　she　deserves　his　regard　by　possessing　such　substantial　qualities；　she　will　not　find　it　necessary　to　conceal　her　affection；　nor　to　pretend　to　an　unnatural　coldness　of　constitution　to　excite　her　husband's　passions。　　In　fact；　if　we　revert　to　history；　we　shall　find　that　the　women　who　have　distinguished　themselves　have　neither　been　the　most　beautiful　nor　the　most　gentle　of　their　sex。　Nature；　or　to　speak　with　strict　propriety　God；　has　made　all　things　right；　but　man　has　sought　him　out　many　inventions　to　mar　the　work。　I　now　allude　to　that　part　of　Dr。　Gregory's　treatise；　where　he　advises　a　wife　never　to　let　her　husband　know　the　extent　of　her　sensibility　or　affection。　　Voluptuous　precaution；　and　as　ineffectual　as　absurd。　　Love；　from　its　very　nature；　must　be　transitory。　　To　seek　for　a　secret　that　would　render　it　constant；　would　be　as　wild　a　search　as　for　the　philosopher's　stone；　or　the　grand　panacea；　and　the　discovery　would　be　equally　useless；　or　rather　pernicious　to　mankind。　　The　most　holy　band　of　society　is　friendship。　　It　has　been　well　said；　by　a　shrewd　satirist；　〃that　rare　as　true　love　is；　true　friendship　is　still　rarer。〃　This　is　an　obvious　truth；　and　the　cause　not　lying　deep；　will　not　elude　a　slight　glance　of　inquiry。　Love；　the　common　passion；　in　which　chance　and　sensation　take　place　of　choice　and　reason；　i