a vindication of the rights of woman-第15章

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ve。　And；　considering　the　thoughtless　manner　in　which　they　lavished　their　strength；　when　investigating　a　favourite　science；　they　have　wasted　the　lamp　of　life；　forgetful　of　the　midnight　hour；　or；　when；　lost　in　poetic　dreams；　fancy　has　peopled　the　scene；　and　the　soul　has　been　disturbed；　till　it　shook　the　constitution；　by　the　passions　that　meditation　had　raised；　whose　objects；　the　baseless　fabric　of　a　vision；　faded　before　the　exhausted　eye；　they　must　have　had　iron　frames。　　Shakespeare　never　grasped　the　airy　dagger　with　a　nerveless　hand；　nor　did　Milton　tremble　when　he　led　Satan　far　from　the　confines　of　his　dreary　prison。　　These　were　not　the　ravings　of　imbecility；　the　sickly　effusions　of　distempered　brains；　but　the　exuberance　of　fancy；　that　〃in　a　fine　phrenzy〃　wandering；　was　not　continually　reminded　of　its　material　shackles。　I　am　aware；　that　this　argument　would　carry　me　further　than　it　may　be　supposed　I　wish　to　go；　but　I　follow　truth；　and　still　adhering　to　my　first　position；　I　will　allow　that　bodily　strength　seems　to　give　man　a　natural　superiority　over　woman；　and　this　is　the　only　solid　basis　on　which　the　superiority　of　the　sex　can　be　built。　　But　I　still　insist；　that　not　only　the　virtue；　but　the　KNOWLEDGE　of　the　two　sexes　should　be　the　same　in　nature；　if　not　in　degree；　and　that　women；　considered　not　only　as　moral；　but　rational　creatures；　ought　to　endeavour　to　acquire　human　virtues　（or　perfections）　by　the　SAME　means　as　men；　instead　of　being　educated　like　a　fanciful　kind　of　HALF　being；　one　of　Rousseau's　wild　chimeras。　But；　if　strength　of　body　be；　with　some　show　of　reason；　the　boast　of　men；　why　are　women　so　infatuated　as　to　be　proud　of　a　defect？　Rousseau　has　furnished　them　with　a　plausible　excuse；　which　could　only　have　occurred　to　a　man；　whose　imagination　had　been　allowed　to　run　wild；　and　refine　on　the　impressions　made　by　exquisite　senses；　that　they　might；　forsooth　have　a　pretext　for　yielding　to　a　natural　appetite　without　violating　a　romantic　species　of　modesty；　which　gratifies　the　pride　and　libertinism　of　man。　Women　deluded　by　these　sentiments；　sometimes　boast　of　their　weakness；　cunningly　obtaining　power　by　playing　on　the　WEAKNESS　of　men；　and　they　may　well　glory　in　their　illicit　sway；　for；　like　Turkish　bashaws；　they　have　more　real　power　than　their　masters：　　but　virtue　is　sacrificed　to　temporary　gratifications；　and　the　respectability　of　life　to　the　triumph　of　an　hour。　Women；　as　well　as　despots；　have　now；　perhaps；　more　power　than　they　would　have；　if　the　world；　divided　and　subdivided　into　kingdoms　and　families；　was　governed　by　laws　deduced　from　the　exercise　of　reason；　but　in　obtaining　it；　to　carry　on　the　comparison；　their　character　is　degraded；　and　licentiousness　spread　through　the　whole　aggregate　of　society。　　The　many　become　pedestal　to　the　few。　　I；　therefore　will　venture　to　assert；　that　till　women　are　more　rationally　educated；　the　progress　of　human　virtue　and　improvement　in　knowledge　must　receive　continual　checks。　　And　if　it　be　granted；　that　woman　was　not　created　merely　to　gratify　the　appetite　of　man；　nor　to　be　the　upper　servant；　who　provides　his　meals　and　takes　care　of　his　linen；　it　must　follow；　that　the　first　care　of　those　mothers　or　fathers；　who　really　attend　to　the　education　of　females；　should　be；　if　not　to　strengthen　the　body；　at　least；　not　to　destroy　the　constitution　by　mistaken　notions　of　beauty　and　female　excellence；　nor　should　girls　ever　be　allowed　to　imbibe　the　pernicious　notion　that　a　defect　can；　by　any　chemical　process　of　reasoning　become　an　excellence。　　In　this　respect；　I　am　happy　to　find；　that　the　author　of　one　of　the　most　instructive　books；　that　our　country　has　produced　for　children；　coincides　with　me　in　opinion；　I　shall　quote　his　pertinent　remarks　to　give　the　force　of　his　respectable　authority　to　reason。*　（*Footnote。　　A　respectable　old　man　gives　the　following　sensible　account　of　the　method　he　pursued　when　educating　his　daughter。　　〃I　endeavoured　to　give　both　to　her　mind　and　body　a　degree　of　vigour；　which　is　seldom　found　in　the　female　sex。　　As　soon　as　she　was　sufficiently　advanced　in　strength　to　be　capable　of　the　lighter　labours　of　husbandry　and　gardening；　I　employed　her　as　my　constant　companion。　　Selene；　for　that　was　her　name；　soon　acquired　a　dexterity　in　all　these　rustic　employments　which　I　considered　with　equal　pleasure　and　admiration。　　If　women　are　in　general　feeble　both　in　body　and　mind；　it　arises　less　from　nature　than　from　education。　We　encourage　a　vicious　indolence　and　inactivity；　which　we　falsely　call　delicacy；　instead　of　hardening　their　minds　by　the　severer　principles　of　reason　and　philosophy；　we　breed　them　to　useless　arts；　which　terminate　in　vanity　and　sensuality。　　In　most　of　the　countries　which　I　had　visited；　they　are　taught　nothing　of　an　higher　nature　than　a　few　modulations　of　the　voice；　or　useless　postures　of　the　body；　their　time　is　consumed　in　sloth　or　trifles；　and　trifles　become　the　only　pursuits　capable　of　interesting　them。　　We　seem　to　forget；　that　it　is　upon　the　qualities　of　the　female　sex；　that　our　own　domestic　comforts　and　the　education　of　our　children　must　depend。　　And　what　are　the　comforts　or　the　education　which　a　race　of　beings　corrupted　from　their　infancy；　and　unacquainted　with　all　the　duties　of　life；　are　fitted　to　bestow？　　To　touch　a　musical　instrument　with　useless　skill；　to　exhibit　their　natural　or　affected　graces；　to　the　eyes　of　indolent　and　debauched　young　men；　who　dissipate　their　husbands'　patrimony　in　riotous　and　unnecessary　expenses：　　these　are　the　only　arts　cultivated　by　women　in　most　of　the　polished　nations　I　had　seen。　　And　the　consequences　are　uniformly　such　as　may　be　expected　to　proceed　from　such　polluted　sources；　private　misery；　and　public　servitude。　〃But；　Selene's　education　was　regulated　by　different　views；　and　conducted　upon　severer　principles；　if　that　can　be　called　severity　which　opens　the　mind　to　a　sense　of　moral　and　religious　duties；　and　most　effectually　arms　it　against　the　inevitable　evils　of　life。〃Mr。　Day's　〃Sandford　and　Merton；〃　Volume　3。）　But　should　it　be　proved　that　woman　is　naturally　weaker　than　man；　from　whence　does　it　follow　that　it　is　natural　for　her　to　labour　to　become　still　weaker　than　nature　intended　her　to　be？　　Arguments　of　this　cast　are　an　insult　to　common　sense；　and　savour　of　passion。　The　DIVINE　RIGHT　of　husbands；　like　the　divine　right　of　kings；　may；　it　is　to　be　hoped；　in　this　enlightened　age；　be　contested　without　danger；　and　though　conviction　may　not　silence　many　boisterous　disputants；　yet；　when　any　prevailing　prejudice　is　attacked；　the　wise　will　consider；　and　leave　the　narrow…minded　to　rail　with　thoughtless　vehemence　at　innovation。　The　mother；　who　wishes　to　give　true　dignity　of　character　to　her　daughter；　must；　regardless　of　the　sneers　of　ignorance；　proceed　on　a　plan　diametrically　opposite　to　that　which　Rousseau　has　recommended　with　all　the　deluding　charms　of　eloquence　and　philosophical　sophistry：　　for　his　eloquence　renders　absurdities　plausible；　and　his　dogmatic　conclusions　puzzle；　without　convincing　those　who　have　not　ability　to　refute　them。　Throughout　the　whole　animal　kingdom　every　young　creature　requires　almost　continual　exercise；　and　the　infancy　of　children；　conformable　to　this　intimation；　should　be　passed　in　harmless　gambols；　that　exercise　the　feet　and　hands；　withou