a vindication of the rights of woman-第35章

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with　the　noblest　considerations；　she　assumes；　without　knowing　it；　superiour　dignity　and　new　graces；　so　that　the　beauties　of　holiness　seem　to　radiate　about　her；　and　the　by…standers　are　almost　induced　to　fancy　her　already　worshipping　amongst　her　kindred　angels！〃　　Why　are　women　to　be　thus　bred　up　with　a　desire　of　conquest？　the　very　epithet；　used　in　this　sense；　gives　me　a　sickly　qualm！　　Does　religion　and　virtue　offer　no　stronger　motives；　no　brighter　reward？　　Must　they　always　be　debased　by　being　made　to　consider　the　sex　of　their　companions？　Must　they　be　taught　always　to　be　pleasing？　　And　when　levelling　their　small　artillery　at　the　heart　of　man；　is　it　necessary　to　tell　them　that　a　little　sense　is　sufficient　to　render　their　attention　INCREDIBLY　SOOTHING？　　〃As　a　small　degree　of　knowledge　entertains　in　a　woman；　so　from　a　woman；　though　for　a　different　reason；　a　small　expression　of　kindness　delights；　particularly　if　she　have　beauty！〃　I　should　have　supposed　for　the　same　reason。　Why　are　girls　to　be　told　that　they　resemble　angels；　but　to　sink　them　below　women？　　Or；　that　a　gentle；　innocent　female　is　an　object　that　comes　nearer　to　the　idea　which　we　have　formed　of　angels　than　any　other。　　Yet　they　are　told；　at　the　same　time；　that　they　are　only　like　angels　when　they　are　young　and　beautiful；　consequently；　it　is　their　persons；　not　their　virtues；　that　procure　them　this　homage。　Idle　empty　words！　　what　can　such　delusive　flattery　lead　to；　but　vanity　and　folly？　　The　lover；　it　is　true；　has　a　poetic　licence　to　exalt　his　mistress；　his　reason　is　the　bubble　of　his　passion；　and　he　does　not　utter　a　falsehood　when　he　borrows　the　language　of　adoration。　　His　imagination　may　raise　the　idol　of　his　heart；　unblamed；　above　humanity；　and　happy　would　it　be　for　women；　if　they　were　only　flattered　by　the　men　who　loved　them；　I　mean；　who　love　the　individual；　not　the　sex；　but　should　a　grave　preacher　interlard　his　discourses　with　such　fooleries？　In　sermons　or　novels；　however；　voluptuousness　is　always　true　to　its　text。　　Men　are　allowed　by　moralists　to　cultivate；　as　nature　directs；　different　qualities；　and　assume　the　different　characters；　that　the　same　passions；　modified　almost　to　infinity；　give　to　each　individual。　　A　virtuous　man　may　have　a　choleric　or　a　sanguine　constitution；　be　gay　or　grave；　unreproved；　be　firm　till　be　is　almost　over…bearing；　or；　weakly　submissive；　have　no　will　or　opinion　of　his　own；　but　all　women　are　to　be　levelled；　by　meekness　and　docility；　into　one　character　of　yielding　softness　and　gentle　compliance。　I　will　use　the　preacher's　own　words。　　〃Let　it　be　observed；　that　in　your　sex　manly　exercises　are　never　graceful；　that　in　them　a　tone　and　figure；　as　well　as　an　air　and　deportment；　of　the　masculine　kind；　are　always　forbidding；　and　that　men　of　sensibility　desire　in　every　woman　soft　features；　and　a　flowing　voice；　a　form　not　robust；　and　demeanour　delicate　and　gentle。〃　Is　not　the　following　portraitthe　portrait　of　a　house　slave？　　〃I　am　astonished　at　the　folly　of　many　women；　who　are　still　reproaching　their　husbands　for　leaving　them　alone；　for　preferring　this　or　that　company　to　theirs；　for　treating　them　with　this　and　the　other　mark　of　disregard　or　indifference；　when；　to　speak　the　truth；　they　have　themselves　in　a　great　measure　to　blame。　　Not　that　I　would　justify　the　men　in　any　thing　wrong　on　their　part。　　But　had　you　behaved　to　them　with　more　RESPECTFUL　OBSERVANCE；　and　a　more　EQUAL　TENDERNESS；　STUDYING　THEIR　HUMOURS；　OVERLOOKING　THEIR　MISTAKES；　SUBMITTING　TO　THEIR　OPINIONS　in　matters　indifferent；　passing　by　little　instances　of　unevenness；　caprice；　or　passion；　giving　SOFT　answers　to　hasty　words；　complaining　as　seldom　as　possible；　and　making　it　your　daily　care　to　relieve　their　anxieties　and　prevent　their　wishes；　to　enliven　the　hour　of　dulness；　and　call　up　the　ideas　of　felicity：　had　you　pursued　this　conduct；　I　doubt　not　but　you　would　have　maintained　and　even　increased　their　esteem；　so　far　as　to　have　secured　every　degree　of　influence　that　could　conduce　to　their　virtue；　or　your　mutual　satisfaction；　and　your　house　might　at　this　day　have　been　the　abode　of　domestic　bliss。〃　　Such　a　woman　ought　to　be　an　angelor　she　is　an　assfor　I　discern　not　a　trace　of　the　human　character；　neither　reason　nor　passion　in　this　domestic　drudge；　whose　being　is　absorbed　in　that　of　a　tyrant's。　Still　Dr。　Fordyce　must　have　very　little　acquaintance　with　the　human　heart；　if　he　really　supposed　that　such　conduct　would　bring　back　wandering　love；　instead　of　exciting　contempt。　　No；　beauty；　gentleness；　etc。　etc。　may　gain　a　heart；　but　esteem；　the　only　lasting　affection；　can　alone　be　obtained　by　virtue　supported　by　reason。　　It　is　respect　for　the　understanding　that　keeps　alive　tenderness　for　the　person。　As　these　volumes　are　so　frequently　put　into　the　hands　of　young　people；　I　have　taken　more　notice　of　them　than　strictly　speaking；　they　deserve；　but　as　they　have　contributed　to　vitiate　the　taste；　and　enervate　the　understanding　of　many　of　my　fellow…creatures；　I　could　not　pass　them　silently　over。　SECTION　5。3。　Such　paternal　solicitude　pervades　Dr。　Gregory's　Legacy　to　his　daughters；　that　I　enter　on　the　task　of　criticism　with　affectionate　respect；　but　as　this　little　volume　has　many　attractions　to　recommend　it　to　the　notice　of　the　most　respectable　part　of　my　sex；　I　cannot　silently　pass　over　arguments　that　so　speciously　support　opinions　which；　I　think；　have　had　the　most　baneful　effect　on　the　morals　and　manners　of　the　female　world。　His　easy　familiar　style　is　particularly　suited　to　the　tenor　of　his　advice；　and　the　melancholy　tenderness　which　his　respect　for　the　memory　of　a　beloved　wife　diffuses　through　the　whole　work；　renders　it　very　interesting；　yet　there　is　a　degree　of　concise　elegance　conspicuous　in　many　passages；　that　disturbs　this　sympathy；　and　we　pop　on　the　author；　when　we　only　expected　to　meet　thefather。　Besides；　having　two　objects　in　view；　he　seldom　adhered　steadily　to　either；　for；　wishing　to　make　his　daughters　amiable；　and　fearing　lest　unhappiness　should　only　be　the　consequence；　of　instilling　sentiments；　that　might　draw　them　out　of　the　track　of　common　life；　without　enabling　them　to　act　with　consonant　independence　and　dignity；　he　checks　the　natural　flow　of　his　thoughts；　and　neither　advises　one　thing　nor　the　other。　In　the　preface　he　tells　them　a　mournful　truth；　〃that　they　will　hear；　at　least　once　in　their　lives；　the　genuine　sentiments　of　a　man；　who　has　no　interest　in　deceiving　them。〃　Hapless　woman！　what　can　be　expected　from　thee；　when　the　beings　on　whom　thou　art　said　naturally　to　depend　for　reason　and　support；　have　all　an　interest　in　deceiving　thee！　　This　is　the　root　of　the　evil　that　has　shed　a　corroding　mildew　on　all　thy　virtues；　and　blighting　in　the　bud　thy　opening　faculties；　has　rendered　thee　the　weak　thing　thou　art！　　It　is　this　separate　interest　this　insidious　state　of　warfare；　that　undermines　morality；　and　divides　mankind！　If　love　has　made　some　women　wretchedhow　many　more　has　the　cold　unmeaning　intercourse　of　gallantry　rendered　vain　and　useless！　yet　this　heartless　attention　to　the　sex　is　reckoned　so　manly；　so　polite；　that　till　society　is　very　differently　organized；　I　fear；　this　vestige　of　gothic　manners　will　not　be　done　away　by　a　more　reasonable　and　affectionate　mode　of　conduct。　　Besides；　to　strip　it　of　its　imaginary　dig