a vindication of the rights of woman-第38章

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　as　the　text　for　a　few　comments。　〃Though　Rousseau；〃　she　observes；　〃has　endeavoured　to　prevent　women　from　interfering　in　public　affairs；　and　acting　a　brilliant　part　in　the　theatre　of　politics；　yet；　in　speaking　of　them；　how　much　has　he　done　it　to　their　satisfaction！　　If　he　wished　to　deprive　them　of　some　rights；　foreign　to　their　sex；　how　has　he　for　ever　restored　to　them　all　those　to　which　it　has　a　claim！　　And　in　attempting　to　diminish　their　influence　over　the　deliberations　of　men；　how　sacredly　has　he　established　the　empire　they　have　over　their　happiness！　　In　aiding　them　to　descend　from　an　usurped　throne；　he　has　firmly　seated　them　upon　that　to　which　they　were　destined　by　nature；　and　though　he　be　full　of　indignation　against　them　when　they　endeavour　to　resemble　men；　yet　when　they　come　before　him　with　all　THE　CHARMS　WEAKNESSES；　VIRTUES；　and　ERRORS；　OF　their　sex；　his　respect　for　their　PERSONS　amounts　almost　to　adoration。〃　　True！For　never　was　there　a　sensualist　who　paid　more　fervent　adoration　at　the　shrine　of　beauty。　　So　devout；　indeed；　was　his　respect　for　the　person；　that　excepting　the　virtue　of　chastity；　for　obvious　reasons；　he　only　wished　to　see　it　embellished　by　charms；　weaknesses；　and　errors。　　He　was　afraid　lest　the　austerity　of　reason　should　disturb　the　soft　playfulness　of　love。　　The　master　wished　to　have　a　meretricious　slave　to　fondle；　entirely　dependent　on　his　reason　and　bounty；　he　did　not　want　a　companion；　whom　he　should　be　compelled　to　esteem；　or　a　friend　to　whom　he　could　confide　the　care　of　his　children's　education；　should　death　deprive　them　of　their　father；　before　he　had　fulfilled　the　sacred　task。　　He　denies　woman　reason；　shuts　her　out　from　knowledge；　and　turns　her　aside　from　truth；　yet　his　pardon　is　granted；　because；　〃he　admits　the　passion　of　love。〃　It　would　require　some　ingenuity　to　show　why　women　were　to　be　under　such　an　obligation　to　him　for　thus　admitting　love；　when　it　is　clear　that　he　admits　it　only　for　the　relaxation　of　men；　and　to　perpetuate　the　species；　but　he　talked　with　passion；　and　that　powerful　spell　worked　on　the　sensibility　of　a　young　encomiast。　　〃What　signifies　it；〃　pursues　this　rhapsodist；　〃to　women；　that　his　reason　disputes　with　them　the　empire；　when　his　heart　is　devotedly　theirs。〃　　It　is　not　empirebut　equality；　that　they　should　contend　for。　　Yet；　if　they　only　wished　to　lengthen　out　their　sway；　they　should　not　entirely　trust　to　their　persons；　for　though　beauty　may　gain　a　heart；　it　cannot　keep　it；　even　while　the　beauty　is　in　full　bloom；　unless　the　mind　lend；　at　least；　some　graces。　When　women　are　once　sufficiently　enlightened　to　discover　their　real　interest；　on　a　grand　scale；　they　will；　I　am　persuaded；　be　very　ready　to　resign　all　the　prerogatives　of　love；　that　are　not　mutual；　（speaking　of　them　as　lasting　prerogatives；）　for　the　calm　satisfaction　of　friendship；　and　the　tender　confidence　of　habitual　esteem。　　Before　marriage　they　will　not　assume　any　insolent　airs；　nor　afterward　abjectly　submit；　but；　endeavouring　to　act　like　reasonable　creatures；　in　both　situations；　they　will　not　be　tumbled　from　a　throne　to　a　stool。　Madame　Genlis　has　written　several　entertaining　books　for　children；　and　her　letters　on　Education　afford　many　useful　hints；　that　sensible　parents　will　certainly　avail　themselves　of；　but　her　views　are　narrow；　and　her　prejudices　as　unreasonable　as　strong。　I　shall　pass　over　her　vehement　argument　in　favour　of　the　eternity　of　future　punishments；　because　I　blush　to　think　that　a　human　being　should　ever　argue　vehemently　in　such　a　cause；　and　only　make　a　few　remarks　on　her　absurd　manner　of　making　the　parental　authority　supplant　reason。　　For　every　where　does　she　inculcate　not　only　BLIND　submission　to　parents；　but　to　the　opinion　of　the　world。*　（*Footnote。　　A　person　is　not　to　act　in　this　or　that　way；　though　convinced　they　are　right　in　so　doing；　because　some　equivocal　circumstances　may　lead　the　world　to　SUSPECT　that　they　acted　from　different　motives。　　This　is　sacrificing　the　substance　for　a　shadow。　Let　people　but　watch　their　own　hearts；　and　act　rightly　as　far　as　they　can　judge；　and　they　may　patiently　wait　till　the　opinion　of　the　world　comes　round。　　It　is　best　to　be　directed　by　a　simple　motivefor　justice　has　too　often　been　sacrificed　to　propriety；another　word　for　convenience。）　She　tells　a　story　of　a　young　man　engaged　by　his　father's　express　desire　to　a　girl　of　fortune。　　Before　the　marriage　could　take　place　she　is　deprived　of　her　fortune；　and　thrown　friendless　on　the　world。　The　father　practises　the　most　infamous　arts　to　separate　his　son　from　her；　and　when　the　son　detects　his　villany；　and；　following　the　dictates　of　honour；　marries　the　girl；　nothing　but　misery　ensues；　because　forsooth　he　married　WITHOUT　his　father's　consent。　　On　what　ground　can　religion　or　morality　rest；　when　justice　is　thus　set　at　defiance？　　In　the　same　style　she　represents　an　accomplished　young　woman；　as　ready　to　marry　any　body　that　her　MAMMA　pleased　to　recommend；　and；　as　actually　marrying　the　young　man　of　her　own　choice；　without　feeling　any　emotions　of　passion；　because　that　a　well　educated　girl　had　not　time　to　be　in　love。　　Is　it　possible　to　have　much　respect　for　a　system　of　education　that　thus　insults　reason　and　nature？　Many　similar　opinions　occur　in　her　writings；　mixed　with　sentiments　that　do　honour　to　her　head　and　heart。　　Yet　so　much　superstition　is　mixed　with　her　religion；　and　so　much　worldly　wisdom　with　her　morality；　that　I　should　not　let　a　young　person　read　her　works；　unless　I　could　afterwards　converse　on　the　subjects；　and　point　out　the　contradictions。　Mrs。　Chapone's　Letters　are　written　with　such　good　sense；　and　unaffected　humility；　and　contain　so　many　useful　observations；　that　I　only　mention　them　to　pay　the　worthy　writer　this　tribute　of　respect。　　I　cannot；　it　is　true；　always　coincide　in　opinion　with　her；　but　I　always　respect　her。　The　very　word　respect　brings　Mrs。　Macaulay　to　my　remembrance。　　The　woman　of　the　greatest　abilities；　undoubtedly；　that　this　country　has　ever　produced。　　And　yet　this　woman　has　been　suffered　to　die　without　sufficient　respect　being　paid　to　her　memory。　Posterity；　however；　will　be　more　just；　and　remember　that　Catharine　Macaulay　was　an　example　of　intellectual　acquirements　supposed　to　be　incompatible　with　the　weakness　of　her　sex。　　In　her　style　of　writing；　indeed；　no　sex　appears；　for　it　is　like　the　sense　it　conveys；　strong　and　clear。　I　will　not　call　her's　a　masculine　understanding；　because　I　admit　not　of　such　an　arrogant　assumption　of　reason；　but　I　contend　that　it　was　a　sound　one；　and　that　her　judgment；　the　matured　fruit　of　profound　thinking；　was　a　proof　that　a　woman　can　acquire　judgment；　in　the　full　extent　of　the　word。　　Possessing　more　penetration　than　sagacity；　more　understanding　than　fancy；　she　writes　with　sober　energy；　and　argumentative　closeness；　yet　sympathy　and　benevolence　give　an　interest　to　her　sentiments；　and　that　vital　heat　to　arguments；　which　forces　the　reader　to　weigh　them。*　（*Footnote。　　Coinciding　in　opinion　with　Mrs。　Macaulay　relative　to　many　branches　of　education；　I　refer　to　her　valuable　work；　instead　of　quoting　her　sentiments　to　support　my　own。）　When　I　first　thought　of　writing　these　strictures　I　anticipated　Mrs。　Macaulay's　approbation　with　a　little　of　that　sanguine　ardour　which　it　has　been　the　business　of　my　life　to