a vindication of the rights of woman-第40章

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　obtained　by　experience；　is　very　useful；　because　it　is　natural；　but　when　a　frail　being　is　shown　the　follies　and　vices　of　man；　that　he　may　be　taught　prudently　to　guard　against　the　common　casualties　of　life　by　sacrificing　his　heartsurely　it　is　not　speaking　harshly　to　call　it　the　wisdom　of　this　world；　contrasted　with　the　nobler　fruit　of　piety　and　experience。　I　will　venture　a　paradox；　and　deliver　my　opinion　without　reserve；　if　men　were　only　born　to　form　a　circle　of　life　and　death；　it　would　be　wise　to　take　every　step　that　foresight　could　suggest　to　render　life　happy。　　Moderation　in　every　pursuit　would　then　be　supreme　wisdom；　and　the　prudent　voluptuary　might　enjoy　a　degree　of　content；　though　he　neither　cultivated　his　understanding　nor　kept　his　heart　pure。　　Prudence；　supposing　we　were　mortal；　would　be　true　wisdom；　or；　to　be　more　explicit；　would　procure　the　greatest　portion　of　happiness；　considering　the　whole　of　life；　but　knowledge　beyond　the　conveniences　of　life　would　be　a　curse。　Why　should　we　injure　our　health　by　close　study？　　The　exalted　pleasure　which　intellectual　pursuits　afford　would　scarcely　be　equivalent　to　the　hours　of　languor　that　follow；　especially；　if　it　be　necessary　to　take　into　the　reckoning　the　doubts　and　disappointments　that　cloud　our　researches。　　Vanity　and　vexation　close　every　inquiry：　　for　the　cause　which　we　particularly　wished　to　discover　flies　like　the　horizon　before　us　as　we　advance。　　The　ignorant；　on　the　contrary；　resemble　children；　and　suppose；　that　if　they　could　walk　straight　forward　they　should　at　last　arrive　where　the　earth　and　clouds　meet。　　Yet；　disappointed　as　we　are　in　our　researches；　the　mind　gains　strength　by　the　exercise；　sufficient；　perhaps；　to　comprehend　the　answers　which；　in　another　step　of　existence；　it　may　receive　to　the　anxious　questions　it　asked；　when　the　understanding　with　feeble　wing　was　fluttering　round　the　visible　effects　to　dive　into　the　hidden　cause。　The　passions　also；　the　winds　of　life；　would　be　useless；　if　not　injurious；　did　the　substance　which　composes　our　thinking　being；　after　we　have　thought　in　vain；　only　become　the　support　of　vegetable　life；　and　invigorate　a　cabbage；　or　blush　in　a　rose。　　The　appetites　would　answer　every　earthly　purpose；　and　produce　more　moderate　and　permanent　happiness。　　But　the　powers　of　the　soul　that　are　of　little　use　here；　and；　probably；　disturb　our　animal　enjoyments；　even　while　conscious　dignity　makes　us　glory　in　possessing　them；　prove　that　life　is　merely　an　education；　a　state　of　infancy；　of　which　the　only　hopes　worth　cherishing　should　not　be　sacrificed。　　I　mean；　therefore　to　infer；　that　we　ought　to　have　a　precise　idea　of　what　we　wish　to　attain　by　education；　for　the　immortality　of　the　soul　is　contradicted　by　the　actions　of　many　people；　who　firmly　profess　the　belief。　If　you　mean　to　secure　ease　and　prosperity　on　earth　as　the　first　consideration；　and　leave　futurity　to　provide　for　itself；　you　act　prudently　in　giving　your　child　an　early　insight　into　the　weaknesses　of　his　nature。　　You　may　not；　it　is　true；　make　an　Inkle　of　him；　but　do　not　imagine　that　he　will　stick　to　more　than　the　letter　of　the　law；　who　has　very　early　imbibed　a　mean　opinion　of　human　nature；　nor　will　he　think　it　necessary　to　rise　much　above　the　common　standard。　He　may　avoid　gross　vices；　because　honesty　is　the　best　policy；　but　he　will　never　aim　at　attaining　great　virtues。　　The　example　of　writers　and　artists　will　illustrate　this　remark。　I　must　therefore　venture　to　doubt；　whether　what　has　been　thought　an　axiom　in　morals；　may　not　have　been　a　dogmatical　assertion　made　by　men　who　have　coolly　seen　mankind　through　the　medium　of　books；　and　say；　in　direct　contradiction　to　them；　that　the　regulation　of　the　passions　is　not　always　wisdom。　　On　the　contrary；　it　should　seem；　that　one　reason　why　men　have　superiour　judgment　and　more　fortitude　than　women；　is　undoubtedly　this；　that　they　give　a　freer　scope　to　the　grand　passions；　and　by　more　frequently　going　astray；　enlarge　their　minds。　　If　then　by　the　exercise　of　their　own　reason；　they　fix　on　some　stable　principle；　they　have　probably　to　thank　the　force　of　their　passions；　nourished　by　FALSE　views　of　life；　and　permitted　to　overleap　the　boundary　that　secures　content。　　But　if；　in　the　dawn　of　life；　we　could　soberly　survey　the　scenes　before　us　as　in　perspective；　and　see　every　thing　in　its　true　colours；　how　could　the　passions　gain　sufficient　strength　to　unfold　the　faculties？　Let　me　now；　as　from　an　eminence；　survey　the　world　stripped　of　all　its　false　delusive　charms。　　The　clear　atmosphere　enables　me　to　see　each　object　in　its　true　point　of　view；　while　my　heart　is　still。　　I　am　calm　as　the　prospect　in　a　morning　when　the　mists；　slowly　dispersing；　silently　unveil　the　beauties　of　nature；　refreshed　by　rest。　In　what　light　will　the　world　now　appear？　　I　rub　my　eyes　and　think；　perchance；　that　I　am　just　awaking　from　a　lively　dream。　I　see　the　sons　and　daughters　of　men　pursuing　shadows；　and　anxiously　wasting　their　powers　to　feed　passions　which　have　no　adequate　objectif　the　very　excess　of　these　blind　impulses　pampered　by　that　lying；　yet　constantly…trusted　guide；　the　imagination；　did　not；　by　preparing　them　for　some　other　state；　render　short　sighted　mortals　wiser　without　their　own　concurrence；　or；　what　comes　to　the　same　thing；　when　they　were　pursuing　some　imaginary　present　good。　After　viewing　objects　in　this　light；　it　would　not　be　very　fanciful　to　imagine；　that　this　world　was　a　stage　on　which　a　pantomime　is　daily　performed　for　the　amusement　of　superiour　beings。　　How　would　they　be　diverted　to　see　the　ambitious　man　consuming　himself　by　running　after　a　phantom；　and；　pursuing　the　bubble　fame　in　〃the　cannon's　mouth〃　that　was　to　blow　him　to　nothing：　　for　when　consciousness　is　lost；　it　matters　not　whether　we　mount　in　a　whirlwind　or　descend　in　rain。　　And　should　they　compassionately　invigorate　his　sight；　and　show　him　the　thorny　path　which　led　to　eminence；　that　like　a　quicksand　sinks　as　he　ascends；　disappointing　his　hopes　when　almost　within　his　grasp；　would　he　not　leave　to　others　the　honour　of　amusing　them；　and　labour　to　secure　the　present　moment；　though　from　the　constitution　of　his　nature　he　would　not　find　it　very　easy　to　catch　the　flying　stream？　　Such　slaves　are　we　to　hope　and　fear！　But；　vain　as　the　ambitious　man's　pursuit　would　be；　he　is　often　striving　for　something　more　substantial　than　famethat　indeed　would　be　the　veriest　meteor；　the　wildest　fire　that　could　lure　a　man　to　ruin。　　What！　renounce　the　most　trifling　gratification　to　be　applauded　when　he　should　be　no　more！　Wherefore　this　struggle；　whether　man　is　mortal　or　immortal；　if　that　noble　passion　did　not　really　raise　the　being　above　his　fellows？　And　love！　　What　diverting　scenes　would　it　producePantaloon's　tricks　must　yield　to　more　egregious　folly。　　To　see　a　mortal　adorn　an　object　with　imaginary　charms；　and　then　fall　down　and　worship　the　idol　which　he　had　himself　set　uphow　ridiculous！　　But　what　serious　consequences　ensue　to　rob　man　of　that　portion　of　happiness；　which　the　Deity　by　calling　him　into　existence　has　（or；　on　what　can　his　attributes　rest？）　indubitably　promised；　would　not　all　the　purposes　of　life　have　been　much　better　fulfilled　if　he　had　only　felt　what　has　been　termed　physical　love？　　And；　would　not　the　sight　of　the　object；　not　seen　through　the　medium