a vindication of the rights of woman-第48章

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e　mind；　the　grace　resulting　from　it；　its　natural　exteriour　mark；　would　soon　strip　affectation　of　its　flaunting　plumes；　because；　fallacious　as　unstable；　is　the　conduct　that　is　not　founded　upon　truth！　（Footnote。　　The　behaviour　of　many　newly　married　women　has　often　disgusted　me。　　They　seem　anxious　never　to　let　their　husbands　forget　the　privilege　of　marriage；　and　to　find　no　pleasure　in　his　society　unless　he　is　acting　the　lover。　　Short；　indeed；　must　be　the　reign　of　love；　when　the　flame　is　thus　constantly　blown　up；　without　its　receiving　any　solid　fuel。）　Would　ye；　O　my　sisters；　really　possess　modesty；　ye　must　remember　that　the　possession　of　virtue；　of　any　denomination；　is　incompatible　with　ignorance　and　vanity！　ye　must　acquire　that　soberness　of　mind；　which　the　exercise　of　duties；　and　the　pursuit　of　knowledge；　alone　inspire；　or　ye　will　still　remain　in　a　doubtful　dependent　situation；　and　only　be　loved　whilst　ye　are　fair！　the　downcast　eye；　the　rosy　blush；　the　retiring　grace；　are　all　proper　in　their　season；　but　modesty；　being　the　child　of　reason；　cannot　long　exist　with　the　sensibility　that　is　not　tempered　by　reflection。　　Besides；　when　love；　even　innocent　love；　is　the　whole　employ　of　your　lives；　your　hearts　will　be　too　soft　to　afford　modesty　that　tranquil　retreat；　where　she　delights　to　dwell；　in　close　union　with　humanity。

CHAPTER　8。　MORALITY　UNDERMINED　BY　SEXUAL　NOTIONS　OF　THE　IMPORTANCE　OF　A　GOOD　REPUTATION。　It　has　long　since　occurred　to　me；　that　advice　respecting　behaviour；　and　all　the　various　modes　of　preserving　a　good　reputation；　which　have　been　so　strenuously　inculcated　on　the　female　world；　were　specious　poisons；　that　incrusting　morality　eat　away　the　substance。　And；　that　this　measuring　of　shadows　produced　a　false　calculation；　because　their　length　depends　so　much　on　the　height　of　the　sun；　and　other　adventitious　circumstances。　》From　whence　arises　the　easy　fallacious　behaviour　of　a　courtier？　》From　this　situation；　undoubtedly：　　for　standing　in　need　of　dependents；　he　is　obliged　to　learn　the　art　of　denying　without　giving　offence；　and；　of　evasively　feeding　hope　with　the　chameleon's　food；　　thus　does　politeness　sport　with　truth；　and　eating　away　the　sincerity　and　humanity　natural　to　man；　produce　the　fine　gentleman。　Women　in　the　same　way　acquire；　from　a　supposed　necessity；　an　equally　artificial　mode　of　behaviour。　　Yet　truth　is　not　with　impunity　to　be　sported　with；　for　the　practised　dissembler；　at　last；　becomes　the　dupe　of　his　own　arts；　loses　that　sagacity　which　has　been　justly　termed　common　sense；　namely；　a　quick　perception　of　common　truths：　　which　are　constantly　received　as　such　by　the　unsophisticated　mind；　though　it　might　not　have　had　sufficient　energy　to　discover　them　itself；　when　obscured　by　local　prejudices。　The　greater　number　of　people　take　their　opinions　on　trust；　to　avoid　the　trouble　of　exercising　their　own　minds；　and　these　indolent　beings　naturally　adhere　to　the　letter；　rather　than　the　spirit　of　a　law；　divine　or　human。　　〃Women；〃　says　some　author；　I　cannot　recollect　who；　〃mind　not　what　only　heaven　sees。〃　　Why；　indeed　should　they？　it　is　the　eye　of　man　that　they　have　been　taught　to　dreadand　if　they　can　lull　their　Argus　to　sleep；　they　seldom　think　of　heaven　or　themselves；　because　their　reputation　is　safe；　and　it　is　reputation　not　chastity　and　all　its　fair　train；　that　they　are　employed　to　keep　free　from　spot；　not　as　a　virtue；　but　to　preserve　their　station　in　the　world。　To　prove　the　truth　of　this　remark；　I　need　only　advert　to　the　intrigues　of　married　women；　particularly　in　high　life；　and　in　countries　where　women　are　suitably　married；　according　to　their　respective　ranks　by　their　parents。　　If　an　innocent　girl　become　a　prey　to　love；　she　is　degraded　forever；　though　her　mind　was　not　polluted　by　the　arts　which　married　women；　under　the　convenient　cloak　of　marriage；　practise；　nor　has　she　violated　any　dutybut　the　duty　of　respecting　herself。　　The　married　woman；　on　the　contrary；　breaks　a　most　sacred　engagement；　and　becomes　a　cruel　mother　when　she　is　a　false　and　faithless　wife。　　If　her　husband　has　still　an　affection　for　her；　the　arts　which　she　must　practise　to　deceive　him；　will　render　her　the　most　contemptible　of　human　beings；　and　at　any　rate；　the　contrivances　necessary　to　preserve　appearances；　will　keep　her　mind　in　that　childish　or　vicious　tumult　which　destroys　all　its　energy。　　Besides；　in　time；　like　those　people　who　habitually　take　cordials　to　raise　their　spirits；　she　will　want　an　intrigue　to　give　life　to　her　thoughts；　having　lost　all　relish　for　pleasures　that　are　not　highly　seasoned　by　hope　or　fear。　Sometimes　married　women　act　still　more　audaciously；　I　will　mention　an　instance。　A　woman　of　quality；　notorious　for　her　gallantries；　though　as　she　still　lived　with　her　husband；　nobody　chose　to　place　her　in　the　class　where　she　ought　to　have　been　placed；　made　a　point　of　treating　with　the　most　insulting　contempt　a　poor　timid　creature；　abashed　by　a　sense　of　her　former　weakness；　whom　a　neighbouring　gentleman　had　seduced　and　afterwards　married。　　This　woman　had　actually　confounded　virtue　with　reputation；　and；　I　do　believe；　valued　herself　on　the　propriety　of　her　behaviour　before　marriage；　though　when　once　settled；　to　the　satisfaction　of　her　family；　she　and　her　lord　were　equally　faithlessso　that　the　half　alive　heir　to　an　immense　estate　came　from　heaven　knows　where！　To　view　this　subject　in　another　light。　I　have　known　a　number　of　women　who；　if　they　did　not　love　their　husbands；　loved　nobody　else；　giving　themselves　entirely　up　to　vanity　and　dissipation；　neglecting　every　domestic　duty；　nay；　even　squandering　away　all　the　money　which　should　have　been　saved　for　their　helpless　younger　children；　yet　have　plumed　themselves　on　their　unsullied　reputation；　as　if　the　whole　compass　of　their　duty　as　wives　and　mothers　was　only　to　preserve　it。　　Whilst　other　indolent　women；　neglecting　every　personal　duty；　have　thought　that　they　deserved　their　husband's　affection；　because　they　acted　in　this　respect　with　propriety。　Weak　minds　are　always　fond　of　resting　in　the　ceremonials　of　duty；　but　morality　offers　much　simpler　motives；　and　it　were　to　be　wished　that　superficial　moralists　had　said　less　respecting　behaviour；　and　outward　observances；　for　unless　virtue；　of　any　kind；　is　built　on　knowledge；　it　will　only　produce　a　kind　of　insipid　decency。　　Respect　for　the　opinion　of　the　world；　has；　however；　been　termed　the　principal　duty　of　woman　in　the　most　express　words；　for　Rousseau　declares；　〃that　reputation　is　no　less　indispensable　than　chastity。〃　〃A　man；〃　adds　he；　〃secure　in　his　own　good　conduct；　depends　only　on　himself；　and　may　brave　the　public　opinion；　but　a　woman；　in　behaving　well；　performs　but　half　her　duty；　as　what　is　thought　of　her；　is　as　important　to　her　as　what　she　really　is。　　It　follows　hence；　that　the　system　of　a　woman's　education　should；　in　this　respect；　be　directly　contrary　to　that　of　ours。　　Opinion　is　the　grave　of　virtue　among　the　men；　but　its　throne　among　women。〃　　It　is　strictly　logical　to　infer；　that　the　virtue　that　rests　on　opinion　is　merely　worldly；　and　that　it　is　the　virtue　of　a　being　to　whom　reason　has　been　denied。　　But；　even　with　respect　to　the　opinion　of　the　world；　I　am　convinced；　that　this　class　of　reasoners　are　mistaken。　This　regard　for　reputation；　independent　of　its　being　one　of　th