a vindication of the rights of woman-第55章

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tability；　by　withdrawing　from　the　giddy　whirl　of　pleasure；　or　the　indolent　calm　that　stupifies　the　good　sort　of　women　it　sucks　in。　Proud　of　their　weakness；　however；　they　must　always　be　protected；　guarded　from　care；　and　all　the　rough　toils　that　dignify　the　mind。　If　this　be　the　fiat　of　fate；　if　they　will　make　themselves　insignificant　and　contemptible；　sweetly　to　waste　〃life　away；〃　let　them　not　expect　to　be　valued　when　their　beauty　fades；　for　it　is　the　fate　of　the　fairest　flowers　to　be　admired　and　pulled　to　pieces　by　the　careless　hand　that　plucked　them。　　In　how　many　ways　do　I　wish；　from　the　purest　benevolence；　to　impress　this　truth　on　my　sex；　yet　I　fear　that　they　will　not　listen　to　a　truth；　that　dear…bought　experience　has　brought　home　to　many　an　agitated　bosom；　nor　willingly　resign　the　privileges　of　rank　and　sex　for　the　privileges　of　humanity；　to　which　those　have　no　claim　who　do　not　discharge　its　duties。　Those　writers　are　particularly　useful；　in　my　opinion；　who　make　man　feel　for　man；　independent　of　the　station　he　fills；　or　the　drapery　of　factitious　sentiments。　　I　then　would　fain　convince　reasonable　men　of　the　importance　of　some　of　my　remarks　and　prevail　on　them　to　weigh　dispassionately　the　whole　tenor　of　my　observations。　　I　appeal　to　their　understandings；　and；　as　a　fellow…creature　claim；　in　the　name　of　my　sex；　some　interest　in　their　hearts。　　I　entreat　them　to　assist　to　emancipate　their　companion　to　make　her　a　help　meet　for　them！　Would　men　but　generously　snap　our　chains；　and　be　content　with　rational　fellowship；　instead　of　slavish　obedience；　they　would　find　us　more　observant　daughters；　more　affectionate　sisters；　more　faithful　wives；　more　reasonable　mothersin　a　word；　better　citizens。　　We　should　then　love　them　with　true　affection；　because　we　should　learn　to　respect　ourselves；　and　the　peace　of　mind　of　a　worthy　man　would　not　be　interrupted　by　the　idle　vanity　of　his　wife；　nor　his　babes　sent　to　nestle　in　a　strange　bosom；　having　never　found　a　home　in　their　mother's。

CHAPTER　10。　PARENTAL　AFFECTION。　Parental　affection　is；　perhaps；　the　blindest　modification　of　perverse　self…love；　for　we　have　not；　like　the　French　two　terms　（L'amour　propre；　L'amour　de　soi　meme）　to　distinguish　the　pursuit　of　a　natural　and　reasonable　desire；　from　the　ignorant　calculations　of　weakness。　　Parents　often　love　their　children　in　the　most　brutal　manner；　and　sacrifice　every　relative　duty　to　promote　their　advancement　in　the　world。　　To　promote；　such　is　the　perversity　of　unprincipled　prejudices；　the　future　welfare　of　the　very　beings　whose　present　existence　they　imbitter　by　the　most　despotic　stretch　of　power。　　Power；　in　fact；　is　ever　true　to　its　vital　principle；　for　in　every　shape　it　would　reign　without　controul　or　inquiry。　　Its　throne　is　built　across　a　dark　abyss；　which　no　eye　must　dare　to　explore；　lest　the　baseless　fabric　should　totter　under　investigation。　　Obedience；　unconditional　obedience；　is　the　catch…word　of　tyrants　of　every　description；　and　to　render　〃assurance　doubly　sure；〃　one　kind　of　despotism　supports　another。　Tyrants　would　have　cause　to　tremble　if　reason　were　to　become　the　rule　of　duty　in　any　of　the　relations　of　life；　for　the　light　might　spread　till　perfect　day　appeared。　　And　when　it　did　appear；　how　would　men　smile　at　the　sight　of　the　bugbears　at　which　they　started　during　the　night　of　ignorance；　or　the　twilight　of　timid　inquiry。　Parental　affection；　indeed；　in　many　minds；　is　but　a　pretext　to　tyrannize　where　it　can　be　done　with　impunity；　for　only　good　and　wise　men　are　content　with　the　respect　that　will　bear　discussion。　Convinced　that　they　have　a　right　to　what　they　insist　on；　they　do　not　fear　reason；　or　dread　the　sifting　of　subjects　that　recur　to　natural　justice：　　because　they　firmly　believe；　that　the　more　enlightened　the　human　mind　becomes；　the　deeper　root　will　just　and　simple　principles　take。　　They　do　not　rest　in　expedients；　or　grant　that　what　is　metaphysically　true　can　be　practically　false；　but　disdaining　the　shifts　of　the　moment　they　calmly　wait　till　time；　sanctioning　innovation；　silences　the　hiss　of　selfishness　or　envy。　If　the　power　of　reflecting　on　the　past；　and　darting　the　keen　eye　of　contemplation　into　futurity；　be　the　grand　privilege　of　man；　it　must　be　granted　that　some　people　enjoy　this　prerogative　in　a　very　limited　degree。　　Every　thing　now　appears　to　them　wrong；　and　not　able　to　distinguish　the　possible　from　the　monstrous；　they　fear　where　no　fear　should　find　a　place；　running　from　the　light　of　reason　as　if　it　were　a　firebrand；　yet　the　limits　of　the　possible　have　never　been　defined　to　stop　the　sturdy　innovator's　hand。　Woman；　however；　a　slave　in　every　situation　to　prejudice　seldom　exerts　enlightened　maternal　affection；　for　she　either　neglects　her　children；　or　spoils　them　by　improper　indulgence。　　Besides；　the　affection　of　some　women　for　their　children　is；　as　I　have　before　termed　it；　frequently　very　brutish；　for　it　eradicates　every　spark　of　humanity。　　Justice；　truth；　every　thing　is　sacrificed　by　these　Rebekahs；　and　for　the　sake　of　their　own　children　they　violate　the　most　sacred　duties；　forgetting　the　common　relationship　that　binds　the　whole　family　on　earth　together。　　Yet；　reason　seems　to　say；　that　they　who　suffer　one　duty；　or　affection　to　swallow　up　the　rest；　have　not　sufficient　heart　or　mind　to　fulfil　that　one　conscientiously。　It　then　loses　the　venerable　aspect　of　a　duty；　and　assumes　the　fantastic　form　of　a　whim。　As　the　care　of　children　in　their　infancy　is　one　of　the　grand　duties　annexed　to　the　female　character　by　nature；　this　duty　would　afford　many　forcible　arguments　for　strengthening　the　female　understanding；　if　it　were　properly　considered。　The　formation　of　the　mind　must　be　begun　very　early；　and　the　temper；　in　particular；　requires　the　most　judicious　attentionan　attention　which　women　cannot　pay　who　only　love　their　children　because　they　are　their　children；　and　seek　no　further　for　the　foundation　of　their　duty；　than　in　the　feelings　of　the　moment。　　It　is　this　want　of　reason　in　their　affections　which　makes　women　so　often　run　into　extremes；　and　either　be　the　most　fond；　or　most　careless　and　unnatural　mothers。　To　be　a　good　mothera　woman　must　have　sense；　and　that　independence　of　mind　which　few　women　possess　who　are　taught　to　depend　entirely　on　their　husbands。　　Meek　wives　are；　in　general；　foolish　mothers；　wanting　their　children　to　love　them　best；　and　take　their　part；　in　secret；　against　the　father；　who　is　held　up　as　a　scarecrow。　　If　they　are　to　be　punished；　though　they　have　offended　the　mother；　the　father　must　inflict　the　punishment；　he　must　be　the　judge　in　all　disputes：　　but　I　shall　more　fully　discuss　this　subject　when　I　treat　of　private　education；　I　now　only　mean　to　insist；　that　unless　the　understanding　of　woman　be　enlarged；　and　her　character　rendered　more　firm；　by　being　allowed　to　govern　her　own　conduct；　she　will　never　have　sufficient　sense　or　command　of　temper　to　manage　her　children　properly。　　Her　parental　affection；　indeed；　scarcely　deserves　the　name；　when　it　does　not　lead　her　to　suckle　her　children；　because　the　discharge　of　this　duty　is　equally　calculated　to　inspire　maternal　and　filial　affection；　and　it　is　the　indispensable　duty　of　men　and　women　to　fulfil　the　duties　which　give　birth　to　affections　that　are　the　surest　preservatives　against　vice。　　Natural　affection；