a vindication of the rights of woman-第65章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


hat　such　women　seldom　get　husbands。　What　arts　have　I　not　seen　silly　women　use　to　interrupt　by　FLIRTATION；　（a　very　significant　word　to　describe　such　a　manoeuvre）　a　rational　conversation；　which　made　the　men　forget　that　they　were　pretty　women。　But；　allowing　what　is　very　natural　to　manthat　the　possession　of　rare　abilities　is　really　calculated　to　excite　over…weening　pride；　disgusting　in　both　men　and　womenin　what　a　state　of　inferiority　must　the　female　faculties　have　rusted　when　such　a　small　portion　of　knowledge　as　those　women　attained；　who　have　sneeringly　been　termed　learned　women；　could　be　singular？　Sufficiently　so　to　puff　up　the　possessor；　and　excite　envy　in　her　contemporaries；　and　some　of　the　other　sex。　　Nay；　has　not　a　little　rationality　exposed　many　women　to　the　severest　censure？　　I　advert　to　well　known…facts；　for　I　have　frequently　heard　women　ridiculed；　and　every　little　weakness　exposed；　only　because　they　adopted　the　advice　of　some　medical　men；　and　deviated　from　the　beaten　track　in　their　mode　of　treating　their　infants。　　I　have　actually　heard　this　barbarous　aversion　to　innovation　carried　still　further；　and　a　sensible　woman　stigmatized　as　an　unnatural　mother；　who　has　thus　been　wisely　solicitous　to　preserve　the　health　of　her　children；　when　in　the　midst　of　her　care　she　has　lost　one　by　some　of　the　casualties　of　infancy　which　no　prudence　can　ward　off。　　Her　acquaintance　have　observed；　that　this　was　the　consequence　of　new…fangled　notionsthe　new…fangled　notions　of　ease　and　cleanliness。　　And　those　who；　pretending　to　experience；　though　they　have　long　adhered　to　prejudices　that　have；　according　to　the　opinion　of　the　most　sagacious　physicians；　thinned　the　human　race；　almost　rejoiced　at　the　disaster　that　gave　a　kind　of　sanction　to　prescription。　Indeed；　if　it　were　only　on　this　account；　the　national　education　of　women　is　of　the　utmost　consequence；　for　what　a　number　of　human　sacrifices　are　made　to　that　moloch；　prejudice！　　And　in　how　many　ways　are　children　destroyed　by　the　lasciviousness　of　man？　　The　want　of　natural　affection　in　many　women；　who　are　drawn　from　their　duty　by　the　admiration　of　men；　and　the　ignorance　of　others；　render　the　infancy　of　man　a　much　more　perilous　state　than　that　of　brutes；　yet　men　are　unwilling　to　place　women　in　situations　proper　to　enable　them　to　acquire　sufficient　understanding　to　know　how　even　to　nurse　their　babes。　So　forcibly　does　this　truth　strike　me；　that　I　would　rest　the　whole　tendency　of　my　reasoning　upon　it；　for　whatever　tends　to　incapacitate　the　maternal　character；　takes　woman　out　of　her　sphere。　But　it　is　vain　to　expect　the　present　race　of　weak　mothers　either　to　take　that　reasonable　care　of　a　child's　body；　which　is　necessary　to　lay　the　foundation　of　a　good　constitution；　supposing　that　it　do　not　suffer　for　the　sins　of　its　fathers；　or　to　manage　its　temper　so　judiciously　that　the　child　will　not　have；　as　it　grows　up；　to　throw　off　all　that　its　mother；　its　first　instructor；　directly　or　indirectly　taught；　and　unless　the　mind　have　uncommon　vigour；　womanish　follies　will　stick　to　the　character　throughout　life。　　The　weakness　of　the　mother　will　be　visited　on　the　children！　　And　whilst　women　are　educated　to　rely　on　their　husbands　for　judgment；　this　must　ever　be　the　consequence；　for　there　is　no　improving　an　understanding　by　halves；　nor　can　any　being　act　wisely　from　imitation；　because　in　every　circumstance　of　life　there　is　a　kind　of　individuality；　which　requires　an　exertion　of　judgment　to　modify　general　rules。　　The　being　who　can　think　justly　in　one　track；　will　soon　extend　its　intellectual　empire；　and　she　who　has　sufficient　judgment　to　manage　her　children；　will　not　submit　right　or　wrong；　to　her　husband；　or　patiently　to　the　social　laws　which　makes　a　nonentity　of　a　wife。　In　public　schools　women；　to　guard　against　the　errors　of　ignorance；　should　be　taught　the　elements　of　anatomy　and　medicine；　not　only　to　enable　them　to　take　proper　care　of　their　own　health；　but　to　make　them　rational　nurses　of　their　infants；　parents；　and　husbands；　for　the　bills　of　mortality　are　swelled　by　the　blunders　of　self…willed　old　women；　who　give　nostrums　of　their　own；　without　knowing　any　thing　of　the　human　frame。　　It　is　likewise　proper；　only　in　a　domestic　view；　to　make　women；　acquainted　with　the　anatomy　of　the　mind；　by　allowing　the　sexes　to　associate　together　in　every　pursuit；　and　by　leading　them　to　observe　the　progress　of　the　human　understanding　in　the　improvement　of　the　sciences　and　arts；　never　forgetting　the　science　of　morality；　nor　the　study　of　the　political　history　of　mankind。　A　man　has　been　termed　a　microcosm；　and　every　family　might　also　be　called　a　state。　　States；　it　is　true；　have　mostly　been　governed　by　arts　that　disgrace　the　character　of　man；　and　the　want　of　a　just　constitution；　and　equal　laws；　have　so　perplexed　the　notions　of　the　worldly　wise；　that　they　more　than　question　the　reasonableness　of　contending　for　the　rights　of　humanity。　　Thus　morality；　polluted　in　the　national　reservoir；　sends　off　streams　of　vice　to　corrupt　the　constituent　parts　of　the　body　politic；　but　should　more　noble；　or　rather　more　just　principles　regulate　the　laws；　which　ought　to　be　the　government　of　society；　and　not　those　who　execute　them；　duty　might　become　the　rule　of　private　conduct。　Besides；　by　the　exercise　of　their　bodies　and　minds；　women　would　acquire　that　mental　activity　so　necessary　in　the　maternal　character；　united　with　the　fortitude　that　distinguishes　steadiness　of　conduct　from　the　obstinate　perverseness　of　weakness。　　For　it　is　dangerous　to　advise　the　indolent　to　be　steady；　because　they　instantly　become　rigorous；　and　to　save　themselves　trouble；　punish　with　severity　faults　that　the　patient　fortitude　of　reason　might　have　prevented。　But　fortitude　presupposes　strength　of　mind；　and　is　strength　of　mind　to　be　acquired　by　indolent　acquiescence？　　By　asking　advice　instead　of　exerting　the　judgment？　　By　obeying　through　fear；　instead　of　practising　the　forbearance；　which　we　all　stand　in　need　of　ourselves？　　The　conclusion　which　I　wish　to　draw　is　obvious；　make　women　rational　creatures　and　free　citizens；　and　they　will　quickly　become　good　wives；　and　mothers；　that　isif　men　do　not　neglect　the　duties　of　husbands　and　fathers。　Discussing　the　advantages　which　a　public　and　private　education　combined；　as　I　have　sketched；　might　rationally　be　expected　to　produce；　I　have　dwelt　most　on　such　as　are　particularly　relative　to　the　female　world；　because　I　think　the　female　world　oppressed；　yet　the　gangrene　which　the　vices；　engendered　by　oppression　have　produced；　is　not　confined　to　the　morbid　part；　but　pervades　society　at　large；　　so　that　when　I　wish　to　see　my　sex　become　more　like　moral　agents；　my　heart　bounds　with　the　anticipation　of　the　general　diffusion　of　that　sublime　contentment　which　only　morality　can　diffuse。

CHAPTER　13。　SOME　INSTANCES　OF　THE　FOLLY　WHICH　THE　IGNORANCE　OF　WOMEN　GENERATES；　WITH　CONCLUDING　REFLECTIONS　ON　THE　MORAL　IMPROVEMENT　THAT　A　REVOLUTION　IN　FEMALE　MANNERS　MIGHT　NATURALLY　BE　EXPECTED　TO　PRODUCE。　There　are　many　follies；　in　some　degree；　peculiar　to　women：　　sins　against　reason；　of　commission；　as　well　as　of　omission；　but　all　flowing　from　ignorance　or　prejudice；　I　shall　only　point　out　such　as　appear　to　be　injurious　to　their　moral　character。　　And　in　animadverting　on　them；　I　wish　especially　to　p