a vindication of the rights of woman-第12章

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　inquiry。　Love；　the　common　passion；　in　which　chance　and　sensation　take　place　of　choice　and　reason；　is　in　some　degree；　felt　by　the　mass　of　mankind；　for　it　is　not　necessary　to　speak；　at　present；　of　the　emotions　that　rise　above　or　sink　below　love。　　This　passion；　naturally　increased　by　suspense　and　difficulties；　draws　the　mind　out　of　its　accustomed　state；　and　exalts　the　affections；　but　the　security　of　marriage；　allowing　the　fever　of　love　to　subside；　a　healthy　temperature　is　thought　insipid；　only　by　those　who　have　not　sufficient　intellect　to　substitute　the　calm　tenderness　of　friendship；　the　confidence　of　respect；　instead　of　blind　admiration；　and　the　sensual　emotions　of　fondness。　This　is；　must　be；　the　course　of　naturefriendship　or　indifference　inevitably　succeeds　love。　　And　this　constitution　seems　perfectly　to　harmonize　with　the　system　of　government　which　prevails　in　the　moral　world。　　Passions　are　spurs　to　action；　and　open　the　mind；　but　they　sink　into　mere　appetites；　become　a　personal　momentary　gratification；　when　the　object　is　gained；　and　the　satisfied　mind　rests　in　enjoyment。　　The　man　who　had　some　virtue　whilst　he　was　struggling　for　a　crown；　often　becomes　a　voluptuous　tyrant　when　it　graces　his　brow；　and；　when　the　lover　is　not　lost　in　the　husband；　the　dotard　a　prey　to　childish　caprices；　and　fond　jealousies；　neglects　the　serious　duties　of　life；　and　the　caresses　which　should　excite　confidence　in　his　children　are　lavished　on　the　overgrown　child；　his　wife。　In　order　to　fulfil　the　duties　of　life；　and　to　be　able　to　pursue　with　vigour　the　various　employments　which　form　the　moral　character；　a　master　and　mistress　of　a　family　ought　not　to　continue　to　love　each　other　with　passion。　　I　mean　to　say；　that　they　ought　not　to　indulge　those　emotions　which　disturb　the　order　of　society；　and　engross　the　thoughts　that　should　be　otherwise　employed。　　The　mind　that　has　never　been　engrossed　by　one　object　wants　vigourif　it　can　long　be　so；　it　is　weak。　A　mistaken　education；　a　narrow；　uncultivated　mind；　and　many　sexual　prejudices；　tend　to　make　women　more　constant　than　men；　but；　for　the　present；　I　shall　not　touch　on　this　branch　of　the　subject。　　I　will　go　still　further；　and　advance；　without　dreaming　of　a　paradox；　that　an　unhappy　marriage　is　often　very　advantageous　to　a　family；　and　that　the　neglected　wife　is；　in　general；　the　best　mother。　　And　this　would　almost　always　be　the　consequence；　if　the　female　mind　was　more　enlarged；　for；　it　seems　to　be　the　common　dispensation　of　Providence；　that　what　we　gain　in　present　enjoyment　should　be　deducted　from　the　treasure　of　life；　experience；　and　that　when　we　are　gathering　the　flowers　of　the　day　and　revelling　in　pleasure；　the　solid　fruit　of　toil　and　wisdom　should　not　be　caught　at　the　same　time。　　The　way　lies　before　us；　we　must　turn　to　the　right　or　left；　and　he　who　will　pass　life　away　in　bounding　from　one　pleasure　to　another；　must　not　complain　if　he　neither　acquires　wisdom　nor　respectability　of　character。　Supposing　for　a　moment；　that　the　soul　is　not　immortal；　and　that　man　was　only　created　for　the　present　scene；　I　think　we　should　have　reason　to　complain　that　love；　infantine　fondness；　ever　grew　insipid　and　palled　upon　the　sense。　　Let　us　eat；　drink；　and　love；　for　to…morrow　we　die；　would　be　in　fact　the　language　of　reason；　the　morality　of　life；　and　who　but　a　fool　would　part　with　a　reality　for　a　fleeting　shadow？　　But；　if　awed　by　observing　the　improvable　powers　of　the　mind；　we　disdain　to　confine　our　wishes　or　thoughts　to　such　a　comparatively　mean　field　of　action；　that　only　appears　grand　and　important　as　it　is　connected　with　a　boundless　prospect　and　sublime　hopes；　what　necessity　is　there　for　falsehood　in　conduct；　and　why　must　the　sacred　majesty　of　truth　be　violated　to　detain　a　deceitful　good　that　saps　the　very　foundation　of　virtue？　　Why　must　the　female　mind　be　tainted　by　coquetish　arts　to　gratify　the　sensualist；　and　prevent　love　from　subsiding　into　friendship　or　compassionate　tenderness；　when　there　are　not　qualities　on　which　friendship　can　be　built？　　Let　the　honest　heart　show　itself；　and　REASON　teach　passion　to　submit　to　necessity；　or；　let　the　dignified　pursuit　of　virtue　and　knowledge　raise　the　mind　above　those　emotions　which　rather　imbitter　than　sweeten　the　cup　of　life；　when　they　are　not　restrained　within　due　bounds。　I　do　not　mean　to　allude　to　the　romantic　passion；　which　is　the　concomitant　of　genius。　　Who　can　clip　its　wings？　　But　that　grand　passion　not　proportioned　to　the　puny　enjoyments　of　life；　is　only　true　to　the　sentiment；　and　feeds　on　itself。　　The　passions　which　have　been　celebrated　for　their　durability　have　always　been　unfortunate。　　They　have　acquired　strength　by　absence　and　constitutional　melancholy。　　The　fancy　has　hovered　round　a　form　of　beauty　dimly　seenbut　familiarity　might　have　turned　admiration　into　disgust；　or；　at　least；　into　indifference；　and　allowed　the　imagination　leisure　to　start　fresh　game。　　With　perfect　propriety；　according　to　this　view　of　things；　does　Rousseau　make　the　mistress　of　his　soul；　Eloisa；　love　St。　Preux；　when　life　was　fading　before　her；　but　this　is　no　proof　of　the　immortality　of　the　passion。　Of　the　same　complexion　is　Dr。　Gregory's　advice　respecting　delicacy　of　sentiment；　which　he　advises　a　woman　not　to　acquire；　if　she　has　determined　to　marry。　　This　determination；　however；　perfectly　consistent　with　his　former　advice；　he　calls　INDELICATE；　and　earnestly　persuades　his　daughters　to　conceal　it；　though　it　may　govern　their　conduct：　　as　if　it　were　indelicate　to　have　the　common　appetites　of　human　nature。　Noble　morality！　and　consistent　with　the　cautious　prudence　of　a　little　soul　that　cannot　extend　its　views　beyond　the　present　minute　division　of　existence。　　If　all　the　faculties　of　woman's　mind　are　only　to　be　cultivated　as　they　respect　her　dependence　on　man；　if；　when　she　obtains　a　husband　she　has　arrived　at　her　goal；　and　meanly　proud；　is　satisfied　with　such　a　paltry　crown；　let　her　grovel　contentedly；　scarcely　raised　by　her　employments　above　the　animal　kingdom；　but；　if　she　is　struggling　for　the　prize　of　her　high　calling；　let　her　cultivate　her　understanding　without　stopping　to　consider　what　character　the　husband　may　have　whom　she　is　destined　to　marry。　　Let　her　only　determine；　without　being　too　anxious　about　present　happiness；　to　acquire　the　qualities　that　ennoble　a　rational　being；　and　a　rough；　inelegant　husband　may　shock　her　taste　without　destroying　her　peace　of　mind。　　She　will　not　model　her　soul　to　suit　the　frailties　of　her　companion；　but　to　bear　with　them：　　his　character　may　be　a　trial；　but　not　an　impediment　to　virtue。　If　Dr。　Gregory　confined　his　remark　to　romantic　expectations　of　constant　love　and　congenial　feelings；　he　should　have　recollected；　that　experience　will　banish　what　advice　can　never　make　us　cease　to　wish　for；　when　the　imagination　is　kept　alive　at　the　expence　of　reason。　I　own　it　frequently　happens；　that　women　who　have　fostered　a　romantic　unnatural　delicacy　of　feeling；　waste　their　lives　in　IMAGINING　how　happy　they　should　have　been　with　a　husband　who　could　love　them　with　a　fervid　increasing　affection　every　day；　and　all　day。　　But　they　might　as　well　pine　married　as　single；　and　would　not　be　a　jot　more　unhappy　with　a　bad　husband　than　longing　for　a　good　one。　　That　a　proper　education；　or；　to　speak　with　more　precision；　a　wel