a vindication of the rights of woman-第13章

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sband　than　longing　for　a　good　one。　　That　a　proper　education；　or；　to　speak　with　more　precision；　a　well　stored　mind；　would　enable　a　woman　to　support　a　single　life　with　dignity；　I　grant；　but　that　she　should　avoid　cultivating　her　taste；　lest　her　husband　should　occasionally　shock　it；　is　quitting　a　substance　for　a　shadow。　　To　say　the　truth；　I　do　not　know　of　what　use　is　an　improved　taste；　if　the　individual　be　not　rendered　more　independent　of　the　casualties　of　life；　if　new　sources　of　enjoyment；　only　dependent　on　the　solitary　operations　of　the　mind；　are　not　opened。　　People　of　taste；　married　or　single；　without　distinction；　will　ever　be　disgusted　by　various　things　that　touch　not　less　observing　minds。　　On　this　conclusion　the　argument　must　not　be　allowed　to　hinge；　but　in　the　whole　sum　of　enjoyment　is　taste　to　be　denominated　a　blessing？　The　question　is；　whether　it　procures　most　pain　or　pleasure？　　The　answer　will　decide　the　propriety　of　Dr。　Gregory's　advice；　and　show　how　absurd　and　tyrannic　it　is　thus　to　lay　down　a　system　of　slavery；　or　to　attempt　to　educate　moral　beings　by　any　other　rules　than　those　deduced　from　pure　reason；　which　apply　to　the　whole　species。　Gentleness　of　manners；　forbearance；　and　long　suffering；　are　such　amiable　godlike　qualities；　that　in　sublime　poetic　strains　the　Deity　has　been　invested　with　them；　and；　perhaps；　no　representation　of　his　goodness　so　strongly　fastens　on　the　human　affections　as　those　that　represent　him　abundant　in　mercy　and　willing　to　pardon。　　Gentleness；　considered　in　this　point　of　view；　bears　on　its　front　all　the　characteristics　of　grandeur；　combined　with　the　winning　graces　of　condescension；　but　what　a　different　aspect　it　assumes　when　it　is　the　submissive　demeanour　of　dependence；　the　support　of　weakness　that　loves；　because　it　wants　protection；　and　is　forbearing；　because　it　must　silently　endure　injuries；　smiling　under　the　lash　at　which　it　dare　not　snarl。　　Abject　as　this　picture　appears；　it　is　the　portrait　of　an　accomplished　woman；　according　to　the　received　opinion　of　female　excellence；　separated　by　specious　reasoners　from　human　excellence。　　Or；　they　（Vide　Rousseau；　and　Swedenborg）　kindly　restore　the　rib；　and　make　one　moral　being　of　a　man　and　woman；　not　forgetting　to　give　her　all　the　〃submissive　charms。〃　How　women　are　to　exist　in　that　state　where　there　is　to　be　neither　marrying　nor　giving　in　marriage；　we　are　not　told。　　For　though　moralists　have　agreed；　that　the　tenor　of　life　seems　to　prove　that　MAN　is　prepared　by　various　circumstances　for　a　future　state；　they　constantly　concur　in　advising　WOMAN　only　to　provide　for　the　present。　　Gentleness；　docility；　and　a　spaniel…like　affection　are；　on　this　ground；　consistently　recommended　as　the　cardinal　virtues　of　the　sex；　and；　disregarding　the　arbitrary　economy　of　nature；　one　writer　has　declared　that　it　is　masculine　for　a　woman　to　be　melancholy。　　She　was　created　to　be　the　toy　of　man；　his　rattle；　and　it　must　jingle　in　his　ears；　whenever；　dismissing　reason；　he　chooses　to　be　amused。　To　recommend　gentleness；　indeed；　on　a　broad　basis　is　strictly　philosophical。　　A　frail　being　should　labour　to　be　gentle。　　But　when　forbearance　confounds　right　and　wrong；　it　ceases　to　be　a　virtue；　and；　however　convenient　it　may　be　found　in　a　companion；　that　companion　will　ever　be　considered　as　an　inferior；　and　only　inspire　a　vapid　tenderness；　which　easily　degenerates　into　contempt。　　Still；　if　advice　could　really　make　a　being　gentle；　whose　natural　disposition　admitted　not　of　such　a　fine　polish；　something　toward　the　advancement　of　order　would　be　attained；　but　if；　as　might　quickly　be　demonstrated；　only　affectation　be　produced　by　this　indiscriminate　counsel；　which　throws　a　stumbling　block　in　the　way　of　gradual　improvement；　and　true　melioration　of　temper；　the　sex　is　not　much　benefited　by　sacrificing　solid　virtues　to　the　attainment　of　superficial　graces；　though　for　a　few　years　they　may　procure　the　individual's　regal　sway。　As　a　philosopher；　I　read　with　indignation　the　plausible　epithets　which　men　use　to　soften　their　insults；　and；　as　a　moralist；　I　ask　what　is　meant　by　such　heterogeneous　associations；　as　fair　defects；　amiable　weaknesses；　etc。？　If　there　is　but　one　criterion　of　morals；　but　one　archetype　for　man；　women　appear　to　be　suspended　by　destiny；　according　to　the　vulgar　tale　of　Mahomet's　coffin；　they　have　neither　the　unerring　instinct　of　brutes；　nor　are　allowed　to　fix　the　eye　of　reason　on　a　perfect　model。　　They　were　made　to　be　loved；　and　must　not　aim　at　respect；　lest　they　should　be　hunted　out　of　society　as　masculine。　But　to　view　the　subject　in　another　point　of　view。　　Do　passive　indolent　women　make　the　best　wives？　　Confining　our　discussion　to　the　present　moment　of　existence；　let　us　see　how　such　weak　creatures　perform　their　part？　　Do　the　women　who；　by　the　attainment　of　a　few　superficial　accomplishments；　have　strengthened　the　prevailing　prejudice；　merely　contribute　to　the　happiness　of　their　husbands？　Do　they　display　their　charms　merely　to　amuse　them？　　And　have　women；　who　have　early　imbibed　notions　of　passive　obedience；　sufficient　character　to　manage　a　family　or　educate　children？　　So　far　from　it；　that；　after　surveying　the　history　of　woman；　I　cannot　help　agreeing　with　the　severest　satirist；　considering　the　sex　as　the　weakest　as　well　as　the　most　oppressed　half　of　the　species。　　What　does　history　disclose　but　marks　of　inferiority；　and　how　few　women　have　emancipated　themselves　from　the　galling　yoke　of　sovereign　man？　　So　few；　that　the　exceptions　remind　me　of　an　ingenious　conjecture　respecting　Newton：　　that　he　was　probably　a　being　of　a　superior　order；　accidentally　caged　in　a　human　body。　　In　the　same　style　I　have　been　led　to　imagine　that　the　few　extraordinary　women　who　have　rushed　in　eccentrical　directions　out　of　the　orbit　prescribed　to　their　sex；　were　MALE　spirits；　confined　by　mistake　in　a　female　frame。　　But　if　it　be　not　philosophical　to　think　of　sex　when　the　soul　is　mentioned；　the　inferiority　must　depend　on　the　organs；　or　the　heavenly　fire；　which　is　to　ferment　the　clay；　is　not　given　in　equal　portions。　But　avoiding；　as　I　have　hitherto　done；　any　direct　comparison　of　the　two　sexes　collectively；　or　frankly　acknowledging　the　inferiority　of　woman；　according　to　the　present　appearance　of　things；　I　shall　only　insist；　that　men　have　increased　that　inferiority　till　women　are　almost　sunk　below　the　standard　of　rational　creatures。　　Let　their　faculties　have　room　to　unfold；　and　their　virtues　to　gain　strength；　and　then　determine　where　the　whole　sex　must　stand　in　the　intellectual　scale。　　Yet；　let　it　be　remembered；　that　for　a　small　number　of　distinguished　women　I　do　not　ask　a　place。　It　is　difficult　for　us　purblind　mortals　to　say　to　what　height　human　discoveries　and　improvements　may　arrive；　when　the　gloom　of　despotism　subsides；　which　makes　us　stumble　at　every　step；　but；　when　morality　shall　be　settled　on　a　more　solid　basis；　then；　without　being　gifted　with　a　prophetic　spirit；　I　will　venture　to　predict；　that　woman　will　be　either　the　friend　or　slave　of　man。　　We　shall　not；　as　at　present；　doubt　whether　she　is　a　moral　agent；　or　the　link　which　unites　man　with　brutes。　　But；　should　it　then　appear；　that　like　the　brutes　they　were　principally　created　for　the　use　of　man；　he　will　let　them　patiently　bite　the　bridle；　and　not　mock　them　with　empty　praise；