a vindication of the rights of woman-第16章

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e　to　this　intimation；　should　be　passed　in　harmless　gambols；　that　exercise　the　feet　and　hands；　without　requiring　very　minute　direction　from　the　head；　or　the　constant　attention　of　a　nurse。　　In　fact；　the　care　necessary　for　self…preservation　is　the　first　natural　exercise　of　the　understanding；　as　little　inventions　to　amuse　the　present　moment　unfold　the　imagination。　　But　these　wise　designs　of　nature　are　counteracted　by　mistaken　fondness　or　blind　zeal。　　The　child　is　not　left　a　moment　to　its　own　direction；　particularly　a　girl；　and　thus　rendered　dependentdependence　is　called　natural。　To　preserve　personal　beauty；　woman's　glory！　the　limbs　and　faculties　are　cramped　with　worse　than　Chinese　bands；　and　the　sedentary　life　which　they　are　condemned　to　live；　whilst　boys　frolic　in　the　open　air；　weakens　the　muscles　and　relaxes　the　nerves。　　As　for　Rousseau's　remarks；　which　have　since　been　echoed　by　several　writers；　that　they　have　naturally；　that　is　from　their　birth；　independent　of　education；　a　fondness　for　dolls；　dressing；　and　talking；　they　are　so　puerile　as　not　to　merit　a　serious　refutation。　　That　a　girl；　condemned　to　sit　for　hours　together　listening　to　the　idle　chat　of　weak　nurses　or　to　attend　at　her　mother's　toilet；　will　endeavour　to　join　the　conversation；　is；　indeed　very　natural；　and　that　she　will　imitate　her　mother　or　aunts；　and　amuse　herself　by　adorning　her　lifeless　doll；　as　they　do　in　dressing　her；　poor　innocent　babe！　is　undoubtedly　a　most　natural　consequence。　　For　men　of　the　greatest　abilities　have　seldom　had　sufficient　strength　to　rise　above　the　surrounding　atmosphere；　and；　if　the　page　of　genius　has　always　been　blurred　by　the　prejudices　of　the　age；　some　allowance　should　be　made　for　a　sex；　who；　like　kings；　always　see　things　through　a　false　medium。　In　this　manner　may　the　fondness　for　dress；　conspicuous　in　women；　be　easily　accounted　for；　without　supposing　it　the　result　of　a　desire　to　please　the　sex　on　which　they　are　dependent。　　The　absurdity；　in　short；　of　supposing　that　a　girl　is　naturally　a　coquette；　and　that　a　desire　connected　with　the　impulse　of　nature　to　propagate　the　species；　should　appear　even　before　an　improper　education　has；　by　heating　the　imagination；　called　it　forth　prematurely；　is　so　unphilosophical；　that　such　a　sagacious　observer　as　Rousseau　would　not　have　adopted　it；　if　he　had　not　been　accustomed　to　make　reason　give　way　to　his　desire　of　singularity；　and　truth　to　a　favourite　paradox。　Yet　thus　to　give　a　sex　to　mind　was　not　very　consistent　with　the　principles　of　a　man　who　argued　so　warmly；　and　so　well；　for　the　immortality　of　the　soul。　　But　what　a　weak　barrier　is　truth　when　it　stands　in　the　way　of　an　hypothesis！　　Rousseau　respectedalmost　adored　virtueand　yet　allowed　himself　to　love　with　sensual　fondness。　　His　imagination　constantly　prepared　inflammable　fuel　for　his　inflammable　senses；　but；　in　order　to　reconcile　his　respect　for　self…denial；　fortitude　and　those　heroic　virtues；　which　a　mind　like　his　could　not　coolly　admire；　he　labours　to　invert　the　law　of　nature；　and　broaches　a　doctrine　pregnant　with　mischief；　and　derogatory　to　the　character　of　supreme　wisdom。　His　ridiculous　stories；　which　tend　to　prove　that　girls　are　NATURALLY　attentive　to　their　persons；　without　laying　any　stress　on　daily　example；　are　below　contempt。　　And　that　a　little　miss　should　have　such　a　correct　taste　as　to　neglect　the　pleasing　amusement　of　making　O's；　merely　because　she　perceived　that　it　was　an　ungraceful　attitude；　should　be　selected　with　the　anecdotes　of　the　learned　pig。*　（*Footnote。　　〃I　once　knew　a　young　person　who　learned　to　write　before　she　learned　to　read；　and　began　to　write　with　her　needle　before　she　could　use　a　pen。　　At　first　indeed；　she　took　it　into　her　head　to　make　no　other　letter　than　the　O：　　this　letter　she　was　constantly　making　of　all　sizes；　and　always　the　wrong　way。　Unluckily　one　day；　as　she　was　intent　on　this　employment；　she　happened　to　see　herself　in　the　looking　glass；　when；　taking　a　dislike　to　the　constrained　attitude　in　which　she　sat　while　writing；　she　threw　away　her　pen；　like　another　Pallas；　and　determined　against　making　the　O　any　more。　　Her　brother　was　also　equally　averse　to　writing：　　it　was　the　confinement；　however；　and　not　the　constrained　attitude；　that　most　disgusted　him。〃　Rousseau's　〃Emilius。〃）　I　have；　probably；　had　an　opportunity　of　observing　more　girls　in　their　infancy　than　J。　J。　Rousseau。　　I　can　recollect　my　own　feelings；　and　I　have　looked　steadily　around　me；　yet；　so　far　from　coinciding　with　him　in　opinion　respecting　the　first　dawn　of　the　female　character；　I　will　venture　to　affirm；　that　a　girl；　whose　spirits　have　not　been　damped　by　inactivity；　or　innocence　tainted　by　false　shame；　will　always　be　a　romp；　and　the　doll　will　never　excite　attention　unless　confinement　allows　her　no　alternative。　　Girls　and　boys；　in　short；　would　play　harmless　together；　if　the　distinction　of　sex　was　not　inculcated　long　before　nature　makes　any　difference。　　I　will；　go　further；　and　affirm；　as　an　indisputable　fact；　that　most　of　the　women；　in　the　circle　of　my　observation；　who　have　acted　like　rational　creatures；　or　shown　any　vigour　of　intellect；　have　accidentally　been　allowed　to　run　wild；　as　some　of　the　elegant　formers　of　the　fair　sex　would　insinuate。　The　baneful　consequences　which　flow　from　inattention　to　health　during　infancy；　and　youth；　extend　further　than　is　supposed；　dependence　of　body　naturally　produces　dependence　of　mind；　and　how　can　she　be　a　good　wife　or　mother；　the　greater　part　of　whose　time　is　employed　to　guard　against　or　endure　sickness；　nor　can　it　be　expected；　that　a　woman　will　resolutely　endeavour　to　strengthen　her　constitution　and　abstain　from　enervating　indulgences；　if　artificial　notions　of　beauty；　and　false　descriptions　of　sensibility；　have　been　early　entangled　with　her　motives　of　action。　　Most　men　are　sometimes　obliged　to　bear　with　bodily　inconveniences；　and　to　endure；　occasionally；　the　inclemency　of　the　elements；　but　genteel　women　are；　literally　speaking；　slaves　to　their　bodies；　and　glory　in　their　subjection。　I　once　knew　a　weak　woman　of　fashion；　who　was　more　than　commonly　proud　of　her　delicacy　and　sensibility。　　She　thought　a　distinguishing　taste　and　puny　appetite　the　height　of　all　human　perfection；　and　acted　accordingly。　　I　have　seen　this　weak　sophisticated　being　neglect　all　the　duties　of　life；　yet　recline　with　self…complacency　on　a　sofa；　and　boast　of　her　want　of　appetite　as　a　proof　of　delicacy　that　extended　to；　or；　perhaps；　arose　from；　her　exquisite　sensibility：　　for　it　is　difficult　to　render　intelligible　such　ridiculous　jargon。　　Yet；　at　the　moment；　I　have　seen　her　insult　a　worthy　old　gentlewoman；　whom　unexpected　misfortunes　had　made　dependent　on　her　ostentatious　bounty；　and　who；　in　better　days；　had　claims　on　her　gratitude。　　Is　it　possible　that　a　human　creature　should　have　become　such　a　weak　and　depraved　being；　if；　like　the　Sybarites；　dissolved　in　luxury；　every　thing　like　virtue　had　not　been　worn　away；　or　never　impressed　by　precept；　a　poor　substitute　it　is　true；　for　cultivation　of　mind；　though　it　serves　as　a　fence　against　vice？　Such　a　woman　is　not　a　more　irrational　monster　than　some　of　the　Roman　emperors；　who　were　depraved　by　lawless　power。　　Yet；　since　kings　have　been　more　under　the　restraint　of　law；　and　the　curb；　however　weak；　of　honour；　the　records　of　h