a vindication of the rights of woman-第19章

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I　do　not　wish　to　leave　the　line　of　mediocrity；　whose　constitution；　strengthened　by　exercise；　has　allowed　her　body　to　acquire　its　full　vigour；　her　mind；　at　the　same　time；　gradually　expanding　itself　to　comprehend　the　moral　duties　of　life；　and　in　what　human　virtue　and　dignity　consist。　　Formed　thus　by　the　relative　duties　of　her　station；　she　marries　from　affection；　without　losing　sight　of　prudence；　and　looking　beyond　matrimonial　felicity；　she　secures　her　husband's　respect　before　it　is　necessary　to　exert　mean　arts　to　please　him；　and　feed　a　dying　flame；　which　nature　doomed　to　expire　when　the　object　became　familiar；　when　friendship　and　forbearance　take　place　of　a　more　ardent　affection。　　This　is　the　natural　death　of　love；　and　domestic　peace　is　not　destroyed　by　struggles　to　prevent　its　extinction。　　I　also　suppose　the　husband　to　be　virtuous；　or　she　is　still　more　in　want　of　independent　principles。　Fate；　however；　breaks　this　tie。　　She　is　left　a　widow；　perhaps；　without　a　sufficient　provision：　　but　she　is　not　desolate！　　The　pang　of　nature　is　felt；　but　after　time　has　softened　sorrow　into　melancholy　resignation；　her　heart　turns　to　her　children　with　redoubled　fondness；　and　anxious　to　provide　for　them；　affection　gives　a　sacred　heroic　cast　to　her　maternal　duties。　　She　thinks　that　not　only　the　eye　sees　her　virtuous　efforts；　from　whom　all　her　comfort　now　must　flow；　and　whose　approbation　is　life；　but　her　imagination；　a　little　abstracted　and　exalted　by　grief；　dwells　on　the　fond　hope；　that　the　eyes　which　her　trembling　hand　closed；　may　still　see　how　she　subdues　every　wayward　passion　to　fulfil　the　double　duty　of　being　the　father　as　well　as　the　mother　of　her　children。　　Raised　to　heroism　by　misfortunes；　she　represses　the　first　faint　dawning　of　a　natural　inclination；　before　it　ripens　into　love；　and　in　the　bloom　of　life　forgets　her　sexforgets　the　pleasure　of　an　awakening　passion；　which　might　again　have　been　inspired　and　returned。　　She　no　longer　thinks　of　pleasing；　and　conscious　dignity　prevents　her　from　priding　herself　on　account　of　the　praise　which　her　conduct　demands。　　Her　children　have　her　love；　and　her　brightest　hopes　are　beyond　the　grave；　where　her　imagination　often　strays。　I　think　I　see　her　surrounded　by　her　children；　reaping　the　reward　of　her　care。　　The　intelligent　eye　meets　her's；　whilst　health　and　innocence　smile　on　their　chubby　cheeks；　and　as　they　grow　up　the　cares　of　life　are　lessened　by　their　grateful　attention。　　She　lives　to　see　the　virtues　which　she　endeavoured　to　plant　on　principles；　fixed　into　habits；　to　see　her　children　attain　a　strength　of　character　sufficient　to　enable　them　to　endure　adversity　without　forgetting　their　mother's　example。　The　task　of　life　thus　fulfilled；　she　calmly　waits　for　the　sleep　of　death；　and　rising　from　the　grave　may　say；　behold；　thou　gavest　me　a　talent；　and　here　are　five　talents。　I　wish　to　sum　up　what　I　have　said　in　a　few　words；　for　I　here　throw　down　my　gauntlet；　and　deny　the　existence　of　sexual　virtues；　not　excepting　modesty。　　For　man　and　woman；　truth；　if　I　understand　the　meaning　of　the　word；　must　be　the　same；　yet　the　fanciful　female　character；　so　prettily　drawn　by　poets　and　novelists；　demanding　the　sacrifice　of　truth　and　sincerity；　virtue　becomes　a　relative　idea；　having　no　other　foundation　than　utility；　and　of　that　utility　men　pretend　arbitrarily　to　judge；　shaping　it　to　their　own　convenience。　Women；　I　allow；　may　have　different　duties　to　fulfil；　but　they　are　HUMAN　duties；　and　the　principles　that　should　regulate　the　discharge　of　them；　I　sturdily　maintain；　must　be　the　same。　To　become　respectable；　the　exercise　of　their　understanding　is　necessary；　there　is　no　other　foundation　for　independence　of　character；　I　mean　explicitly　to　say；　that　they　must　only　bow　to　the　authority　of　reason；　instead　of　being　the　MODEST　slaves　of　opinion。　In　the　superior　ranks　of　life　how　seldom　do　we　meet　with　a　man　of　superior　abilities；　or　even　common　acquirements？　　The　reason　appears　to　me　clear；　the　state　they　are　born　in　was　an　unnatural　one。　　The　human　character　has　ever　been　formed　by　the　employments　the　individual；　or　class　pursues；　and　if　the　faculties　are　not　sharpened　by　necessity；　they　must　remain　obtuse。　　The　argument　may　fairly　be　extended　to　women；　for　seldom　occupied　by　serious　business；　the　pursuit　of　pleasure　gives　that　insignificancy　to　their　character　which　renders　the　society　of　the　GREAT　so　insipid。　The　same　want　of　firmness；　produced　by　a　similar　cause；　forces　them　both　to　fly　from　themselves　to　noisy　pleasures；　and　artificial　passions；　till　vanity　takes　place　of　every　social　affection；　and　the　characteristics　of　humanity　can　scarcely　be　discerned。　　Such　are　the　blessings　of　civil　governments；　as　they　are　at　present　organized；　that　wealth　and　female　softness　equally　tend　to　debase　mankind；　and　are　produced　by　the　same　cause；　but　allowing　women　to　be　rational　creatures　they　should　be　incited　to　acquire　virtues　which　they　may　call　their　own；　for　how　can　a　rational　being　be　ennobled　by　any　thing　that　is　not　obtained　by　its　OWN　exertions？

CHAPTER　4。　OBSERVATIONS　ON　THE　STATE　OF　DEGRADATION　TO　WHICH　WOMAN　IS　REDUCED　BY　VARIOUS　CAUSES。　That　woman　is　naturally　weak；　or　degraded　by　a　concurrence　of　circumstances　is；　I　think；　clear。　　But　this　position　I　shall　simply　contrast　with　a　conclusion；　which　I　have　frequently　heard　fall　from　sensible　men　in　favour　of　an　aristocracy：　　that　the　mass　of　mankind　cannot　be　any　thing；　or　the　obsequious　slaves；　who　patiently　allow　themselves　to　be　penned　up；　would　feel　their　own　consequence；　and　spurn　their　chains。　　Men；　they　further　observe；　submit　every　where　to　oppression；　when　they　have　only　to　lift　up　their　heads　to　throw　off　the　yoke；　yet；　instead　of　asserting　their　birthright；　they　quietly　lick　the　dust；　and　say；　let　us　eat　and　drink；　for　to…morrow　we　die。　　Women；　I　argue　from　analogy；　are　degraded　by　the　same　propensity　to　enjoy　the　present　moment；　and；　at　last；　despise　the　freedom　which　they　have　not　sufficient　virtue　to　struggle　to　attain。　　But　I　must　be　more　explicit。　With　respect　to　the　culture　of　the　heart；　it　is　unanimously　allowed　that　sex　is　out　of　the　question；　but　the　line　of　subordination　in　the　mental　powers　is　never　to　be　passed　over。　　Only　〃absolute　in　loveliness；〃　the　portion　of　rationality　granted　to　woman　is；　indeed；　very　scanty；　for；　denying　her　genius　and　judgment；　it　is　scarcely　possible　to　divine　what　remains　to　characterize　intellect。　The　stamina　of　immortality；　if　I　may　be　allowed　the　phrase；　is　the　perfectibility　of　human　reason；　for；　was　man　created　perfect；　or　did　a　flood　of　knowledge　break　in　upon　him；　when　he　arrived　at　maturity；　that　precluded　error；　I　should　doubt　whether　his　existence　would　be　continued　after　the　dissolution　of　the　body。　But　in　the　present　state　of　things；　every　difficulty　in　morals；　that　escapes　from　human　discussion；　and　equally　baffles　the　investigation　of　profound　thinking；　and　the　lightning　glance　of　genius；　is　an　argument　on　which　I　build　my　belief　of　the　immortality　of　the　soul。　　Reason　is；　consequentially；　the　simple　power　of　improvement；　or；　more　properly　speaking；　of　discerning　truth。　　Every　individual　is　in　this　respect　a　world　in　itself。　More　or　less　may　be　conspicuous　in　one　being　than　other；　but　the　nature　of　reason　must　be　the　s