a vindication of the rights of woman-第21章

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ereditary　power　chokes　the　affections；　and　nips　reason　in　the　bud。　The　passions　of　men　have　thus　placed　women　on　thrones；　and；　till　mankind　become　more　reasonable；　it　is　to　be　feared　that　women　will　avail　themselves　of　the　power　which　they　attain　with　the　least　exertion；　and　which　is　the　most　indisputable。　　They　will　smile；　yes；　they　will　smile；　though　told　that　〃In　beauty's　empire　is　no　mean；　And　woman　either　slave　or　queen；　Is　quickly　scorn'd　when　not　ador'd。〃　But　the　adoration　comes　first；　and　the　scorn　is　not　anticipated。　Lewis　the　XIVth；　in　particular；　spread　factitious　manners；　and　caught　in　a　specious　way；　the　whole　nation　in　his　toils；　for　establishing　an　artful　chain　of　despotism；　he　made　it　the　interest　of　the　people　at　large；　individually　to　respect　his　station；　and　support　his　power。　　And　women；　whom　he　flattered　by　a　puerile　attention　to　the　whole　sex；　obtained　in　his　reign　that　prince…like　distinction　so　fatal　to　reason　and　virtue。　A　king　is　always　a　king；　and　a　woman　always　a　woman：　（And　a　wit；　always　a　wit；　might　be　added；　for　the　vain　fooleries　of　wits　and　beauties　to　obtain　attention；　and　make　conquests；　are　much　upon　a　par。）　　his　authority　and　her　sex；　ever　stand　between　them　and　rational　converse。　　With　a　lover；　I　grant　she　should　be　so；　and　her　sensibility　will　naturally　lead　her　to　endeavour　to　excite　emotion；　not　to　gratify　her　vanity　but　her　heart。　　This　I　do　not　allow　to　be　coquetry；　it　is　the　artless　impulse　of　nature；　I　only　exclaim　against　the　sexual　desire　of　conquest；　when　the　heart　is　out　of　the　question。　This　desire　is　not　confined　to　women；　〃I　have　endeavoured；〃　says　Lord　Chesterfield；　〃to　gain　the　hearts　of　twenty　women；　whose　persons　I　would　not　have　given　a　fig　for。〃　　The　libertine　who　in　a　gust　of　passion；　takes　advantage　of　unsuspecting　tenderness；　is　a　saint　when　compared　with　this　cold…hearted　rascal；　for　I　like　to　use　significant　words。　　Yet　only　taught　to　please；　women　are　always　on　the　watch　to　please；　and　with　true　heroic　ardour　endeavour　to　gain　hearts　merely　to　resign；　or　spurn　them；　when　the　victory　is　decided；　and　conspicuous。　I　must　descend　to　the　minutiae　of　the　subject。　I　lament　that　women　are　systematically　degraded　by　receiving　the　trivial　attentions；　which　men　think　it　manly　to　pay　to　the　sex；　when；　in　fact；　they　are　insultingly　supporting　their　own　superiority。　　It　is　not　condescension　to　bow　to　an　inferior。　　So　ludicrous；　in　fact；　do　these　ceremonies　appear　to　me；　that　I　scarcely　am　able　to　govern　my　muscles；　when　I　see　a　man　start　with　eager；　and　serious　solicitude　to　lift　a　handkerchief；　or　shut　a　door；　when　the　LADY　could　have　done　it　herself；　had　she　only　moved　a　pace　or　two。　A　wild　wish　has　just　flown　from　my　heart　to　my　head；　and　I　will　not　stifle　it　though　it　may　excite　a　horse　laugh。　　I　do　earnestly　wish　to　see　the　distinction　of　sex　confounded　in　society；　unless　where　love　animates　the　behaviour。　　For　this　distinction　is；　I　am　firmly　persuaded；　the　foundation　of　the　weakness　of　character　ascribed　to　woman；　is　the　cause　why　the　understanding　is　neglected；　whilst　accomplishments　are　acquired　with　sedulous　care：　　and　the　same　cause　accounts　for　their　preferring　the　graceful　before　the　heroic　virtues。　Mankind；　including　every　description；　wish　to　be　loved　and　respected　for　SOMETHING；　and　the　common　herd　will　always　take　the　nearest　road　to　the　completion　of　their　wishes。　　The　respect　paid　to　wealth　and　beauty　is　the　most　certain　and　unequivocal；　and　of　course；　will　always　attract　the　vulgar　eye　of　common　minds。　Abilities　and　virtues　are　absolutely　necessary　to　raise　men　from　the　middle　rank　of　life　into　notice；　and　the　natural　consequence　is　notorious；　the　middle　rank　contains　most　virtue　and　abilities。　　Men　have　thus；　in　one　station；　at　least；　an　opportunity　of　exerting　themselves　with　dignity；　and　of　rising　by　the　exertions　which　really　improve　a　rational　creature；　but　the　whole　female　sex　are；　till　their　character　is　formed；　in　the　same　condition　as　the　rich：　for　they　are　born；　I　now　speak　of　a　state　of　civilization；　with　certain　sexual　privileges；　and　whilst　they　are　gratuitously　granted　them；　few　will　ever　think　of　works　of　supererogation；　to　obtain　the　esteem　of　a　small　number　of　superior　people。　When　do　we　hear　of　women；　who　starting　out　of　obscurity；　boldly　claim　respect　on　account　of　their　great　abilities　or　daring　virtues？　　Where　are　they　to　be　found？　　〃To　be　observed；　to　be　attended　to；　to　be　taken　notice　of　with　sympathy；　complacency；　and　approbation；　are　all　the　advantages　which　they　seek。〃　　True！　my　male　readers　will　probably　exclaim；　but　let　them；　before　they　draw　any　conclusion；　recollect；　that　this　was　not　written　originally　as　descriptive　of　women；　but　of　the　rich。　　In　Dr。　Smith's　Theory　of　Moral　Sentiments；　I　have　found　a　general　character　of　people　of　rank　and　fortune；　that　in　my　opinion；　might　with　the　greatest　propriety　be　applied　to　the　female　sex。　　I　refer　the　sagacious　reader　to　the　whole　comparison；　but　must　be　allowed　to　quote　a　passage　to　enforce　an　argument　that　I　mean　to　insist　on；　as　the　one　most　conclusive　against　a　sexual　character。　　For　if；　excepting　warriors；　no　great　men　of　any　denomination；　have　ever　appeared　amongst　the　nobility；　may　it　not　be　fairly　inferred；　that　their　local　situation　swallowed　up　the　man；　and　produced　a　character　similar　to　that　of　women；　who　are　LOCALIZED；　if　I　may　be　allowed　the　word；　by　the　rank　they　are　placed　in；　by　COURTESY？　　Women；　commonly　called　Ladies；　are　not　to　be　contradicted　in　company；　are　not　allowed　to　exert　any　manual　strength；　and　from　them　the　negative　virtues　only　are　expected；　when　any　virtues　are　expected；　patience；　docility；　good…humour；　and　flexibility；　virtues　incompatible　with　any　vigorous　exertion　of　intellect。　　Besides　by　living　more　with　each　other；　and　to　being　seldom　absolutely　alone；　they　are　more　under　the　influence　of　sentiments　than　passions。　Solitude　and　reflection　are　necessary　to　give　to　wishes　the　force　of　passions；　and　enable　the　imagination　to　enlarge　the　object　and　make　it　the　most　desirable。　　The　same　may　be　said　of　the　rich；　they　do　not　sufficiently　deal　in　general　ideas；　collected　by　impassionate　thinking；　or　calm　investigation；　to　acquire　that　strength　of　character；　on　which　great　resolves　are　built。　　But　hear　what　an　acute　observer　says　of　the　great。　〃Do　the　great　seem　insensible　of　the　easy　price　at　which　they　may　acquire　the　public　admiration？　or　do　they　seem　to　imagine；　that　to　them；　as　to　other　men；　it　must　be　the　purchase　either　of　sweat　or　of　blood？　　By　what　important　accomplishments　is　the　young　nobleman　instructed　to　support　the　dignity　of　his　rank；　and　to　render　himself　worthy　of　that　superiority　over　his　fellow　citizens；　to　which　the　virtue　of　his　ancestors　had　raised　them？　Is　it　by　knowledge；　by　industry；　by　patience；　by　self…denial；　or　by　virtue　of　any　kind？　　As　all　his　words；　as　all　his　motions　are　attended　to；　he　learns　an　habitual　regard　for　every　circumstance　of　ordinary　behaviour；　and　studies　to　perform　all　those　small　duties　with　the　most　exact　propriety。　　As　he　is　conscious　how　much　he　is　observed；　and　how　much　mankind　are　disposed　to　favour　all　his　inclinations；　he　acts；　upon　the　most　indifferent　occasions；　with　that　freedom　and　elevation　which　th