a vindication of the rights of woman-第22章

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inclinations；　he　acts；　upon　the　most　indifferent　occasions；　with　that　freedom　and　elevation　which　the　thought　of　this　naturally　inspires。　　His　air；　his　manner；　his　deportment　all　mark　that　elegant　and　graceful　sense　of　his　own　superiority；　which　those　who　are　born　to　an　inferior　station　can　hardly　ever　arrive　at。　　These　are　the　arts　by　which　he　proposes　to　make　mankind　more　easily　submit　to　his　authority；　and　to　govern　their　inclinations　according　to　his　own　pleasure：　　and　in　this　he　is　seldom　disappointed。　　These　arts；　supported　by　rank　and　pre…eminence；　are；　upon　ordinary　occasions；　sufficient　to　govern　the　world。　　Lewis　XIV。　during　the　greater　part　of　his　reign；　was　regarded；　not　only　in　France；　but　over　all　Europe；　as　the　most　perfect　model　of　a　great　prince。　　But　what　were　the　talents　and　virtues；　by　which　he　acquired　this　great　reputation？　Was　it　by　the　scrupulous　and　inflexible　justice　of　all　his　undertakings；　by　the　immense　dangers　and　difficulties　with　which　they　were　attended；　or　by　the　unwearied　and　unrelenting　application　with　which　he　pursued　them？　　Was　it　by　his　extensive　knowledge；　by　his　exquisite　judgment；　or　by　his　heroic　valour？　　It　was　by　none　of　these　qualities。　　But　he　was；　first　of　all；　the　most　powerful　prince　in　Europe；　and　consequently　held　the　highest　rank　among　kings；　and　then；　says　his　historian；　'he　surpassed　all　his　courtiers　in　the　gracefulness　of　his　shape；　and　the　majestic　beauty　of　his　features。　The　sound　of　his　voice　noble　and　affecting；　gained　those　hearts　which　his　presence　intimidated。　　He　had　a　step　and　a　deportment；　which　could　suit　only　him　and　his　rank；　and　which　would　have　been　ridiculous　in　any　other　person。　　The　embarrassment　which　he　occasioned　to　those　who　spoke　to　him；　flattered　that　secret　satisfaction　with　which　he　felt　his　own　superiority。'　These　frivolous　accomplishments；　supported　by　his　rank；　and；　no　doubt；　too；　by　a　degree　of　other　talents　and　virtues；　which　seems；　however；　not　to　have　been　much　above　mediocrity；　established　this　prince　in　the　esteem　of　his　own　age；　and　have　drawn　even　from　posterity；　a　good　deal　of　respect　for　his　memory。　　Compared　with　these；　in　his　own　times；　and　in　his　own　presence；　no　other　virtue；　it　seems；　appeared　to　have　any　merit。　　Knowledge；　industry；　valour；　and　beneficence；　trembling；　were　abashed；　and　lost　all　dignity　before　them。〃　Woman；　also；　thus　〃in　herself　complete；〃　by　possessing　all　these　FRIVOLOUS　accomplishments；　so　changes　the　nature　of　things；　〃That　what　she　wills　to　do　or　say　Seems　wisest；　virtuousest；　discreetest；　best；　All　higher　knowledge　in　HER　PRESENCE　falls　Degraded。　　Wisdom　in　discourse　with　her　Loses　discountenanc'd；　and　like　folly　shows；　Authority　and　reason　on　her　wait。〃　And　all　this　is　built　on　her　loveliness！　In　the　middle　rank　of　life；　to　continue　the　comparison；　men；　in　their　youth；　are　prepared　for　professions；　and　marriage　is　not　considered　as　the　grand　feature　in　their　lives；　whilst　women；　on　the　contrary；　have　no　other　scheme　to　sharpen　their　faculties。　　It　is　not　business；　extensive　plans；　or　any　of　the　excursive　flights　of　ambition；　that　engross　their　attention；　no；　their　thoughts　are　not　employed　in　rearing　such　noble　structures。　　To　rise　in　the　world；　and　have　the　liberty　of　running　from　pleasure　to　pleasure；　they　must　marry　advantageously；　and　to　this　object　their　time　is　sacrificed；　and　their　persons　often　legally　prostituted。　　A　man；　when　he　enters　any　profession；　has　his　eye　steadily　fixed　on　some　future　advantage　（and　the　mind　gains　great　strength　by　having　all　its　efforts　directed　to　one　point）　and；　full　of　his　business；　pleasure　is　considered　as　mere　relaxation；　whilst　women　seek　for　pleasure　as　the　main　purpose　of　existence。　　In　fact；　from　the　education　which　they　receive　from　society；　the　love　of　pleasure　may　be　said　to　govern　them　all；　but　does　this　prove　that　there　is　a　sex　in　souls？　　It　would　be　just　as　rational　to　declare；　that　the　courtiers　in　France；　when　a　destructive　system　of　despotism　had　formed　their　character；　were　not　men；　because　liberty；　virtue；　and　humanity；　were　sacrificed　to　pleasure　and　vanity。　　Fatal　passions；　which　have　ever　domineered　over　the　WHOLE　race！　The　same　love　of　pleasure；　fostered　by　the　whole　tendency　of　their　education；　gives　a　trifling　turn　to　the　conduct　of　women　in　most　circumstances：　　for　instance；　they　are　ever　anxious　about　secondary　things；　and　on　the　watch　for　adventures；　instead　of　being　occupied　by　duties。　A　man；　when　he　undertakes　a　journey；　has；　in　general　the　end　in　view；　a　woman　thinks　more　of　the　incidental　occurrences；　the　strange　things　that　may　possibly　occur　on　the　road；　the　impression　that　she　may　make　on　her　fellow　travellers；　and；　above　all；　she　is　anxiously　intent　on　the　care　of　the　finery　that　she　carries　with　her；　which　is　more　than　ever　a　part　of　herself；　when　going　to　figure　on　a　new　scene；　when；　to　use　an　apt　French　turn　of　expression；　she　is　going　to　produce　a　sensation。　　Can　dignity　of　mind　exist　with　such　trivial　cares？　In　short；　women；　in　general；　as　well　as　the　rich　of　both　sexes；　have　acquired　all　the　follies　and　vices　of　civilization；　and　missed　the　useful　fruit。　　It　is　not　necessary　for　me　always　to　premise；　that　I　speak　of　the　condition　of　the　whole　sex；　leaving　exceptions　out　of　the　question。　　Their　senses　are　inflamed；　and　their　understandings　neglected；　consequently　they　become　the　prey　of　their　senses；　delicately　termed　sensibility；　and　are　blown　about　by　every　momentary　gust　of　feeling。　　They　are；　therefore；　in　a　much　worse　condition　than　they　would　be　in；　were　they　in　a　state　nearer　to　nature。　　Ever　restless　and　anxious；　their　over　exercised　sensibility　not　only　renders　them　uncomfortable　themselves；　but　troublesome；　to　use　a　soft　phrase；　to　others。　　All　their　thoughts　turn　on　things　calculated　to　excite　emotion；　and；　feeling；　when　they　should　reason；　their　conduct　is　unstable；　and　their　opinions　are　wavering；　not　the　wavering　produced　by　deliberation　or　progressive　views；　but　by　contradictory　emotions。　　By　fits　and　starts　they　are　warm　in　many　pursuits；　yet　this　warmth；　never　concentrated　into　perseverance；　soon　exhausts　itself；　exhaled　by　its　own　heat；　or　meeting　with　some　other　fleeting　passion；　to　which　reason　has　never　given　any　specific　gravity；　neutrality　ensues。　Miserable；　indeed；　must　be　that　being　whose　cultivation　of　mind　has　only　tended　to　inflame　its　passions！　　A　distinction　should　be　made　between　inflaming　and　strengthening　them。　　The　passions　thus　pampered；　whilst　the　judgment　is　left　unformed；　what　can　be　expected　to　ensue？　　Undoubtedly；　a　mixture　of　madness　and　folly！　This　observation　should　not　be　confined　to　the　FAIR　sex；　however；　at　present；　I　only　mean　to　apply　it　to　them。　Novels；　music；　poetry　and　gallantry；　all　tend　to　make　women　the　creatures　of　sensation；　and　their　character　is　thus　formed　during　the　time　they　are　acquiring　accomplishments；　the　only　improvement　they　are　excited；　by　their　station　in　society；　to　acquire。　　This　overstretched　sensibility　naturally　relaxes　the　other　powers　of　the　mind；　and　prevents　intellect　from　attaining　that　sovereignty　which　it　ought　to　attain；　to　render　a　rational　creature　useful　to　others；　and　content　with　its　own　station；　for　the　exercise　of　the　understanding；　as　life