a vindication of the rights of woman-第24章

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ischarge　of　a　duty　the　business　of　life；　though　reason　were　insulted。　　Yet；　and　I　appeal　to　experience；　if　by　neglecting　the　understanding　they　are　as　much；　nay；　more　attached　from　these　domestic　duties；　than　they　could　be　by　the　most　serious　intellectual　pursuit；　though　it　may　be　observed；　that　the　mass　of　mankind　will　never　vigorously　pursue　an　intellectual　object；　I　may　be　allowed　to　infer；　that　reason　is　absolutely　necessary　to　enable　a　woman　to　perform　any　duty　properly；　and　I　must　again　repeat；　that　sensibility　is　not　reason。　The　comparison　with　the　rich　still　occurs　to　me；　for；　when　men　neglect　the　duties　of　humanity；　women　will　do　the　same；　a　common　stream　hurries　them　both　along　with　thoughtless　celerity。　　Riches　and　honours　prevent　a　man　from　enlarging　his　understanding；　and　enervate　all　his　powers；　by　reversing　the　order　of　nature；　which　has　ever　made　true　pleasure　the　reward　of　labour。　Pleasureenervating　pleasure　is；　likewise；　within　woman's　reach　without　earning　it。　　But；　till　hereditary　possessions　are　spread　abroad；　how　can　we　expect　men　to　be　proud　of　virtue？　　And；　till　they　are；　women　will　govern　them　by　the　most　direct　means；　neglecting　their　dull　domestic　duties；　to　catch　the　pleasure　that　is　on　the　wing　of　time。　〃The　power　of　women；〃　says　some　author；　〃is　her　sensibility；〃　and　men　not　aware　of　the　consequence；　do　all　they　can　to　make　this　power　swallow　up　every　other。　　Those　who　constantly　employ　their　sensibility　will　have　most：　for　example；　poets；　painters；　and　composers。　　Yet；　when　the　sensibility　is　thus　increased　at　the　expense　of　reason；　and　even　the　imagination；　why　do　philosophical　men　complain　of　their　fickleness？　　The　sexual　attention　of　man　particularly　acts　on　female　sensibility；　and　this　sympathy　has　been　exercised　from　their　youth　up。　　A　husband　cannot　long　pay　those　attentions　with　the　passion　necessary　to　excite　lively　emotions；　and　the　heart；　accustomed　to　lively　emotions；　turns　to　a　new　lover；　or　pines　in　secret；　the　prey　of　virtue　or　prudence。　　I　mean　when　the　heart　has　really　been　rendered　susceptible；　and　the　taste　formed；　for　I　am　apt　to　conclude；　from　what　I　have　seen　in　fashionable　life；　that　vanity　is　oftener　fostered　than　sensibility　by　the　mode　of　education；　and　the　intercourse　between　the　sexes；　which　I　have　reprobated；　and　that　coquetry　more　frequently　proceeds　from　vanity　than　from　that　inconstancy；　which　overstrained　sensibility　naturally　produces。　Another　argument　that　has　had　a　great　weight　with　me；　must；　I　think；　have　some　force　with　every　considerate　benevolent　heart。　Girls；　who　have　been　thus　weakly　educated；　are　often　cruelly　left　by　their　parents　without　any　provision；　and；　of　course；　are　dependent　on；　not　only　the　reason；　but　the　bounty　of　their　brothers。　　These　brothers　are；　to　view　the　fairest　side　of　the　question；　good　sort　of　men；　and　give　as　a　favour；　what　children　of　the　same　parents　had　an　equal　right　to。　　In　this　equivocal　humiliating　situation；　a　docile　female　may　remain　some　time；　with　a　tolerable　degree　of　comfort。　　But；　when　the　brother　marries；　a　probable　circumstance；　from　being　considered　as　the　mistress　of　the　family；　she　is　viewed　with　averted　looks　as　an　intruder；　an　unnecessary　burden　on　the　benevolence　of　the　master　of　the　house；　and　his　new　partner。　Who　can　recount　the　misery；　which　many　unfortunate　beings；　whose　minds　and　bodies　are　equally　weak；　suffer　in　such　situationsunable　to　work　and　ashamed　to　beg？　　The　wife；　a　cold…hearted；　narrow…minded　woman；　and　this　is　not　an　unfair　supposition；　for　the　present　mode　of　education　does　not　tend　to　enlarge　the　heart　any　more　than　the　understanding；　is　jealous　of　the　little　kindness　which　her　husband　shows　to　his　relations；　and　her　sensibility　not　rising　to　humanity；　she　is　displeased　at　seeing　the　property　of　HER　children　lavished　on　an　helpless　sister。　These　are　matters　of　fact；　which　have　come　under　my　eye　again　and　again。　　The　consequence　is　obvious；　the　wife　has　recourse　to　cunning　to　undermine　the　habitual　affection；　which　she　is　afraid　openly　to　oppose；　and　neither　tears　nor　caresses　are　spared　till　the　spy　is　worked　out　of　her　home；　and　thrown　on　the　world；　unprepared　for　its　difficulties；　or　sent；　as　a　great　effort　of　generosity；　or　from　some　regard　to　propriety；　with　a　small　stipend；　and　an　uncultivated　mind　into　joyless　solitude。　These　two　women　may　be　much　upon　a　par；　with　respect　to　reason　and　humanity；　and　changing　situations；　might　have　acted　just　the　same　selfish　part；　but　had　they　been　differently　educated；　the　case　would　also　have　been　very　different。　　The　wife　would　not　have　had　that　sensibility；　of　which　self　is　the　centre；　and　reason　might　have　taught　her　not　to　expect；　and　not　even　to　be　flattered　by　the　affection　of　her　husband；　if　it　led　him　to　violate　prior　duties。　She　would　wish　not　to　love　him；　merely　because　he　loved　her；　but　on　account　of　his　virtues；　and　the　sister　might　have　been　able　to　struggle　for　herself；　instead　of　eating　the　bitter　bread　of　dependence。　I　am；　indeed；　persuaded　that　the　heart；　as　well　as　the　understanding；　is　opened　by　cultivation；　and　by；　which　may　not　appear　so　clear；　strengthening　the　organs；　I　am　not　now　talking　of　momentary　flashes　of　sensibility；　but　of　affections。　　And；　perhaps；　in　the　education　of　both　sexes；　the　most　difficult　task　is　so　to　adjust　instruction　as　not　to　narrow　the　understanding；　whilst　the　heart　is　warmed　by　the　generous　juices　of　spring；　just　raised　by　the　electric　fermentation　of　the　season；　nor　to　dry　up　the　feelings　by　employing　the　mind　in　investigations　remote　from　life。　With　respect　to　women；　when　they　receive　a　careful　education；　they　are　either　made　fine　ladies；　brimful　of　sensibility；　and　teeming　with　capricious　fancies；　or　mere　notable　women。　　The　latter　are　often　friendly；　honest　creatures；　and　have　a　shrewd　kind　of　good　sense　joined　with　worldly　prudence；　that　often　render　them　more　useful　members　of　society　than　the　fine　sentimental　lady；　though　they　possess　neither　greatness　of　mind　nor　taste。　　The　intellectual　world　is　shut　against　them；　take　them　out　of　their　family　or　neighbourhood；　and　they　stand　still；　the　mind　finding　no　employment；　for　literature　affords　a　fund　of　amusement；　which　they　have　never　sought　to　relish；　but　frequently　to　despise。　　The　sentiments　and　taste　of　more　cultivated　minds　appear　ridiculous；　even　in　those　whom　chance　and　family　connexions　have　led　them　to　love；　but　in　mere　acquaintance　they　think　it　all　affectation。　A　man　of　sense　can　only　love　such　a　woman　on　account　of　her　sex；　and　respect　her；　because　she　is　a　trusty　servant。　　He　lets　her；　to　preserve　his　own　peace；　scold　the　servants；　and　go　to　church　in　clothes　made　of　the　very　best　materials。　　A　man　of　her　own　size　of　understanding　would；　probably；　not　agree　so　well　with　her；　for　he　might　wish　to　encroach　on　her　prerogative；　and　manage　some　domestic　concerns　himself。　　Yet　women；　whose　minds　are　not　enlarged　by　cultivation；　or　the　natural　selfishness　of　sensibility　expanded　by　reflection；　are　very　unfit　to　manage　a　family；　for　by　an　undue　stretch　of　power；　they　are　always　tyrannizing　to　support　a　superiority　that　only　rests　on　the　arbitrary　distinction　of　fortune。　　The　evil　is　sometimes　more　serious；　and　domestics　are　deprived　of　innocent　i