a vindication of the rights of woman-第30章

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to　form　the　body；　though　in　educating　Emilius　he　deviates　from　this　plan；　yet　the　difference　between　strengthening　the　body；　on　which　strength　of　mind　in　a　great　measure　depends；　and　only　giving　it　an　easy　motion；　is　very　wide。　Rousseau's　observations；　it　is　proper　to　remark；　were　made　in　a　country　where　the　art　of　pleasing　was　refined　only　to　extract　the　grossness　of　vice。　　He　did　not　go　back　to　nature；　or　his　ruling　appetite　disturbed　the　operations　of　reason；　else　he　would　not　have　drawn　these　crude　inferences。　In　France；　boys　and　girls；　particularly　the　latter；　are　only　educated　to　please；　to　manage　their　persons；　and　regulate　their　exterior　behaviour；　and　their　minds　are　corrupted　at　a　very　early　age；　by　the　worldly　and　pious　cautions　they　receive；　to　guard　them　against　immodesty。　　I　speak　of　past　times。　　The　very　confessions　which　mere　children　are　obliged　to　make；　and　the　questions　asked　by　the　holy　men　I　assert　these　facts　on　good　authority；　were　sufficient　to　impress　a　sexual　character；　and　the　education　of　society　was　a　school　of　coquetry　and　art。　　At　the　age　of　ten　or　eleven；　nay；　often　much　sooner；　girls　began　to　coquet；　and　talked；　unreproved；　of　establishing　themselves　in　the　world　by　marriage。　In　short；　they　were　made　women；　almost　from　their　very　birth；　and　compliments　were　listened　to　instead　of　instruction。　　These；　weakening　the　mind；　Nature　was　supposed　to　have　acted　like　a　step…mother；　when　she　formed　this　after…thought　of　creation。　Not　allowing　them　understanding；　however；　it　was　but　consistent　to　subject　them　to　authority；　independent　of　reason；　and　to　prepare　them　for　this　subjection；　he　gives　the　following　advice：　〃Girls　ought　to　be　active　and　diligent；　nor　is　that　all；　they　should　also　be　early　subjected　to　restraint。　　This　misfortune；　if　it　really　be　one；　is　inseparable　from　their　sex；　nor　do　they　ever　throw　it　off　but　to　suffer　more　cruel　evils。　　They　must　be　subject；　all　their　lives；　to　the　most　constant　and　severe　restraint；　which　is　that　of　decorum：　　it　is；　therefore；　necessary　to　accustom　them　early　to　such　confinement；　that　it　may　not　afterward　cost　them　too　dear；　and　to　the　suppression　of　their　caprices；　that　they　may　the　more　readily　submit　to　the　will　of　others。　　If；　indeed；　they　are　fond　of　being　always　at　work；　they　should　be　sometimes　compelled　to　lay　it　aside。　　Dissipation；　levity；　and　inconstancy；　are　faults　that　readily　spring　up　from　their　first　propensities；　when　corrupted　or　perverted　by　too　much　indulgence。　　To　prevent　this　abuse；　we　should　learn　them；　above　all　things；　to　lay　a　due　restraint　on　themselves。　　The　life　of　a　modest　woman　is　reduced；　by　our　absurd　institutions；　to　a　perpetual　conflict　with　herself：　　not　but　it　is　just　that　this　sex　should　partake　of　the　sufferings　which　arise　from　those　evils　it　hath　caused　us。〃　And　why　is　the　life　of　a　modest　woman　a　perpetual　conflict？　　I　should　answer；　that　this　very　system　of　education　makes　it　so。　Modesty；　temperance；　and　self…denial；　are　the　sober　offspring　of　reason；　but　when　sensibility　is　nurtured　at　the　expense　of　the　understanding；　such　weak　beings　must　be　restrained　by　arbitrary　means；　and　be　subjected　to　continual　conflicts；　but　give　their　activity　of　mind　a　wider　range；　and　nobler　passions　and　motives　will　govern　their　appetites　and　sentiments。　〃The　common　attachment　and　regard　of　a　mother；　nay；　mere　habit；　will　make　her　beloved　by　her　children；　if　she　does　nothing　to　incur　their　hate。　　Even　the　restraint　she　lays　them　under；　if　well　directed；　will　increase　their　affection；　instead　of　lessening　it；　because　a　state　of　dependence　being　natural　to　the　sex；　they　perceive　themselves　formed　for　obedience。〃　This　is　begging　the　question；　for　servitude　not　only　debases　the　individual；　but　its　effects　seem　to　be　transmitted　to　posterity。　Considering　the　length　of　time　that　women　have　been　dependent；　is　it　surprising　that　some　of　them　hug　their　chains；　and　fawn　like　the　spaniel？　〃These　dogs；〃　observes　a　naturalist；　〃at　first　kept　their　ears　erect；　but　custom　has　superseded　nature；　and　a　token　of　fear　is　become　a　beauty。〃　〃For　the　same　reason；〃　adds　Rousseau；　〃women　have　or　ought　to　have；　but　little　liberty；　they　are　apt　to　indulge　themselves　excessively　in　what　is　allowed　them。　　Addicted　in　every　thing　to　extremes；　they　are　even　more　transported　at　their　diversions　than　boys。〃　The　answer　to　this　is　very　simple。　　Slaves　and　mobs　have　always　indulged　themselves　in　the　same　excesses；　when　once　they　broke　loose　from　authority。　　The　bent　bow　recoils　with　violence；　when　the　hand　is　suddenly　relaxed　that　forcibly　held　it：　　and　sensibility；　the　plaything　of　outward　circumstances；　must　be　subjected　to　authority；　or　moderated　by　reason。　〃There　results；〃　he　continues；　〃from　this　habitual　restraint；　a　tractableness　which　the　women　have　occasion　for　during　their　whole　lives；　as　they　constantly　remain　either　under　subjection　to　the　men；　or　to　the　opinions　of　mankind；　and　are　never　permitted　to　set　themselves　above　those　opinions。　　The　first　and　most　important　qualification　in　a　woman　is　good…nature　or　sweetness　of　temper；　formed　to　obey　a　being　so　imperfect　as　man；　often　full　of　vices；　and　always　full　of　faults；　she　ought　to　learn　betimes　even　to　suffer　injustice；　and　to　bear　the　insults　of　a　husband　without　complaint；　it　is　not　for　his　sake；　but　her　own；　that　she　should　be　of　a　mild　disposition。　　The　perverseness　and　ill…nature　of　the　women　only　serve　to　aggravate　their　own　misfortunes；　and　the　misconduct　of　their　husbands；　they　might　plainly　perceive　that　such　are　not　the　arms　by　which　they　gain　the　superiority。〃　Formed　to　live　with　such　an　imperfect　being　as　man；　they　ought　to　learn　from　the　exercise　of　their　faculties　the　necessity　of　forbearance；　but　all　the　sacred　rights　of　humanity　are　violated　by　insisting　on　blind　obedience；　or；　the　most　sacred　rights　belong　ONLY　to　man。　The　being　who　patiently　endures　injustice；　and　silently　bears　insults；　will　soon　become　unjust；　or　unable　to　discern　right　from　wrong。　　Besides；　I　deny　the　fact；　this　is　not　the　true　way　to　form　or　meliorate　the　temper；　for；　as　a　sex；　men　have　better　tempers　than　women；　because　they　are　occupied　by　pursuits　that　interest　the　head　as　well　as　the　heart；　and　the　steadiness　of　the　head　gives　a　healthy　temperature　to　the　heart。　　People　of　sensibility　have　seldom　good　tempers。　　The　formation　of　the　temper　is　the　cool　work　of　reason；　when；　as　life　advances；　she　mixes　with　happy　art；　jarring　elements。　　I　never　knew　a　weak　or　ignorant　person　who　had　a　good　temper；　though　that　constitutional　good　humour；　and　that　docility；　which　fear　stamps　on　the　behaviour；　often　obtains　the　name。　　I　say　behaviour；　for　genuine　meekness　never　reached　the　heart　or　mind；　unless　as　the　effect　of　reflection；　and；　that　simple　restraint　produces　a　number　of　peccant　humours　in　domestic　life；　many　sensible　men　will　allow；　who　find　some　of　these　gentle　irritable　creatures；　very　troublesome　companions。　〃Each　sex；〃　he　further　argues；　〃should　preserve　its　peculiar　tone　and　manner：　　a　meek　husband　may　make　a　wife　impertinent；　but　mildness　of　disposition　on　the　woman's　side　will　always　bring　a　man　back　to　reason；　at　least　if　he　be　not　absolutely　a　brute；　and　will　sooner　or　later　triumph　over　him。〃　　True；　the　mildnes