a vindication of the rights of woman-第34章

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e　be　o'er；　Then　slaves　to　those　who　courted　us　before。〃　Dryden。　The　pernicious　tendency　of　those　books；　in　which　the　writers　insidiously　degrade　the　sex；　whilst　they　are　prostrate　before　their　personal　charms；　cannot　be　too　often　or　too　severely　exposed。　Let　us；　my　dear　contemporaries；　arise　above　such　narrow　prejudices！　If　wisdom　is　desirable　on　its　own　account；　if　virtue；　to　deserve　the　name；　must　be　founded　on　knowledge；　let　us　endeavour　to　strengthen　our　minds　by　reflection；　till　our　heads　become　a　balance　for　our　hearts；　let　us　not　confine　all　our　thoughts　to　the　petty　occurrences　of　the　day；　nor　our　knowledge　to　an　acquaintance　with　our　lovers'　or　husbands'　hearts；　but　let　the　practice　of　every　duty　be　subordinate　to　the　grand　one　of　improving　our　minds；　and　preparing　our　affections　for　a　more　exalted　state！　Beware　then；　my　friends；　of　suffering　the　heart　to　be　moved　by　every　trivial　incident：　　the　reed　is　shaken　by　a　breeze；　and　annually　dies；　but　the　oak　stands　firm；　and　for　ages　braves　the　storm。　Were　we；　indeed；　only　created　to　flutter　our　hour　out　and　diewhy　let　us　then　indulge　sensibility；　and　laugh　at　the　severity　of　reason。　　Yet；　alas！　even　then　we　should　want　strength　of　body　and　mind；　and　life　would　be　lost　in　feverish　pleasures　or　wearisome　languor。　But　the　system　of　education；　which　I　earnestly　wish　to　see　exploded；　seems　to　presuppose；　what　ought　never　to　be　taken　for　granted；　that　virtue　shields　us　from　the　casualties　of　life；　and　that　fortune；　slipping　off　her　bandage；　will　smile　on　a　well…educated　female；　and　bring　in　her　hand　an　Emilius　or　a　Telemachus。　　Whilst；　on　the　contrary；　the　reward　which　virtue　promises　to　her　votaries　is　confined；　it　is　clear；　to　their　own　bosoms；　and　often　must　they　contend　with　the　most　vexatious　worldly　cares；　and　bear　with　the　vices　and　humours　of　relations　for　whom　they　can　never　feel　a　friendship。　There　have　been　many　women　in　the　world　who；　instead　of　being　supported　by　the　reason　and　virtue　of　their　fathers　and　brothers；　have　strengthened　their　own　minds　by　struggling　with　their　vices　and　follies；　yet　have　never　met　with　a　hero；　in　the　shape　of　a　husband；　who；　paying　the　debt　that　mankind　owed　them；　might　chance　to　bring　back　their　reason　to　its　natural　dependent　state；　and　restore　the　usurped　prerogative；　of　rising　above　opinion；　to　man。　SECTION　5。2。　Dr。　Fordyce's　sermons　have　long　made　a　part　of　a　young　woman's　library；　nay；　girls　at　school　are　allowed　to　read　them；　but　I　should　instantly　dismiss　them　from　my　pupil's；　if　I　wished　to　strengthen　her　understanding；　by　leading　her　to　form　sound　principles　on　a　broad　basis；　or；　were　I　only　anxious　to　cultivate　her　taste；　though　they　must　be　allowed　to　contain　many　sensible　observations。　Dr。　Fordyce　may　have　had　a　very　laudable　end　in　view；　but　these　discourses　are　written　in　such　an　affected　style；　that　were　it　only　on　that　account；　and　had　I　nothing　to　object　against　his　MELLIFLUOUS　precepts；　I　should　not　allow　girls　to　peruse　them；　unless　I　designed　to　hunt　every　spark　of　nature　out　of　their　composition；　melting　every　human　quality　into　female　weakness　and　artificial　grace。　　I　say　artificial；　for　true　grace　arises　from　some　kind　of　independence　of　mind。　Children；　careless　of　pleasing；　and　only　anxious　to　amuse　themselves；　are　often　very　graceful；　and　the　nobility　who　have　mostly　lived　with　inferiors；　and　always　had　the　command　of　money；　acquire　a　graceful　ease　of　deportment；　which　should　rather　be　termed　habitual　grace　of　body；　than　that　superiour　gracefulness　which　is　truly　the　expression　of　the　mind。　　This　mental　grace；　not　noticed　by　vulgar　eyes；　often　flashes　across　a　rough　countenance；　and　irradiating　every　feature；　shows　simplicity　and　independence　of　mind。　　It　is　then　we　read　characters　of　immortality　in　the　eye；　and　see　the　soul　in　every　gesture；　though　when　at　rest；　neither　the　face　nor　limbs　may　have　much　beauty　to　recommend　them；　or　the　behaviour；　any　thing　peculiar　to　attract　universal　attention。　　The　mass　of　mankind；　however；　look　for　more　TANGIBLE　beauty；　yet　simplicity　is；　in　general；　admired；　when　people　do　not　consider　what　they　admire；　and　can　there　be　simplicity　without　sincerity？　but；　to　have　done　with　remarks　that　are　in　some　measure　desultory；　though　naturally　excited　by　the　subject。　In　declamatory　periods　Dr。　Fordyce　spins　out　Rousseau's　eloquence；　and　in　most　sentimental　rant；　details　his　opinions　respecting　the　female　character；　and　the　behaviour　which　woman　ought　to　assume　to　render　her　lovely。　He　shall　speak　for　himself；　for　thus　he　makes　nature　address　man。　〃Behold　these　smiling　innocents；　whom　I　have　graced　with　my　fairest　gifts；　and　committed　to　your　protection；　behold　them　with　love　and　respect；　treat　them　with　tenderness　and　honour。　　They　are　timid　and　want　to　be　defended。　　They　are　frail；　O　do　not　take　advantage　of　their　weakness！　　Let　their　fears　and　blushes　endear　them。　　Let　their　confidence　in　you　never　be　abused。　　But　is　it　possible；　that　any　of　you　can　be　such　barbarians；　so　supremely　wicked；　as　to　abuse　it？　　Can　you　find　in　your　hearts*　to　despoil　the　gentle；　trusting　creatures　of　their　treasure；　or　do　any　thing　to　strip　them　of　their　native　robe　of　virtue？　　Curst　be　the　impious　hand　that　would　dare　to　violate　the　unblemished　form　of　Chastity！　　Thou　wretch！　thou　ruffian！　forbear；　nor　venture　to　provoke　heaven's　fiercest　vengeance。〃　　I　know　not　any　comment　that　can　be　made　seriously　on　this　curious　passage；　and　I　could　produce　many　similar　ones；　and　some；　so　very　sentimental；　that　I　have　heard　rational　men　use　the　word　indecent；　when　they　mentioned　them　with　disgust。　（*Footnote。　　Can　you？Can　you？　would　be　the　most　emphatical　comment；　were　it　drawled　out　in　a　whining　voice。）　Throughout　there　is　a　display　of　cold；　artificial　feelings；　and　that　parade　of　sensibility　which　boys　and　girls　should　be　taught　to　despise　as　the　sure　mark　of　a　little　vain　mind。　　Florid　appeals　are　made　to　heaven；　and　to　the　BEAUTEOUS　INNOCENTS；　the　fairest　images　of　heaven　here　below；　whilst　sober　sense　is　left　far　behind。　　This　is　not　the　language　of　the　heart；　nor　will　it　ever　reach　it；　though　the　ear　may　be　tickled。　I　shall　be　told；　perhaps；　that　the　public　have　been　pleased　with　these　volumes。　　Trueand　Hervey's　Meditations　are　still　read；　though　he　equally　sinned　against　sense　and　taste。　I　particularly　object　to　the　lover…like　phrases　of　pumped　up　passion；　which　are　every　where　interspersed。　　If　women　be　ever　allowed　to　walk　without　leading…strings；　why　must　they　be　cajoled　into　virtue　by　artful　flattery　and　sexual　compliments？　　Speak　to　them　the　language　of　truth　and　soberness；　and　away　with　the　lullaby　strains　of　condescending　endearment！　　Let　them　be　taught　to　respect　themselves　as　rational　creatures；　and　not　led　to　have　a　passion　for　their　own　insipid　persons。　　It　moves　my　gall　to　hear　a　preacher　descanting　on　dress　and　needle…work；　and　still　more；　to　hear　him　address　the　'British　fair；　the　fairest　of　the　fair'；　as　if　they　had　only　feelings。　Even　recommending　piety　he　uses　the　following　argument。　　〃Never；　perhaps；　does　a　fine　woman　strike　more　deeply；　than　when；　composed　into　pious　recollection；　and　possessed　with　the　noblest　considerations；　she　assumes；　without　knowing　it；　superiour　dignity　and　new　graces；