a vindication of the rights of woman-第37章

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tion；　for　these　are　the　changes　which　he　rings　round　without　ceasing；　in　a　more　decorous　manner；　it　is　true；　than　Rousseau；　but　it　all　comes　home　to　the　same　point；　and　whoever　is　at　the　trouble　to　analyze　these　sentiments；　will　find　the　first　principles　not　quite　so　delicate　as　the　superstructure。　The　subject　of　amusements　is　treated　in　too　cursory　a　manner；　but　with　the　same　spirit。　When　I　treat　of　friendship；　love；　and　marriage；　it　will　be　found　that　we　materially　differ　in　opinion；　I　shall　not　then　forestall　what　I　have　to　observe　on　these　important　subjects；　but　confine　my　remarks　to　the　general　tenor　of　them；　to　that　cautious　family　prudence；　to　those　confined　views　of　partial　unenlightened　affection；　which　exclude　pleasure　and　improvement；　by　vainly　wishing　to　ward　off　sorrow　and　errorand　by　thus　guarding　the　heart　and　mind；　destroy　also　all　their　energy。　　It　is　far　better　to　be　often　deceived　than　never　to　trust；　to　be　disappointed　in　love；　than　never　to　love；　to　lose　a　husband's　fondness；　than　forfeit　his　esteem。　Happy　would　it　be　for　the　world；　and　for　individuals；　of　course；　if　all　this　unavailing　solicitude　to　attain　worldly　happiness；　on　a　confined　plan；　were　turned　into　an　anxious　desire　to　improve　the　understanding。　　〃Wisdom　is　the　principal　thing：　　THEREFORE　get　wisdom；　and　with　all　thy　gettings　get　understanding。〃　　〃How　long　ye　simple　ones；　will　ye　love　simplicity；　and　hate　knowledge？〃　　Saith　Wisdom　to　the　daughters　of　men！　SECTION　5。4。　I　do　not　mean　to　allude　to　all　the　writers　who　have　written　on　the　subject　of　female　mannersit　would　in　fact　be　only　beating　over　the　old　ground；　for　they　have；　in　general；　written　in　the　same　strain；　but　attacking　the　boasted　prerogative　of　manthe　prerogative　that　may　emphatically　be　called　the　iron　sceptre　of　tyranny；　the　original　sin　of　tyrants；　I　declare　against　all　power　built　on　prejudices；　however　hoary。　If　the　submission　demanded　be　founded　on　justicethere　is　no　appealing　to　a　higher　powerfor　God　is　justice　itself。　　Let　us　then；　as　children　of　the　same　parent；　if　not　bastardized　by　being　the　younger　born；　reason　together；　and　learn　to　submit　to　the　authority　of　reason　when　her　voice　is　distinctly　heard。　　But；　if　it　be　proved　that　this　throne　of　prerogative　only　rests　on　a　chaotic　mass　of　prejudices；　that　have　no　inherent　principle　of　order　to　keep　them　together；　or　on　an　elephant；　tortoise；　or　even　the　mighty　shoulders　of　a　son　of　the　earth；　they　may　escape；　who　dare　to　brave　the　consequence　without　any　breach　of　duty；　without　sinning　against　the　order　of　things。　Whilst　reason　raises　man　above　the　brutal　herd；　and　death　is　big　with　promises；　they　alone　are　subject　to　blind　authority　who　have　no　reliance　on　their　own　strength。　　〃They　are　free　who　will　be　free！〃*　（*Footnote。　　〃He　is　the　free　man；　whom　TRUTH　makes　free！〃　　Cowper。）　The　being　who　can　govern　itself；　has　nothing　to　fear　in　life；　but　if　any　thing　is　dearer　than　its　own　respect；　the　price　must　be　paid　to　the　last　farthing。　　Virtue；　like　every　thing　valuable；　must　be　loved　for　herself　alone；　or　she　will　not　take　up　her　abode　with　us。　She　will　not　impart　that　peace；　〃which　passeth　understanding；〃　when　she　is　merely　made　the　stilts　of　reputation　and　respected　with　pharisaical　exactness；　because　〃honesty　is　the　best　policy。〃　That　the　plan　of　life　which　enables　us　to　carry　some　knowledge　and　virtue　into　another　world；　is　the　one　best　calculated　to　ensure　content　in　this；　cannot　be　denied；　yet　few　people　act　according　to　this　principle；　though　it　be　universally　allowed　that　it　admits　not　of　dispute。　　Present　pleasure；　or　present　power；　carry　before　it　these　sober　convictions；　and　it　is　for　the　day；　not　for　life；　that　man　bargains　with　happiness。　　How　few！　how　very　few！　have　sufficient　foresight　or　resolution；　to　endure　a　small　evil　at　the　moment；　to　avoid　a　greater　hereafter。　Woman　in　particular；　whose　virtue*　is　built　on　mutual　prejudices；　seldom　attains　to　this　greatness　of　mind；　so　that；　becoming　the　slave　of　her　own　feelings；　she　is　easily　subjugated　by　those　of　others。　　Thus　degraded；　her　reason；　her　misty　reason！　is　employed　rather　to　burnish　than　to　snap　her　chains。　（*Footnote。　　I　mean　to　use　a　word　that　comprehends　more　than　chastity；　the　sexual　virtue。）　Indignantly　have　I　heard　women　argue　in　the　same　track　as　men；　and　adopt　the　sentiments　that　brutalize　them　with　all　the　pertinacity　of　ignorance。　I　must　illustrate　my　assertion　by　a　few　examples。　　Mrs。　Piozzi；　who　often　repeated　by　rote；　what　she　did　not　understand；　comes　forward　with　Johnsonian　periods。　〃Seek　not　for　happiness　in　singularity；　and　dread　a　refinement　of　wisdom　as　a　deviation　into　folly。〃　　Thus　she　dogmatically　addresses　a　new　married　man；　and　to　elucidate　this　pompous　exordium；　she　adds；　〃I　said　that　the　person　of　your　lady　would　not　grow　more　pleasing　to　you；　but　pray　let　her　never　suspect　that　it　grows　less　so：　　that　a　woman　will　pardon　an　affront　to　her　understanding　much　sooner　than　one　to　her　person；　is　well　known；　nor　will　any　of　us　contradict　the　assertion。　　All　our　attainments；　all　our　arts；　are　employed　to　gain　and　keep　the　heart　of　man；　and　what　mortification　can　exceed　the　disappointment；　if　the　end　be　not　obtained：　There　is　no　reproof　however　pointed；　no　punishment　however　severe；　that　a　woman　of　spirit　will　not　prefer　to　neglect；　and　if　she　can　endure　it　without　complaint；　it　only　proves　that　she　means　to　make　herself　amends　by　the　attention　of　others　for　the　slights　of　her　husband！〃　These　are　true　masculine　sentiments。　　〃All　our　ARTS　are　employed　to　gain　and　keep　the　heart　of　man：〃and　what　is　the　inference？if　her　person；　and　was　there　ever　a　person；　though　formed　with　Medicisan　symmetry；　that　was　not　slighted？　be　neglected；　she　will　make　herself　amends　by　endeavouring　to　please　other　men。　　Noble　morality！　　But　thus　is　the　understanding　of　the　whole　sex　affronted；　and　their　virtue　deprived　of　the　common　basis　of　virtue。　A　woman　must　know；　that　her　person　cannot　be　as　pleasing　to　her　husband　as　it　was　to　her　lover；　and　if　she　be　offended　with　him　for　being　a　human　creature；　she　may　as　well　whine　about　the　loss　of　his　heart　as　about　any　other　foolish　thing。　　And　this　very　want　of　discernment　or　unreasonable　anger；　proves　that　he　could　not　change　his　fondness　for　her　person　into　affection　for　her　virtues　or　respect　for　her　understanding。　Whilst　women　avow；　and　act　up　to　such　opinions；　their　understandings；　at　least；　deserve　the　contempt　and　obloquy　that　men；　WHO　NEVER　insult　their　persons；　have　pointedly　levelled　at　the　female　mind。　　And　it　is　the　sentiments　of　these　polite　men；　who　do　not　wish　to　be　encumbered　with　mind；　that　vain　women　thoughtlessly　adopt。　　Yet　they　should　know；　that　insulted　reason　alone　can　spread　that　SACRED　reserve　about　the　persons　which　renders　human　affections；　for　human　affections　have　always　some　base　alloy；　as　permanent　as　is　consistent　with　the　grand　end　of　existencethe　attainment　of　virtue。　The　Baroness　de　Stael　speaks　the　same　language　as　the　lady　just　cited；　with　more　enthusiasm。　　Her　eulogium　on　Rousseau　was　accidentally　put　into　my　hands；　and　her　sentiments；　the　sentiments　of　too　many　of　my　sex；　may　serve　as　the　text　for　a　few　comments。　〃Though　Rousseau；〃　she　observes；　〃has　endeavoured　to　prevent　women