a vindication of the rights of woman-第44章

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men　have　yet　to　learn；　though　much　it　imports　them　to　act　accordingly。　　In　the　choice　of　a　husband　they　should　not　be　led　astray　by　the　qualities　of　a　loverfor　a　lover　the　husband；　even　supposing　him　to　be　wise　and　virtuous；　cannot　long　remain。　Were　women　more　rationally　educated；　could　they　take　a　more　comprehensive　view　of　things；　they　would　be　contented　to　love　but　once　in　their　lives；　and　after　marriage　calmly　let　passion　subside　into　friendshipinto　that　tender　intimacy；　which　is　the　best　refuge　from　care；　yet　is　built　on　such　pure；　still　affections；　that　idle　jealousies　would　not　be　allowed　to　disturb　the　discharge　of　the　sober　duties　of　life；　nor　to　engross　the　thoughts　that　ought　to　be　otherwise　employed。　　This　is　a　state　in　which　many　men　live；　but　few；　very　few　women。　　And　the　difference　may　easily　be　accounted　for；　without　recurring　to　a　sexual　character。　　Men；　for　whom　we　are　told　women　are　made；　have　too　much　occupied　the　thoughts　of　women；　and　this　association　has　so　entangled　love；　with　all　their　motives　of　action；　and；　to　harp　a　little　on　an　old　string；　having　been　solely　employed　either　to　prepare　themselves　to　excite　love；　or　actually　putting　their　lessons　in　practice；　they　cannot　live　without　love。　　But；　when　a　sense　of　duty；　or　fear　of　shame；　obliges　them　to　restrain　this　pampered　desire　of　pleasing　beyond　certain　lengths；　too　far　for　delicacy；　it　is　true；　though　far　from　criminality；　they　obstinately　determine　to　love；　I　speak　of　their　passion；　their　husbands　to　the　end　of　the　chapterand　then　acting　the　part　which　they　foolishly　exacted　from　their　lovers；　they　become　abject　wooers；　and　fond　slaves。　Men　of　wit　and　fancy　are　often　rakes；　and　fancy　is　the　food　of　love。　　Such　men　will　inspire　passion。　　Half　the　sex；　in　its　present　infantine　state；　would　pine　for　a　Lovelace；　a　man　so　witty；　so　graceful；　and　so　valiant；　and　can　they　DESERVE　blame　for　acting　according　to　principles　so　constantly　inculcated？　　They　want　a　lover　and　protector：　and　behold　him　kneeling　before　thembravery　prostrate　to　beauty！　　The　virtues　of　a　husband　are　thus　thrown　by　love　into　the　background；　and　gay　hopes；　or　lively　emotions；　banish　reflection　till　the　day　of　reckoning　comes；　and　come　it　surely　will；　to　turn　the　sprightly　lover　into　a　surly　suspicious　tyrant；　who　contemptuously　insults　the　very　weakness　he　fostered。　　Or；　supposing　the　rake　reformed；　he　cannot　quickly　get　rid　of　old　habits。　　When　a　man　of　abilities　is　first　carried　away　by　his　passions；　it　is　necessary　that　sentiment　and　taste　varnish　the　enormities　of　vice；　and　give　a　zest　to　brutal　indulgences：　but　when　the　gloss　of　novelty　is　worn　off；　and　pleasure　palls　upon　the　sense；　lasciviousness　becomes　barefaced；　and　enjoyment　only　the　desperate　effort　of　weakness　flying　from　reflection　as　from　a　legion　of　devils。　　Oh！　virtue；　thou　art　not　an　empty　name！　　All　that　life　can　give　thou　givest！　If　much　comfort　cannot　be　expected　from　the　friendship　of　a　reformed　rake　of　superior　abilities；　what　is　the　consequence　when　he　lacketh　sense；　as　well　as　principles？　　Verily　misery　in　its　most　hideous　shape。　　When　the　habits　of　weak　people　are　consolidated　by　time；　a　reformation　is　barely　possible；　and　actually　makes　the　beings　miserable　who　have　not　sufficient　mind　to　be　amused　by　innocent　pleasure；　like　the　tradesman　who　retires　from　the　hurry　of　business；　nature　presents　to　them　only　a　universal　blank；　and　the　restless　thoughts　prey　on　the　damped　spirits。　　Their　reformation　as　well　as　his　retirement　actually　makes　them　wretched；　because　it　deprives　them　of　all　employment；　by　quenching　the　hopes　and　fears　that　set　in　motion　their　sluggish　minds。　If　such　be　the　force　of　habit；　if　such　be　the　bondage　of　folly；　how　carefully　ought　we　to　guard　the　mind　from　storing　up　vicious　associations；　and　equally　careful　should　we　be　to　cultivate　the　understanding；　to　save　the　poor　wight　from　the　weak　dependent　state　of　even　harmless　ignorance。　　For　it　is　the　right　use　of　reason　alone　which　makes　us　independent　of　every　thingexcepting　the　unclouded　Reason〃Whose　service　is　perfect　freedom。〃

CHAPTER　7。　MODESTY　COMPREHENSIVELY　CONSIDERED　AND　NOT　AS　A　SEXUAL　VIRTUE。　Modesty！　　Sacred　offspring　of　sensibility　and　reason！　true　delicacy　of　mind！　may　I　unblamed　presume　to　investigate　thy　nature；　and　trace　to　its　covert　the　mild　charm；　that　mellowing　each　harsh　feature　of　a　character；　renders　what　would　otherwise　only　inspire　cold　admirationlovely！　　Thou　that　smoothest　the　wrinkles　of　wisdom；　and　softenest　the　tone　of　the　more　sublime　virtues　till　they　all　melt　into　humanity！　thou　that　spreadest　the　ethereal　cloud　that　surrounding　love　heightens　every　beauty；　it　half　shades；　breathing　those　coy　sweets　that　steal　into　the　heart；　and　charm　the　sensesmodulate　for　me　the　language　of　persuasive　reason；　till　I　rouse　my　sex　from　the　flowery　bed；　on　which　they　supinely　sleep　life　away！　In　speaking　of　the　association　of　our　ideas；　I　have　noticed　two　distinct　modes；　and　in　defining　modesty；　it　appears　to　me　equally　proper　to　discriminate　that　purity　of　mind；　which　is　the　effect　of　chastity；　from　a　simplicity　of　character　that　leads　us　to　form　a　just　opinion　of　ourselves；　equally　distant　from　vanity　or　presumption；　though　by　no　means　incompatible　with　a　lofty　consciousness　of　our　own　dignity。　　Modesty　in　the　latter　signification　of　the　term；　is　that　soberness　of　mind　which　teaches　a　man　not　to　think　more　highly　of　himself　than　he　ought　to　think；　and　should　be　distinguished　from　humility；　because　humility　is　a　kind　of　self…abasement。　　A　modest　man　often　conceives　a　great　plan；　and　tenaciously　adheres　to　it；　conscious　of　his　own　strength；　till　success　gives　it　a　sanction　that　determines　its　character。　　Milton　was　not　arrogant　when　he　suffered　a　suggestion　of　judgment　to　escape　him　that　proved　a　prophesy；　nor　was　General　Washington　when　he　accepted　of　the　command　of　the　American　forces。　　The　latter　has　always　been　characterized　as　a　modest　man；　but　had　he　been　merely　humble；　he　would　probably　have　shrunk　back　irresolute；　afraid　of　trusting　to　himself　the　direction　of　an　enterprise　on　which　so　much　depended。　A　modest　man　is　steady；　an　humble　man　timid；　and　a　vain　one　presumptuous；　this　is　the　judgment；　which　the　observation　of　many　characters；　has　led　me　to　form。　　Jesus　Christ　was　modest；　Moses　was　humble；　and　Peter　vain。　Thus　discriminating　modesty　from　humility　in　one　case；　I　do　not　mean　to　confound　it　with　bashfulness　in　the　other。　　Bashfulness；　in　fact；　is　so　distinct　from　modesty；　that　the　most　bashful　lass；　or　raw　country　lout；　often　becomes　the　most　impudent；　for　their　bashfulness　being　merely　the　instinctive　timidity　of　ignorance；　custom　soon　changes　it　into　assurance。*　（*Footnote。　　〃Such　is　the　country…maiden's　fright；　When　first　a　red…coat　is　in　sight；　Behind　the　door　she　hides　her　face；　Next　time　at　distance　eyes　the　lace：　She　now　can　all　his　terrors　stand；　Nor　from　his　squeeze　withdraws　her　hand；　She　plays　familiar　in　his　arms；　And　every　soldier　hath　his　charms；　》From　tent　to　tent　she　spreads　her　flame；　For　custom　conquers　fear　and　shame。〃）　The　shameless　behaviour　of　the　prostitutes　who　infest　the　streets　of　London；　raising　alternate　emotions　of　pity　and　disgust；　may　serve　to　illustrate　this　remark。　　They　trample