a vindication of the rights of woman-第50章

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perceives　them　without　abhorrence；　because　he　feels　himself　drawn　by　some　cord　of　love　to　all　his　fellow　creatures；　for　whose　follies　he　is　anxious　to　find　every　extenuation　in　their　naturein　himself。　　If　I；　he　may　thus　argue；　who　exercise　my　own　mind；　and　have　been　refined　by　tribulation；　find　the　serpent's　egg　in　some　fold　of　my　heart；　and　crush　it　with　difficulty；　shall　not　I　pity　those　who　are　stamped　with　less　vigour；　or　who　have　heedlessly　nurtured　the　insidious　reptile　till　it　poisoned　the　vital　stream　it　sucked？　　Can　I；　conscious　of　my　secret　sins；　throw　off　my　fellow　creatures；　and　calmly　see　them　drop　into　the　chasm　of　perdition；　that　yawns　to　receive　them。　　No！　no！　　The　agonized　heart　will　cry　with　suffocating　impatienceI　too　am　a　man！　and　have　vices；　hid；　perhaps；　from　human　eye；　that　bend　me　to　the　dust　before　God；　and　loudly　tell　me　when　all　is　mute；　that　we　are　formed　of　the　same　earth；　and　breathe　the　same　element。　　Humanity　thus　rises　naturally　out　of　humility；　and　twists　the　cords　of　love　that　in　various　convolutions　entangle　the　heart。　This　sympathy　extends　still　further；　till　a　man　well　pleased　observes　force　in　arguments　that　do　not　carry　conviction　to　his　own　bosom；　and　he　gladly　places　in　the　fairest　light　to　himself；　the　shows　of　reason　that　have　led　others　astray；　rejoiced　to　find　some　reason　in　all　the　errors　of　man；　though　before　convinced　that　he　who　rules　the　day　makes　his　sun　to　shine　on　all。　　Yet；　shaking　hands　thus；　as　it　were；　with　corruption；　one　foot　on　earth；　the　other　with　bold　strides　mounts　to　heaven；　and　claims　kindred　with　superiour　natures。　　Virtues；　unobserved　by　men；　drop　their　balmy　fragrance　at　this　cool　hour；　and　the　thirsty　land；　refreshed　by　the　pure　streams　of　comfort　that　suddenly　gush　out；　is　crowned　with　smiling　verdure；　this　is　the　living　green　on　which　that　eye　may　look　with　complacency　that　is　too　pure　to　behold　iniquity！　But　my　spirits　flag；　and　I　must　silently　indulge　the　reverie　these　reflections　lead　to；　unable　to　describe　the　sentiments　that　have　calmed　my　soul；　when　watching　the　rising　sun；　a　soft　shower　drizzling　through　the　leaves　of　neighbouring　trees；　seemed　to　fall　on　my　languid；　yet　tranquil　spirits；　to　cool　the　heart　that　had　been　heated　by　the　passions　which　reason　laboured　to　tame。　The　leading　principles　which　run　through　all　my　disquisitions；　would　render　it　unnecessary　to　enlarge　on　this　subject；　if　a　constant　attention　to　keep　the　varnish　of　the　character　fresh；　and　in　good　condition；　were　not　often　inculcated　as　the　sum　total　of　female　duty；　if　rules　to　regulate　the　behaviour；　and　to　preserve　the　reputation；　did　not　too　frequently　supersede　moral　obligations。　But；　with　respect　to　reputation；　the　attention　is　confined　to　a　single　virtuechastity。　　If　the　honour　of　a　woman；　as　it　is　absurdly　called；　is　safe；　she　may　neglect　every　social　duty；　nay；　ruin　her　family　by　gaming　and　extravagance；　yet　still　present　a　shameless　front　for　truly　she　is　an　honourable　woman！　Mrs。　Macaulay　has　justly　observed；　that　〃there　is　but　one　fault　which　a　woman　of　honour　may　not　commit　with　impunity。〃　　She　then　justly　and　humanely　addsThis　has　given　rise　to　the　trite　and　foolish　observation；　that　the　first　fault　against　chastity　in　woman　has　a　radical　power　to　deprave　the　character。　　But　no　such　frail　beings　come　out　of　the　hands　of　nature。　　The　human　mind　is　built　of　nobler　materials　than　to　be　so　easily　corrupted；　and　with　all　their　disadvantages　of　situation　and　education；　women　seldom　become　entirely　abandoned　till　they　are　thrown　into　a　state　of　desperation；　by　the　venomous　rancour　of　their　own　sex。〃　But；　in　proportion　as　this　regard　for　the　reputation　of　chastity　is　prized　by　women；　it　is　despised　by　men：　　and　the　two　extremes　are　equally　destructive　to　morality。　Men　are　certainly　more　under　the　influence　of　their　appetites　than　women；　and　their　appetites　are　more　depraved　by　unbridled　indulgence；　and　the　fastidious　contrivances　of　satiety。　　Luxury　has　introduced　a　refinement　in　eating　that　destroys　the　constitution；　and；　a　degree　of　gluttony　which　is　so　beastly；　that　a　perception　of　seemliness　of　behaviour　must　be　worn　out　before　one　being　could　eat　immoderately　in　the　presence　of　another；　and　afterwards　complain　of　the　oppression　that　his　intemperance　naturally　produced。　　Some　women；　particularly　French　women；　have　also　lost　a　sense　of　decency　in　this　respect；　for　they　will　talk　very　calmly　of　an　indigestion。　It　were　to　be　wished；　that　idleness　was　not　allowed　to　generate；　on　the　rank　soil　of　wealth；　those　swarms　of　summer　insects　that　feed　on　putrefaction；　we　should　not　then　be　disgusted　by　the　sight　of　such　brutal　excesses。　There　is　one　rule　relative　to　behaviour　that；　I　think；　ought　to　regulate　every　other；　and　it　is　simply　to　cherish　such　an　habitual　respect　for　mankind；　as　may　prevent　us　from　disgusting　a　fellow　creature　for　the　sake　of　a　present　indulgence。　　The　shameful　indolence　of　many　married　women；　and　others　a　little　advanced　in　life；　frequently　leads　them　to　sin　against　delicacy。　　For；　though　convinced　that　the　person　is　the　band　of　union　between　the　sexes；　yet；　how　often　do　they　from　sheer　indolence；　or　to　enjoy　some　trifling　indulgence；　disgust？　The　depravity　of　the　appetite；　which　brings　the　sexes　together；　has　had　a　still　more　fatal　effect。　　Nature　must　ever　be　the　standard　of　taste；　the　guage　of　appetiteyet　how　grossly　is　nature　insulted　by　the　voluptuary。　　Leaving　the　refinements　of　love　out　of　the　question；　nature；　by　making　the　gratification　of　an　appetite；　in　this　respect；　as　well　as　every　other；　a　natural　and　imperious　law　to　preserve　the　species；　exalts　the　appetite；　and　mixes　a　little　mind　and　affection　with　a　sensual　gust。　　The　feelings　of　a　parent　mingling　with　an　instinct　merely　animal；　give　it　dignity；　and　the　man　and　woman　often　meeting　on　account　of　the　child；　a　mutual　interest　and　affection　is　excited　by　the　exercise　of　a　common　sympathy。　　Women　then　having　necessarily　some　duty　to　fulfil；　more　noble　than　to　adorn　their　persons；　would　not　contentedly　be　the　slaves　of　casual　appetite；　which　is　now　the　situation　of　a　very　considerable　number　who　are；　literally　speaking；　standing　dishes　to　which　every　glutton　may　have　access。　I　may　be　told；　that　great　as　this　enormity　is；　it　only　affects　a　devoted　part　of　the　sexdevoted　for　the　salvation　of　the　rest。　But；　false　as　every　assertion　might　easily　be　proved；　that　recommends　the　sanctioning　a　small　evil　to　produce　a　greater　good；　the　mischief　does　not　stop　here；　for　the　moral　character；　and　peace　of　mind；　of　the　chaster　part　of　the　sex；　is　undermined　by　the　conduct　of　the　very　women　to　whom　they　allow　no　refuge　from　guilt：　whom　they　inexorably　consign　to　the　exercise　of　arts　that　lure　their　husbands　from　them；　debauch　their　sons　and　force　them；　let　not　modest　women　start；　to　assume；　in　some　degree；　the　same　character　themselves。　　For　I　will　venture　to　assert；　that　all　the　causes　of　female　weakness；　as　well　as　depravity；　which　I　have　already　enlarged　on；　branch　out　of　one　grand　causewant　of　chastity　in　men。　This　intemperance；　so　prevalent；　depraves　the　appetite　to　such　a　degree；　that　a　wanton　stimulus　is　necessary　to　rouse　it；　but　the　parental　design　of　nature　is　forgotten；　and　the　mere　person；　and　tha