a vindication of the rights of woman-第54章

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haracter；　or　rather　enable　it　to　attain　the　true　dignity　of　its　nature。　Virtue　is　not　to　be　acquired　even　by　speculation；　much　less　by　the　negative　supineness　that　wealth　naturally　generates。　Besides；　when　poverty　is　more　disgraceful　than　even　vice；　is　not　morality　cut　to　the　quick？　　Still　to　avoid　misconstruction；　though　I　consider　that　women　in　the　common　walks　of　life　are　called　to　fulfil　the　duties　of　wives　and　mothers；　by　religion　and　reason；　I　cannot　help　lamenting　that　women　of　a　superiour　cast　have　not　a　road　open　by　which　they　can　pursue　more　extensive　plans　of　usefulness　and　independence。　　I　may　excite　laughter；　by　dropping　an　hint；　which　I　mean　to　pursue；　some　future　time；　for　I　really　think　that　women　ought　to　have　representatives；　instead　of　being　arbitrarily　governed　without　having　any　direct　share　allowed　them　in　the　deliberations　of　government。　But；　as　the　whole　system　of　representation　is　now；　in　this　country；　only　a　convenient　handle　for　despotism；　they　need　not　complain；　for　they　are　as　well　represented　as　a　numerous　class　of　hard　working　mechanics；　who　pay　for　the　support　of　royality　when　they　can　scarcely　stop　their　children's　mouths　with　bread。　　How　are　they　represented；　whose　very　sweat　supports　the　splendid　stud　of　an　heir　apparent；　or　varnishes　the　chariot　of　some　female　favourite　who　looks　down　on　shame？　　Taxes　on　the　very　necessaries　of　life；　enable　an　endless　tribe　of　idle　princes　and　princesses　to　pass　with　stupid　pomp　before　a　gaping　crowd；　who　almost　worship　the　very　parade　which　costs　them　so　dear。　　This　is　mere　gothic　grandeur；　something　like　the　barbarous；　useless　parade　of　having　sentinels　on　horseback　at　Whitehall；　which　I　could　never　view　without　a　mixture　of　contempt　and　indignation。　How　strangely　must　the　mind　be　sophisticated　when　this　sort　of　state　impresses　it！　　But　till　these　monuments　of　folly　are　levelled　by　virtue；　similar　follies　will　leaven　the　whole　mass。　　For　the　same　character；　in　some　degree；　will　prevail　in　the　aggregate　of　society：　　and　the　refinements　of　luxury；　or　the　vicious　repinings　of　envious　poverty；　will　equally　banish　virtue　from　society；　considered　as　the　characteristic　of　that　society；　or　only　allow　it　to　appear　as　one　of　the　stripes　of　the　harlequin　coat；　worn　by　the　civilized　man。　In　the　superiour　ranks　of　life；　every　duty　is　done　by　deputies；　as　if　duties　could　ever　be　waved；　and　the　vain　pleasures　which　consequent　idleness　forces　the　rich　to　pursue；　appear　so　enticing　to　the　next　rank；　that　the　numerous　scramblers　for　wealth　sacrifice　every　thing　to　tread　on　their　heels。　　The　most　sacred　trusts　are　then　considered　as　sinecures；　because　they　were　procured　by　interest；　and　only　sought　to　enable　a　man　to　keep　GOOD　COMPANY。　Women；　in　particular；　all　want　to　be　ladies。　　Which　is　simply　to　have　nothing　to　do；　but　listlessly　to　go　they　scarcely　care　where；　for　they　cannot　tell　what。　But　what　have　women　to　do　in　society？　　I　may　be　asked；　but　to　loiter　with　easy　grace；　surely　you　would　not　condemn　them　all　to　suckle　fools；　and　chronicle　small　beer！　　No。　　Women　might　certainly　study　the　art　of　healing；　and　be　physicians　as　well　as　nurses。　　And　midwifery；　decency　seems　to　allot　to　them；　though　I　am　afraid　the　word　midwife；　in　our　dictionaries；　will　soon　give　place　to　accoucheur；　and　one　proof　of　the　former　delicacy　of　the　sex　be　effaced　from　the　language。　They　might；　also　study　politics；　and　settle　their　benevolence　on　the　broadest　basis；　for　the　reading　of　history　will　scarcely　be　more　useful　than　the　perusal　of　romances；　if　read　as　mere　biography；　if　the　character　of　the　times；　the　political　improvements；　arts；　etc。　be　not　observed。　　In　short；　if　it　be　not　considered　as　the　history　of　man；　and　not　of　particular　men；　who　filled　a　niche　in　the　temple　of　fame；　and　dropped　into　the　black　rolling　stream　of　time；　that　silently　sweeps　all　before　it；　into　the　shapeless　void　called　eternity。　　For　shape　can　it　be　called；　〃that　shape　hath　none？〃　Business　of　various　kinds；　they　might　likewise　pursue；　if　they　were　educated　in　a　more　orderly　manner；　which　might　save　many　from　common　and　legal　prostitution。　　Women　would　not　then　marry　for　a　support；　as　men　accept　of　places　under　government；　and　neglect　the　implied　duties；　nor　would　an　attempt　to　earn　their　own　subsistence；　a　most　laudable　one！　sink　them　almost　to　the　level　of　those　poor　abandoned　creatures　who　live　by　prostitution。　　For　are　not　milliners　and　mantuamakers　reckoned　the　next　class？　　The　few　employments　open　to　women；　so　far　from　being　liberal；　are　menial；　and　when　a　superior　education　enables　them　to　take　charge　of　the　education　of　children　as　governesses；　they　are　not　treated　like　the　tutors　of　sons；　though　even　clerical　tutors　are　not　always　treated　in　a　manner　calculated　to　render　them　respectable　in　the　eyes　of　their　pupils；　to　say　nothing　of　the　private　comfort　of　the　individual。　　But　as　women　educated　like　gentlewomen；　are　never　designed　for　the　humiliating　situation　which　necessity　sometimes　forces　them　to　fill；　these　situations　are　considered　in　the　light　of　a　degradation；　and　they　know　little　of　the　human　heart；　who　need　to　be　told；　that　nothing　so　painfully　sharpens　the　sensibility　as　such　a　fall　in　life。　Some　of　these　women　might　be　restrained　from　marrying　by　a　proper　spirit　or　delicacy；　and　others　may　not　have　had　it　in　their　power　to　escape　in　this　pitiful　way　from　servitude；　is　not　that　government　then　very　defective；　and　very　unmindful　of　the　happiness　of　one　half　of　its　members；　that　does　not　provide　for　honest；　independent　women；　by　encouraging　them　to　fill　respectable　stations？　　But　in　order　to　render　their　private　virtue　a　public　benefit；　they　must　have　a　civil　existence　in　the　state；　married　or　single；　else　we　shall　continually　see　some　worthy　woman；　whose　sensibility　has　been　rendered　painfully　acute　by　undeserved　contempt；　droop　like　〃the　lily　broken　down　by　a　plough　share。〃　It　is　a　melancholy　truth；　yet　such　is　the　blessed　effects　of　civilization！　the　most　respectable　women　are　the　most　oppressed；　and；　unless　they　have　understandings　far　superiour　to　the　common　run　of　understandings；　taking　in　both　sexes；　they　must；　from　being　treated　like　contemptible　beings；　become　contemptible。　　How　many　women　thus　waste　life　away；　the　prey　of　discontent；　who　might　have　practised　as　physicians；　regulated　a　farm；　managed　a　shop；　and　stood　erect；　supported　by　their　own　industry；　instead　of　hanging　their　heads　surcharged　with　the　dew　of　sensibility；　that　consumes　the　beauty　to　which　it　at　first　gave　lustre；　nay；　I　doubt　whether　pity　and　love　are　so　near　a…kin　as　poets　feign；　for　I　have　seldom　seen　much　compassion　excited　by　the　helplessness　of　females；　unless　they　were　fair；　then；　perhaps；　pity　was　the　soft　handmaid　of　love；　or　the　harbinger　of　lust。　How　much　more　respectable　is　the　woman　who　earns　her　own　bread　by　fulfilling　any　duty；　than　the　most　accomplished　beauty！　　beauty　did　I　say？　so　sensible　am　I　of　the　beauty　of　moral　loveliness；　or　the　harmonious　propriety　that　attunes　the　passions　of　a　well…regulated　mind；　that　I　blush　at　making　the　comparison；　yet　I　sigh　to　think　how　few　women　aim　at　attaining　this　respectability；　by　withdrawing　from　the　giddy　whirl　of　pleasure；　or　the　indolent　calm　that　stupifies　the　g