a vindication of the rights of woman-第56章

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　which　give　birth　to　affections　that　are　the　surest　preservatives　against　vice。　　Natural　affection；　as　it　is　termed；　I　believe　to　be　a　very　weak　tie；　affections　must　grow　out　of　the　habitual　exercise　of　a　mutual　sympathy；　and　what　sympathy　does　a　mother　exercise　who　sends　her　babe　to　a　nurse；　and　only　takes　it　from　a　nurse　to　send　it　to　a　school？　In　the　exercise　of　their　natural　feelings；　providence　has　furnished　women　with　a　natural　substitute　for　love；　when　the　lover　becomes　only　a　friend　and　mutual　confidence　takes　place　of　overstrained　admirationa　child　then　gently　twists　the　relaxing　cord；　and　a　mutual　care　produces　a　new　mutual　sympathy。　　But　a　child；　though　a　pledge　of　affection；　will　not　enliven　it；　if　both　father　and　mother　are　content　to　transfer　the　charge　to　hirelings；　for　they　who　do　their　duty　by　proxy　should　not　murmur　if　they　miss　the　reward　of　dutyparental　affection　produces　filial　duty。

CHAPTER　11。　DUTY　TO　PARENTS。　There　seems　to　be　an　indolent　propensity　in　man　to　make　prescription　always　take　place　of　reason；　and　to　place　every　duty　on　an　arbitrary　foundation。　　The　rights　of　kings　are　deduced　in　a　direct　line　from　the　King　of　kings；　and　that　of　parents　from　our　first　parent。　Why　do　we　thus　go　back　for　principles　that　should　always　rest　on　the　same　base；　and　have　the　same　weight　to…day　that　they　had　a　thousand　years　agoand　not　a　jot　more？　　If　parents　discharge　their　duty　they　have　a　strong　hold　and　sacred　claim　on　the　gratitude　of　their　children；　but　few　parents　are　willing　to　receive　the　respectful　affection　of　their　offspring　on　such　terms。　　They　demand　blind　obedience；　because　they　do　not　merit　a　reasonable　service：　and　to　render　these　demands　of　weakness　and　ignorance　more　binding；　a　mysterious　sanctity　is　spread　round　the　most　arbitrary　principle；　for　what　other　name　can　be　given　to　the　blind　duty　of　obeying　vicious　or　weak　beings；　merely　because　they　obeyed　a　powerful　instinct？　The　simple　definition　of　the　reciprocal　duty；　which　naturally　subsists　between　parent　and　child；　may　be　given　in　a　few　words：　　The　parent　who　pays　proper　attention　to　helpless　infancy　has　a　right　to　require　the　same　attention　when　the　feebleness　of　age　comes　upon　him。　　But　to　subjugate　a　rational　being　to　the　mere　will　of　another；　after　he　is　of　age　to　answer　to　society　for　his　own　conduct；　is　a　most　cruel　and　undue　stretch　of　power；　and　perhaps　as　injurious　to　morality；　as　those　religious　systems　which　do　not　allow　right　and　wrong　to　have　any　existence；　but　in　the　Divine　will。　I　never　knew　a　parent　who　had　paid　more　than　common　attention　to　his　children；　disregarded　（Dr。　Johnson　makes　the　same　observation。）；　on　the　contrary；　the　early　habit　of　relying　almost　implicitly　on　the　opinion　of　a　respected　parent　is　not　easily　shaken；　even　when　matured　reason　convinces　the　child　that　his　father　is　not　the　wisest　man　in　the　world。　　This　weakness；　for　a　weakness　it　is；　though　the　epithet　AMIABLE　may　be　tacked　to　it；　a　reasonable　man　must　steel　himself　against；　for　the　absurd　duty；　too　often　inculcated；　of　obeying　a　parent　only　on　account　of　his　being　a　parent；　shackles　the　mind；　and　prepares　it　for　a　slavish　submission　to　any　power　but　reason。　I　distinguish　between　the　natural　and　accidental　duty　due　to　parents。　The　parent　who　sedulously　endeavours　to　form　the　heart　and　enlarge　the　understanding　of　his　child；　has　given　that　dignity　to　the　discharge　of　a　duty；　common　to　the　whole　animal　world；　that　only　reason　can　give。　　This　is　the　parental　affection　of　humanity；　and　leaves　instinctive　natural　affection　far　behind。　　Such　a　parent　acquires　all　the　rights　of　the　most　sacred　friendship；　and　his　advice；　even　when　his　child　is　advanced　in　life；　demands　serious　consideration。　With　respect　to　marriage；　though　after　one　and　twenty　a　parent　seems　to　have　no　right　to　withhold　his　consent　on　any　account；　yet　twenty　years　of　solicitude　call　for　a　return；　and　the　son　ought；　at　least；　to　promise　not　to　marry　for　two　or　three　years；　should　the　object　of　his　choice　not　entirely　meet　with　the　approbation　of　his　first　friend。　But；　respect　for　parents　is；　generally　speaking；　a　much　more　debasing　principle；　it　is　only　a　selfish　respect　for　property。　　The　father　who　is　blindly　obeyed；　is　obeyed　from　sheer　weakness；　or　from　motives　that　degrade　the　human　character。　A　great　proportion　of　the　misery　that　wanders；　in　hideous　forms　around　the　world；　is　allowed　to　rise　from　the　negligence　of　parents；　and　still　these　are　the　people　who　are　most　tenacious　of　what　they　term　a　natural　right；　though　it　be　subversive　of　the　birth　right　of　man；　the　right　of　acting　according　to　the　direction　of　his　own　reason。　I　have　already　very　frequently　had　occasion　to　observe；　that　vicious　or　indolent　people　are　always　eager　to　profit　by　enforcing　arbitrary　privileges；　and　generally　in　the　same　proportion　as　they　neglect　the　discharge　of　the　duties　which　alone　render　the　privileges　reasonable。　　This　is　at　the　bottom；　a　dictate　of　common　sense；　or　the　instinct　of　self…defence；　peculiar　to　ignorant　weakness；　resembling　that　instinct；　which　makes　a　fish　muddy　the　water　it　swims　in　to　elude　its　enemy；　instead　of　boldly　facing　it　in　the　clear　stream。　》From　the　clear　stream　of　argument；　indeed；　the　supporters　of　prescription；　of　every　denomination；　fly：　　and　taking　refuge　in　the　darkness；　which；　in　the　language　of　sublime　poetry；　has　been　supposed　to　surround　the　throne　of　Omnipotence；　they　dare　to　demand　that　implicit　respect　which　is　only　due　to　His　unsearchable　ways。　But；　let　me　not　be　thought　presumptuous；　the　darkness　which　hides　our　God　from　us；　only　respects　speculative　truths　it　never　obscures　moral　ones；　they　shine　clearly；　for　God　is　light；　and　never；　by　the　constitution　of　our　nature；　requires　the　discharge　of　a　duty；　the　reasonableness　of　which　does　not　beam　on　us　when　we　open　our　eyes。　The　indolent　parent　of　high　rank　may；　it　is　true；　extort　a　show　of　respect　from　his　child；　and　females　on　the　continent　are　particularly　subject　to　the　views　of　their　families；　who　never　think　of　consulting　their　inclination；　or　providing　for　the　comfort　of　the　poor　victims　of　their　pride。　　The　consequence　is　notorious；　these　dutiful　daughters　become　adulteresses；　and　neglect　the　education　of　their　children；　from　whom　they；　in　their　turn；　exact　the　same　kind　of　obedience。　Females；　it　is　true；　in　all　countries；　are　too　much　under　the　dominion　of　their　parents；　and　few　parents　think　of　addressing　their　children　in　the　following　manner；　though　it　is　in　this　reasonable　way　that　Heaven　seems　to　command　the　whole　human　race。　It　is　your　interest　to　obey　me　till　you　can　judge　for　yourself；　and　the　Almighty　Father　of　all　has　implanted　an　affection　in　me　to　serve　as　a　guard　to　you　whilst　your　reason　is　unfolding；　but　when　your　mind　arrives　at　maturity；　you　must　only　obey　me；　or　rather　respect　my　opinions；　so　far　as　they　coincide　with　the　light　that　is　breaking　in　on　your　own　mind。　A　slavish　bondage　to　parents　cramps　every　faculty　of　the　mind；　and　Mr。　Locke　very　judiciously　observes；　that　〃if　the　mind　be　curbed　and　humbled　too　much　in　children；　if　their　spirits　be　abased　and　broken　much　by　too　strict　an　hand　over　them；　they　lose　all　their　vigour　and　industry。〃　　This　strict　hand　may；　in　some　degree；　account