a vindication of the rights of woman-第57章

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over　them；　they　lose　all　their　vigour　and　industry。〃　　This　strict　hand　may；　in　some　degree；　account　for　the　weakness　of　women；　for　girls；　from　various　causes；　are　more　kept　down　by　their　parents；　in　every　sense　of　the　word；　than　boys。　　The　duty　expected　from　them　is；　like　all　the　duties　arbitrarily　imposed　on　women；　more　from　a　sense　of　propriety；　more　out　of　respect　for　decorum；　than　reason；　and　thus　taught　slavishly　to　submit　to　their　parents；　they　are　prepared　for　the　slavery　of　marriage。　　I　may　be　told　that　a　number　of　women　are　not　slaves　in　the　marriage　state。　　True；　but　they　then　become　tyrants；　for　it　is　not　rational　freedom；　but　a　lawless　kind　of　power；　resembling　the　authority　exercised　by　the　favourites　of　absolute　monarchs；　which　they　obtain　by　debasing　means。　　I　do　not；　likewise；　dream　of　insinuating　that　either　boys　or　girls　are　always　slaves；　I　only　insist；　that　when　they　are　obliged　to　submit　to　authority　blindly；　their　faculties　are　weakened；　and　their　tempers　rendered　imperious　or　abject。　　I　also　lament；　that　parents；　indolently　availing　themselves　of　a　supposed　privilege；　damp　the　first　faint　glimmering　of　reason　rendering　at　the　same　time　the　duty；　which　they　are　so　anxious　to　enforce；　an　empty　name；　because　they　will　not　let　it　rest　on　the　only　basis　on　which　a　duty　can　rest　securely：　　for；　unless　it　be　founded　on　knowledge；　it　cannot　gain　sufficient　strength　to　resist　the　squalls　of　passion；　or　the　silent　sapping　of　self…love。　　But　it　is　not　the　parents　who　have　given　the　surest　proof　of　their　affection　for　their　children；　（or；　to　speak　more　properly；　who　by　fulfilling　their　duty；　have　allowed　a　natural　parental　affection　to　take　root　in　their　hearts；　the　child　of　exercised　sympathy　and　reason；　and　not　the　over…weening　offspring　of　selfish　pride；）　who　most　vehemently　insist　on　their　children　submitting　to　their　will；　merely　because　it　is　their　will。　　On　the　contrary；　the　parent　who　sets　a　good　example；　patiently　lets　that　example　work；　and　it　seldom　fails　to　produce　its　natural　effectfilial　respect。　Children　cannot　be　taught　too　early　to　submit　to　reason；　the　true　definition　of　that　necessity；　which　Rousseau　insisted　on；　without　defining　it；　for　to　submit　to　reason；　is　to　submit　to　the　nature　of　things；　and　to　that　God　who　formed　them　so；　to　promote　our　real　interest。　Why　should　the　minds　of　children　be　warped　as　they　just　begin　to　expand；　only　to　favour　the　indolence　of　parents；　who　insist　on　a　privilege　without　being　willing　to　pay　the　price　fixed　by　nature？　I　have　before　had　occasion　to　observe；　that　a　right　always　includes　a　duty；　and　I　think　it　may；　likewise　fairly　be　inferred；　that　they　forfeit　the　right；　who　do　not　fulfil　the　duty。　It　is　easier；　I　grant；　to　command　than　reason；　but　it　does　not　follow　from　hence；　that　children　cannot　comprehend　the　reason　why　they　are　made　to　do　certain　things　habitually；　for；　from　a　steady　adherence　to　a　few　simple　principles　of　conduct　flows　that　salutary　power；　which　a　judicious　parent　gradually　gains　over　a　child's　mind。　　And　this　power　becomes　strong　indeed；　if　tempered　by　an　even　display　of　affection　brought　home　to　the　child's　heart。　　For；　I　believe；　as　a　general　rule；　it　must　be　allowed；　that　the　affection　which　we　inspire　always　resembles　that　we　cultivate；　so　that　natural　affections；　which　have　been　supposed　almost　distinct　from　reason；　may　be　found　more　nearly　connected　with　judgment　than　is　commonly　allowed。　　Nay；　as　another　proof　of　the　necessity　of　cultivating　the　female　understanding；　it　is　but　just　to　observe；　that　the　affections　seem　to　have　a　kind　of　animal　capriciousness　when　they　merely　reside　in　the　heart。　It　is　the　irregular　exercise　of　parental　authority　that　first　injures　the　mind；　and　to　these　irregularities　girls　are　more　subject　than　boys。　　The　will　of　those　who　never　allow　their　will　to　be　disputed；　unless　they　happen　to　be　in　a　good　humour；　when　they　relax　proportionally；　is　almost　always　unreasonable。　　To　elude　this　arbitrary　authority；　girls　very　early　learn　the　lessons　which　they　afterwards　practise　on　their　husbands；　for　I　have　frequently　seen　a　little　sharp…faced　miss　rule　a　whole　family；　excepting　that　now　and　then　mamma's　anger　will　burst　out　of　some　accidental　cloud　either　her　hair　was　ill…dressed；*　or　she　had　lost　more　money　at　cards；　the　night　before；　than　she　was　willing　to　own　to　her　husband；　or　some　such　moral　cause　of　anger。　（*Footnote。　　I　myself　heard　a　little　girl　once　say　to　a　servant；　〃My　mamma　has　been　scolding　me　finely　this　morning；　because　her　hair　was　not　dressed　to　please　her。〃　　Though　this　remark　was　pert；　it　was　just。　　And　what　respect　could　a　girl　acquire　for　such　a　parent；　without　doing　violence　to　reason？）　After　observing　sallies　of　this　kind；　I　have　been　led　into　a　melancholy　train　of　reflection　respecting　females；　concluding　that　when　their　first　affection　must　lead　them　astray；　or　make　their　duties　clash　till　they　rest　on　mere　whims　and　customs；　little　can　be　expected　from　them　as　they　advance　in　life。　　How；　indeed；　can　an　instructor　remedy　this　evil？　for　to　teach　them　virtue　on　any　solid　principle　is　to　teach　them　to　despise　their　parents。　　Children　cannot；　ought　not　to　be　taught　to　make　allowance　for　the　faults　of　their　parents；　because　every　such　allowance　weakens　the　force　of　reason　in　their　minds；　and　makes　them　still　more　indulgent　to　their　own。　　It　is　one　of　the　most　sublime　virtues　of　maturity　that　leads　us　to　be　severe　with　respect　to　ourselves；　and　forbearing　to　others；　but　children　should　only　be　taught　the　simple　virtues；　for　if　they　begin　too　early　to　make　allowance　for　human　passions　and　manners；　they　wear　off　the　fine　edge　of　the　criterion　by　which　they　should　regulate　their　own；　and　become　unjust　in　the　same　proportion　as　they　grow　indulgent。　The　affections　of　children；　and　weak　people；　are　always　selfish；　they　love　others；　because　others　love　them；　and　not　on　account　of　their　virtues。　　Yet；　till　esteem　and　love　are　blended　together　in　the　first　affection；　and　reason　made　the　foundation　of　the　first　duty；　morality　will　stumble　at　the　threshold。　　But；　till　society　is　very　differently　constituted；　parents；　I　fear；　will　still　insist　on　being　obeyed；　because　they　will　be　obeyed；　and　constantly　endeavour　to　settle　that　power　on　a　Divine　right；　which　will　not　bear　the　investigation　of　reason。

CHAPTER　12。　ON　NATIONAL　EDUCATION。　The　good　effects　resulting　from　attention　to　private　education　will　ever　be　very　confined；　and　the　parent　who　really　puts　his　own　hand　to　the　plow；　will　always；　in　some　degree　be　disappointed；　till　education　becomes　a　grand　national　concern。　　A　man　cannot　retire　into　a　desert　with　his　child；　and　if　he　did；　he　could　not　bring　himself　back　to　childhood；　and　become　the　proper　friend　and　play…fellow　of　an　infant　or　youth。　　And　when　children　are　confined　to　the　society　of　men　and　women；　they　very　soon　acquire　that　kind　of　premature　manhood　which　stops　the　growth　of　every　vigorous　power　of　mind　or　body。　　In　order　to　open　their　faculties　they　should　be　excited　to　think　for　themselves；　and　this　can　only　be　done　by　mixing　a　number　of　children　together；　and　making　them　jointly　pursue　the　same　objects。　A　child　very　soon　contracts　a　benumbing　indolence　of　mind；　which　he　has　seldom　suffi