a vindication of the rights of woman-第62章

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oach　on　gymnastic　plays　in　the　open　air。　　The　elements　of　religion；　history；　the　history　of　man；　and　politics；　might　also　be　taught　by　conversations；　in　the　socratic　form。　After　the　age　of　nine；　girls　and　boys；　intended　for　domestic　employments；　or　mechanical　trades；　ought　to　be　removed　to　other　schools；　and　receive　instruction；　in　some　measure　appropriated　to　the　destination　of　each　individual；　the　two　sexes　being　still　together　in　the　morning；　but　in　the　afternoon；　the　girls　should　attend　a　school；　where　plain　work；　mantua…making；　millinery；　etc。　would　be　their　employment。　The　young　people　of　superior　abilities；　or　fortune；　might　now　be　taught；　in　another　school；　the　dead　and　living　languages；　the　elements　of　science；　and　continue　the　study　of　history　and　politics；　on　a　more　extensive　scale；　which　would　not　exclude　polite　literature。　　Girls　and　boys　still　together？　I　hear　some　readers　ask：　　yes。　　And　I　should　not　fear　any　other　consequence；　than　that　some　early　attachment　might　take　place；　which；　whilst　it　had　the　best　effect　on　the　moral　character　of　the　young　people；　might　not　perfectly　agree　with　the　views　of　the　parents；　for　it　will　be　a　long　time；　I　fear；　before　the　world　is　so　enlightened；　that　parents；　only　anxious　to　render　their　children　virtuous；　will　let　them　choose　companions　for　life　themselves。　Besides；　this　would　be　a　sure　way　to　promote　early　marriages；　and　from　early　marriages　the　most　salutary　physical　and　moral　effects　naturally　flow。　　What　a　different　character　does　a　married　citizen　assume　from　the　selfish　coxcomb；　who　lives　but　for　himself；　and　who　is　often　afraid　to　marry　lest　he　should　not　be　able　to　live　in　a　certain　style。　　Great　emergencies　excepted；　which　would　rarely　occur　in　a　society　of　which　equality　was　the　basis；　a　man　could　only　be　prepared　to　discharge　the　duties　of　public　life；　by　the　habitual　practice　of　those　inferior　ones　which　form　the　man。　In　this　plan　of　education；　the　constitution　of　boys　would　not　be　ruined　by　the　early　debaucheries；　which　now　make　men　so　selfish；　nor　girls　rendered　weak　and　vain；　by　indolence　and　frivolous　pursuits。　　But；　I　presuppose；　that　such　a　degree　of　equality　should　be　established　between　the　sexes　as　would　shut　out　gallantry　and　coquetry；　yet　allow　friendship　and　love　to　temper　the　heart　for　the　discharge　of　higher　duties。　These　would　be　schools　of　moralityand　the　happiness　of　man；　allowed　to　flow　from　the　pure　springs　of　duty　and　affection；　what　advances　might　not　the　human　mind　make？　　Society　can　only　be　happy　and　free　in　proportion　as　it　is　virtuous；　but　the　present　distinctions；　established　in　society；　corrode　all　private；　and　blast　all　public　virtue。　I　have　already　inveighed　against　the　custom　of　confining　girls　to　their　needle；　and　shutting　them　out　from　all　political　and　civil　employments；　for　by　thus　narrowing　their　minds　they　are　rendered　unfit　to　fulfil　the　peculiar　duties　which　nature　has　assigned　them。　Only　employed　about　the　little　incidents　of　the　day；　they　necessarily　grow　up　cunning。　　My　very　soul　has　often　sickened　at　observing　the　sly　tricks　practised　by　women　to　gain　some　foolish　thing　on　which　their　silly　hearts　were　set。　　Not　allowed　to　dispose　of　money；　or　call　any　thing　their　own；　they　learn　to　turn　the　market　penny；　or；　should　a　husband　offend；　by　staying　from　home；　or　give　rise　to　some　emotions　of　jealousya　new　gown；　or　any　pretty　bauble；　smooths　Juno's　angry　brow。　But　these　LITTLENESSES　would　not　degrade　their　character；　if　women　were　led　to　respect　themselves；　if　political　and　moral　subjects　were　opened　to　them；　and　I　will　venture　to　affirm；　that　this　is　the　only　way　to　make　them　properly　attentive　to　their　domestic　duties。　An　active　mind　embraces　the　whole　circle　of　its　duties；　and　finds　time　enough　for　all。　　It　is　not；　I　assert；　a　bold　attempt　to　emulate　masculine　virtues；　it　is　not　the　enchantment　of　literary　pursuits；　or　the　steady　investigation　of　scientific　subjects；　that　lead　women　astray　from　duty。　　No；　it　is　indolence　and　vanity　the　love　of　pleasure　and　the　love　of　sway；　that　will　reign　paramount　in　an　empty　mind。　　I　say　empty；　emphatically；　because　the　education　which　women　now　receive　scarcely　deserves　the　name。　　For　the　little　knowledge　they　are　led　to　acquire　during　the　important　years　of　youth；　is　merely　relative　to　accomplishments；　and　accomplishments　without　a　bottom；　for　unless　the　understanding　be　cultivated；　superficial　and　monotonous　is　every　grace。　　Like　the　charms　of　a　made…up　face；　they　only　strike　the　senses　in　a　crowd；　but　at　home；　wanting　mind；　they　want　variety。　　The　consequence　is　obvious；　in　gay　scenes　of　dissipation　we　meet　the　artificial　mind　and　face；　for　those　who　fly　from　solitude　dread　next　to　solitude；　the　domestic　circle；　not　having　it　in　their　power　to　amuse　or　interest；　they　feel　their　own　insignificance；　or　find　nothing　to　amuse　or　interest　themselves。　Besides；　what　can　be　more　indelicate　than　a　girl's　coming　out　in　the　fashionable　world？　　Which；　in　other　words；　is　to　bring　to　market　a　marriageable　miss；　whose　person　is　taken　from　one　public　place　to　another；　richly　caparisoned。　　Yet；　mixing　in　the　giddy　circle　under　restraint；　these　butterflies　long　to　flutter　at　large；　for　the　first　affection　of　their　souls　is　their　own　persons；　to　which　their　attention　has　been　called　with　the　most　sedulous　care；　whilst　they　were　preparing　for　the　period　that　decides　their　fate　for　life。　　Instead　of　pursuing　this　idle　routine；　sighing　for　tasteless　show；　and　heartless　state；　with　what　dignity　would　the　youths　of　both　sexes　form　attachments　in　the　schools　that　I　have　cursorily　pointed　out；　in　which；　as　life　advanced；　dancing；　music；　and　drawing；　might　be　admitted　as　relaxations；　for　at　these　schools　young　people　of　fortune　ought　to　remain；　more　or　less；　till　they　were　of　age。　　Those；　who　were　designed　for　particular　professions；　might　attend；　three　or　four　mornings　in　the　week；　the　schools　appropriated　for　their　immediate　instruction。　I　only　drop　these　observations　at　present；　as　hints；　rather；　indeed　as　an　outline　of　the　plan　I　mean；　than　a　digested　one；　but　I　must　add；　that　I　highly　approve　of　one　regulation　mentioned　in　the　pamphlet　already　alluded　to　（The　Bishop　of　Autun）；　that　of　making　the　children　and　youths　independent　of　the　masters　respecting　punishments。　　They　should　be　tried　by　their　peers；　which　would　be　an　admirable　method　of　fixing　sound　principles　of　justice　in　the　mind；　and　might　have　the　happiest　effect　on　the　temper；　which　is　very　early　soured　or　irritated　by　tyranny；　till　it　becomes　peevishly　cunning；　or　ferociously　overbearing。　My　imagination　darts　forward　with　benevolent　fervour　to　greet　these　amiable　and　respectable　groups；　in　spite　of　the　sneering　of　cold　hearts；　who　are　at　liberty　to　utter；　with　frigid　self…importance；　the　damning　epithet　romantic；　the　force　of　which　I　shall　endeavour　to　blunt　by　repeating　the　words　of　an　eloquent　moralist。　〃I　know　not　whether　the　allusions　of　a　truly　humane　heart；　whose　zeal　renders　every　thing　easy；　is　not　preferable　to　that　rough　and　repulsing　reason；　which　always　finds　in　indifference　for　the　public　good；　the　first　obstacle　to　whatever　would　promote　it。〃　I　know　that　libertines　will　also　exclaim；　that　woman　would　be　unsexed　by　acquiring　strength　o