a vindication of the rights of woman-第70章

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d　to　throw　its　rider；　till　at　last　it　sullenly　submitted。　I　have　always　found　horses；　an　animal　I　am　attached　to；　very　tractable　when　treated　with　humanity　and　steadiness；　so　that　I　doubt　whether　the　violent　methods　taken　to　break　them；　do　not　essentially　injure　them；　I　am；　however；　certain　that　a　child　should　never　be　thus　forcibly　tamed　after　it　has　injudiciously　been　allowed　to　run　wild；　for　every　violation　of　justice　and　reason；　in　the　treatment　of　children；　weakens　their　reason。　　And；　so　early　do　they　catch　a　character；　that　the　base　of　the　moral　character；　experience　leads　me　to　infer；　is　fixed　before　their　seventh　year；　the　period　during　which　women　are　allowed　the　sole　management　of　children。　　Afterwards　it　too　often　happens　that　half　the　business　of　education　is　to　correct；　and　very　imperfectly　is　it　done；　if　done　hastily；　the　faults；　which　they　would　never　have　acquired　if　their　mothers　had　had　more　understanding。　One　striking　instance　of　the　folly　of　women　must　not　be　omitted。　The　manner　in　which　they　treat　servants　in　the　presence　of　children；　permitting　them　to　suppose；　that　they　ought　to　wait　on　them；　and　bear　their　humours。　　A　child　should　always　be　made　to　receive　assistance　from　a　man　or　woman　as　a　favour；　and；　as　the　first　lesson　of　independence；　they　should　practically　be　taught；　by　the　example　of　their　mother；　not　to　require　that　personal　attendance　which　it　is　an　insult　to　humanity　to　require；　when　in　health；　and　instead　of　being　led　to　assume　airs　of　consequence；　a　sense　of　their　own　weakness　should　first　make　them　feel　the　natural　equality　of　man。　　Yet；　how　frequently　have　I　indignantly　heard　servants　imperiously　called　to　put　children　to　bed；　and　sent　away　again　and　again；　because　master　or　miss　hung　about　mamma；　to　stay　a　little　longer。　　Thus　made　slavishly　to　attend　the　little　idol；　all　those　most　disgusting　humours　were　exhibited　which　characterize　a　spoiled　child。　In　short；　speaking　of　the　majority　of　mothers；　they　leave　their　children　entirely　to　the　care　of　servants：　or；　because　they　are　their　children；　treat　them　as　if　they　were　little　demi…gods；　though　I　have　always　observed；　that　the　women　who　thus　idolize　their　children；　seldom　show　common　humanity　to　servants；　or　feel　the　least　tenderness　for　any　children　but　their　own。　It　is；　however；　these　exclusive　affections；　and　an　individual　manner　of　seeing　things；　produced　by　ignorance；　which　keep　women　for　ever　at　a　stand；　with　respect　to　improvement；　and　make　many　of　them　dedicate　their　lives　to　their　children　only　to　weaken　their　bodies　and　spoil　their　tempers；　frustrating　also　any　plan　of　education　that　a　more　rational　father　may　adopt；　for　unless　a　mother　concurs；　the　father　who　restrains　will　ever　be　considered　as　a　tyrant。　But；　fulfilling　the　duties　of　a　mother；　a　woman　with　a　sound　constitution；　may　still　keep　her　person　scrupulously　neat；　and　assist　to　maintain　her　family；　if　necessary；　or　by　reading　and　conversations　with　both　sexes；　indiscriminately；　improve　her　mind。　For　nature　has　so　wisely　ordered　things；　that　did　women　suckle　their　children；　they　would　preserve　their　own　health；　and　there　would　be　such　an　interval　between　the　birth　of　each　child；　that　we　should　seldom　see　a　house　full　of　babes。　　And　did　they　pursue　a　plan　of　conduct；　and　not　waste　their　time　in　following　the　fashionable　vagaries　of　dress；　the　management　of　their　household　and　children　need　not　shut　them　out　from　literature；　nor　prevent　their　attaching　themselves　to　a　science；　with　that　steady　eye　which　strengthens　the　mind；　or　practising　one　of　the　fine　arts　that　cultivate　the　taste。　But；　visiting　to　display　finery；　card　playing；　and　balls；　not　to　mention　the　idle　bustle　of　morning　trifling；　draw　women　from　their　duty；　to　render　them　insignificant；　to　render　them　pleasing；　according　to　the　present　acceptation　of　the　word；　to　every　man；　but　their　husband。　　For　a　round　of　pleasures　in　which　the　affections　are　not　exercised；　cannot　be　said　to　improve　the　understanding；　though　it　be　erroneously　called　seeing　the　world；　yet　the　heart　is　rendered　cold　and　averse　to　duty；　by　such　a　senseless　intercourse；　which　becomes　necessary　from　habit；　even　when　it　has　ceased　to　amuse。　But；　till　more　equality　be　established　in　society；　till　ranks　are　confounded　and　women　freed；　we　shall　not　see　that　dignified　domestic　happiness；　the　simple　grandeur　of　which　cannot　be　relished　by　ignorant　or　vitiated　minds；　nor　will　the　important　task　of　education　ever　be　properly　begun　till　the　person　of　a　woman　is　no　longer　preferred　to　her　mind。　　For　it　would　be　as　wise　to　expect　corn　from　tares；　or　figs　from　thistles；　as　that　a　foolish　ignorant　woman　should　be　a　good　mother。　SECTION　13。6。　It　is　not　necessary　to　inform　the　sagacious　reader；　now　I　enter　on　my　concluding　reflections；　that　the　discussion　of　this　subject　merely　consists　in　opening　a　few　simple　principles；　and　clearing　away　the　rubbish　which　obscured　them。　　But；　as　all　readers　are　not　sagacious；　I　must　be　allowed　to　add　some　explanatory　remarks　to　bring　the　subject　home　to　reasonto　that　sluggish　reason；　which　supinely　takes　opinions　on　trust；　and　obstinately　supports　them　to　spare　itself　the　labour　of　thinking。　Moralists　have　unanimously　agreed；　that　unless　virtue　be　nursed　by　liberty；　it　will　never　attain　due　strengthand　what　they　say　of　man　I　extend　to　mankind；　insisting；　that　in　all　cases　morals　must　be　fixed　on　immutable　principles；　and　that　the　being　cannot　be　termed　rational　or　virtuous；　who　obeys　any　authority　but　that　of　reason。　To　render　women　truly　useful　members　of　society；　I　argue；　that　they　should　be　led；　by　having　their　understandings　cultivated　on　a　large　scale；　to　acquire　a　rational　affection　for　their　country；　founded　on　knowledge；　because　it　is　obvious；　that　we　are　little　interested　about　what　we　do　not　understand。　　And　to　render　this　general　knowledge　of　due　importance；　I　have　endeavoured　to　show　that　private　duties　are　never　properly　fulfilled；　unless　the　understanding　enlarges　the　heart；　and　that　public　virtue　is　only　an　aggregate　of　private。　　But；　the　distinctions　established　in　society　undermine　both；　by　beating　out　the　solid　gold　of　virtue；　till　it　becomes　only　the　tinsel…covering　of　vice；　for；　whilst　wealth　renders　a　man　more　respectable　than　virtue；　wealth　will　be　sought　before　virtue；　and；　whilst　women's　persons　are　caressed；　when　a　childish　simper　shows　an　absence　of　mindthe　mind　will　lie　fallow。　Yet；　true　voluptuousness　must　proceed　from　the　mindfor　what　can　equal　the　sensations　produced　by　mutual　affection；　supported　by　mutual　respect？　　What　are　the　cold　or　feverish　caresses　of　appetite；　but　sin　embracing　death；　compared　with　the　modest　overflowings　of　a　pure　heart　and　exalted　imagination？　　Yes；　let　me　tell　the　libertine　of　fancy　when　he　despises　understanding　in　womanthat　the　mind；　which　he　disregards；　gives　life　to　the　enthusiastic　affection　from　which　rapture；　short…lived　as　it　is；　alone　can　flow！　　And；　that；　without　virtue；　a　sexual　attachment　must　expire；　like　a　tallow　candle　in　the　socket；　creating　intolerable　disgust。　　To　prove　this；　I　need　only　observe；　that　men　who　have　wasted　great　part　of　their　lives　with　women；　and　with　whom　they　have　sought　for　pleasure　with　eager　thirst；　entertain　the　meanest　opinion　of