a vindication of the rights of woman-第8章

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rd　to　prove；　that　the　two　sexes；　in　the　acquirement　of　virtue；　ought　to　aim　at　attaining　a　very　different　character：　　or；　to　speak　explicitly；　women　are　not　allowed　to　have　sufficient　strength　of　mind　to　acquire　what　really　deserves　the　name　of　virtue。　　Yet　it　should　seem；　allowing　them　to　have　souls；　that　there　is　but　one　way　appointed　by　providence　to　lead　MANKIND　to　either　virtue　or　happiness。　If　then　women　are　not　a　swarm　of　ephemeron　triflers；　why　should　they　be　kept　in　ignorance　under　the　specious　name　of　innocence？　Men　complain；　and　with　reason；　of　the　follies　and　caprices　of　our　sex；　when　they　do　not　keenly　satirize　our　headstrong　passions　and　groveling　vices。　　Behold；　I　should　answer；　the　natural　effect　of　ignorance！　　The　mind　will　ever　be　unstable　that　has　only　prejudices　to　rest　on；　and　the　current　will　run　with　destructive　fury　when　there　are　no　barriers　to　break　its　force。　　Women　are　told　from　their　infancy；　and　taught　by　the　example　of　their　mothers；　that　a　little　knowledge　of　human　weakness；　justly　termed　cunning；　softness　of　temper；　OUTWARD　obedience；　and　a　scrupulous　attention　to　a　puerile　kind　of　propriety；　will　obtain　for　them　the　protection　of　man；　and　should　they　be　beautiful；　every　thing　else　is　needless；　for　at　least　twenty　years　of　their　lives。　Thus　Milton　describes　our　first　frail　mother；　though　when　he　tells　us　that　women　are　formed　for　softness　and　sweet　attractive　grace；　I　cannot　comprehend　his　meaning；　unless；　in　the　true　Mahometan　strain；　he　meant　to　deprive　us　of　souls；　and　insinuate　that　we　were　beings　only　designed　by　sweet　attractive　grace；　and　docile　blind　obedience；　to　gratify　the　senses　of　man　when　he　can　no　longer　soar　on　the　wing　of　contemplation。　How　grossly　do　they　insult　us；　who　thus　advise　us　only　to　render　ourselves　gentle；　domestic　brutes！　　For　instance；　the　winning　softness；　so　warmly；　and　frequently　recommended；　that　governs　by　obeying。　　What　childish　expressions；　and　how　insignificant　is　the　beingcan　it　be　an　immortal　one？　　who　will　condescend　to　govern　by　such　sinister　methods！　　〃Certainly；〃　says　Lord　Bacon；　〃man　is　of　kin　to　the　beasts　by　his　body：　and　if　he　be　not　of　kin　to　God　by　his　spirit；　he　is　a　base　and　ignoble　creature！〃　　Men；　indeed；　appear　to　me　to　act　in　a　very　unphilosophical　manner；　when　they　try　to　secure　the　good　conduct　of　women　by　attempting　to　keep　them　always　in　a　state　of　childhood。　　Rousseau　was　more　consistent　when　he　wished　to　stop　the　progress　of　reason　in　both　sexes；　for　if　men　eat　of　the　tree　of　knowledge；　women　will　come　in　for　a　taste：　　but；　from　the　imperfect　cultivation　which　their　understandings　now　receive；　they　only　attain　a　knowledge　of　evil。　Children；　I　grant；　should　be　innocent；　but　when　the　epithet　is　applied　to　men；　or　women；　it　is　but　a　civil　term　for　weakness。　　For　if　it　be　allowed　that　women　were　destined　by　Providence　to　acquire　human　virtues；　and　by　the　exercise　of　their　understandings；　that　stability　of　character　which　is　the　firmest　ground　to　rest　our　future　hopes　upon；　they　must　be　permitted　to　turn　to　the　fountain　of　light；　and　not　forced　to　shape　their　course　by　the　twinkling　of　a　mere　satellite。　　Milton；　I　grant；　was　of　a　very　different　opinion；　for　he　only　bends　to　the　indefeasible　right　of　beauty；　though　it　would　be　difficult　to　render　two　passages；　which　I　now　mean　to　contrast；　consistent：　　but　into　similar　inconsistencies　are　great　men　often　led　by　their　senses：　〃To　whom　thus　Eve　with　perfect　beauty　adorned：　My　author　and　disposer；　what　thou　bidst　Unargued　I　obey；　so　God　ordains；　God　is　thy　law；　thou　mine；　to　know　no　more　Is　woman's　happiest　knowledge　and　her　praise。〃　These　are　exactly　the　arguments　that　I　have　used　to　children；　but　I　have　added；　〃Your　reason　is　now　gaining　strength；　and；　till　it　arrives　at　some　degree　of　maturity；　you　must　look　up　to　me　for　advice：　　then　you　ought　to　THINK；　and　only　rely　on　God。〃　Yet；　in　the　following　lines；　Milton　seems　to　coincide　with　me；　when　he　makes　Adam　thus　expostulate　with　his　Maker：　〃Hast　thou　not　made　me　here　thy　substitute；　And　these　inferior　far　beneath　me　set？　Among　unequals　what　society　Can　sort；　what　harmony　or　delight？　Which　must　be　mutual；　in　proportion　due　Given　and　received；　but　in　disparity　The　one　intense；　the　other　still　remiss　Cannot　well　suit　with　either；　but　soon　prove　Tedious　alike：　　of　fellowship　I　speak　Such　as　I　seek　fit　to　participate　All　rational　delight。〃　In　treating；　therefore；　of　the　manners　of　women；　let　us；　disregarding　sensual　arguments；　trace　what　we　should　endeavour　to　make　them　in　order　to　co…operate；　if　the　expression　be　not　too　bold；　with　the　Supreme　Being。　By　individual　education；　I　meanfor　the　sense　of　the　word　is　not　precisely　definedsuch　an　attention　to　a　child　as　will　slowly　sharpen　the　senses；　form　the　temper；　regulate　the　passions；　as　they　begin　to　ferment；　and　set　the　understanding　to　work　before　the　body　arrives　at　maturity；　so　that　the　man　may　only　have　to　proceed；　not　to　begin；　the　important　task　of　learning　to　think　and　reason。　To　prevent　any　misconstruction；　I　must　add；　that　I　do　not　believe　that　a　private　education　can　work　the　wonders　which　some　sanguine　writers　have　attributed　to　it。　　Men　and　women　must　be　educated；　in　a　great　degree；　by　the　opinions　and　manners　of　the　society　they　live　in。　　In　every　age　there　has　been　a　stream　of　popular　opinion　that　has　carried　all　before　it；　and　given　a　family　character；　as　it　were；　to　the　century。　　It　may　then　fairly　be　inferred；　that；　till　society　be　differently　constituted；　much　cannot　be　expected　from　education。　　It　is；　however；　sufficient　for　my　present　purpose　to　assert；　that；　whatever　effect　circumstances　have　on　the　abilities；　every　being　may　become　virtuous　by　the　exercise　of　its　own　reason；　for　if　but　one　being　was　created　with　vicious　inclinationsthat　is；　positively　bad　what　can　save　us　from　atheism？　or　if　we　worship　a　God；　is　not　that　God　a　devil？　Consequently；　the　most　perfect　education；　in　my　opinion；　is　such　an　exercise　of　the　understanding　as　is　best　calculated　to　strengthen　the　body　and　form　the　heart；　or；　in　other　words；　to　enable　the　individual　to　attain　such　habits　of　virtue　as　will　render　it　independent。　　In　fact；　it　is　a　farce　to　call　any　being　virtuous　whose　virtues　do　not　result　from　the　exercise　of　its　own　reason。　This　was　Rousseau's　opinion　respecting　men：　　I　extend　it　to　women；　and　confidently　assert　that　they　have　been　drawn　out　of　their　sphere　by　false　refinement；　and　not　by　an　endeavour　to　acquire　masculine　qualities。　　Still　the　regal　homage　which　they　receive　is　so　intoxicating；　that；　till　the　manners　of　the　times　are　changed；　and　formed　on　more　reasonable　principles；　it　may　be　impossible　to　convince　them　that　the　illegitimate　power；　which　they　obtain　by　degrading　themselves；　is　a　curse；　and　that　they　must　return　to　nature　and　equality；　if　they　wish　to　secure　the　placid　satisfaction　that　unsophisticated　affections　impart。　　But　for　this　epoch　we　must　waitwait；　perhaps；　till　kings　and　nobles；　enlightened　by　reason；　and；　preferring　the　real　dignity　of　man　to　childish　state；　throw　off　their　gaudy　hereditary　trappings；　and　if　then　women　do　not　resign　the　arbitrary　power　of　beauty；　they　will　prove　that　they　have　LESS　mind　than　man。　　I　may　be　accused　of　arrogance；　still　I　must