a vindication of the rights of woman-第16部分

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he　excursive　flights　of　ambition；　that　engross　their　attention；　no；　their　thoughts　are　not　employed　in　rearing　such　noble　structures。　　To　rise　in　the　world；　and　have　the　liberty　of　running　from　pleasure　to　pleasure；　they　must　marry　advantageously；　and　to　this　object　their　time　is　sacrificed；　and　their　persons　often　legally　prostituted。　　A　man；　when　he　enters　any　profession；　has　his　eye　steadily　fixed　on　some　future　advantage　（and　the　mind　gains　great　strength　by　having　all　its　efforts　directed　to　one　point）　and；　full　of　his　business；　pleasure　is　considered　as　mere　relaxation；　whilst　women　seek　for　pleasure　as　the　main　purpose　of　existence。　　In　fact；　from　the　education　which　they　receive　from　society；　the　love　of　pleasure　may　be　said　to　govern　them　all；　but　does　this　prove　that　there　is　a　sex　in　souls？　　It　would　be　just　as　rational　to　declare；　that　the　courtiers　in　France；　when　a　destructive　system　of　despotism　had　formed　their　character；　were　not　men；　because　liberty；　virtue；　and　humanity；　were　sacrificed　to　pleasure　and　vanity。　　Fatal　passions；　which　have　ever　domineered　over　the　WHOLE　race！　The　same　love　of　pleasure；　fostered　by　the　whole　tendency　of　their　education；　gives　a　trifling　turn　to　the　conduct　of　women　in　most　circumstances：　　for　instance；　they　are　ever　anxious　about　secondary　things；　and　on　the　watch　for　adventures；　instead　of　being　occupied　by　duties。　A　man；　when　he　undertakes　a　journey；　has；　in　general　the　end　in　view；　a　woman　thinks　more　of　the　incidental　occurrences；　the　strange　things　that　may　possibly　occur　on　the　road；　the　impression　that　she　may　make　on　her　fellow　travellers；　and；　above　all；　she　is　anxiously　intent　on　the　care　of　the　finery　that　she　carries　with　her；　which　is　more　than　ever　a　part　of　herself；　when　going　to　figure　on　a　new　scene；　when；　to　use　an　apt　French　turn　of　expression；　she　is　going　to　produce　a　sensation。　　Can　dignity　of　mind　exist　with　such　trivial　cares？　In　short；　women；　in　general；　as　well　as　the　rich　of　both　sexes；　have　acquired　all　the　follies　and　vices　of　civilization；　and　missed　the　useful　fruit。　　It　is　not　necessary　for　me　always　to　premise；　that　I　speak　of　the　condition　of　the　whole　sex；　leaving　exceptions　out　of　the　question。　　Their　senses　are　inflamed；　and　their　understandings　neglected；　consequently　they　become　the　prey　of　their　senses；　delicately　termed　sensibility；　and　are　blown　about　by　every　momentary　gust　of　feeling。　　They　are；　therefore；　in　a　much　worse　condition　than　they　would　be　in；　were　they　in　a　state　nearer　to　nature。　　Ever　restless　and　anxious；　their　over　exercised　sensibility　not　only　renders　them　uncomfortable　themselves；　but　troublesome；　to　use　a　soft　phrase；　to　others。　　All　their　thoughts　turn　on　things　calculated　to　excite　emotion；　and；　feeling；　when　they　should　reason；　their　conduct　is　unstable；　and　their　opinions　are　wavering；　not　the　wavering　produced　by　deliberation　or　progressive　views；　but　by　contradictory　emotions。　　By　fits　and　starts　they　are　warm　in　many　pursuits；　yet　this　warmth；　never　concentrated　into　perseverance；　soon　exhausts　itself；　exhaled　by　its　own　heat；　or　meeting　with　some　other　fleeting　passion；　to　which　reason　has　never　given　any　specific　gravity；　neutrality　ensues。　Miserable；　indeed；　must　be　that　being　whose　cultivation　of　mind　has　only　tended　to　inflame　its　passions！　　A　distinction　should　be　made　between　inflaming　and　strengthening　them。　　The　passions　thus　pampered；　whilst　the　judgment　is　left　unformed；　what　can　be　expected　to　ensue？　　Undoubtedly；　a　mixture　of　madness　and　folly！　This　observation　should　not　be　confined　to　the　FAIR　sex；　however；　at　present；　I　only　mean　to　apply　it　to　them。　Novels；　music；　poetry　and　gallantry；　all　tend　to　make　women　the　creatures　of　sensation；　and　their　character　is　thus　formed　during　the　time　they　are　acquiring　accomplishments；　the　only　improvement　they　are　excited；　by　their　station　in　society；　to　acquire。　　This　overstretched　sensibility　naturally　relaxes　the　other　powers　of　the　mind；　and　prevents　intellect　from　attaining　that　sovereignty　which　it　ought　to　attain；　to　render　a　rational　creature　useful　to　others；　and　content　with　its　own　station；　for　the　exercise　of　the　understanding；　as　life　advances；　is　the　only　method　pointed　out　by　nature　to　calm　the　passions。　Satiety　has　a　very　different　effect；　and　I　have　often　been　forcibly　struck　by　an　emphatical　description　of　damnation；　when　the　spirit　is　represented　as　continually　hovering　with　abortive　eagerness　round　the　defiled　body；　unable　to　enjoy　any　thing　without　the　organs　of　sense。　　Yet；　to　their　senses；　are　women　made　slaves；　because　it　is　by　their　sensibility　that　they　obtain　present　power。　And　will　moralists　pretend　to　assert；　that　this　is　the　condition　in　which　one　half　of　the　human　race　should　be　encouraged　to　remain　with　listless　inactivity　and　stupid　acquiescence？　　Kind　instructors！　what　were　we　created　for？　　To　remain；　it　may　be　said；　innocent；　they　mean　in　a　state　of　childhood。　　We　might　as　well　never　have　been　born；　unless　it　were　necessary　that　we　should　be　created　to　enable　man　to　acquire　the　noble　privilege　of　reason；　the　power　of　discerning　good　from　evil；　whilst　we　lie　down　in　the　dust　from　whence　we　were　taken；　never　to　rise　again。　It　would　be　an　endless　task　to　trace　the　variety　of　meannesses；　cares；　and　sorrows；　into　which　women　are　plunged　by　the　prevailing　opinion；　that　they　were　created　rather　to　feel　than　reason；　and　that　all　the　power　they　obtain；　must　be　obtained　by　their　charms　and　weakness；　〃Fine　by　defect；　and　amiably　weak！〃　And；　made　by　this　amiable　weakness　entirely　dependent；　excepting　what　they　gain　by　illicit　sway；　on　man；　not　only　for　protection；　but　advice；　is　it　surprising　that；　neglecting　the　duties　that　reason　alone　points　out；　and　shrinking　from　trials　calculated　to　strengthen　their　minds；　they　only　exert　themselves　to　give　their　defects　a　graceful　covering；　which　may　serve　to　heighten　their　charms　in　the　eye　of　the　voluptuary；　though　it　sink　them　below　the　scale　of　moral　excellence？　Fragile　in　every　sense　of　the　word；　they　are　obliged　to　look　up　to　man　for　every　comfort。　　In　the　most　trifling　dangers　they　cling　to　their　support；　with　parasitical　tenacity；　piteously　demanding　succour；　and　their　NATURAL　protector　extends　his　arm；　or　lifts　up　his　voice；　to　guard　the　lovely　tremblerfrom　what？　　Perhaps　the　frown　of　an　old　cow；　or　the　jump　of　a　mouse；　a　rat；　would　be　a　serious　danger。　　In　the　name　of　reason；　and　even　common　sense；　what　can　save　such　beings　from　contempt；　even　though　they　be　soft　and　fair？　These　fears；　when　not　affected；　may　be　very　pretty；　but　they　shew　a　degree　of　imbecility；　that　degrades　a　rational　creature　in　a　way　women　are　not　aware　offor　love　and　esteem　are　very　distinct　things。　I　am　fully　persuaded；　that　we　should　hear　of　none　of　these　infantine　airs；　if　girls　were　allowed　to　take　sufficient　exercise　and　not　confined　in　close　rooms　till　their　muscles　are　relaxed　and　their　powers　of　digestion　destroyed。　　To　carry　the　remark　still　further；　if　fear　in　girls；　instead　of　being　cherished；　perhaps；　created；　were　treated　in　the　same　manner　as　cowardice　in　boys；　we　should　quickly　see　women　with　more　dignified　aspects。　　It　is　true；　they　could　not　then　with　equal　propriety　be　termed　the　sweet　flowers　that　smile　in　the　walk　of　man；　but　they　would　be　more　respectable　members　of　society；　and　discharge　the　important　duties　of　life　by　the　light　of　their　own　reason。　　〃Educate　women　like　men；〃　says　Rousseau；　〃and　the　more　they　resemble　our　sex　the　less　power　will　they　have　over　us。〃　　This　is　the　very　point　I　aim　at。　　I　do　not　wish　them　to　have　power　over　men；　but　over　themselves。　In　the　same　strain　have　I　heard　men　argue　against　instructing　the　poor；　for　many　are　the　forms　that　aristocracy　assumes。　　〃Teach　them　to　read　and　write；〃　say　they；　〃and　you　take　them　out　of　the　station　assigned　them　by　nature。〃　　An　eloquent　Frenchman；　has　answered　them；　I　will　borrow　his　sentiments。　　But　they　know　not；　when　they　make　man　a　brute；　that　they　may　expect　every　instant　to　see　him　transformed　into　a　ferocious　beast。　　Without　knowledge　there　can　be　no　morality！　Ignorance　is　a　frail　base　for　virtue！　　Yet；　that　it　is　the　condition　for　which　woman　was　organized；　has　been　insisted　upon　by　the　writers　who　have　most　vehemently　argued　in　favour　of　the　superiority　of　man；　a　superiority　not　in　degree；　but　essence；　though；　to　soften　the　argument；　they　have　laboured　to　prove；　with　chivalrous　generosity；　that　the　sexes　ought　not　to　be　compared；　man　was　made　to　reason；　woman　to　feel：　　and　that　together；　flesh　and　spirit；　they　make　the　most　perfect　whole；　by　blending　happily　reason　and　sensibility　into　one　character。　And　what　is　sensibility？　　〃Quickness　of　sensation；　quickness　of　perception；　delicacy。〃　　Thus　is　it　defined　by　Dr。　Johnson；　and　the　definition　gives　me　no　other　idea　than　of　the　most　exquisitely　polished　instinct。　　I　discern　not　a　trace　of　the　image　of　God　in　either　sensation　or　matter。　　Refined　seventy　times　seven；　they　are　still　material；　intellect　dwells　not　there；　nor　will　fire　ever　make　lead　gold！　I　come　round　to　my　old　argument；　if　woman　be　allowed　to　have　an　immortal　soul；　she　must　have　as　the　employment　of　life；　an　understanding　to　improve。　　And　when；　to　render　the　present　state　more　complete；　though　every　thing　proves　it　to　be　but　a　fraction　of　a　mighty　sum；　she　is　incited　by　present　gratification　to　forget　her　grand　destination。　　Nature　is　counteracted；　or　she　was　born　only　to　procreate　and　rot。　　Or；　granting　brutes；　of　every　description；　a　soul；　though　not　a　reasonable　one；　the　exercise　of　instinct　and　sensibility　may　be　the　step；　which　they　are　to　take；　in　this　life；　towards　the　attainment　of　reason　in　the　next；　so　that　through　all　eternity　they　will　lag　behind　man；　who；　why　we　cannot　tell；　had　the　power　given　him　of　attaining　reason　in　his　first　mode　of　existence。　When　I　treat　of　the　peculiar　duties　of　women；　as　I　should　treat　of　the　peculiar　duties　of　a　citizen　or　father；　it　will　be　found　that　I　do　not　mean　to　insinuate；　that　they　should　be　taken　out　of　their　families；　speaking　of　the　majority。　　〃He　that　hath　wife　and　children；〃　says　Lord　Bacon；　〃hath　given　hostages　to　fortune；　for　they　are　impediments　to　great　enterprises；　either　of　virtue　or　mischief。　　Certainly　the　best　works；　and　of　greatest　merit　for　the　public；　have　proc