a vindication of the rights of woman-第39部分

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CHAPTER　10。　PARENTAL　AFFECTION。　Parental　affection　is；　perhaps；　the　blindest　modification　of　perverse　self…love；　for　we　have　not；　like　the　French　two　terms　（L'amour　propre；　L'amour　de　soi　meme）　to　distinguish　the　pursuit　of　a　natural　and　reasonable　desire；　from　the　ignorant　calculations　of　weakness。　　Parents　often　love　their　children　in　the　most　brutal　manner；　and　sacrifice　every　relative　duty　to　promote　their　advancement　in　the　world。　　To　promote；　such　is　the　perversity　of　unprincipled　prejudices；　the　future　welfare　of　the　very　beings　whose　present　existence　they　imbitter　by　the　most　despotic　stretch　of　power。　　Power；　in　fact；　is　ever　true　to　its　vital　principle；　for　in　every　shape　it　would　reign　without　controul　or　inquiry。　　Its　throne　is　built　across　a　dark　abyss；　which　no　eye　must　dare　to　explore；　lest　the　baseless　fabric　should　totter　under　investigation。　　Obedience；　unconditional　obedience；　is　the　catch…word　of　tyrants　of　every　description；　and　to　render　〃assurance　doubly　sure；〃　one　kind　of　despotism　supports　another。　Tyrants　would　have　cause　to　tremble　if　reason　were　to　become　the　rule　of　duty　in　any　of　the　relations　of　life；　for　the　light　might　spread　till　perfect　day　appeared。　　And　when　it　did　appear；　how　would　men　smile　at　the　sight　of　the　bugbears　at　which　they　started　during　the　night　of　ignorance；　or　the　twilight　of　timid　inquiry。　Parental　affection；　indeed；　in　many　minds；　is　but　a　pretext　to　tyrannize　where　it　can　be　done　with　impunity；　for　only　good　and　wise　men　are　content　with　the　respect　that　will　bear　discussion。　Convinced　that　they　have　a　right　to　what　they　insist　on；　they　do　not　fear　reason；　or　dread　the　sifting　of　subjects　that　recur　to　natural　justice：　　because　they　firmly　believe；　that　the　more　enlightened　the　human　mind　becomes；　the　deeper　root　will　just　and　simple　principles　take。　　They　do　not　rest　in　expedients；　or　grant　that　what　is　metaphysically　true　can　be　practically　false；　but　disdaining　the　shifts　of　the　moment　they　calmly　wait　till　time；　sanctioning　innovation；　silences　the　hiss　of　selfishness　or　envy。　If　the　power　of　reflecting　on　the　past；　and　darting　the　keen　eye　of　contemplation　into　futurity；　be　the　grand　privilege　of　man；　it　must　be　granted　that　some　people　enjoy　this　prerogative　in　a　very　limited　degree。　　Every　thing　now　appears　to　them　wrong；　and　not　able　to　distinguish　the　possible　from　the　monstrous；　they　fear　where　no　fear　should　find　a　place；　running　from　the　light　of　reason　as　if　it　were　a　firebrand；　yet　the　limits　of　the　possible　have　never　been　defined　to　stop　the　sturdy　innovator's　hand。　Woman；　however；　a　slave　in　every　situation　to　prejudice　seldom　exerts　enlightened　maternal　affection；　for　she　either　neglects　her　children；　or　spoils　them　by　improper　indulgence。　　Besides；　the　affection　of　some　women　for　their　children　is；　as　I　have　before　termed　it；　frequently　very　brutish；　for　it　eradicates　every　spark　of　humanity。　　Justice；　truth；　every　thing　is　sacrificed　by　these　Rebekahs；　and　for　the　sake　of　their　own　children　they　violate　the　most　sacred　duties；　forgetting　the　common　relationship　that　binds　the　whole　family　on　earth　together。　　Yet；　reason　seems　to　say；　that　they　who　suffer　one　duty；　or　affection　to　swallow　up　the　rest；　have　not　sufficient　heart　or　mind　to　fulfil　that　one　conscientiously。　It　then　loses　the　venerable　aspect　of　a　duty；　and　assumes　the　fantastic　form　of　a　whim。　As　the　care　of　children　in　their　infancy　is　one　of　the　grand　duties　annexed　to　the　female　character　by　nature；　this　duty　would　afford　many　forcible　arguments　for　strengthening　the　female　understanding；　if　it　were　properly　considered。　The　formation　of　the　mind　must　be　begun　very　early；　and　the　temper；　in　particular；　requires　the　most　judicious　attentionan　attention　which　women　cannot　pay　who　only　love　their　children　because　they　are　their　children；　and　seek　no　further　for　the　foundation　of　their　duty；　than　in　the　feelings　of　the　moment。　　It　is　this　want　of　reason　in　their　affections　which　makes　women　so　often　run　into　extremes；　and　either　be　the　most　fond；　or　most　careless　and　unnatural　mothers。　To　be　a　good　mothera　woman　must　have　sense；　and　that　independence　of　mind　which　few　women　possess　who　are　taught　to　depend　entirely　on　their　husbands。　　Meek　wives　are；　in　general；　foolish　mothers；　wanting　their　children　to　love　them　best；　and　take　their　part；　in　secret；　against　the　father；　who　is　held　up　as　a　scarecrow。　　If　they　are　to　be　punished；　though　they　have　offended　the　mother；　the　father　must　inflict　the　punishment；　he　must　be　the　judge　in　all　disputes：　　but　I　shall　more　fully　discuss　this　subject　when　I　treat　of　private　education；　I　now　only　mean　to　insist；　that　unless　the　understanding　of　woman　be　enlarged；　and　her　character　rendered　more　firm；　by　being　allowed　to　govern　her　own　conduct；　she　will　never　have　sufficient　sense　or　command　of　temper　to　manage　her　children　properly。　　Her　parental　affection；　indeed；　scarcely　deserves　the　name；　when　it　does　not　lead　her　to　suckle　her　children；　because　the　discharge　of　this　duty　is　equally　calculated　to　inspire　maternal　and　filial　affection；　and　it　is　the　indispensable　duty　of　men　and　women　to　fulfil　the　duties　which　give　birth　to　affections　that　are　the　surest　preservatives　against　vice。　　Natural　affection；　as　it　is　termed；　I　believe　to　be　a　very　weak　tie；　affections　must　grow　out　of　the　habitual　exercise　of　a　mutual　sympathy；　and　what　sympathy　does　a　mother　exercise　who　sends　her　babe　to　a　nurse；　and　only　takes　it　from　a　nurse　to　send　it　to　a　school？　In　the　exercise　of　their　natural　feelings；　providence　has　furnished　women　with　a　natural　substitute　for　love；　when　the　lover　becomes　only　a　friend　and　mutual　confidence　takes　place　of　overstrained　admirationa　child　then　gently　twists　the　relaxing　cord；　and　a　mutual　care　produces　a　new　mutual　sympathy。　　But　a　child；　though　a　pledge　of　affection；　will　not　enliven　it；　if　both　father　and　mother　are　content　to　transfer　the　charge　to　hirelings；　for　they　who　do　their　duty　by　proxy　should　not　murmur　if　they　miss　the　reward　of　dutyparental　affection　produces　filial　duty。

CHAPTER　11。　DUTY　TO　PARENTS。　There　seems　to　be　an　indolent　propensity　in　man　to　make　prescription　always　take　place　of　reason；　and　to　place　every　duty　on　an　arbitrary　foundation。　　The　rights　of　kings　are　deduced　in　a　direct　line　from　the　King　of　kings；　and　that　of　parents　from　our　first　parent。　Why　do　we　thus　go　back　for　principles　that　should　always　rest　on　the　same　base；　and　have　the　same　weight　to…day　that　they　had　a　thousand　years　agoand　not　a　jot　more？　　If　parents　discharge　their　duty　they　have　a　strong　hold　and　sacred　claim　on　the　gratitude　of　their　children；　but　few　parents　are　willing　to　receive　the　respectful　affection　of　their　offspring　on　such　terms。　　They　demand　blind　obedience；　because　they　do　not　merit　a　reasonable　service：　and　to　render　these　demands　of　weakness　and　ignorance　more　binding；　a　mysterious　sanctity　is　spread　round　the　most　arbitrary　principle；　for　what　other　name　can　be　given　to　the　blind　duty　of　obeying　vicious　or　weak　beings；　merely　because　they　obeyed　a　powerful　instinct？　The　simple　definition　of　the　reciprocal　duty；　which　naturally　subsists　between　parent　and　child；　may　be　given　in　a　few　words：　　The　parent　who　pays　proper　attention　to　helpless　infancy　has　a　right　to　require　the　same　attention　when　the　feebleness　of　age　comes　upon　him。　　But　to　subjugate　a　rational　being　to　the　mere　will　of　another；　after　he　is　of　age　to　answer　to　society　for　his　own　conduct；　is　a　most　cruel　and　undue　stretch　of　power；　and　perhaps　as　injurious　to　morality；　as　those　religious　systems　which　do　not　allow　right　and　wrong　to　have　any　existence；　but　in　the　Divine　will。　I　never　knew　a　parent　who　had　paid　more　than　common　attention　to　his　children；　disregarded　（Dr。　Johnson　makes　the　same　observation。）；　on　the　contrary；　the　early　habit　of　relying　almost　implicitly　on　the　opinion　of　a　respected　parent　is　not　easily　shaken；　even　when　matured　reason　convinces　the　child　that　his　father　is　not　the　wisest　man　in　the　world。　　This　weakness；　for　a　weakness　it　is；　though　the　epithet　AMIABLE　may　be　tacked　to　it；　a　reasonable　man　must　steel　himself　against；　for　the　absurd　duty；　too　often　inculcated；　of　obeying　a　parent　only　on　account　of　his　being　a　parent；　shackles　the　mind；　and　prepares　it　for　a　slavish　submission　to　any　power　but　reason。　I　distinguish　between　the　natural　and　accidental　duty　due　to　parents。　The　parent　who　sedulously　endeavours　to　form　the　heart　and　enlarge　the　understanding　of　his　child；　has　given　that　dignity　to　the　discharge　of　a　duty；　common　to　the　whole　animal　world；　that　only　reason　can　give。　　This　is　the　parental　affection　of　humanity；　and　leaves　instinctive　natural　affection　far　behind。　　Such　a　parent　acquires　all　the　rights　of　the　most　sacred　friendship；　and　his　advice；　even　when　his　child　is　advanced　in　life；　demands　serious　consideration。　With　respect　to　marriage；　though　after　one　and　twenty　a　parent　seems　to　have　no　right　to　withhold　his　consent　on　any　account；　yet　twenty　years　of　solicitude　call　for　a　return；　and　the　son　ought；　at　least；　to　promise　not　to　marry　for　two　or　three　years；　should　the　object　of　his　choice　not　entirely　meet　with　the　approbation　of　his　first　friend。　But；　respect　for　parents　is；　generally　speaking；　a　much　more　debasing　principle；　it　is　only　a　selfish　respect　for　property。　　The　father　who　is　blindly　obeyed；　is　obeyed　from　sheer　weakness；　or　from　motives　that　degrade　the　human　character。　A　great　proportion　of　the　misery　that　wanders；　in　hideous　forms　around　the　world；　is　allowed　to　rise　from　the　negligence　of　parents；　and　still　these　are　the　people　who　are　most　tenacious　of　what　they　term　a　natural　right；　though　it　be　subversive　of　the　birth　right　of　man；　the　right　of　acting　according　to　the　direction　of　his　own　reason。　I　have　already　very　frequently　had　occasion　to　observe；　that　vicious　or　indolent　people　are　always　eager　to　profit　by　enforcing　arbitrary　privileges；　and　generally　in　the　same　proportion　as　they　neglect　the　discharge　of　the　duties　which　alone　render　the　privileges　reasonable。　　This　is　at　the　bottom；　a　dictate　of　common　sense；　or　the　instinct　of　self…defence；　peculiar　to　ignorant　weakness；　resembling　that　instinct；　which　makes　a　fish　muddy　the　water　it　swims　in　to　elude　its　enemy；　instead　of　boldly　faci