a vindication of the rights of woman-第41部分

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nforce　submission。　　Let　a　child　have　ever　such　an　affection　for　his　parent；　he　will　always　languish　to　play　and　chat　with　children；　and　the　very　respect　he　entertains；　for　filial　esteem　always　has　a　dash　of　fear　mixed　with　it；　will；　if　it　do　not　teach　him　cunning；　at　least　prevent　him　from　pouring　out　the　little　secrets　which　first　open　the　heart　to　friendship　and　confidence；　gradually　leading　to　more　expansive　benevolence。　　Added　to　this；　he　will　never　acquire　that　frank　ingenuousness　of　behaviour；　which　young　people　can　only　attain　by　being　frequently　in　society；　where　they　dare　to　speak　what　they　think；　neither　afraid　of　being　reproved　for　their　presumption；　nor　laughed　at　for　their　folly。　Forcibly　impressed　by　the　reflections　which　the　sight　of　schools；　as　they　are　at　present　conducted；　naturally　suggested；　I　have　formerly　delivered　my　opinion　rather　warmly　in　favour　of　a　private　education；　but　further　experience　has　led　me　to　view　the　subject　in　a　different　light。　　I　still；　however；　think　schools；　as　they　are　now　regulated；　the　hot…beds　of　vice　and　folly；　and　the　knowledge　of　human　nature；　supposed　to　be　attained　there；　merely　cunning　selfishness。　At　school；　boys　become　gluttons　and　slovens；　and；　instead　of　cultivating　domestic　affections；　very　early　rush　into　the　libertinism　which　destroys　the　constitution　before　it　is　formed；　hardening　the　heart　as　it　weakens　the　understanding。　I　should；　in　fact；　be　averse　to　boarding…schools；　if　it　were　for　no　other　reason　than　the　unsettled　state　of　mind　which　the　expectation　of　the　vacations　produce。　　On　these　the　children's　thoughts　are　fixed　with　eager　anticipating　hopes；　for；　at　least；　to　speak　with　moderation；　half　of　the　time；　and　when　they　arrive　they　are　spent　in　total　dissipation　and　beastly　indulgence。　But；　on　the　contrary；　when　they　are　brought　up　at　home；　though　they　may　pursue　a　plan　of　study　in　a　more　orderly　manner　than　can　be　adopted；　when　near　a　fourth　part　of　the　year　is　actually　spent　in　idleness；　and　as　much　more　in　regret　and　anticipation；　yet　they　there　acquire　too　high　an　opinion　of　their　own　importance；　from　being　allowed　to　tyrannize　over　servants；　and　from　the　anxiety　expressed　by　most　mothers；　on　the　score　of　manners；　who；　eager　to　teach　the　accomplishments　of　a　gentleman；　stifle；　in　their　birth；　the　virtues　of　a　man。　　Thus　brought　into　company　when　they　ought　to　be　seriously　employed；　and　treated　like　men　when　they　are　still　boys；　they　become　vain　and　effeminate。　The　only　way　to　avoid　two　extremes　equally　injurious　to　morality；　would　be　to　contrive　some　way　of　combining　a　public　and　private　education。　　Thus　to　make　men　citizens；　two　natural　steps　might　be　taken；　which　seem　directly　to　lead　to　the　desired　point；　for　the　domestic　affections；　that　first　open　the　heart　to　the　various　modifications　of　humanity　would　be　cultivated；　whilst　the　children　were　nevertheless　allowed　to　spend　great　part　of　their　time；　on　terms　of　equality；　with　other　children。　I　still　recollect；　with　pleasure；　the　country　day　school；　where　a　boy　trudged　in　the　morning；　wet　or　dry；　carrying　his　books；　and　his　dinner；　if　it　were　at　a　considerable　distance；　a　servant　did　not　then　lead　master　by　the　hand；　for；　when　he　had　once　put　on　coat　and　breeches；　he　was　allowed　to　shift　for　himself；　and　return　alone　in　the　evening　to　recount　the　feats　of　the　day　close　at　the　parental　knee。　　His　father's　house　was　his　home；　and　was　ever　after　fondly　remembered；　nay；　I　appeal　to　some　superior　men　who　were　educated　in　this　manner；　whether　the　recollection　of　some　shady　lane　where　they　conned　their　lesson；　or；　of　some　stile；　where　they　sat　making　a　kite；　or　mending　a　bat；　has　not　endeared　their　country　to　them？　But；　what　boy　ever　recollected　with　pleasure　the　years　he　spent　in　close　confinement；　at　an　academy　near　London？　unless　indeed　he　should　by　chance　remember　the　poor　scare…crow　of　an　usher　whom　he　tormented；　or；　the　tartman；　from　whom　he　caught　a　cake；　to　devour　it　with　the　cattish　appetite　of　selfishness。　　At　boarding　schools　of　every　description；　the　relaxation　of　the　junior　boys　is　mischief；　and　of　the　senior；　vice。　　Besides；　in　great　schools　what　can　be　more　prejudicial　to　the　moral　character；　than　the　system　of　tyranny　and　abject　slavery　which　is　established　amongst　the　boys；　to　say　nothing　of　the　slavery　to　forms；　which　makes　religion　worse　than　a　farce？　　For　what　good　can　be　expected　from　the　youth　who　receives　the　sacrament　of　the　Lord's　supper；　to　avoid　forfeiting　half…a…guinea；　which　he　probably　afterwards　spends　in　some　sensual　manner？　　Half　the　employment　of　the　youths　is　to　elude　the　necessity　of　attending　public　worship；　and　well　they　may；　for　such　a　constant　repetition　of　the　same　thing　must　be　a　very　irksome　restraint　on　their　natural　vivacity。　　As　these　ceremonies　have　the　most　fatal　effect　on　their　morals；　and　as　a　ritual　performed　by　the　lips；　when　the　heart　and　mind　are　far　away；　is　not　now　stored　up　by　our　church　as　a　bank　to　draw　on　for　the　fees　of　the　poor　souls　in　purgatory；　why　should　they　not　be　abolished？　But　the　fear　of　innovation；　in　this　country；　extends　to　every　thing。　　This　is　only　a　covert　fear；　the　apprehensive　timidity　of　indolent　slugs；　who　guard；　by　sliming　it　over；　the　snug　place；　which　they　consider　in　the　light　of　an　hereditary　estate；　and　eat；　drink；　and　enjoy　themselves；　instead　of　fulfilling　the　duties；　excepting　a　few　empty　forms；　for　which　it　was　endowed。　　These　are　the　people　who　most　strenuously　insist　on　the　will　of　the　founder　being　observed；　crying　out　against　all　reformation；　as　if　it　were　a　violation　of　justice。　　I　am　now　alluding　particularly　to　the　relicks　of　popery　retained　in　our　colleges；　where　the　protestant　members　seem　to　be　such　sticklers　for　the　established　church；　but　their　zeal　never　makes　them　lose　sight　of　the　spoil　of　ignorance；　which　rapacious　priests　of　superstitious　memory　have　scraped　together。　　No；　wise　in　their　generation；　they　venerate　the　prescriptive　right　of　possession；　as　a　strong　hold；　and　still　let　the　sluggish　bell　tingle　to　prayers；　as　during　the　days；　when　the　elevation　of　the　host　was　supposed　to　atone　for　the　sins　of　the　people；　lest　one　reformation　should　lead　to　another；　and　the　spirit　kill　the　letter。　　These　Romish　customs　have　the　most　baneful　effect　on　the　morals　of　our　clergy；　for　the　idle　vermin　who　two　or　three　times　a　day　perform；　in　the　most　slovenly　manner　a　service　which　they　think　useless；　but　call　their　duty；　soon　lose　a　sense　of　duty。　At　college；　forced　to　attend　or　evade　public　worship；　they　acquire　an　habitual　contempt　for　the　very　service；　the　performance　of　which　is　to　enable　them　to　live　in　idleness。　　It　is　mumbled　over　as　an　affair　of　business；　as　a　stupid　boy　repeats　his　task；　and　frequently　the　college　cant　escapes　from　the　preacher　the　moment　after　he　has　left　the　pulpit；　and　even　whilst　he　is　eating　the　dinner　which　he　earned　in　such　a　dishonest　manner。　Nothing；　indeed；　can　be　more　irreverent　than　the　cathedral　service　as　it　is　now　performed　in　this　country；　neither　does　it　contain　a　set　of　weaker　men　than　those　who　are　the　slaves　of　this　childish　routine。　　A　disgusting　skeleton　of　the　former　state　is　still　exhibited；　but　all　the　solemnity；　that　interested　the　imagination；　if　it　did　not　purify　the　heart；　is　stripped　off。　　The　performance　of　high　mass　on　the　continent　must　impress　every　mind；　where　a　spark　of　fancy　glows；　with　that　awful　melancholy；　that　sublime　tenderness；　so　near　a…kin　to　devotion。　　I　do　not　say；　that　these　devotional　feelings　are　of　more　use；　in　a　moral　sense；　than　any　other　emotion　of　taste；　but　I　contend；　that　the　theatrical　pomp　which　gratifies　our　senses；　is　to　be　preferred　to　the　cold　parade　that　insults　the　understanding　without　reaching　the　heart。　Amongst　remarks　on　national　education；　such　observations　cannot　be　misplaced；　especially　as　the　supporters　of　these　establishments；　degenerated　into　puerilities；　affect　to　be　the　champions　of　religion。　　Religion；　pure　source　of　comfort　in　this　vale　of　tears！　how　has　thy　clear　stream　been　muddied　by　the　dabblers；　who　have　presumptuously　endeavoured　to　confine　in　one　narrow　channel；　the　living　waters　that　ever　flow　toward　God　the　sublime　ocean　of　existence！　　What　would　life　be　without　that　peace　which　the　love　of　God；　when　built　on　humanity；　alone　can　impart？　　Every　earthly　affection　turns　back；　at　intervals；　to　prey　upon　the　heart　that　feeds　it；　and　the　purest　effusions　of　benevolence；　often　rudely　damped　by　men；　must　mount　as　a　free…will　offering　to　Him　who　gave　them　birth；　whose　bright　image　they　faintly　reflect。　In　public　schools；　however；　religion；　confounded　with　irksome　ceremonies　and　unreasonable　restraints；　assumes　the　most　ungracious　aspect：　　not　the　sober　austere　one　that　commands　respect　whilst　it　inspires　fear；　but　a　ludicrous　cast；　that　serves　to　point　a　pun。　For；　in　fact；　most　of　the　good　stories　and　smart　things　which　enliven　the　spirits　that　have　been　concentrated　at　whist；　are　manufactured　out　of　the　incidents　to　which　the　very　men　labour　to　give　a　droll　turn　who　countenance　the　abuse　to　live　on　the　spoil。　There　is　not；　perhaps；　in　the　kingdom；　a　more　dogmatical　or　luxurious　set　of　men；　than　the　pedantic　tyrants　who　reside　in　colleges　and　preside　at　public　schools。　　The　vacations　are　equally　injurious　to　the　morals　of　the　masters　and　pupils；　and　the　intercourse；　which　the　former　keep　up　with　the　nobility；　introduces　the　same　vanity　and　extravagance　into　their　families；　which　banish　domestic　duties　and　comforts　from　the　lordly　mansion；　whose　state　is　awkwardly　aped　on　a　smaller　scale。　　The　boys；　who　live　at　a　great　expence　with　the　masters　and　assistants；　are　never　domesticated；　though　placed　there　for　that　purpose；　for；　after　a　silent　dinner；　they　swallow　a　hasty　glass　of　wine；　and　retire　to　plan　some　mischievous　trick；　or　to　ridicule　the　person　or　manners　of　the　very　people　they　have　just　been　cringing　to；　and　whom　they　ought　to　consider　as　the　representatives　of　their　parents。　Can　it　then　be　a　matter　of　surprise；　that　boys　become　selfish　and　vicious　who　are　thus　shut　out　from　social　converse？　or　that　a　mitre　often　graces　the　brow　of　one　of　these　diligent　pastors？　The　desire　of　living　in　the　same　style；　as　the　rank　just　above　them；　infects　each　individual　and　every　class　of　people；　and　meanness　is　the　concomitant　of　this