a vindication of the rights of woman-第23章

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ly　pleasing　and　attractive；　yet；　when　the　pretty　freshness　of　youth　is　worn　off；　these　artless　graces　become　studied　airs；　and　disgust　every　person　of　taste。　　In　the　countenance　of　girls　we　only　look　for　vivacity　and　bashful　modesty；　but；　the　springtide　of　life　over；　we　look　for　soberer　sense　in　the　face；　and　for　traces　of　passion；　instead　of　the　dimples　of　animal　spirits；　expecting　to　see　individuality　of　character；　the　only　fastener　of　the　affections。　We　then　wish　to　converse；　not　to　fondle；　to　give　scope　to　our　imaginations；　as　well　as　to　the　sensations　of　our　hearts。　At　twenty　the　beauty　of　both　sexes　is　equal；　but　the　libertinism　of　man　leads　him　to　make　the　distinction；　and　superannuated　coquettes　are　commonly　of　the　same　opinion；　for　when　they　can　no　longer　inspire　love；　they　pay　for　the　vigour　and　vivacity　of　youth。　　The　French　who　admit　more　of　mind　into　their　notions　of　beauty；　give　the　preference　to　women　of　thirty。　　I　mean　to　say；　that　they　allow　women　to　be　in　their　most　perfect　state；　when　vivacity　gives　place　to　reason；　and　to　that　majestic　seriousness　of　character；　which　marks　maturity；　or；　the　resting　point。　　In　youth；　till　twenty　the　body　shoots　out；　till　thirty　the　solids　are　attaining　a　degree　of　density；　and　the　flexible　muscles；　growing　daily　more　rigid；　give　character　to　the　countenance；　that　is；　they　trace　the　operations　of　the　mind　with　the　iron　pen　of　fate；　and　tell　us　not　only　what　powers　are　within；　but　how　they　have　been　employed。　It　is　proper　to　observe；　that　animals　who　arrive　slowly　at　maturity；　are　the　longest　lived；　and　of　the　noblest　species。　　Men　cannot；　however；　claim　any　natural　superiority　from　the　grandeur　of　longevity；　for　in　this　respect　nature　has　not　distinguished　the　male。　Polygamy　is　another　physical　degradation；　and　a　plausible　argument　for　a　custom；　that　blasts　every　domestic　virtue；　is　drawn　from　the　well…attested　fact；　that　in　the　countries　where　it　is　established；　more　females　are　born　than　males。　　This　appears　to　be　an　indication　of　nature；　and　to　nature　apparently　reasonable　speculations　must　yield。　　A　further　conclusion　obviously　presents　itself；　if　polygamy　be　necessary；　woman　must　be　inferior　to　man；　and　made　for　him。　With　respect　to　the　formation　of　the　foetus　in　the　womb；　we　are　very　ignorant；　but　it　appears　to　me　probable；　that　an　accidental　physical　cause　may　account　for　this　phenomenon；　and　prove　it　not　to　be　a　law　of　nature。　　I　have　met　with　some　pertinent　observations　on　the　subject　in　Forster's　Account　of　the　Isles　of　the　South　Sea；　that　will　explain　my　meaning。　　After　observing　that　of　the　two　sexes　amongst　animals；　the　most　vigorous　and　hottest　constitution　always　prevails；　and　produces　its　kind；　he　adds；〃If　this　be　applied　to　the　inhabitants　of　Africa；　it　is　evident　that　the　men　there；　accustomed　to　polygamy；　are　enervated　by　the　use　of　so　many　women；　and　therefore　less　vigorous；　the　women　on　the　contrary；　are　of　a　hotter　constitution；　not　only　on　account　of　their　more　irritable　nerves；　more　sensitive　organization；　and　more　lively　fancy；　but　likewise　because　they　are　deprived　in　their　matrimony　of　that　share　of　physical　love　which　in　a　monogamous　condition；　would　all　be　theirs；　and　thus　for　the　above　reasons；　the　generality　of　children　are　born　females。〃　〃In　the　greater　part　of　Europe　it　has　been　proved　by　the　most　accurate　lists　of　mortality；　that　the　proportion　of　men　to　women　is　nearly　equal；　or；　if　any　difference　takes　place；　the　males　born　are　more　numerous；　in　the　proportion　of　105　to　100。〃　The　necessity　of　polygamy；　therefore；　does　not　appear；　yet　when　a　man　seduces　a　woman；　it　should　I　think；　be　termed　a　LEFT…HANDED　marriage；　and　the　man　should　be　LEGALLY　obliged　to　maintain　the　woman　and　her　children；　unless　adultery；　a　natural　divorcement；　abrogated　the　law。　　And　this　law　should　remain　in　force　as　long　as　the　weakness　of　women　caused　the　word　seduction　to　be　used　as　an　excuse　for　their　frailty　and　want　of　principle；　nay；　while　they　depend　on　man　for　a　subsistence；　instead　of　earning　it　by　the　exercise　of　their　own　hands　or　heads。　　But　these　women　should　not　in　the　full　meaning　of　the　relationship；　be　termed　wives；　or　the　very　purpose　of　marriage　would　be　subverted；　and　all　those　endearing　charities　that　flow　from　personal　fidelity；　and　give　a　sanctity　to　the　tie；　when　neither　love　nor　friendship　unites　the　hearts；　would　melt　into　selfishness。　　The　woman　who　is　faithful　to　the　father　of　her　children　demands　respect；　and　should　not　be　treated　like　a　prostitute；　though　I　readily　grant；　that　if　it　be　necessary　for　a　man　and　woman　to　live　together　in　order　to　bring　up　their　offspring；　nature　never　intended　that　a　man　should　have　more　than　one　wife。　Still；　highly　as　I　respect　marriage；　as　the　foundation　of　almost　every　social　virtue；　I　cannot　avoid　feeling　the　most　lively　compassion　for　those　unfortunate　females　who　are　broken　off　from　society；　and　by　one　error　torn　from　all　those　affections　and　relationships　that　improve　the　heart　and　mind。　　It　does　not　frequently　even　deserve　the　name　of　error；　for　many　innocent　girls　become　the　dupes　of　a　sincere　affectionate　heart；　and　still　more　are；　as　it　may　emphatically　be　termed；　RUINED　before　they　know　the　difference　between　virtue　and　vice：　　and　thus　prepared　by　their　education　for　infamy；　they　become　infamous。　　Asylums　and　Magdalens　are　not　the　proper　remedies　for　these　abuses。　　It　is　justice；　not　charity；　that　is　wanting　in　the　world！　A　woman　who　has　lost　her　honour；　imagines　that　she　cannot　fall　lower；　and　as　for　recovering　her　former　station；　it　is　impossible；　no　exertion　can　wash　this　stain　away。　　Losing　thus　every　spur；　and　having　no　other　means　of　support；　prostitution　becomes　her　only　refuge；　and　the　character　is　quickly　depraved　by　circumstances　over　which　the　poor　wretch　has　little　power；　unless　she　possesses　an　uncommon　portion　of　sense　and　loftiness　of　spirit。　　Necessity　never　makes　prostitution　the　business　of　men's　lives；　though　numberless　are　the　women　who　are　thus　rendered　systematically　vicious。　　This；　however；　arises；　in　a　great　degree；　from　the　state　of　idleness　in　which　women　are　educated；　who　are　always　taught　to　look　up　to　man　for　a　maintenance；　and　to　consider　their　persons　as　the　proper　return　for　his　exertions　to　support　them。　　Meretricious　airs；　and　the　whole　science　of　wantonness；　has　then　a　more　powerful　stimulus　than　either　appetite　or　vanity；　and　this　remark　gives　force　to　the　prevailing　opinion；　that　with　chastity　all　is　lost　that　is　respectable　in　woman。　　Her　character　depends　on　the　observance　of　one　virtue；　though　the　only　passion　fostered　in　her　heartis　love。　Nay　the　honour　of　a　woman　is　not　made　even　to　depend　on　her　will。　When　Richardson　makes　Clarissa　tell　Lovelace　that　he　had　robbed　her　of　her　honour；　he　must　have　had　strange　notions　of　honour　and　virtue。　　For；　miserable　beyond　all　names　of　misery　is　the　condition　of　a　being；　who　could　be　degraded　without　its　own　consent！　　This　excess　of　strictness　I　have　heard　vindicated　as　a　salutary　error。　I　shall　answer　in　the　words　of　Leibnitz〃Errors　are　often　useful；　but　it　is　commonly　to　remedy　other　errors。〃　Most　of　the　evils　of　life　arise　from　a　desire　of　present　enjoyment　that　outruns　itself。　　The　obedience　required　of　women　in　the　marriage　state；　comes　under　this　description；　the　mind；　naturally　weakened　by　depending　on　authority；　never　exerts　its　own　powers；　and　the　obedient　wife　is　thus　rendered　a　weak　indolent　mother。　　Or；　supposing　that　this　is　not　always　the　consequence；　a　future　state　of　existence　is　scarcely　taken　into　the　reckoning　when　only　negative　virtues　are　cultivated。　　For　in　treating　of　morals；　particularly　when　women　are　alluded　to；　writers　have　too　often　considered　virtue　in　a　very　limited　sense；　and　made　the　foundation　of　it　SOLELY　worldly　utility；　nay；　a　still　more　fragile　base　has　been　given　to　this　stupendous　fabric；　and　the　wayward　fluctuating　feelings　of　men　have　been　made　the　standard　of　virtue。　　Yes；　virtue　as　well　as　religion；　has　been　subjected　to　the　decisions　of　taste。　It　would　almost　provoke　a　smile　of　contempt；　if　the　vain　absurdities　of　man　did　not　strike　us　on　all　sides；　to　observe；　how　eager　men　are　to　degrade　the　sex　from　whom　they　pretend　to　receive　the　chief　pleasure　of　life；　and　I　have　frequently；　wit