a vindication of the rights of woman-第25章

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h　respect　for　a　system　of　education　that　thus　insults　reason　and　nature？　Many　similar　opinions　occur　in　her　writings；　mixed　with　sentiments　that　do　honour　to　her　head　and　heart。　　Yet　so　much　superstition　is　mixed　with　her　religion；　and　so　much　worldly　wisdom　with　her　morality；　that　I　should　not　let　a　young　person　read　her　works；　unless　I　could　afterwards　converse　on　the　subjects；　and　point　out　the　contradictions。　Mrs。　Chapone's　Letters　are　written　with　such　good　sense；　and　unaffected　humility；　and　contain　so　many　useful　observations；　that　I　only　mention　them　to　pay　the　worthy　writer　this　tribute　of　respect。　　I　cannot；　it　is　true；　always　coincide　in　opinion　with　her；　but　I　always　respect　her。　The　very　word　respect　brings　Mrs。　Macaulay　to　my　remembrance。　　The　woman　of　the　greatest　abilities；　undoubtedly；　that　this　country　has　ever　produced。　　And　yet　this　woman　has　been　suffered　to　die　without　sufficient　respect　being　paid　to　her　memory。　Posterity；　however；　will　be　more　just；　and　remember　that　Catharine　Macaulay　was　an　example　of　intellectual　acquirements　supposed　to　be　incompatible　with　the　weakness　of　her　sex。　　In　her　style　of　writing；　indeed；　no　sex　appears；　for　it　is　like　the　sense　it　conveys；　strong　and　clear。　I　will　not　call　her's　a　masculine　understanding；　because　I　admit　not　of　such　an　arrogant　assumption　of　reason；　but　I　contend　that　it　was　a　sound　one；　and　that　her　judgment；　the　matured　fruit　of　profound　thinking；　was　a　proof　that　a　woman　can　acquire　judgment；　in　the　full　extent　of　the　word。　　Possessing　more　penetration　than　sagacity；　more　understanding　than　fancy；　she　writes　with　sober　energy；　and　argumentative　closeness；　yet　sympathy　and　benevolence　give　an　interest　to　her　sentiments；　and　that　vital　heat　to　arguments；　which　forces　the　reader　to　weigh　them。*　（*Footnote。　　Coinciding　in　opinion　with　Mrs。　Macaulay　relative　to　many　branches　of　education；　I　refer　to　her　valuable　work；　instead　of　quoting　her　sentiments　to　support　my　own。）　When　I　first　thought　of　writing　these　strictures　I　anticipated　Mrs。　Macaulay's　approbation　with　a　little　of　that　sanguine　ardour　which　it　has　been　the　business　of　my　life　to　depress；　but　soon　heard　with　the　sickly　qualm　of　disappointed　hope；　and　the　still　seriousness　of　regretthat　she　was　no　more！　SECTION　5。5。　Taking　a　view　of　the　different　works　which　have　been　written　on　education；　Lord　Chesterfield's　Letters　must　not　be　silently　passed　over。　　Not　that　I　mean　to　analyze　his　unmanly；　immoral　system；　or　even　to　cull　any　of　the　useful　shrewd　remarks　which　occur　in　his　frivolous　correspondenceNo；　I　only　mean　to　make　a　few　reflections　on　the　avowed　tendency　of　themthe　art　of　acquiring　an　early　knowledge　of　the　world。　　An　art；　I　will　venture　to　assert；　that　preys　secretly；　like　the　worm　in　the　bud；　on　the　expanding　powers；　and　turns　to　poison　the　generous　juices　which　should　mount　with　vigour　in　the　youthful　frame；　inspiring　warm　affections　and　great　resolves。　For　every　thing；　saith　the　wise　man；　there　is　reason；　and　who　would　look　for　the　fruits　of　autumn　during　the　genial　months　of　spring？　But　this　is　mere　declamation；　and　I　mean　to　reason　with　those　worldly…wise　instructors；　who；　instead　of　cultivating　the　judgment；　instil　prejudices；　and　render　hard　the　heart　that　gradual　experience　would　only　have　cooled。　　An　early　acquaintance　with　human　infirmities；　or；　what　is　termed　knowledge　of　the　world；　is　the　surest　way；　in　my　opinion；　to　contract　the　heart　and　damp　the　natural　youthful　ardour　which　produces　not　only　great　talents；　but　great　virtues。　　For　the　vain　attempt　to　bring　forth　the　fruit　of　experience；　before　the　sapling　has　thrown　out　its　leaves；　only　exhausts　its　strength；　and　prevents　its　assuming　a　natural　form；　just　as　the　form　and　strength　of　subsiding　metals　are　injured　when　the　attraction　of　cohesion　is　disturbed。　　Tell　me；　ye　who　have　studied　the　human　mind；　is　it　not　a　strange　way　to　fix　principles　by　showing　young　people　that　they　are　seldom　stable？　　And　how　can　they　be　fortified　by　habits　when　they　are　proved　to　be　fallacious　by　example？　　Why　is　the　ardour　of　youth　thus　to　be　damped；　and　the　luxuriancy　of　fancy　cut　to　the　quick？　　This　dry　caution　may；　it　is　true；　guard　a　character　from　worldly　mischances；　but　will　infallibly　preclude　excellence　in　either　virtue　or　knowledge。　　The　stumbling…block　thrown　across　every　path　by　suspicion；　will　prevent　any　vigorous　exertions　of　genius　or　benevolence；　and　life　will　be　stripped　of　its　most　alluring　charm　long　before　its　calm　evening；　when　man　should　retire　to　contemplation　for　comfort　and　support。　A　young　man　who　has　been　bred　up　with　domestic　friends；　and　led　to　store　his　mind　with　as　much　speculative　knowledge　as　can　be　acquired　by　reading　and　the　natural　reflections　which　youthful　ebullitions　of　animal　spirits　and　instinctive　feelings　inspire；　will　enter　the　world　with　warm　and　erroneous　expectations。　　But　this　appears　to　be　the　course　of　nature；　and　in　morals；　as　well　as　in　works　of　taste；　we　should　be　observant　of　her　sacred　indications；　and　not　presume　to　lead　when　we　ought　obsequiously　to　follow。　In　the　world　few　people　act　from　principle；　present　feelings；　and　early　habits；　are　the　grand　springs：　　but　how　would　the　former　be　deadened；　and　the　latter　rendered　iron　corroding　fetters；　if　the　world　were　shown　to　young　people　just　as　it　is；　when　no　knowledge　of　mankind　or　their　own　hearts；　slowly　obtained　by　experience　rendered　them　forbearing？　　Their　fellow　creatures　would　not　then　be　viewed　as　frail　beings；　like　themselves；　condemned　to　struggle　with　human　infirmities；　and　sometimes　displaying　the　light　and　sometimes　the　dark　side　of　their　character；　extorting　alternate　feelings　of　love　and　disgust；　but　guarded　against　as　beasts　of　prey；　till　every　enlarged　social　feeling；　in　a　wordhumanity；　was　eradicated。　In　life；　on　the　contrary；　as　we　gradually　discover　the　imperfections　of　our　nature；　we　discover　virtues；　and　various　circumstances　attach　us　to　our　fellow　creatures；　when　we　mix　with　them；　and　view　the　same　objects；　that　are　never　thought　of　in　acquiring　a　hasty　unnatural　knowledge　of　the　world。　　We　see　a　folly　swell　into　a　vice；　by　almost　imperceptible　degrees；　and　pity　while　we　blame；　but；　if　the　hideous　monster　burst　suddenly　on　our　sight；　fear　and　disgust　rendering　us　more　severe　than　man　ought　to　be；　might　lead　us　with　blind　zeal　to　usurp　the　character　of　omnipotence；　and　denounce　damnation　on　our　fellow　mortals；　forgetting　that　we　cannot　read　the　heart；　and　that　we　have　seeds　of　the　same　vices　lurking　in　our　own。　I　have　already　remarked；　that　we　expect　more　from　instruction；　than　mere　instruction　can　produce：　　for；　instead　of　preparing　young　people　to　encounter　the　evils　of　life　with　dignity；　and　to　acquire　wisdom　and　virtue　by　the　exercise　of　their　own　faculties；　precepts　are　heaped　upon　precepts；　and　blind　obedience　required；　when　conviction　should　be　brought　home　to　reason。　Suppose；　for　instance；　that　a　young　person　in　the　first　ardour　of　friendship　deifies　the　beloved　objectwhat　harm　can　arise　from　this　mistaken　enthusiastic　attachment？　　Perhaps　it　is　necessary　for　virtue　first　to　appear　in　a　human　form　to　impress　youthful　hearts；　the　ideal　model；　which　a　more　matured　and　exalted　mind　looks　up　to；　and　shapes　for　itself；　would　elude　their　sight。　　He　who　loves　not　his　brother　whom　he　hath　seen；　how　can　he　love　God？　asked　the　wisest　of　men。　It　is　natural　for　youth　to　adorn　the　first　object　of　its　affection　with　every　good　quality；　and　the　emulation　produced　by　ignorance；　or；　to　speak　with　more　propriety；　by　inexperience；　brings　forward　the　mind　capable　of　forming　such　an　affection；　and　when；　in　the　lapse　of　time；　perfection　is　found　not　to　be　within　the　reach　of　mortals；　virtue；　abstractly；　is　thought　beautiful；　and　wisdom　sublime。　　Admiration　then　gives　place　to　friendship；　properly　so　called；　because　it　is　cemented　by　esteem；　and　the　being　walks　alone　only　dependent　on　heaven　for　that　emulous　panting　after　perfection　which　ever　glows　in　a　noble　mind。　　But　this　knowledge　a　man　must　gain　by　the　exertion　of　his　own　faculties；　and　this　is　surely　the　blessed　fruit　of　disappointed　hope！　for　He　who　delighteth　to　diffuse　happiness　and　show　mercy　to　the　weak　creatures；　who　are　learning　to　know　him；　never　implanted　a　good　propensity　to　be　a　tormenting　ignis　fatuus。　Our　trees　are　now　allowed　to　spread　with　wild　luxuriance；　nor　do　we　expect　by　force　to　combine　the　majestic　marks　of　time　with　youthful　graces；　but　wait　patiently　till　they　have　struck　deep　their　root；　and　braved　many　a　storm。　　Is　the　mind　then；　which；　in　proportion　to　its　dignity　advances　more　slowly　towards　perfection；　to　be　treated　with　less　respect？　　To　argue　from　analogy；　every　thing　around　us　is　in　a　progressive　state；　and　when　an　unwelcome　knowledge　of　life　produces　almost　a　satiety　of　life；　and　we　discover　by　the　natural　course　of　things　that　all　that　is　done　under　the　sun　is　vanity；　we　are　drawing　near　the　awful　close　of　the　drama。　　The　days　of　activity　and　hope　are　over；　and　the　opportunities　which　the　first　stage　of　existence　has　afforded　of　advancing　in　the　scale　of　intelligence；　must　soon　be　summed　up。　　A　knowledge　at　this　period　of　the　futility　of　life；　or　earlier；　if　obtained　by　experience；　is　very　useful；　because　it　is　natural；　but　when　a　frail　being　is　shown　the　follies　and　vices　of　man；　that　he　may　be　taught　prudently　to　guard　against　the　common　casualties　of　life　by　sacrificing　his　heartsurely　it　is　not　speaking　harshly　to　call　it　the　wisdom　of　this　world；　contrasted　with　the　nobler　fruit　of　piety　and　experience。　I　will　venture　a　paradox；　and　deliver　my　opinion　without　reserve；　if　men　were　only　born　to　form　a　circle　of　life　and　death；　it　would　be　wise　to　take　every　step　that　foresight　could　suggest　to　render　life　happy。　　Moderation　in　every　pursuit　would　then　be　supreme　wisdom；　and　the　prudent　voluptuary　might　enjoy　a　degree　of　content；　though　he　neither　cultivated　his　understanding　nor　kept　his　heart　pure。　　Prudence；　supposing　we　were　mortal；　would　be　true　wisdom；　or；　to　be　more　explicit；　would　procure　the　greatest　portion　of　happiness；　considering　the　whole　of　life；　but　knowledge　beyond　the　conveniences　of　life　would　be　a　curse。　Why　should　we　injure　our　health　by　close　study？　　The　exalted　pleasure　which　intellectual　pursuits　afford　would　scarcely　be　equivalent　to　the　hours　of　languor　that　follow；　especially；　if　it　be　necessary　to　take　into　the　reckoning　the　doubts　and　disappointments　that　cloud　our　researches。　　Vanity　and　vexation　close　every　inquiry：　　for　the　cause　which　we　particularly　wished　to　discover　flies　like　the　horizon　before　us　as　we　advance。　　The　ignorant；　on　the　contrary；　resemble　children；　and　suppose；　that　if　they　could　walk　straight　forward　they　should　at　last　arrive　where　the　earth　and　clouds　meet。　　Yet；　disappointed　as　we　are　in　our　researches；　the　mind　gains　strength　by　the　exercise；　sufficient；　perhaps；　to　comprehend　the　answers　which；　in　another　step　of　existence；　it　may　receive　to　the　anxious　questions　it　asked；　when　the　understanding　with　feeble　wing　was　fluttering　round　the　visible　effects　to　dive　into　the　hidden　cause。　The　passions　also；　the　winds　of　life；　would　be　useless；　if　not　injurious；　did　the　substance　which　composes　our　thinking　being；　after　we　have　thought　in　vain；　only　become　the　support　of　vegetable　life；　and　invigorate　a　cabbage；