a vindication of the rights of woman-第29章
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raising alternate emotions of pity and disgust; may serve to illustrate this remark。 They trample on virgin bashfulness with a sort of bravado; and glorying in their shame; become more audaciously lewd than men; however depraved; to whom the sexual quality has not been gratuitously granted; ever appear to be。 But these poor ignorant wretches never had any modesty to lose; when they consigned themselves to infamy; for modesty is a virtue not a quality。 No; they were only bashful; shame…faced innocents; and losing their innocence; their shame…facedness was rudely brushed off; a virtue would have left some vestiges in the mind; had it been sacrificed to passion; to make us respect the grand ruin。 Purity of mind; or that genuine delicacy; which is the only virtuous support of chastity; is near a…kin to that refinement of humanity; which never resides in any but cultivated minds。 It is something nobler than innocence; it is the delicacy of reflection; and not the coyness of ignorance。 The reserve of reason; which like habitual cleanliness; is seldom seen in any great degree; unless the soul is active; may easily be distinguished from rustic shyness or wanton skittishness; and so far from being incompatible with knowledge; it is its fairest fruit。 What a gross idea of modesty had the writer of the following remark! 〃The lady who asked the question whether women may be instructed in the modern system of botany; consistently with female delicacy?〃 was accused of ridiculous prudery: nevertheless; if she had proposed the question to me; I should certainly have answeredThey cannot。〃 Thus is the fair book of knowledge to be shut with an everlasting seal! On reading similar passages I have reverentially lifted up my eyes and heart to Him who liveth for ever and ever; and said; O my Father; hast Thou by the very constitution of her nature forbid Thy child to seek Thee in the fair forms of truth? And; can her soul be sullied by the knowledge that awfully calls her to Thee? I have then philosophically pursued these reflections till I inferred; that those women who have most improved their reason must have the most modesty though a dignified sedateness of deportment may have succeeded the playful; bewitching bashfulness of youth。* (*Footnote。 Modesty; is the graceful calm virtue of maturity; bashfulness; the charm of vivacious youth。) And thus have I argued。 To render chastity the virtue from which unsophisticated modesty will naturally flow; the attention should be called away from employments; which only exercise the sensibility; and the heart made to beat time to humanity; rather than to throb with love。 The woman who has dedicated a considerable portion of her time to pursuits purely intellectual; and whose affections have been exercised by humane plans of usefulness; must have more purity of mind; as a natural consequence; than the ignorant beings whose time and thoughts have been occupied by gay pleasures or schemes to conquer hearts。 The regulation of the behaviour is not modesty; though those who study rules of decorum; are; in general termed modest women。 Make the heart clean; let it expand and feel for all that is human; instead of being narrowed by selfish passions; and let the mind frequently contemplate subjects that exercise the understanding; without heating the imagination; and artless modesty will give the finishing touches to the picture。 She who can discern the dawn of immortality; in the streaks that shoot athwart the misty night of ignorance; promising a clearer day; will respect; as a sacred temple; the body that enshrines such an improvable soul。 True love; likewise; spreads this kind of mysterious sanctity round the beloved object; making the lover most modest when in her presence。 So reserved is affection; that; receiving or returning personal endearments; it wishes; not only to shun the human eye; as a kind of profanation; but to diffuse an encircling cloudy obscurity to shut out even the saucy sparkling sunbeams。 Yet; that affection does not deserve the epithet of chaste which does not receive a sublime gloom of tender melancholy; that allows the mind for a moment to stand still and enjoy the present satisfaction; when a consciousness of the Divine presence is feltfor this must ever be the food of joy! As I have always been fond of tracing to its source in nature any prevailing custom; I have frequently thought that it was a sentiment of affection for whatever had touched the person of an absent or lost friend; which gave birth to that respect for relics; so much abused by selfish priests。 Devotion; or love; may be allowed to hallow the garments as well as the person; for the lover must want fancy; who has not a sort of sacred respect for the glove or slipper of his mistress。 He could not confound them with vulgar things of the same kind。 This fine sentiment; perhaps; would not bear to be analyzed by the experimental philosopherbut of such stuff is human rapture made up! A shadowy phantom glides before us; obscuring every other object; yet when the soft cloud is grasped; the form melts into common air; leaving a solitary void; or sweet perfume; stolen from the violet; that memory long holds dear。 But; I have tripped unawares on fairy ground; feeling the balmy gale of spring stealing on me; though November frowns。 As a sex; women are more chaste than men; and as modesty is the effect of chastity; they may deserve to have this virtue ascribed to them in rather an appropriated sense; yet; I must be allowed to add an hesitating if: for I doubt; whether chastity will produce modesty; though it may propriety of conduct; when it is merely a respect for the opinion of the world; and when coquetry and the lovelorn tales of novelists employ the thoughts。 Nay; from experience; and reason; I should be lead to expect to meet with more modesty amongst men than women; simply because men exercise their understandings more than women。 But; with respect to propriety of behaviour; excepting one class of females; women have evidently the advantage。 What can be more disgusting than that impudent dross of gallantry; thought so manly; which makes many men stare insultingly at every female they meet? Is this respect for the sex? This loose behaviour shows such habitual depravity; such weakness of mind; that it is vain to expect much public or private virtue; till both men and women grow more modesttill men; curbing a sensual fondness for the sex; or an affectation of manly assurance; more properly speaking; impudence; treat each other with respectunless appetite or passion gives the tone; peculiar to it; to their behaviour。 I mean even personal respectthe modest respect of humanity; and fellow…feeling; not the libidinous mockery of gallantry; nor the insolent condescension of protectorship。 To carry the observation still further; modesty must heartily disclaim; and refuse to dwell with that debauchery of mind; which leads a man coolly to bring forward; without a blush; indecent allusions; or obscene witticisms; in the presence of a fellow creature; women are now out of the question; for then it is brutality。 Respect for man; as man is the foundation of every noble sentiment。 How much more modest is the libertine who obeys the call of appetite or fancy; than the lewd joker who sets the table in a roar。 This is one of the many instances in which the sexual distinction respecting modesty has proved fatal to virtue and happiness。 It is; however; carried still further; and woman; weak woman! made by her education the slave of sensibility; is required; on the most trying occasions; to resist that sensibility。 〃Can any thing;〃 says Knox; be more absurd than keeping women in a state of ignorance; and yet so vehemently to insist on their resisting temptation? Thus when virtue or honour make it proper to check a passion; the burden is thrown on the weaker shoulders; contrary to reason and true modesty; which; at least; should render the self…denial mutual; to say nothing of the generosity of bravery; supposed to be a manly virtue。 In the same strain runs Rousseau's and Dr。 Gregory's advice respecting modesty; strangely miscalled! for they both desire a wife to leave it in doubt; whether sensibility or weakness led her to her husband's arms。 The woman is immodest who can let the shadow of such a doubt remain on her husband's mind a moment。 But to state the subject in a different light。 The want of modesty; which I principally deplore as subversive of morality; arises from the state of warfare so strenuously supported by voluptuous men as the very essence of modesty; though; in fact; its bane; because it is a refinement on sensual desire; that men fall into who have not sufficient virtue to relish the innocent pleasures of love。 A man of delicacy carries his notions of modesty still further; for neither weakness nor sensibility will gratify himhe looks for affection。 Again; men boast of their triumphs over women; what do they boast of? Truly the creature of sensibility was surprised by her sensibility into follyinto vice;* and the dreadful reckoning falls heavily on her own weak head; when reason wakes。 For where art thou to find comfort; forlorn and disconsolate one? He who ought to have directed thy reason; and supported thy weakness; has betrayed thee! In a dream of passion thou consentedst to wander through flowery lawns; and heedlessly stepping over the precipice to which thy guide; instead of guarding; lured thee; thou startest from thy dream only to face a sneering; frowning world; and to find thyself alone in a waste; for he that triumphed in thy weakness is now pursuing new conquests; but for theethere is no redemption on this side the grave! And what resource hast thou in an enervated mind to raise a sinking heart? (*Footnote。 The poor moth fluttering round a candle; burns its wings。) But; if the sexes be really to live in a state of warfare; if nature has pointed it out; let men act nobly; or let pride whisper to them; that the victory is mean when they merely vanquish sensibility。 The real conquest is that over affection not taken by surprisewhen; like Heloisa; a woman gives up all the world; deliberately; for love。 I do not now consider the wisdom or virtue of such a sacrifice; I only contend that it was a sacrifice to affection; and not merely to sensibility; though she had her share。 And I must be allowed to call her a modest woman; before I dismiss this part of the subject; by saying; that till men are more chaste; women will be immodest。 Where; indeed; could modest women find husbands from whom they would not continually turn with disgust? Modesty must be equally cultivated by both sexes; or it will ever remain a sickly hot…house plant; whilst the affectation of it; the fig leaf borrowed by wantonness; may give a zest to voluptuous enjoyments。) Men will probably still insist that woman ought to have more modesty than man; but it is not dispassionate reasoners who will most earnestly oppose my opinion。 No; they are the men of fancy; the favourites of the sex; who outwardly respect; and inwardly despise the weak creatures whom they thus sport with。 They cannot submit to resign the highest sensual gratification; nor even to relish the epicurism of virtueself…denial。 To take another view of the subject; confining my