Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

If the submission demanded of woman be founded on justice-there is no appealing to a higher power-for God is justice itself. Let us then, as children of the same parent, if not bastardized by being the younger born, rea son together, and learn to submit to the authority of reason when her voice is distinctly heard. But, if it be proved that this throne of prerogative only rests on a chaotic mass of prejudices, that have no inherent principle of order to keep them together, or on an elephant, tortoise, or even the mighty shoulders of a son of the earth, they may escape, who dare to brave the consequence without any breach of duty, without sinning against the order of things.

The being who can govern itself, has nothing to fear in life; but if any thing is dearer than its own respect, the price must be paid to the last farthing. Virtue, like every thing valuable, must be loved for herself alone; or she will not take up her abode with us. She will not impart that peace, which passeth understanding," when she is merely made the stilts of reputation and respected with pharisaical exactness, because "honesty is the best policy."

"What signifies it," says Madame de Stael, "to women, that his reason disputes with them the empire, when his heart is devotedly theirs." It is not empire-but equality, that they should contend for. Yet, if they only wished to lengthen out their sway, they should not entirely trust to their persons, for though beauty may gain a heart, it cannot keep it, even while the beauty is in full bloom, unless the mind lend, at least, some graces.

When women are once sufficiently enlightened to discover their real interest, on a grand scale, they will, I am persuaded, be very ready to resign all the prerogatives of love, that are not mutual, (speaking of them as lasting prerogatives,) for the calm satisfaction of friendship, and the tender confidence of habitual esteem. Before marriage they will not assume any insolent airs, nor afterward abjectly submit.

Madame de Genlis affords some useful hints, but I shall pass over her vehement argument in favor of the eternity of future punishments, because I blush to think that a

human being should ever argue vehemently in such a cause, and only make a few remarks on her absurd manner of making the parental authority supplant reason. For every where does she inculcate not only blind submission to parents, but to the opinion of the world.

A person is not to act in this or that way, though convinced they are right in so doing, because some equivocal circumstances may lead the world to suspect that they acted from different motives. This is sacrificing the substance for a shadow. Let people but watch their own hearts, and act rightly as far as they can judge, and they may patiently wait till the opinion of the world comes round. It is best to be directed by a simple motive-for justice has too often been sacrificed to propriety;-another

word for convenience.

Catharine Macaulay Graham possessed 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.

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 benevo lence give an interest to her sentiments, and that vital heat to arguments, which forces the reader to weigh them.

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.

Besides, it is not possible to give a young person a just view of life; he must have struggled with his own passions before he can estimate the force of the temptation

which betrayed his brother into vice. Those who are entering life, and those who are departing, see the world from such very different points of view, that they can seldom think alike, unless the unfledged reason of the former never attempted a solitary flight.

Moss-covered opinions assume the disproportioned form of prejudices, when they are indolently adopted because age has given them a venerable aspect, though the reason on which they were built ceases to be a reason, or cannot be traced. Why are we to love prejudices, merely because they are prejudices? A prejudice is a fond obstinate persuasion, for which we can give no reason; for the moment a reason can be given for an opinion, it ceases to be a prejudice, though it may be an error in judgment and are we then advised to cherish opinions only to set reason at defiance?

Čommon passions are excited by common qualities. Men look for beauty and the simper of good humored docility women are captivated by easy manners: a gentleman-like man seldom fails to please them, and their thirsty ears eagerly drink the insinuating nothings of politeness, whilst they turn from the unintelligible sounds of the charmer-reason, charm he never so wisely. With respect to superficial accomplishments, the rake certainly has the advantage; and of these, females can form an opinion, for it is their own ground. Rendered gay and giddy by the whole tenor of their lives, the very aspect of wisdom, or the severe graces of virtue must have a lugubrious appearance to them; and produce a kind of restraint from which they and love, sportive child, naturally revolt. Without taste, excepting of the lighter kind, for taste is the offspring of judgment, how can they discover, that true beauty and grace must arise from the play of the mind?

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, bę more absurd than keeping women in a state of ignorance, and yet so vehemently to insist on their resisting tempta tion?" Thus when virtue or honor 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 noth ing of the generosity of bravery, supposed to be a manly virtue.

The tenderness which a man will feel for the mother of his children is an excellent substitute for the ardor of unsatisfied passion; but to prolong that ardor it is indeli cate, not to say immodest, for women to feign an unna. tural coldness of constitution. Women as well as men ought to have the common appetites and passions of their nature, they are only brutal when unchecked by reason; but the obligation to check them is the duty of mankind, not a sexual duty. Nature, in these respects, may safely be left to herself; let women only acquire knowledge and humanity, and love will teach them modesty.

A constant attention to keep the varnish of the charac ter fresh, and in good condition, often inculcated as the sum total of female duty; rules to regulate the behavior, and to preserve the reputation, too frequently supercede moral obligations. But, with respect to reputation, the attention is confined to a single virtue-chastity. If the honor of a woman, as it is absurdly called, is safe, she may neglect every social duty; nay, ruin her family by gaming and extravagance; yet still present a shameless front-for truly she is an honorable woman!

Mrs. Macauly has justly observed, that "there is but one fault which a woman of honor may not commit with impu nity." She then justly and humanely adds-That has given rise to the trite and foolish observation, that the first fault against chastity in woman has a radical power to de prave the character. But no such frail beings come out of the hands of Nature. The human mind is built of nobler materials than to be so easily corrupted; and with all their disadvantages of situation and education, women seldom become entirely abandoned till they are thrown into a state of desperation, by the venomous rancor of their own sex."

But, in proportion as this regard for the reputation of chastity is prized by women, it is despised by men and the two extremes are equally destructive to morality.

Men are certainly more under the influence of their ap

petites than women; and their appetites are more de praved by unbridled indulgence, and the fastidious contrivances of satiety. Luxury has introduced a refinement in eating that destroys the constitution; and a degree of gluttony which is so beastly, that a perception of seemliness of behavior must be worn out before one being could eat immoderately in the presence of another, and after ward complain of the oppression that his intemperance naturally produced.

The two sexes mutually corrupt or improve each other. This I believe to be an indisputable truth, extending it to every virtue. Chastity, modesty, public spirit, and all the noble train of virtues, on which social virtue and hap ness is built, should be understood and cultivated by all mankind, or they will be cultivated to little effect. And, instead of furnishing the vicious or idle with a pretext for violating some sacred duty, by terming it a sexual one, it would be wiser to show, that nature has not made any difference.

There is a homely proverb, which speaks a shrewd truth, that whoever the devil finds idle he will employ. And what but habitual idleness can hereditary wealth and titles produce? For man is so constituted, that he can only attain a proper use of his faculties by exercising them, and will not exercise them unless necessity, of some kind, first set the wheels in motion. Virtue like. wise can only be acquired by the discharge of relative duties; but the importance of these sacred duties will scarcely be felt by the being who is cajoled out of his hu manity by the flattery of sycophants. There must be more equality established in society, or morality will never gain ground, and this virtuous equality will not rest firmly even when founded on a rock, if one half of mankind are chained to its bottom by fate, for they will be continually undermining it through ignorance or pride.

It is vain to expect virtue from women till they are, in some degree, independent of men; nay, it is vain to expect that strength of natural affection, which would make them good wives and good mothers. While they are absolutely dependent on their husbands, they will be cunning, mean, and selfish, and the men who can be grati

« PoprzedniaDalej »