A Vindication of the Rights of Men A Vindication of the Rights of Woman An Historical and Moral View of the French Revolution

OXFORD WORLD' S CLASSIC S A VINDICATIO N O F TH E RIGHTS OF MEN AND

A VINDICATIO N O F TH E RIGHTS OF WOMA N MARY WOLLSTONECRAF T wa s born i n 175 9 an d suffere d a peri patetic childhoo d followin g a n increasingl y impecuniou s an d drunken father . Fuelle d b y indignation a t th e inequalit y of treatment o f hersel f an d th e eldes t son , sh e lef t hom e t o follo w th e few occupation s ope n t o a lady: as companion, schoolteacher , an d governess. He r grea t brea k cam e whe n sh e wa s employe d a s assistant an d reviewe r fo r th e radica l publishe r Joseph Johnso n i n London throug h who m sh e me t suc h thinker s a s Thomas Paine , Henry Fuseli, Willia m Godwin, and William Blake. Excited b y the possibilities o f the French Revolution , she entered th e propaganda war i n England and within a short tim e wrote bot h A Vindication of th e Rights o f Me n an d A Vindication o f th e Rights o f Woman, arguing th e right s o f al l peopl e t o educatio n an d consideration . Over the next years she struggled with the problems of trying to be an independen t woma n despite a conditionin g i n dependence . I n France she entered an ultimately unhappy relationship with Gilbert Imlay and bore a daughter. During this time she wrote her histor y of th e earl y French Revolutio n trying to com e to term s wit h th e violence and cruelt y sh e had witnessed. I n th e las t yea r of her lif e she marrie d Godwin ; sh e die d followin g childbirt h a fe w months later. Godwin's Memoirs o f hi s wif e wa s frank abou t Wollstonecraft' s illegitimate chil d an d suicid e attempt s an d i n th e publi c min d welded he r emotiona l romanti c lif e ont o th e ster n nationalis t philosophy of the two Vindications. JANET TOD D i s a Professo r o f Englis h a t th e Universit y o f Eas t Anglia. Sh e i s th e autho r o f severa l book s o n eighteenth-centur y women includin g Women's Friendship i n Literature (1980) an d Th e Sign ofAngellica: women, writing, and fiction 1660-1800 (1989). He r most recent work is Gender, Art an d Death (1993) and the first three volumes of the edition of Aphra Behn's works.

OXFORD WORLD' S CLASSIC S For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics have brought readers closer to the world's great literature. No w with over 70 0 titles—from the 4,000-year-old myths of Mesopotamia to the twentieth century's greatest novels —the series makes available lesser-known as well as celebrated writing. The pocket-sized hardbacks of the early years contained introductions by Virginia Woolf, T. S. Eliot, Graham Greene, and other literary figures which enriched the experience of reading. Today the series is recognized for its fine scholarship and reliability in texts that span world literature, drama and poetry, religion, philosophy and politics. Each edition includes perceptive commentary and essential background information to meet the changing needs of readers.

OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSIC S

MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT

A Vindication of the Rights of Men A Vindication of the Rights of Woman An Historical and Moral View of the French Revolution

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRES S

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRES S Great Clarendon Street , Oxfor d OX2 6DP Oxford Universit y Pres s is a department of the Universit y of Oxford. It further s the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship , and educatio n by publishing worldwide in Oxford Ne w York Athens Aucklan d Bangko k Bogot a Bueno s Aires Calcutt a Cape Town Chenna i Da r es Salaam Delh i Florenc e Hon g Kong Istanbu l Karachi Kual a Lumpur Madri d Melbourn e Mexic o City Mumba i Nairobi Pari s Sa o Paulo Singapor e Taipe i Toky o Toront o Warsa w with associated companie s in Berli n Ibada n Oxford i s a registered trade mar k of Oxford University Pres s in the UK an d i n certain othe r countries Published i n the United State s by Oxford University Press Inc., New York Editorial material © Janet Todd 1993 Hardback publishe d by Pickering and Chatto Ltd. 1993 The mora l rights of the author have been asserted Database righ t Oxford Universit y Press (maker) First published as a World's Classic s paperbac k 1994 Reissued a s an Oxford World's Classics paperbac k 1999 All rights reserved. N o par t of this publication may be reproduced , stored i n a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form o r by any means , without the prior permission i n writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted b y law, or under terms agreed wit h the appropriat e reprographics right s organisation. Enquirie s concernin g reproductio n outside the scope o f the above should be sent t o the Rights Department , Oxford Universit y Press, at the address above You must no t circulate this book i n any other bindin g or cover and you must impos e thi s same condition on any acquirer British Librar y Cataloguin g in Publication Data Data availabl e Library of Congress Catalogin g in Publication Dat a Data available ISBN (M9-283652-8 35 7 9 1 08 6 4 2

Printed i n Great Britai n by Cox & Wyman Ltd. Reading, Berkshire

CONTENTS Introduction

vii

Note on the Texts

xxxi

Select Bibliography

xxxii

A Chronology of Mary Wollstone craft

XXXV

A VINDICATIO N O F TH E RIGHT S O F ME N A VINDICATIO N O F TH E RIGHT S O F WOMA N AN HISTORICA L AN D MORA L VIE W O F TH E ORIGI N

1

63

AND PROGRES S O F TH E FRENC H REVOLUTIO N

285

Explanatory Notes

372

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INTRODUCTION The work s published i n thi s volum e are al l parts o f a controversy concerning th e Frenc h Revolution. Al l were written betwee n 179 0 and 1794 , a peculiar period in English culture which, in its richness of theoretical writing and enthusiasm fo r political discussion, can be compared onl y with the turbulent mid-seventeent h century . It was a period in which neighbouring France followed seventeenth-centur y England in trying to act out political and social theories. For its part, the English government, noting the direction of those theories, trie d to limi t th e sprea d o f activit y by controllin g th e disseminatio n o f ideas. Th e me n an d wome n wh o wrote on socio-politica l issue s i n such a contex t wer e no t th e sage s o f mor e peacefu l period s bu t engaged polemicists who believed that their ideas might soon be put into practice; they also knew that their publishing might have political and socia l consequences fo r their persona l lives . The tw o works printed her e i n full, A Vindication o f the Rights of Men an d A Vindication o f the Rights of Woman, and An Historical and Moral View . . . of th e French Revolution printe d i n part , wer e all reactive and provocative, elements in a series by people who knew or knew o f eac h other ; the y mak e point s i n a debate abou t a singl e phenomenon, th e French Revolution. When this event had begun in 1789, most liberal-thinking people in England judged it comparable with the English revolution of 1688. If the works here do not breathe this moderate acceptance , i t is mainly because, afte r th e publicatio n in 1790 of Burke's vehement and emotional denunciation, Reflections o n the Revolution in France, political alignment s becam e bot h more problematica l an d mor e positive . I n certai n fundamenta l respects i t i s possibl e t o se e al l Wollstonecraft' s politica l work s i n dialogue with Burke's idea s and rhetorical stance . A Vindication of the Rights of Men Wollstonecraft wa s ready t o ente r th e politica l fra y wit h he r firs t Vindication i n 179 0 because he r lif e ha d provide d a preparation fo r it. Sh e was born i n 175 9 just before George II I cam e to the thron e and hi s emphasi s o n domesti c policie s mus t hav e highlighte d th e vii

viii Introduction irregular natur e o f her unstabl e home , heade d b y a dissipated an d unthrifty father . As her famil y fel l dow n the socia l scale, losing all hopes of remaining gentlemen-farmers, Wollstonecraft seethed les s at th e socia l embarrassmen t tha n a t th e injustic e of concentrating dwindling resources on the eldest son of a large family in which she was the eldest daughter . Consequently , a t 1 9 she left hom e to take a position as a paid companion, returning in 1781 to care for her dying mother. Afte r he r mother's death she moved in with Fanny Blood, a dea r frien d fro m who m sh e claimed to have derived som e of he r education. Soo n sh e fashione d a pla n fo r keepin g herself, Fanny , and he r sisters , b y establishing a small school. Wollstonecraft ha d littl e pedagogica l preparatio n fo r thi s enterprise althoug h fo r a short time i n Yorkshire sh e had receive d lessons fro m th e intellectua l fathe r o f he r firs t clos e friend , Jan e Arden. Late r Jan e Arde n founde d a schoo l wit h he r sisters , an d her action probably encouraged Wollstonecraft, with whom she still corresponded. Th e ver y fac t tha t Wollstonecraf t coul d se t u p a n establishment wit h s o littl e preparatio n suggest s th e sor t o f in stitutions mos t middle-clas s girl s woul d enter . I n Th e Rights o f Woman Wollstonecraf t recommende d tha t communitie s regulat e their schools . The lac k o f kindl y parenta l authorit y seem s t o hav e haunte d Wollstonecraft throughou t he r life . Sh e raile d agains t all forms of patriarchal power, whether of father ove r children, kin g over coun try, or of public schoolboy over fag, a form of tyranny she saw briefly at Eton . I n th e plac e o f th e fathe r sh e seem s t o hav e idealize d a substitute father-figure, an unthreatening, desexualized , an d intellectually admirable figure, portrayed in her fina l fictio n Th e Wrongs of Woman i n the kindly , generous, an d uncontrollin g uncle. In he r life the role seems to have been played at one time by Richard Price , who nurtured he r ideas in Newington Green, wher e her school was established. The ministe r o f a Dissenting Chapel , a liberal intellec tual, and fello w o f the Royal Society, honoured i n Scotland an d th e new Unite d States , Pric e wa s a staunc h advocat e o f politica l an d economic reforms and he was in contact with many leading philosophers of the tim e such a s Franklin and Condorce t (whos e views on women's rights would be close to Wollstonecraft's). Through Pric e and others living in Newington Green, she came to consider Locke's theories about the basic nature of sensory experience and the power

Introduction ix of environmen t i n education , whic h went som e wa y to explaining her ow n characte r an d gav e her a language with whic h to begin t o express he r long-hel d sens e o f discrimination. Because o f he r backgroun d an d influences , i t i s fittin g tha t Wollstonecraft's firs t wor k Thoughts o n th e Education of Daughters should b e o n educatio n an d partiall y follow Lock e i n stressin g th e power o f environment; i t differ s fro m he r late r educationa l works primarily i n it s allowanc e for innat e qualitie s an d i n it s strai n o f compensatory piety . The boo k was published b y the liberal Londo n publisher Joseph Johnson, with whom one of her Newington Green friends ha d pu t he r i n touch . In the light of such a past, Wollstonecraft hardly seems best fitted for servic e t o th e aristocracy . But , followin g he r tri p t o Portugal , where th e now-marrie d Fann y ha d die d i n childbirth , sh e aban doned he r ailin g school an d becam e a governess t o th e childre n o f Lord and Lady Kingsborough i n Ireland. Predictably it was a shortterm employment , durin g whic h th e mos t usefu l event s fo r he r intellectual developmen t wer e th e writin g o f he r firs t an d mos t sentimental novel , Mary: A Fiction (in which she allowed her heroine t o fin d solac e fro m life' s miseries i n a n assumptio n o f superior sensibility), and th e readin g of Rousseau's educationa l work Emile, which, she was pleased to find, chose 'a common capacity to educate' and gav e 'as a reason, tha t a genius wil l educate itself ; sh e muc h admired its description of a system of natural education suited to the capacities o f th e child. 1 Later , however , sh e woul d deplor e th e contents o f book v, which confine d the admirabl e system, outline d in th e earl y books , t o th e boy : th e gir l Sophi e wa s lef t t o suffe r a contingen t upbringin g fittin g he r mor e fo r marriag e an d childbearing than fo r independent adulthood . Dismissed b y Lad y Kingsborough , Wollstonecraf t settle d i n London i n 178 7 t o wor k fo r Johnson , anothe r o f he r nurturin g avuncular figures. In May 178 8 he began his new journal, the Analytical Review, for which she was speedily reviewing, frequently on educational an d fictiona l works , sometime s o n politica l an d aes thetic. Sh e als o translated Salzmann , who , groundin g his views on Locke and Rousseau, insisted that education be related to the imme1 Collected Letters o f Mary Wollstonecraft, ed . Ralp h Wardl e (Ithaca , NY : Cornel l University Press, 1979), 145 .

x Introduction diate world and to the child's experiences, advice clearly followed in her ow n boo k fo r children , th e rathe r fearsom e Original Stories. Later Salzman n woul d retur n th e complimen t b y translatin g Th e Rights o f Woman int o German . Throug h Johnson, Wollstonecraf t met many different people , amon g them th e radica l political writer Thomas Paine and the painte r an d critic Henry Fuseli . On 1 4 July 178 9 th e Bastill e fell . Libera l Englis h peopl e varied between enthusias m an d moderat e welcome . I n som e circle s th e Revolution became fashionable and its heroes were commemorate d on commoditie s suc h a s snuff boxe s an d scarves . Th e Dissenters , however, sa w providence rathe r tha n fashion , discerning i n i t th e latest phas e o f th e unfinishe d Englis h revolutio n o f 1688 . Conse quently, on 4 November Pric e delivere d an anniversary sermon fo r the Gloriou s Revolutio n a t th e Ol d Jewr y meeting-hous e urgin g England t o continue its radical development. His vision , though couche d i n Dissenting millenaria n language, was close to that o f the ne w Whigs. H e oppose d hereditar y power, accepted civi l authority as a trust fro m th e people , an d imagine d a spreading liberty that woul d replace kings with the rule of law, and priests wit h the rul e o f reason an d conscience . Month s late r Pric e and severa l Whig s attende d a dinne r a t th e Crow n an d Ancho r Tavern t o celebrate the first anniversary of the fal l of the Bastille; at the dinner he toasted th e ide a of a United State s of the World . Edmund Burke , a Whig of an older school, champion o f American Independence a s exemplary of traditional English liberties, saw the Gloriou s Revolutio n of 168 8 as a moderate and cautiou s settlement rathe r tha n a s th e star t o f a revolutionar y agenda , an d h e was affronte d b y Price' s interpretation , a s well as by hi s apparen t confusing o f English wit h French developments . Reflections o n the Revolution i n France •, appearin g o n 1 Novembe r 1790 , aime d t o denounce Price , to attack the French revolutionaries and their principles, an d t o defen d th e Britis h constitutio n an d th e notio n o f prescriptive right. He saw a levelling tendency in Price which allied him t o th e Frenc h an d thei r abstrac t 'metaphysical ' notio n o f lib erty, and h e therefore judged his views closer to the spiri t of 1649 , the year of Charles Fs execution, than to the regulated principles of 1688. Burke insiste d tha t France' s ancien regime ha d bee n a n extrem e version of the system which England had reformed. He was particu-

Introduction x

i

larly astute i n making this syste m o f privileges o f rank checked b y duties, o f th e statu s qu o o f kin g an d Church , appea r peculiarl y English an d worth y o f patrioti c devotion . Conversel y h e mad e i t seem 'French ' to believe in radical ideas. Holding t o a Christian pessimisti c vie w of human nature , Burke accepted its fixed condition and thoroughl y oppose d any notion of perfectibility. H e considere d tha t vic e an d individua l selfishnes s rather tha n governmen t wer e th e caus e o f socia l unhappiness . People wer e rule d b y passio n no t abstrac t reason , h e argued ; manners an d civilizatio n distinguishe d moder n societ y fro m th e barbaric, an d a concep t o f nobilit y wa s 'the Corinthia n capita l of political society'. Burke mad e par t o f his argumen t throug h sentimentalize d pic tures o f sexual and familia l relationships , especiall y o f the Frenc h queen Mari e Antoinett e a s mothe r an d lady , worth y objec t o f chivalric devotion . Thes e picture s wer e particularl y gallin g t o Wollstonecraft, wh o had seen little to admire either i n families or in aristocratic society. In his emotional adherence t o a chivalric notion of aristocracy, Burk e actually went beyon d th e view s of many old Whigs and even a good number o f contemporary Tories. None th e less, thi s nostalgi c vision , mor e literar y tha n historical , wa s th e major appea l o f Reflections t o other s o f both politica l parties an d i t sold about 19,00 0 copie s in its first year, with about another 30,00 0 over the nex t five years. Over fifty replies followed, some by new or moderate Whigs such as James Mackintosh, wantin g to ally the Revolution with the ideals of 1688, and some by more radical writers doubtin g tha t monarch y and aristocrac y could eve r be the bes t o f systems, eve n for a flawed humanity. I n thei r plac e the y advocate d a variety of systems fro m reformist to revolutionary, the most famou s of which were included in Paine's Th e Rights of Man (1791 ) and Godwin' s Political Justice (1793), bu t th e firs t repl y wa s Wollstonecraft' s Vindication o f the Rights o f Men, writte n hurriedl y an d excitedl y and printe d b y th e page as she wrote. It appeared anonymously in December 179 0 and was republished almos t immediately. 2 2 Se e Godwin' s Memoirs o f th e Author o f a Vindication o f th e Rights o f Woman fo r a n episode durin g th e writin g of Th e Rights o f Men: th e publishe r Josep h Johnso n cleverl y goaded Wollstonecraft, caught i n a fit of 'torpor an d indolence' , into finishing the wor k by accepting her defectio n and offerin g t o destroy th e page s that h e had alread y printed.

xii Introduction Wollstonecraft ha d learnt many of her libertarian principles fro m the Dissenters, an d thei r rhetori c marke d he r work . Raised a s an Anglican and never formally renouncing the affiliation, sh e probably derived fro m Price he r criticism o f an y allianc e of tempora l an d spiritual power s such a s that displaye d in the Establishe d Church . More specifically, she may have derived from Price her serious sense of socia l progres s i n almos t millenaria n terms, th e belie f tha t th e moment must be taken or progress would be halted. From her later radical associates in London, such as Paine in Common Sense (1776), she too k argument s concernin g natura l rights , assertin g that , i n their light , monarch y becam e ridiculou s an d hereditar y honour s unjust. Sh e rehearsed histor y to dispose of British smugnes s i n th e inexorable progres s toward s th e perfectio n o f 1688 . Burke , sh e charged, had made liberty into the unjust maintenance of property, where sh e too k her stan d o n th e ide a of God-given right s o f men from birt h a s rational creatures. H e wa s holding to a feudal world view quite out o f keeping with an advanced commercia l societ y on which, as a woman denied th e mystifyin g educatio n in the classics , she took her modern stand. Rational justice not sentimental pity was wanted. Beyond th e politica l arguments of Dissenters and radicals, how ever, Wollstonecraf t made a t time s viciou s ad hominem attack s on Burke himself . Thi s becam e justifie d b y Burke' s ow n attack s on Price, who had befriended and nurtured he r intellectually and who in Th e Rights o f Me n becam e th e benevolen t uncl e figure , muc h being mad e o f hi s advance d age, 6 8 (whic h was , i n fact , clos e t o Burke's own 62 years). Cleverly providing a close reading of Burke's text, fo r whic h he r tim e workin g for th e Analytical Review mus t have prepare d her , sh e moved fro m Burke' s argument s abou t th e hereditary principle , th e constitution , an d th e law , t o attac k th e mental structur e tha t supporte d them , assaultin g th e patriarcha l message i n hi s trope s (whic h mad e revolutio n int o parricide ) a s much a s the messag e in his arguments. Burke took a stand o n the famil y an d aristocracy, idealizin g both and emblematizin g them i n th e perso n o f Mari e Antoinette . No t only opposin g th e eulogisti c readin g o f a quee n sh e regarde d a s vulgar, Wollstonecraf t als o uncovere d th e belittlin g natur e o f Burke's idealizing. He tended, she implied, to praise precisely what did no t deserv e praise : th e frivolou s an d th e trivial . Fo r Mari e

Introduction xii

i

Antoinette, suddenl y uncovered—albei t fo r rhetorica l purposes — as a n 'anima l no t o f the highes t order' , irrationa l respec t wa s de manded.3 Yet her weaknes s as a woma n had bee n exposed . The argument was , then, reall y about power, and the kind of mystifying chivalrous respec t Burk e advocate d was reall y an expressio n of power. Burke's mystificatio n came fro m hi s rhetoric. Althoug h i t sometimes seems in her wor k that sh e was more obsesse d wit h attacking sentimental writin g an d habi t o f mind tha n wit h refutin g Burke' s overt argument , i t i s this obfuscatin g rhetoric tha t sh e oppose d a s the basi s of this argument . Th e 'effeminacy ' o f Burke was not just the expression of a flabby mind but reall y a statement o f power since it put the reade r in the plac e of the woma n as objec t (as wel l as subject) of his sentimental rhetoric. The power of aristocracy, whic h Wollstonecraft alway s associate d wit h effeminacy , wa s differen t from th e power of'woman', since it was in the last analysis substan tial power. But, lik e that grante d to woman, it was based o n mysti fication sinc e i t demande d emotiona l acceptanc e withou t caus e and was, although substantial , none the less power without rationality. Th e effeminac y o f Burke' s discours e wa s thu s politica l an d dangerous. To discredi t Burk e as a man reveale d in hi s tex t Wollstonecraft cleverly reversed th e gender roles. Although the thrust o f her argument was against Reflections, i t is clear that she took exception also to Burke's earlie r an d influentia l boo k o n aesthetics , A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1757), with its aesthetic genderizin g in which beauty became associated wit h wome n an d sublimit y wit h men . He r respons e wa s to ally herself wit h the sublimit y Burke was, by implication, associat ing with himself . She displaye d hersel f a s th e provoke d an d impartia l rationalis t exasperated by the maudlin sentimentality and confusion of an emo tional and flawed man. She was a rationalist and plain dealer; he was a muddle d idealis t hidin g behin d notion s o f natura l feelin g an d common sense , dealin g in th e mystificatio n of courtliness an d art . She had firm principles , he was an opportunist ; she was androgy3 Edmun d Burke , Reflections o n th e Revolution i n France, ed . J . G . A . Pococ k (Indianapolis: Hackett Publishin g Company , 1987) , 67.

xiv Introduction nous i n he r self-presentatio n bu t manl y i n he r forc e an d reason , unintimidated b y a 'horse laugh ' wit h whic h me n tende d t o gree t female intellectua l endeavour , an d no t move d b y tears , whic h she refused t o see as natural and feminine but rather as part of a manipulating rhetoric. Whil e she was unaffected an d serious, Burke became a vain , trivial , an d effeminat e ma n whos e anxiou s wi t coul d b e compared t o tha t o f a celebrated beauty . I t wa s in keepin g that h e should displa y th e ba d tast e i n hi s attack s o n th e venerabl e an d right-thinking Pric e an d on the mad King George. I n thes e attack s he als o displaye d th e contradiction s i n hi s stance : hi s mystifyin g demand fo r respec t fo r th e wea k o r impoten t complicate d hi s de mand o n th e on e han d fo r respec t fo r th e age d constitutio n o f England and on the other for contempt fo r Price, described a s a fool, and fo r the King , describe d a s a madman. The Rights of Men wa s so hurriedly written it would be surprising if it were not rambling and ill organized. But, although it seemed to be followin g mino r ove r majo r points , i t wa s thereby , arguably , mounting a subtl e attac k o n a habi t o f min d i n Burk e tha t wa s at botto m aestheti c an d amora l rathe r tha n rationa l an d moral . I t could als o b e argue d tha t th e apparen t disorganizatio n wa s par t of th e message ; certainl y th e charg e migh t b e levelle d als o a t Wollstonecraft's mos t famou s book , A Vindication o f th e Rights o f Woman, as indeed a t Paine's initia l reply to Burke, the first part of The Rights o f Man. Clearl y the styl e was a common on e fo r polemicists desiring to make their work appear gut reaction and to presen t themselves as moved by honest indignatio n and forced int o print by absolute convictio n an d exasperation . Among the refutation s afte r Wollstonecraft , one of the mos t no table was James Mackintosh's Vindiciae Gallicae coming out in early 1791; i n i t h e insiste d tha t Burk e ha d trample d o n th e ideal s o f Whiggism an d aligne d himsel f instea d wit h Tory superstitio n an d chivalry. I n oppositio n t o Paine , Mackintos h invoke d th e ideal s of 1688 , whic h h e sa w as needing a little improvement , regardin g France a s correctly endeavouring, like England, to move itself fro m a feuda l t o a commercial society . I n Observations o n the Reflections of. . . Burke (1790) , however, Catherin e Macaula y took a very dif ferent view , regarding the Frenc h Revolution not a s a repetition of English developmen t bu t a s something ne w and unique , a 'sudden

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spread o f an enlightened spirit', and, like Price, she saw benevolent providence in it. 4 Most importan t o f the replies was, of course, Paine's Th e Rights of Man, par t i o f whic h wa s publishe d i n Februar y 1791 ; th e mor e systematic secon d par t followed in the next year. Ringingly assertin g the rights of the living over the dead, it argued firmly fo r republican government base d o n reaso n an d th e contrac t between th e people t o form a government, no t betwee n th e peopl e an d a ruler, a s Lock e had assumed . I t als o argue d fo r a n acceptanc e o f natura l huma n rights fro m divin e authorit y (no t historica l rights ) o n whic h civi l rights wer e base d an d i t reprinte d th e Frenc h Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. Like Wollstonecraft, Paine attacked inadequate parliamentar y representation , primogeniture , aristo cracy, an d stat e religion , an d h e denie d reverenc e fo r 168 8 an d its 'Bil l o f Wrongs ' create d b y a non-electe d Commons . Like Wollstonecraft, Pain e di d no t wis h to destro y th e propert y syste m completely; both wishe d only that larg e estates b e divided. A Vindication of the Rights of Woman Given al l this politica l endeavour, al l this seekin g and justifyin g o f rights, it is quite remarkable how little constructive comment ther e was o n wome n an d thei r politica l status . Althoug h durin g th e American conflict in 177 5 Paine had published 'A n Occasional Let ter on the Female Sex' , when he included the French Declaration of the Rights of Man in his own Rights of Man he did not thin k to annotate the documen t t o show the systemati c exclusio n of women from it s principles, a s the feminis t Olympe d e Gouges woul d do in France. I t is Wollstonecraft's distinction that, without being the first to put forwar d feminis t views or, indeed, the only one to do so at the time, sh e brought the issue of women's rights for a short moment i n the 1790 s into the genera l debate about civi l rights . An earlie r debate , mainl y about women' s exclusio n fro m educa tion, ha d bee n joine d a centur y befor e in th e fina l decade s o f th e seventeenth century . Mos t notabl y Poulai n d e l a Barre i n Franc e 4 Catherin e Macaulay , Observations on the Reflections o f th e Right Hon. Edmund Burke on the Revolution in France in a Letter to the Right Hon. the Earl of Stanhope (London, 1790) , 95.

xvi Introduction had asserted the intellectual equality of the sexes, going even further in insistin g that th e natura l power s remaine d les s contaminate d i n women owing to their exclusio n fro m th e violen t process o f establishing civil society; consequently the y should pla y an active part in the futur e developmen t o f that society . The 1690 s sa w the publicatio n o f Locke's Tw o Treatises o f Government (1690), in which chapter i v of the secon d book opened with the words : 'Th e Natural History o f Ma n i s t o b e fre e fro m an y Superior Powe r o n Earth, an d not to be under th e Will or Legislative Authority of Man, bu t t o have only the La w o f Nature fo r his Rule.'5 I n he r Serious Proposal t o th e Ladies. . . (1694 an d 1697 ) Mary Astel l too k he r stan d o n fa r les s libertaria n principle s tha n Locke, bu t ye t quickly surpassed hi m in feminist concern when she argued for education and a breaking down of the 'enclosure' excluding women fro m huma n knowledge . Although much discussio n of women followed durin g the next decades, with many just and subtle remarks bein g mad e b y wome n suc h a s Lad y Mar y Wortle y Montagu, unde r th e increasin g emphasi s o n th e sensitivit y an d childlikeness of women—qualitie s traditionally , if neve r befor e so assertively an d positively , seen a s 'feminine'—there wa s relatively little argument for civil and educational rights for women during the main par t o f the eighteent h century. 6 In 1790 , jus t befor e sh e embarke d o n Th e Rights o f Woman, Wollstonecraft rea d a book for which she declared her admiration in a revie w i n th e Analytical Review. Catherin e Macaulay' s Letters on Education? A religiou s work , i n ton e close r t o Astel l tha n Wollstonecraft, i t argued forcibl y that women neede d rationa l edu cation befor e they coul d b e judge d moral beings ; i f they wer e re garded primarily as sexual, they could not be fully human. Feminin e frivolity an d trivialit y could onl y be remedied by the cultivatio n of female intellect. In her overt feminist arguments, Wollstonecraft did 5 Joh n Locke , Two Treatises of Government, ed. Pete r Laslet t (Cambridge : Cambridg e University Press , 1988) . 6 Som e exceptions are the pamphlet s of'Sophia' , Woman no t Inferior t o Man (1739 ) and Woman's Superior Excellence over Men (1740) . Lad y Mar y Wortle y Montagu' s comment s about wome n ar e foun d mainl y i n he r letters ; se e Complete Letters, ed . Rober t Halsban d (Oxford, 1965-7) . 7 Th e Works o f Mary Wollstonecraft, ed . Jane t Tod d an d Marily n Butle r (London : Pickering and Chatto , 1989) , vii . 309-22.

Introduction xvii not g o further tha n Macaulay , and indee d sh e sometimes doe s no t go as far, for instance whe n sh e concedes , bot h i n he r boo k and i n her review , that intellectua l equality was still to be proven . As in the twentieth century , s o in the eighteenth ther e wa s more concern fo r racia l tha n sexua l injustice ; both Frenc h an d Britis h liberal and radical theorists an d philosophers, muc h concerned wit h racial matters, hardly took up the issue of women's status and rights. Many indee d associate d femalenes s wit h reaction , darkness , an d superstition an d tended t o couch thei r enterpris e o f enlightenmen t in gendere d term s o f 'mastering ' a feminize d nature , orderin g a feminin e chaos , o r penetratin g feminin e darkness . I n a wa y Wollstonecraft responde d t o thi s languag e b y takin g u p th e mi sogyny an d admittin g it s justification : wome n woul d indee d di m enlightenment i f they wer e allowed to rest ignorant , thereb y stop ping the progres s o f knowledge and virtu e in general . In France , Condorce t wa s a n exceptio n amon g th e indifferen t philosophes. H e ha d writte n o f women's right s i n Letters of a Bourgeois ofNewhaven in 1787; in July 1790 he published 'On the Admission of Women to the Rights of Citizenship' to draw attention t o the violation of the principle of equality of rights in the exclusion of half the population fro m citizenship . In the followin g year he publishe d 'The Natur e an d Purpos e o f Public Instruction' , i n whic h h e de clared tha t difference s amon g groups o f people were due t o educa tion. Although he made Wollstonecraft's poin t that male superiority seemed clea r i n the presen t situation , bu t remaine d t o be properl y investigated, h e wa s o n th e whol e mor e concerne d wit h politica l than socia l rights; consequently, sinc e the highest achievement wa s not necessary for political rights and genius not essential for citizen ship, he had in many ways an easier time in his argument and could occasionally invoke the gallantry Wollstonecraft so deplored, as well as the gendere d concep t o f character sh e despised . In 1793 , now in hiding, Condorcet wrot e his Sketch for a Historical Picture o f th e Progress o f th e Human Mind', powerles s an d awa y from practicalities , h e became mor e definit e abou t women' s statu s and close r t o Wollstonecraft: Among the causes of the progress of the human mind that are of the utmost importance to the general happiness, we must number the complete annihi lation o f th e prejudice s tha t hav e brough t abou t a n inequalit y o f right s between th e sexes , a n inequalit y fata l eve n t o th e part y i n whos e favou r i t

.

xviii Introduction works. I t i s vai n fo r u s t o loo k fo r a justificatio n o f thi s principl e i n an y differences o f physical organization, intellect , o r moral sensibilit y between men and women. This inequality has its origin solely in an abuse of strength, and al l th e lat e sophistica l attempt s tha t hav e bee n mad e t o excus e i t

are vain.8

By concentratin g o n socia l rathe r tha n politica l debasement , Wollstonecraft suggeste d a mor e intractabl e proble m tha n Condorcet addresse d in his earlier works and was forced t o castigate not only male intransigence but also women's collusion in their own oppression. Sh e di d not , however , discus s o r tak e issu e wit h Condorcet's vie w and appear s not t o have read hi m before writing The Rights of Woman, although Price had known him in the past and Paine kne w hi m i n Paris ; wit h he r penchan t fo r tellin g biologica l comparisons, i t seem s unlikel y tha t sh e woul d hav e omitte d hi s analogy of gout and pregnancy: 'Why should individuals exposed to pregnancies an d othe r passin g indispositions b e unabl e t o exercis e rights which no one has dreamed o f withholding from person s wh o have the gout all winter or catch cold quickly?' 9 Conversely, the later Condorcet doe s not mention Wollstonecraft , whos e books were being printe d i n th e gap s o f hi s own , choosin g instea d t o giv e hi s admiration t o Catherin e Macaulay , wh o appear s i n hi s wor k a s a historian, fitte d t o express he r view s in Parliament, rathe r tha n as a writer o n women's right s an d education. In Th e Rights o f Woman eve n mor e tha n Th e Rights o f Me n Wollstonecraft wa s caugh t u p i n th e revolutionar y excitemen t o f progressive thought in England, clearly writing in the context of an actual revolution tha t indicated a possibility o f real political change . In Th e Rights of Men sh e had addresse d a reactionary Burke; in Th e Rights of Woman sh e primarily took issue with a philosopher whos e views were intimately bound u p with the French Revolution: JeanJacques Rousseau , whos e Emile ha d ha d a profoun d effec t o n he r educational thinking and whose heady novel La Nouvelle Heloise she found bot h fascinatin g and dangerous. As she wrote later in a letter of 1794 she had 'always been half in love with [Rousseau]' and som e of the aggressio n i n he r remark s in Th e Rights of Woman n o doub t 8 Condorcet: Selected Writings, ed . Keit h Michae l (Indianapolis : Bobbs-Merril l Co. , 1976), 274. 9 Ibid . 98.

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stemmed fro m he r admiratio n o f hi m o n subject s othe r tha n women's intellectua l abilities. 10 As wit h th e earlie r wor k she wrot e quickly , spending abou t six weeks o n th e book, whic h i s personal, journalistic , and repetitive . Having complete d i t sh e wrot e to a friend, 'I a m dissatisfie d wit h myself fo r no t havin g done justic e to th e subject.' 11 Bu t th e boo k made her famous and she became for many Horace Walpole's 'hyena in petticoats', fo r others Mar y Hays's champion o f the femal e sex . A Vindication o f th e Rights o f Woman i s extraordinar y fo r th e disjunction between its title and contents. I t i s not a female equiva lent of her ow n Rights of Men, nor a political treatise in the manne r of Paine's Rights of Man, wit h which its ringing title allied it. In fac t it i s mor e o f a courtes y boo k tha n a politica l tract , concernin g manners mor e tha n civi l rights . An d i t i s this whic h seem s mos t revolutionary: an insistence tha t privat e and publi c are joined and, long before the 1960s , tha t persona l and political are one. More tha n Catherin e Macaulay , who a s a Whig historia n saw a progress in history, Wollstonecraft believed in individual progress, a sens e that wit h som e change s everyon e could improve . Women , she argued, were human before they were feminine and the soul was unsexed: for everyone this lif e should be a preparation for the next , not for marriage. Society could not progress if half its members were kept backward. At presen t wome n ha d th e vice s of any oppresse d group, suc h a s slaves, but inequalit y of power in society and hom e corrupted both parties. Sure of the importance of environment, she gave nothing to heredity. Repeatedly sh e asserte d th e commo n belief s of the earl y 1790s , that wit h a fe w 'simpl e principles'—th e perfectibilit y o f huma n nature, th e equalit y of individuals, and th e natura l right of each t o determine his or her own destiny—the ignorance of society and th e oppressive nature of government would be obliterated. In doing so, she linked feminism to th e genera l struggle fo r political and social reform, arguin g that the abstract rights of woman were inextricably linked with the abstract rights of men and that the tyranny of man, husband, king , primogeniture , an d hereditar y privileg e mus t al l cease, i n th e nam e of reason, a reason tha t wa s woman's a s well as man's. 10

Collected Letters, 263. "

Ibid . 205.

xx Introduction The mai n thrust o f her argumen t wa s on education. In 179 1 the French Nationa l Assembl y approve d th e constitutio n an d de manded a national syste m o f fre e education . On e o f the architect s of th e polic y wa s Talleyrand . Th e Rights o f Woman i s a ple a t o Talleyrand t o giv e equalit y o f opportunit y t o women . Wit h he r contempt fo r classical education in isolation, for what she slightingly called the 'dea d languages', fo r imitation and rot e learning, she did not, however , ai m simpl y t o exten d th e educatio n o f upper-clas s boys t o wome n bu t t o for m a new curriculu m fo r both sexes . Sh e had th e Dissentin g belie f i n scienc e an d th e disciplin e o f factua l knowledge although she declared that her regime for the able 'would not exclud e polite literature'. The educatio n sh e promote d wa s a mixture o f information and rational skills . Stil l influence d b y Rousseau' s Emile, despit e he r strictures o n it s picture s o f femal e development , sh e insiste d tha t boys and girl s should b e educated togethe r fro m th e sensor y to th e abstract, accepting a division based o n abilitie s and ran k onl y at a later stage . Sh e continued th e emphasi s o f Locke an d Rousseau o n physical healt h an d insiste d o n exercis e an d play ; i n additio n sh e suggested tha t al l should stud y biology so that the y woul d understand th e body and become better parents . Later, when mockery of Wollstonecraft became fashionable, this suggestion would be greatly ridiculed as a direction tha t girl s should 'nam e their backside s as it were their faces'. 12 In religio n the contras t wit h Thoughts i s extreme; eve n fro m Th e Rights o f Men, wher e evil seemed stil l part of God's plan, there i s a change. Th e Go d wh o inhabit s Th e Rights o f Woman i s no t th e mysterious comforte r o f Thoughts o r th e unknowabl e deity o f Th e Rights o f Men bu t a severe rationalist, boun d b y th e reaso n h e ha s given his creatures and providing an afterlife a s reward for its proper use. Wome n shoul d prepar e fo r heave n b y activit y an d rationa l exertion i n the world , activity most likel y to occur in the lif e no t of the indolen t aristocra t o r the overburdene d workin g woman but of the middle-clas s woman , wh o appeare d t o Wollstonecraf t t o b e 'in th e mos t rationa l state' . Wome n shoul d ai m at being goo d ra tional mothers an d goo d citizen s and s o fulfil thei r dutie s to themselves and God. I n Th e French Revolution she would take the proces s 12

'Th e Vision of Liberty', Anti-Jacobin Review and Magazine, 9 (1801).

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i

further an d allo w Christianit y t o fad e eve n more : Go d woul d n o longer be even the sever e rationalist but simpl y the inward patter n of reason . As Go d ha d bee n compensator y i n Thoughts, s o i n Mary: A Fiction sensibility had compensated fo r the practica l miseries of the heroine's existence . Th e Wollstonecraf t o f th e rationa l Rights o f Woman woul d hav e none o f this compensatio n an d i t i s clear that , although Burke was not th e over t enemy , sh e was still arguin g her case against his aesthetic an d politica l views. In he r rigorou s opposition t o self-indulgen t sensibilit y sh e appears par t o f a reaction a t the en d o f th e eighteent h centur y whic h include s suc h politicall y diverse writers as Coleridge, Godwin , Austen , an d Hanna h More . The majorit y o f he r mal e contemporaries , however , base d thei r attack on the sentimental emphasis on sensibility in men, which had supposedly weakene d the m an d rendere d the m unmanly , whil e such writer s accepte d it s continuin g associatio n wit h women : Coleridge sa w sensibilit y a s femal e an d urge d me n t o cur b it s effeminating tendency , whil e Germa n theorist s accuse d senti mental literatur e o f 'effeminate tenderness ' and demande d rationa l virile art . At the same time many female writers feared tha t sensibilit y had been taken too far for women as well. Conservatives such as Hannah More an d Jane West , wh o accepte d th e divisio n o f role s an d th e assumptions o f differen t capacitie s whic h th e ide a o f sensibilit y implied, yet disliked the amoral self-indulgence inherent in it. From the outse t i n the earl y eighteenth centur y ther e ha d been repeate d warnings tha t th e sentimenta l woma n migh t prefe r t o liv e i n th e fantasy o f books rather tha n fac e th e bracin g realities of marital lif e and that she might trust to her sensations, including her sexual ones, before th e dictate s o f acquire d morality . I n a revie w o f 178 9 Wollstonecraft followe d thes e writer s i n claimin g that sentimenta l novels coul d shak e girls ' principle s an d mak e lov e appea r irre sistible. Her e an d i n th e Rights o f Woman th e enlightene d Wollstonecraft sound s indistinguishabl e fro m th e conservativ e Hannah Mor e who refused t o read her . Occasionally Th e Rights o f Woman function s a s a straight rebuk e of Wollstonecraft's earl y fictional heroine, Mary of Mary: A Fiction, a heroine of superior and suffering sensibility. The innatel y benevolent Mary , i f she had halte d he r progres s toward s easeful deat h t o

xxii Introduction read he r creator' s later book, would have learnt that 'i t is a farce t o call any being virtuous whose virtues do not result from th e exercise of it s ow n reason' . Sh e woul d hav e foun d he r superio r sensibilit y labelled as 'constitutional melancholy' and 'romantic unnatural delicacy o f feeling'. Th e display s of sentiment s o riveting t o th e her o and t o Mar y hersel f i n th e nove l woul d no w b e see n raisin g a n emotion 'simila r t o wha t we feel whe n childre n ar e playing or ani mals sporting'. In plac e of the romanti c lov e of the feminize d hero and the heroine or fervid femal e friendship, Wollstonecraft now put forward cal m respectful marriage in which 'a master o r mistress of a family ough t not to continue to love each other wit h passion' and in which a man should not lavish caresses on 'the overgrown child, his wife'. The miser y of Mary, married at the end of her novel to a man for who m sh e feel s sexua l horror , i s briskl y rebuked : a woma n 'might as well pine married as single, for she would not be a jot more unhappy with a bad husban d tha n longin g for a good one'. In he r treatmen t o f sensibilit y Wollstonecraf t ha d erase d th e sentimental constructio n o f woman (endowe d wit h superio r sensi tivity an d delicac y bu t marke d b y lesse r reasonin g capacity ) s o important throug h lif e and literature during the past century. Wit h it went the questio n o f female sexualit y or passion and the struggl e to express it. For, howeve r inadequately, the ide a of greater femal e sensibility had allowed a hint o f woman's right t o sexual feelings — certainly th e opponent s o f the cul t o f sensibility thought s o when they imagine d sentimenta l ladie s falling pre y to seducer s an d thei r own fantasies . I n hi s Progress o f th e Human Mind Condorce t ac cepted sex as an inclination; h e believed that it need not be repressed and coul d b e reconcile d wit h publi c dut y i n a more equa l society . But, becaus e o f th e socia l an d psychologica l har m cause d b y th e emphasis on female sexuality, Wollstonecraft was rigorously antagonistic to the claim s of sex as grand mover o f human action . Conse quently, th e asexua l rationa l woma n o f Th e Rights o f Woman ha s little on the emotiona l an d physica l side to d o but suckl e her baby and mak e sur e sh e doe s no t overfondl e it. A s i n th e sentimenta l construction, motherhoo d remain s th e importan t rol e fo r women , but, strippe d o f its support i n the notio n o f superior femal e gentle ness an d tenderness , it s absolut e responsibilitie s becom e a rathe r problematic infringemen t o f th e freedo m an d autonom y assume d for me n an d women .

Introduction xxii

i

In Th e Rights o f Woman a bris k sens e o f sel f i s preferre d t o seductiveness an d ther e i s littl e roo m fo r sexua l activit y i n th e energetic life . Sexualit y depend s o n a depravit y o f appetit e tha t brings th e sexe s together , a distastefu l activit y tha t weaken s th e frame and coarsens the spirit. It should be used for procreation only. As Wollstonecraf t wa s attacked i n th e eighteent h centur y fo r he r apparent encouragement o f sexual openness, s o in the late twentieth century sh e woul d be mocked fo r her robus t view s on sexualit y as desire leadin g to harmful dependence. Ther e does, however , see m to be considerable advantage in her proposed supportiv e friendships over promiscuou s sexua l relationships i n a n er a wit h rudimentar y birth control . Yet, if she sternly oppose d sexual desire, the text of The Rights of Woman, as of many of her other books, does reveal a fascination with passive sexualit y and exaggerate d femininity . And her e Burke , an alleged homosexual , seem s t o functio n as something o f a seductive figure fo r the homophobi c Wollstonecraft , a s perhaps h e ha d don e when she succumbed t o 'torpor' during the writin g of Th e Rights of Men. Despite her assertion of the superiority of a plain style and her distrust of Burkean rhetoric, and despite her awareness of the power of words, as well as their ability to confuse reality and substitute fo r it c a jargon of words in the room of things', as she expressed i t in the introduction t o Th e Rights o f Woman, sh e managed , throug h he r choice o f words , images , an d constructions , t o revea l a goo d dea l that was not comprehended i n her antagonism. This is especially so in he r frequen t deploymen t o f th e languag e o f th e bod y an d o f effeminacy, whic h sh e fail s t o acknowledge ; i t i s use d overtl y t o underline he r messag e whil e covertly revealing the necessit y fo r it. The notio n of the rights of men and the rights of women support s activity and vigour ; yet Wollstonecraft constantly alludes to sexual passivity, indolence , an d effortles s power, s o deeply implicate d i n her concep t o f aristocracy. Sh e praises adul t masculine rationality, while giving examples of infantile self-absorption an d th e desir e to be desired. Repeatedly sh e refers to luxury, relaxation, an d voluptuousness, an d the references and imagery sometimes threate n to stay in th e reader' s min d beyon d th e ster n urging s toward s abstrac t reason, liberty, and rights. Some of the imagery is indeed extraordi nary: the bod y of the woma n is a dish fo r every male glutton t o eat of; passio n i s sickly , gross, an d voluptuous ; lus t i s th e desperat e

xxiv Introduction effort o f lascivious weakness; hell i s the desirin g spiri t continuall y hovering wit h abortiv e eagernes s roun d th e defile d dea d body . If, a s Th e Rights o f Woman argues , sexua l passio n i s imprisoning ^ obsession, the n th e reade r migh t wel l se e par t o f th e boo k a s imprisoned. As wit h he r treatmen t o f sexuality , Wollstonecraf t als o ha d a significant i f less intractable problem wit h her concep t o f unchang ing right s an d he r notio n o f individualisti c human nature . Reso lutely sh e refuse d t o historiciz e th e situatio n o f women o r se e th e idea o f rights i n genera l as the produc t o f a historical momen t an d of a gendered society . Again one might see the negative influence of Burke, wh o insiste d o n a historica l vie w an d o n valu e give n b y history. The ide a of rights was the expression o f reason, accepted as the universal transcendental panacea. Likewise the classes she knew, of aristocracy and middl e and lowe r orders, tend to be accepted as absolute and sh e rarely saw gender crossin g through al l of them ye t carrying peculiar difficulties fo r members of each. She could sympa thize with the lower middle class but not with the aristocracy, which she foun d irredeemable , o r wit h th e lowes t class , whic h sh e stil l regarded a s contaminating. S o too sh e sympathized wit h the falle n woman as victim, for whom she demanded prope r support from he r betrayer, but she did not sympathize with the prostitute as economic agent o r allo w her t o suggest th e economi c basi s of all marriage or sexuality—despite he r us e o f Defoe' s phras e fo r som e marriages : 'legal prostitution'. Although sh e clearl y distruste d large-scal e capitalism , Woll stonecraft wa s impresse d b y th e small-scal e merchant , an d sh e linked femal e emancipatio n t o th e value s of the mercantil e middl e class so thoroughly that it had to share its contradictions. The earlie r rationalist feminist Mary Astell, seemingly perverse in her antagon ism to the concep t o f rights, ha d partly opposed i t because she saw its basi s i n commercia l values , which sh e the n regarde d a s allying relationships t o interes t an d power . I n contrast , i n Th e Rights o f Woman Wollstonecraf t praised th e strenuou s commercia l ma n who had no aristocratic privilege but who rose by his own exertions. Th e rational woman who had renounced th e unearned privilege s of gender, gallantry and self-indulgence, should be in this position. At this stage o f her thinking , eager t o destro y the seductio n o f sensibility, Wollstonecraft di d no t loo k beyon d th e commercia l rationa l con -

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struction, and she avoided the traditional Utopia n method of fantasizing an original state of interest-free relationships , a state associ ated b y earl y wome n writers , suc h a s Aphr a Behn , wit h th e pre-patriarchal order , befor e law , religion, commerce , an d sham e constricted an d corrupted me n an d women. However sur e sh e remaine d i n he r politica l writings , i n he r lif e she had ample opportunity to doubt her rationalist and commercial beliefs, thoug h no t he r diagnosi s of the failing s o f women. After a n attempt t o for m a rational menage with Fuseli, whos e wif e lacked her ow n loft y principles , Wollstonecraft left fo r France ' a Spinste r on the wing'; she would return an unmarried mother, having borne a chil d t o th e America n trade r Gilber t Imlay , whos e wanderings both before and after th e birth o f their child she imputed i n part to his obsession wit h commerce . An Historical and Moral View of the Origin and Progress of the French Revolution, and the Effect it Has Produced in Europe In Th e Rights of Man Pain e claime d that n o grea t violence had ye t marred th e Revolution . By the tim e Wollstonecraf t cam e t o write her history, however, massacres had soured opinion in England and radicalism was neither fashionable nor safe. In France it was uncomfortable t o b e English ; so , despit e a dislik e of th e institutio n o f marriage, Imla y registered Wollstonecraf t as his wife , allowin g her temporarily to claim American citizenship. When sh e ha d firs t arrive d i n Franc e sh e ha d poure d ou t he r disillusion with revolutionary practice in a letter back to Johnson. In it sh e showed tha t he r sympath y for a n embattled kin g as an individual human being was outweighing her abstract anti-monarchical principles—as it had done in her treatment of the insane George II I in Th e Rights of Men. He r pessimis m ha d grow n even stronger b y the time she wrote a 'Letter on the Present Characte r o f the French Nation', sent to Johnson but no t published by him at the time: here she renounced he r rationalist faith i n human progress altogether, as well as the revolutionary belief, so strong in Price, of sudden political change producing social amelioration. (Price, wh o died in 1791 , had bee n spare d the necessit y of fitting the blood y events int o his Utopian theory.) Aristocracy, Wollstonecraft suspected, had simply been replaced by plutocracy and it appeared that the spur of selfish-

xxvi Introduction ness o r miser y wa s necessar y fo r an y effort ; th e gran d mobil e o f human actio n wa s no longer reaso n bu t vic e and evil. In th e followin g year , however , sh e bega n t o writ e Th e French Revolution, a projecte d serie s o n th e histor y o f the Revolution , i n which she revealed that she had modified he r opinion. No doubt she wrote t o exploi t th e Britis h interes t i n Frenc h event s sinc e sh e needed money , but als o probably to bolster he r own flagging ideals. Perhaps, befor e writing, she reread he r ow n Vindications an d learn t that sh e had falle n pre y t o he r emotion s an d tha t he r earl y judge ments derived from the kind of reaction for which she had castigated Burke. Whe n sh e wrot e Th e French Revolution she ha d largel y re gained he r fait h i n people i n general an d sh e sternly too k to task— in muc h th e sam e manne r a s sh e ha d earlie r take n Burke—thos e who followed th e 'erroneous inferences of sensibility'. None the less the boo k i s marked by her painfu l progress . As with A Vindication o f the Rights of Men, s o with this work she produced on e boo k amon g many . O f th e variou s outpouring s o f English comment o n the extraordinary happenings so close to home, very fe w wer e judiciou s or aime d a t impartiality , an d almos t al l demanded assen t t o a political philosoph y o f some sort . One com parison for Wollstonecraft might be made with the lengthy works of Helen Maria Williams, who m she came to know in France. William s suffered mor e directl y tha n Wollstonecraft , bein g hersel f impris oned and watching close friends go to the guillotine; she too tried t o exonerate th e ideal s o f th e Revolutio n fro m th e carnag e tha t fol lowed th e first inspiring and heady days. She herself ha d witnesse d these day s and sh e praised the m wit h th e kin d o f sentimental lan guage Wollstonecraf t s o intensely opposed . Althoug h neve r a s in volved in revolutionary events as Williams, during the planning and writing of Th e French Revolution, Wollstonecraft di d se e somethin g of the blood y purge s o f Robespierre an d inevitabl y her interpreta tion o f th e earl y months , al l tha t ar e covere d i n he r volume , i s coloured b y later events . She began the work in 179 3 in a village close to Paris whither sh e had fle d t o avoi d th e imprisonmen t o f th e Britis h an d wher e sh e conceived he r chil d wit h Imlay. Sh e managed t o finish the wor k in Paris an d L e Havre , wher e he r chil d wa s born. Unusuall y i n he r writings, sh e avoided personal referenc e an d th e miserabl e stor y of

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her private life during the period can be read in her letters t o Imlay, published afte r he r death . As Th e Rights of Woman promise d a sequel never written, s o Th e French Revolution is the onl y one of a projected series, coverin g the early month s o f the Revolutio n whic h Wollstonecraft ha d no t ob served. Muc h consist s o f transcription s o f speeche s give n i n th e National Assembl y an d outsid e b y delegate s an d revolutionarie s such as Mirabeau and Lafayette. Many of these were taken from th e New Annual Register writte n i n Englan d b y writer s wit h staunc h libertarian principles , thoug h mos t woul d late r paralle l Woll stonecraft i n recoiling from Jacobin violence . The vie w tha t ca n b e derive d fro m Th e French Revolution is a more evolutionar y one than tha t foun d i n th e Vindications. Some times ther e seem s t o be almost a Burkean fear o f political chaos or control b y th e vulga r and stupid—an d a reading of this book afte r The Rights o f Me n inevitabl y suggest s ho w muc h Burk e an d Wollstonecraft shared . Som e o f he r treatment s o f Frenc h events , such as the march to Versailles, sound remarkably similar to those in the muc h maligne d Reflections. Yet o n th e whol e th e similarit y is no t i n politica l analysis , and Wollstonecraft continue d t o rewrit e ke y episode s an d repain t Burke's symboli c portraits . Th e similarit y is , rather , i n a wa y of seeing, although the two writers came to different conclusion s fro m their insight . Mari e Antoinette , fo r example , i s analyse d b y Wollstonecraft muc h a s Burke ha d analyse d her : a s a woma n de pendent o n mystification and the gaze of others. Wollstonecraft sees her misunderstanding he r role and trying to throw asid e the 'cumbersome brocad e o f ceremony ' o n whic h he r influenc e depended . Both sh e and Burke agree it was the 'frippery ' tha t wa s wanting for the reverence . Onl y Burk e reverence d th e reverenc e an d fel t th e seduction. Although afte r Th e Rights of Men ther e i s not muc h mentio n o f Burke in her works, it is possible to see her carrying on the argument of 1790, still insisting on revising the view of the hierarchical family, still making the connection o f this famil y wit h the syste m of aristocracy, and still distrusting sentimenta l emotionalit y as the language of the powerful about and to the powerless. It is perhaps because she is mor e ope n abou t th e seductio n o f thi s rhetori c tha t th e fina l

xxviii Introduction assertion o f the Revolutio n a s genuine progres s feel s lik e an assertion agains t th e odd s an d almost against the teno r of her book . In Th e French Revolution she continues her overt attack on sensibility b y blamin g much o f th e cruelt y o f th e apparentl y liberate d French on a despotic pas t and on a self-indulgent emotionality that prevents them from living up to the lofty republican ideal s of liberty and justice . Her discussio n of the prehistory of the Revolution use s history not in the cautionary way of Burke but to make the point that the past ha s conditioned th e present an d that revolutionar y Terror has grown fro m monarchy . If her earlier arguments had been unsettled by actual Revolution, so her problem s with the commercial Imla y seem to have disturbed the commercial part of her argument. Clearl y by now she feared th e effects o f advancin g capitalism i n general , attacking , fo r example , the notio n o f the divisio n of labour. In hi s Wealth o f Nations (1776) Adam Smith ha d remarked that, the less specialized the mechanical occupations, the greater the danger that people will become lazy and slothful; Condorcet , fearin g rathe r th e stupidit y o f repetition, ha d suggested a remedy in instruction. Wollstonecraft, however, wanted to erase the development altogether, an d return t o an earlier state of things when each man wa s his own master an d efficienc y o f manufacture wa s no t th e mai n end . I n thi s fea r o f th e effect s o f th e industrial syste m sh e sound s mor e lik e her ol d mentor Price , who retained th e traditiona l earl y fea r o f commerc e a s promote r o f luxury an d selfishness , an d les s lik e the Whi g liberal s who reconciled trad e an d republicanism , o r indee d Paine , wh o respecte d increasing commerc e as a promoter of liberty . In imager y Th e French Revolution continued developmen t fro m The Rights of Woman. There is, however, more political justification for he r employment of the biological imagery of death, disease , and sexual corruption , since she is blaming th e 'effeminacy ' an d indo lence o f the Frenc h fo r thei r failur e o f revolution. Ther e i s much reference t o luxury , indolence , an d indulgence , a s wel l a s t o th e corruption of power associated with the decadent French court. Th e ancien regime was corrupt an d luxurious , defilin g a s well as exploit ing it s people ; unfortunatel y it appeare d tha t som e revolutionarie s shared th e nationa l character an d ha d becom e copie s o f their pre decessors. Henc e th e apparen t failur e o f a revolutio n founde d o n correct principles .

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x

Wollstonecraft wa s a born journalist and polemical writer, not wait ing to perfect a system but eage r to display the effects o f experience on her excited thinking, even when she revealed contradictions, no t only between but also within works. Little interested i n parable and narrative, she was at her weakes t when telling a story, as in her tw o novels, or when rehearsing events, as in her account of the early part of the Revolution ; conversel y she was at her stronges t whe n freel y associating and disclosing her personal investment in her comments . Despite he r worr y ove r th e 'jargo n o f words ' i n Th e Rights o f Woman, she claimed an absolute sense of truth, allie d to a belief that words could arrive at reality, if not manipulated and twisted by bad men, just as men and women could arrive at reason if not corrupte d or perverte d b y society . Whil e clearl y dislikin g th e 'effeminate ' expression an d approvin g th e 'manly ' construction , sh e wa s gendering withi n th e gendere d construction s o f the time ; sh e did not wis h to be a man bu t t o writ e a 'manly' pros e whic h sh e con strued a s rational prose abl e to achiev e truth, th e expressio n of an androgynous mind erroneousl y termed 'masculine' . Through all her works ran the thread of disgust at the genderizing of al l peopl e accordin g t o sex , combate d b y he r intensiv e us e o f gendered languag e for acquire d characteristic s regardles s o f sex— her effeminate court s and womanlike soldiers—and by her hatred of the familia l metaphor s tha t enforce d th e fixe d gendere d vie w i n writers suc h a s Burke . Thes e metaphor s extende d thei r banefu l influence t o politics, religion, and morality. In Th e Rights of Woman there is consequently littl e mention of good fathers but muc h attention t o the mother and child; i n Th e French Revolution 'family love' comes fro m selfishnes s whil e libert y itsel f seem s t o becom e a mother, a sort o f divine single parent . Although there is a considerable amount of interest i n Th e Rights of Men an d Th e French Revolution, both in the works themselves an d in thei r position s withi n Wollstonecraft' s developin g philosophy , her mai n fam e no w rests o n th e centra l Vindication o f th e Rights of Woman and its remarkable statement o f enlightenment feminism . It is eas y t o b e critica l o f thi s feminis m an d perhap s judg e that th e progress of feminism between 179 2 and 199 2 has rendered muc h of her hop e an d analysi s obsolete. Co-education , whic h sh e desired , has been achieved ; so has the vote . Most of what she suggested fo r systematic educatio n no w seem s acceptable , som e verge s o n th e

xxx Introduction illiberal, althoug h he r expectatio n tha t educatio n wil l resul t i n a rational character stil l seems a radical belief. Other part s o f he r socia l analysi s remai n t o b e addressed . Sh e noticed, fo r example , th e importanc e o f gende r i n attitude s t o ageing: fo r wome n physica l chang e brough t wit h th e contemp t of a cultur e whic h assume d tha t olde r privilege d me n deserve d young women, an d tha t femal e perfectio n was a matter o f physical not menta l worth . Th e emphasi s sh e noted o n femal e immaturit y and th e blan k beaut y o f th e childwoma n doe s no t see m entirel y anachronistic. It has always been easie r to mak e a case abou t wome n fro m the biological standpoint, notin g innate feminine maternal instinct, fo r example, or feminin e intuitio n an d superio r sensitivity , emphasizing difference rathe r than sameness. William Godwin, wh o came to love Wollstonecraft after he r variou s unhappy loves, called his bio graphy of her afte r he r mos t famou s work , Memoirs o f the Author of a Vindication o f Rights o f Woman, but, fo r al l his ow n sever e rational ism, a littl e modifie d b y hi s liaiso n with Mar y Wollstonecraft , h e showed himself uncomfortable with his wife in vindicating mood; in his biograph y h e claime d h e foun d part s o f th e Rights o f Woman 'rigid, an d somewha t amazonian ' an d h e wa s won t o lov e b y th e melancholy and sensitiv e Letters from Sweden. If her feminis m still present s difficulties , it s basis present s eve n more: he r rational , outdated , un-Freudia n concep t o f huma n na ture, so necessary for the kind of social progress sh e anticipated. All her majo r polemica l work s ar e rationalist , althoug h the y ar e sur rounded by others—Mary: A Fiction, Letters from Sweden, and The Wrongs o f Woman —which overtl y question th e possibilit y o f pur e rationalism an d displa y th e seductio n o f th e sensibilit y sh e s o ringingly oppose d in her polemics . Becaus e she fel t the appea l of sentiment an d pit y in her lif e an d writing, she did not therefor e let them ske w the rationalis t ideal on whic h she had se t her mind—i f perhaps no t entirel y he r heart . I t migh t no w be judge d an absurd ideal but surel y not a n easy or undignified one .

NOTE O N TH E TEXT S The text s reprinted here , o f A Vindication o f the Rights of Men, i n a Letter to the Right Honourable Edmund Burke and o f A Vindication of the Rights of Woman with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects, are fro m th e secon d edition s o f 179 0 an d 1792 . An Historical and Moral View of the Origin and Progress of the French Revolution; and the Effect i t Has Produced i n Europe ha d onl y one edition , in 1794 . A selection i s reproduced here . Notes by the editor are signified b y asterisks in the text ; they are to be foun d a t the en d o f the volume . Notes by Wollstonecraft are indicated b y numbers an d are printed belo w the text to which they refer.

xxxi

SELECT BIBLIOGRAPH Y

1. Original Works of Mary Wollstone craft Thoughts on the Education of Daughters: With Reflections on Female Conduct, in th e more Important Duties o f Life. London : Josep h Johnson , 1787 . Facsimile by Garland Publishing Inc., 1974 . Mary: A Fiction. London : Josep h Johnson , 1788 . Facsimil e b y Garlan d Publishing Inc. , 1974 . Reprinted b y Oxfor d Universit y Press, 1976 , by Schocken Books , Inc. , 1977 , an d b y Pickerin g and Chatto , 1991 , an d Penguin Books, 1992. Original Stories from Real Life: With Conversations Calculated to Regulate the Affections an d Form th e Mind t o Truth an d Goodness. London: Joseph Johnson, 1788 . The Female Reader; or, Miscellaneous Pieces, in Prose and Verse; Selected from the Best Writers, and Disposed under Proper Heads; for the Improvement of Young Women. London : Joseph Johnson , 1789 . Facsimil e b y Scholars ' Facsimiles & Reprints, 1979. A Vindication of the Rights of Men, in a Letter to the Right Honourable Edmund Burke. London: Joseph Johnson, 1790 . Facsimile by Scholars' Facsimiles & Reprints, 1960 . A Vindication of the Rights of Woman with Strictures on Political and Moral Subjects. London : Joseph Johnson, 1792 . Reprinted by W. W. Norton & Co., 196 7 and 1975 , and b y Penguin Books, 1975. An Historical and Moral View of the Origin and Progress of the French Revolution; an d th e Effect i t Ha s Produced i n Europe. London : Joseph Johnson , 1794 . Facsimil e b y Scholars ' Facsimile s & Reprints, 1975. Letters Written during a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark. London: Josep h Johnson , 1796 . Reprinte d b y Universit y o f Nebraska Press, 1976 , and b y Penguin Books, 1989. Posthumous Works of the Author of a Vindication of the Rights of Woman. London: Joseph Johnson, 1798 . Facsimil e by Garlan d Publishin g Inc., 1974, an d by Augustus M. Kelley , 1972. The Wrongs o f Woman; or, Maria (part of Posthumous Works). Reprinte d b y Oxford Universit y Press, 1976 , and a s Maria or the Wrongs o f Woman b y W. W . Norto n & Co., 1975 , and b y Pickerin g and Chatto , 1991 , an d Penguin Books, 1992. The Complete Works of Mary W oilstone craft, Pickering and Chatto, 1989. XXXll

Select Bibliography xxxii

i

2. Major Collections of Letters The Love Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft to Gilbert Imlay, with a Prefatory Memoir. London : Hutchinson & Co., 1908 . Supplement t o Memoirs o f Mary Wollstone craft. London : Constabl e & Co . Ltd., 1927 . Four New Letters of Mary Wollstonecraft and Helen Maria Williams. Berkeley, Calif.: University of California Press , 1937 . Shelley an d Hi s Circle: 1773-1822. Ed . Kennet h Neil l Cameron , Cam bridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1961 . Godwin and Mary: Letters of William Godwin and Mary Wollstonecraft. Lawrence, Kan.: University of Kansas Press, 1966 . Collected Letters o f Mary Wollstonecraft. Ithaca , NY : Cornel l Universit y Press, 1979.

3. Recent Biographies Flexner, Eleanor , Mary Wollstonecraft: A Biography. Ne w York : Coward, McCann & Geoghegan, 1972 . George, Margaret , On e Woman's 'Situation '; A Study o f Mary Wollstonecraft. Urbana , 111.: University of Illinois Press, 1970 . Nixon, Edna, Mary Wollstonecraft: He r Life an d Times. London: J. M. Dent &Sons, 1971. Sunstein, Emily W., A Different Face: Th e Life o f Mary Wollstonecraft. Ne w York: Harper & Row, 1975. Tomalin, Claire , Th e Life an d Death o f Mary Wollstonecraft. London : Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 1974 . Wardle, Ralp h M. , Mary Wollstonecraft: A Critical Biography. 1951 ; Lincoln, Nebr. : University of Nebraska Press, 1966 .

4. Some Recent Comments on Wollstone craft's Life and Works Boulton, James T., Th e Language o f Politics in the Age ofWilkes an d Burke. London: Routledg e & Kegan Paul, 1963. Butler, Marilyn, Jane Austen and the Wa r of Ideas. Oxford: Oxford Univer sity Press, 1988 . Ferguson, Frances , 'Wollstonecraf t Ou r Contemporary' , and Reiss, Timothy J., 'Revolutio n i n Bounds: Wollstonecraft, Women, and Reason', in Linda Kauffma n (ed.) , Gender an d Theory: Dialogues o n Feminist Criticism. New York : Basil Blackwell, 1989. Gatens, Maria , '"Th e Oppresse d Stat e o f M y Sex" : Wollstonecraf t on Reason, Feelin g an d Equality' , i n Mar y Lyndo n Shanle y an d Carol e

xxxiv Select

Bibliography

Pateman (eds.) , Feminist Interpretations an d Political Theory. Cambridge : Cambridge University Press, 1991 . Janes, Regina , 'Mary , Mary , Quit e Contrary , or , Mar y Astel l an d Mar y Wollstonecraft Compared' , i n Ronal d C . Rosbotto m (ed.) , Studies i n Eighteenth-Century Culture. Madison , Wis. : Universit y o f Wisconsi n Press, 1976 . Kaplan, Cora, Sea Changes: Essays o n Culture and Feminism. London: Verso, 1986. Nicholes, Eleano r L. , 'Mar y Wollstonecraft' , i n Kennet h Neil l Camero n (ed.), Romantic Rebels: Essays on Shelley and his Circle. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1973 . Paul, Charle s Kegan , William Godwin: Hi s Friends an d Contemporaries. London: H . S . King & Co., 1876 . Poovey, Mary, Th e Proper Lady an d the Woman Writer: Ideology a s Style i n the Works o f Mary Wollstonecraft an d Jane Austen. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1984 . Rendall, Jane, Th e Origin of Modern Feminism: Women i n Britain, France and the United States 1780-1860. London : Macmillan, 1985 . Sapiro, Virginia , A Vindication o f Political Virtue: Th e Political Theory o f Mary Wollstonecraft. Chicago : University of Chicago Press, 1992 . Todd, Janet, TheSignofAngellica: Women, Writing an d Fiction, 1660-1800. London: Virago , 1989. Tomaselli, Sylvana , 'Remembering Mary Wollstonecraf t on the Bicenten ary o f th e Publicatio n o f A Vindication o f th e Rights ofWoman\ British Journal for Eighteenth-Century Studies, 15/ 2 (Autum n 1992), 125-30. Wardle, Ralph M., 'Mary Wollstonecraft, Analytical Reviewer', PMLA 6 2 (Dec. 1947) , 1000-9.

A CHRONOLOG Y O F MARY WOLLSTONECRAF T 1759

Mary Wollstonecraf t born 2 7 April in London. He r fathe r Edwar d John Wollstonecraf t (b . 1736 ) an d mothe r Elizabet h Dickso n (<:.1740) were married in 1756 . Their oldest child Edward (Ned) was born i n 1757 . Other children : Henr y Woodstoc k (1761) ; Elizabeth (Eliza) (1763) ; Everina (Averina) (1765); James (1768) ; and Charle s (1770). 1775 Meets Fann y Blood. 1778 Leaves hom e t o becom e a pai d companio n t o Mr s Dawso n i n Bath. 1781 Returns hom e to nurse her mother . 1782 Mother die s (19 April). Goes t o live with Fanny Bloo d an d family . Eliza married Meredit h Bishop . 1783 Eliza's daughte r born (probabl y 10 August). 1784 Asked t o ten d he r siste r Eliz a durin g postpartu m breakdow n (January); remove s Eliza fro m Bishop' s house . Wit h Fann y Bloo d and Eliz a establishes schoo l at Islington, the n a t Newington Green . Joined b y Everina. Meets D r Richar d Price an d Dissenters . 1785 Consumptive Fann y Bloo d marrie s Hug h Skey s i n Lisbo n i n February. Wollstonecraf t travels there fo r birth o f Fanny's chil d in November. Fanny die s in childbirth. 1786 Returns t o London . Th e schoo l fail s an d th e sister s disperse . Writes Thoughts o n the Education of Daughters, published b y Joseph Johnson. Hire d a s governess to Kingsboroug h childre n i n Ireland . Brief visit to Eton College . 1787 Completes Mary: A Ficition i n Ireland ; dismisse d b y Lad y Kingsborough i n Bristol . Return s t o London . Hire d b y Josep h Johnson a s translator and reade r (an d later as reviewer and editorial assistant) for his forthcoming Analytical Review. Writes Th e Cave of Fancy an d Original Stories from Real Life an d complete s Th e Female Reader, all published by Johnson. 1 788-1 790 From self-taught French, German, Dutch, translates Necker's Of th e Importance o f Religious Opinions, Salzmann' s Element o f Morality fo r th e Us e of Children, an d Madam e d e Cambon's Young Grandison. 1790 In answe r t o Edmun d Burke , write s A Vindication o f th e Rights of Men, publishe d unde r he r ow n name i n th e secon d edition . Fo r a short perio d take s i n 7-year-ol d An n (relativ e of Hug h Skeys ) as xxxv

xxxvi

Chronology

foster daughter. Begins writing^ Vindication o f the Rights of Woman in September . Briefl y meet s William Godwin in November. 1792 A Vindication o f th e Rights o f Woman i s published. Intends t o g o t o Paris wit h Johnson an d Henr y an d Sophi a Fuseli ; emotiona l crisis with Henry Fuseli ; leave s for Paris alone in December . 1793 Meets Gilber t Imlay . Conceive s he r firs t chil d i n August . Imla y registers he r a t U S embass y a s hi s wif e fo r protectio n agains t anti-British legislation. The Emigrants is published (probably written by Imlay , althoug h a cas e ha s bee n mad e fo r Wollstonecraft' s authorship). 1794 Daughter Fanny is born (14 May) in Le Havre. Finishes An Historical and Moral View of the Origin and Progress of the French Revolution an d th e Effect i t Ha s Produced i n Europe, whic h Johnson publishes i n London . 1795 Returns t o Londo n wit h Fann y i n April . Imla y indifferent . First suicid e attemp t i n May . Travel s wit h Fann y an d nurs e t o Scandinavia in June. Returns in September. Secon d suicid e attempt in October . 1796 Letters Written during a Short Residence in Sweden, Norway, and Denmark publishe d by Johnson. 1797 Marries Godwi n (2 9 March) . Continue s wor k o n Th e Wrongs o f Woman; or , Maria. Plan s a boo k calle d Letters on th e Management of Children. Secon d daughter , Mary , i s bor n (3 0 August) . Die s following childbirt h (1 0 September) .

A Vindication of the Rights of Men

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ADVERTISEMENT Mr Burke's Reflections on the French Revolution* first engaged my attention a s the transien t topi c of the day ; and readin g it more for amusement tha n information , m y indignatio n wa s rouse d b y th e sophistical arguments , that ever y moment crosse d me , in the questionable shape of natural feelings and commo n sense . Many page s o f th e followin g lette r wer e th e effusion s o f th e moment; but, swelling imperceptibly to a considerable size, the idea was suggested of publishing a short vindication of the Rights of Men. Not havin g leisure* o r patienc e t o follo w thi s desultor y write r through al l the deviou s tracks in whic h his fanc y ha s starte d fres h game, I have confined my strictures, in a great measure, to the grand principles a t which he has levelled many ingenious arguments in a very specious garb.

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A LETTE R T O THE RIGH T HONOURABL E EDMUND BURK E Sir, It is not necessary, with courtly insincerity, to apologise to you for thus intruding on your precious time, not to profess that I think it an honour t o discus s a n importan t subjec t with a man whos e literary abilities have raised him to notice in the state.* I have not yet learned to twis t m y periods , nor , i n th e equivoca l idiom o f politeness , t o disguise my sentiments, an d imply what I should be afraid t o utter: if, therefore , i n the cours e o f this epistle , I chanc e t o express con tempt, and even indignation, with some emphasis, I beseech yo u to believe that i t is not a flight of fancy; fo r truth, in morals, has ever appeared t o me the essence of the sublime; and, in taste, simplicity the only criterion of the beautiful. Bu t I war not with an individual when I contend fo r the rights o f men* and th e libert y of reason. You see I d o no t condescen d t o cul l m y word s t o avoi d the invidiou s phrase, nor shall I be prevented from givin g a manly definition o f it, by the flimsy ridicule whic h a lively fancy ha s interwoven wit h th e present acceptatio n o f the term . Reverencin g the right s of humanity, I shall dare to assert them ; no t intimidate d by the hors e laugh that you have raised, or waiting till time has wiped away the compas sionate tears whic h you have elaborately laboured t o excite. From th e man y jus t sentiments intersperse d throug h th e lette r before me , and fro m th e whol e tendency of it, I should believe you to b e a good , thoug h a vai n man, i f som e circumstance s i n you r conduct di d no t rende r th e inflexibilit y o f your integrity doubtful; and fo r thi s vanit y a knowledg e of huma n natur e enable s m e t o discover such extenuating circuhistances, in the very texture of your mind, that I am ready to call it amiable, and separate the public from the private character. I know that a lively imagination renders a man particularly calculated t o shin e i n conversatio n an d i n thos e desultor y production s where method i s disregarded; and the instantaneous applause which his eloquence* extorts is at once a reward and a spur. Once a wit and always a wit, is an aphorism that has received the sanction of experi5

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Vindication of the Rights of Men

ence; ye t I a m apt t o conclude tha t th e ma n wh o with scrupulous anxiety endeavour s t o suppor t tha t shinin g character , ca n neve r nourish by reflection any profound, or, i f you please, metaphysical passion. Ambition becomes onl y the too l of vanity, and hi s reason, the weathercoc k o f unrestraine d feelings , i s onl y employe d t o varnish over the fault s whic h it ought t o have corrected. Sacred, however, would the infirmitie s and errors of a good man be, in my eyes, if they were only displayed in a private circle; if the venial fault onl y rendered th e wi t anxious, like a celebrated beauty, to raise admiration on every occasion, and excite emotion, instead of the cal m reciprocatio n o f mutua l estee m an d unimpassione d re spect. Suc h vanit y enlivens social intercourse, an d force s the littl e great ma n t o b e alway s on hi s guar d t o secur e hi s throne ; an d a n ingenious man, wh o i s ever on th e watc h for conquest, will , in hi s eagerness to exhibit his whole store of knowledge, furnish a n attentive observer wit h some usefu l information , calcined b y fanc y an d formed b y taste . And though some dry reasoner might whisper that the arguments were superficial , and shoul d eve n add , tha t th e feeling s which ar e thus ostentatiously displaye d ar e often the col d declamatio n o f the head, an d no t th e effusion s o f the heart—wha t wil l thes e shrew d remarks avail , when th e witt y arguments an d ornamenta l feeling s are on a level with the comprehension o f the fashionable world, and a book is found very amusing? Even the Ladies, Sir, may repeat your sprightly sallies, and retail in theatrical attitudes many of your sen timental exclamations. Sensibility is the manie of the day , and com passion th e virtu e whic h i s t o cove r a multitud e o f vices , whils t justice is left t o mourn i n sullen silence, and balanc e truth i n vain. In life, an honest man with a confined understanding is frequently the slav e of his habits and th e dup e of his feelings, whilst the ma n with a clearer hea d an d colde r hear t make s the passion s o f other s bend to his interest; but truly sublime is the character that acts from principle, and governs the inferior springs of activity without slackening their vigour; whose feelings give vital heat to his resolves, but never hurry him into feverish eccentricities. However, a s you hav e informed us tha t respec t chill s love, it i s natural t o conclude , tha t al l you r prett y flight s aris e fro m you r pampered sensibility; and that, vain of this fancied pre-eminenc e of organs, yo u foster every emotion til l the fumes , mountin g to your

A Vindication of the Rights of Men 1 brain, dispe l th e sobe r suggestion s o f reason. I t i s not i n this view surprising, tha t whe n yo u shoul d argu e you become impassioned , and tha t reflection inflames you r imagination, instead of enlighten ing your understanding. Quitting no w the flowers of rhetoric, le t us, Sir, reaso n together ; and, believ e me , I shoul d no t hav e meddle d wit h thes e trouble d waters, in order to point out your inconsistencies, if your wit had not burnished up some rusty, baneful opinions, and swelled the shallow current of ridicule till it resembled the flow of reason, and presumed to be the test o f truth. I shal l no t attemp t t o follo w yo u throug h 'horse-wa y an d foot path;'* but, attackin g the foundation of your opinions, I shall leave the superstructure to find a centre of gravity on which it may lean till some strong blast puffs i t into the air; or your teeming fancy, which the ripenin g judgmen t o f sixt y years * ha s no t tamed , produce s another Chinese erection,* to stare, at every turn, the plain country people in th e face , wh o bluntly call such an airy edifice—a folly . The birthrigh t o f man, to give you, Sir, a short definitio n of this disputed right , i s such a degree o f liberty, civil an d religious , as is compatible with the liberty of every other individua l with whom he is unite d i n a social compact, an d th e continue d existenc e o f tha t compact.* Liberty, in this simple, unsophisticated sense , I acknowledge, is a fair ide a that ha s neve r yet receive d a form i n th e variou s govern ments that have been established on our beauteous globe; the demon of property has ever been at hand to encroach on the sacred rights of men, and to fence round with awful pomp laws that war with justice. But tha t i t result s fro m th e eterna l foundatio n of right—from im mutable truth—who will presume to deny, that pretends t o ration ality—if reason has led them to build their morality1 and religion on an everlasting foundation—the attribute s o f God? I glow with indignation whe n I attempt, methodically, to unravel your slavish paradoxes, in which I can find no fixed first principle to refute; I shall not, therefore , condescend t o shew where you affir m in one page what you deny in another; and how frequently you draw 1 A s religion i s included i n m y ide a o f morality, I shoul d no t hav e mentioned th e ter m without specifyin g all the simpl e idea s whic h tha t comprehensiv e wor d generalizes ; bu t a s the charge of atheism has been very freely banded about in the letter I am considering, I wish to guard agains t misrepresentation .

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conclusions withou t an y previou s premises:—i t woul d b e some thing like cowardice to fight with a man who had never exercised the weapons with which his opponent chos e to combat, an d irksome to refute sentenc e afte r sentenc e i n whic h the laten t spiri t o f tyranny appeared. I perceive , fro m th e whol e teno r o f you r Reflections , tha t yo u have a morta l antipath y t o reason ; but , i f ther e i s an y thin g lik e argument, o r first principles, in your wild declamation, behol d th e result:—that we are to reverence the rust of antiquity, and term th e unnatural customs, which ignorance and mistaken self-interest have consolidated, th e sag e frui t o f experience: nay , that, i f we do dis cover some errors, our feelings shoul d lead us to excuse, with blind love, o r unprinciple d filial affection , th e venerabl e vestiges o f an cient days. These are gothic notions of beauty—the ivy is beautiful, but, whe n i t insidiousl y destroys th e trun k fro m whic h it receive s support, wh o would not gru b it up? Further, tha t w e ought cautiousl y to remai n fo r eve r i n froze n inactivity, becaus e a thaw , whils t i t nourishe s th e soil , spread s a temporary inundation; and th e fea r o f risking any personal presen t convenience should prevent a struggle for the most estimable advantages. This is sound reasoning, I grant, in the mouth of the rich and short-sighted. Yes, Sir , th e stron g gaine d riches , th e fe w hav e sacrifice d th e many to their vices ; and, t o be able to pamper thei r appetites , an d supinely exist without exercising mind or body, they have ceased to be men.—Los t t o th e relis h o f true pleasure , suc h being s would, indeed, deserv e compassion , i f injustic e wa s no t softene d b y th e tyrant's plea—necessity; if prescription was not raised as an immortal boundar y agains t innovation . Thei r minds , i n fact , instea d o f being cultivated , hav e bee n s o warpe d b y education , tha t i t ma y require som e age s to bring the m bac k to nature , an d enabl e the m to se e their tru e interest , wit h tha t degre e o f convictio n whic h is necessary to influence thei r conduct . The civilizatio n which has taken place in Europ e ha s been very partial, and, like every custom that an arbitrary point of honour has established, refines the manners at the expence of morals, by making sentiments and opinions current in conversation that have no root in the heart, o r weight in the cooler resolves of the mind.—And what has stoppe d it s progress?—hereditar y property—hereditar y hon -

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ours. Th e ma n ha s been change d int o a n artificia l monste r b y th e station i n whic h h e wa s born , an d th e consequen t homag e tha t benumbed hi s faculties like the torpedo' s touch;—o r a being, with a capacit y o f reasoning , woul d no t hav e faile d t o discover , a s hi s faculties unfolded , that tru e happines s aros e fro m th e friendshi p and intimacy which can only be enjoyed b y equals; and that charity is no t a condescending distributio n o f alms, bu t a n intercours e o f good offices an d mutual benefits, founded on respect fo r justice and humanity. Governed b y these principles , th e poo r wretch , whos e inelegant distress extorte d fro m a mixed feelin g o f disgust an d anima l sym pathy presen t relief , woul d have been considere d a s a man, whose misery demande d a par t o f hi s birthright , supposin g hi m t o b e industrious; but shoul d hi s vices have reduced hi m t o poverty , he could only have addressed his fellow-men as weak beings, subject to like passions, wh o ought t o forgive , becaus e the y expect to be for given, for suffering the impulse of the moment to silence the suggestions o f conscience, o r reason , whic h yo u will ; for, in m y vie w o f things, the y are synonymous terms. Will M r Burk e be a t th e troubl e t o infor m us, ho w fa r w e are to g o back t o discove r th e right s o f men , sinc e th e ligh t o f reason i s suc h a fallaciou s guid e tha t non e bu t fool s trus t t o it s col d investigation? In the infancy o f society, confining our view to our ow n country, customs wer e establishe d b y th e lawles s powe r o f a n ambitiou s individual; o r a wea k princ e wa s oblige d t o compl y wit h ever y demand o f th e licentiou s barbarou s insurgents , wh o dispute d hi s authority with irrefragable arguments at the poin t o f their swords ; or the mor e specious requests o f the Parliament , who only allowed him conditional supplies. Are these the venerable pillars of our constitution? And is Magna Charta to rest for its chief support on a former grant,* which reverts to another, till chaos becomes the base of the mighty structure—or we cannot tell what?—for coherence, without some pervading principle of order, i s a solecism. Speaking o f Edwar d th e Hid . Hum e observes , tha t 'h e wa s a prince of great capacity, not governe d by favourites , not le d astray by any unruly passion, sensible that nothing could be more essential to his interests tha n t o keep on good terms wit h his people: yet , on

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the whole , i t appear s tha t th e government , a t best , wa s onl y a barbarous monarchy , no t regulate d b y an y fixe d maxims , o r bounded b y an y certai n o r undispute d rights, * whic h i n practic e were regularly observed. The Kin g conducted himself by one set of principles; th e Baron s b y another ; th e Common s b y a third ; th e Clergy by a fourth. All these system s of government wer e opposite and incompatible : eac h o f them prevaile d i n it s turn , a s incident s were favourable to it: a great prince rendered the monarchical power predominant: the weakness of a king gave reins to the aristocracy: a superstitious ag e saw the clerg y triumphant: th e people , fo r whom chiefly governmen t was instituted, an d wh o chiefly deserv e consid eration, were the weakes t of the whole.' * And just before that most auspicious aera, the fourteenth century, during the reign of Richard II. whose total incapacity to manage the reins of power, and keep in subjection his haughty Barons, rendered him a mer e cypher ; th e Hous e o f Commons , t o who m h e wa s obliged frequentl y t o apply, not onl y for subsidies but assistanc e to quell th e insurrection s tha t th e contemp t i n whic h h e wa s hel d naturally produced , graduall y rose int o power ; fo r wheneve r the y granted supplie s to th e King , the y demande d i n return, thoug h i t bore the nam e of petition, a confirmation, or the renewa l of former charters, which had been infringed, and even utterly disregarded by the King and his seditious Barons, who principally held their independence o f th e crow n b y forc e o f arms , an d th e encouragemen t which the y gav e to robbers an d villains , who infested th e country , and live d by rapine and violence . To wha t dreadful extremitie s were the poorer sort reduced, thei r property, the fruit o f their industry, being entirely at the disposal of their lords , wh o were so many petty tyrants! In return fo r the supplies and assistance which the kin g received from the commons, they demanded privileges, which Edward, in his distress for money to prosecute the numerous war s in which he was engaged durin g th e greate r par t o f hi s reign , wa s constraine d t o grant them ; s o that b y degree s the y ros e t o power , an d becam e a check o n bot h kin g and nobles . Thu s wa s the foundatio n of ou r liberty established , chiefl y throug h th e pressin g necessitie s o f th e king, wh o wa s more inten t o n bein g supplie d fo r th e moment , i n order to carry on his wars and ambitious projects, than aware of the blow h e gav e to kingl y power , b y thu s makin g a body of men fee l

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their importance, who afterwards might strenuously oppose tyranny and oppression , an d effectuall y guar d th e subject' s propert y fro m seizure an d confiscation . Richard' s weaknes s complete d wha t Edward's ambition began . At thi s period , i t i s true, Wickliff e opene d a vista for reaso n b y attacking som e o f th e mos t perniciou s tenet s o f th e churc h o f Rome;* still th e prospec t wa s sufficientl y mist y t o authoriz e th e question—Where wa s th e dignit y o f thinkin g o f th e fourteent h century? A Roma n Catholic , i t i s true , enlightene d b y th e reformation , might, with singular propriety, celebrate the epoch that preceded it, to turn ou r thoughts fro m forme r atrociou s enormities; bu t a Protestant mus t acknowledg e that thi s fain t daw n of liberty only made the subsiding darkness more visible; and that the boasted virtues of that centur y al l bea r th e stam p o f stupi d prid e an d headstron g barbarism. Civility was then called condescension, and ostentatious almsgiving humanity; and men were content to borrow their virtues, or, t o spea k with more propriety , thei r consequence , fro m poster ity, rathe r tha n undertak e th e arduou s tas k o f acquirin g i t fo r themselves. The imperfectio n of all modern governments must, without waiting t o repea t th e trit e remark , tha t al l human institution s ar e un avoidably imperfect, in a great measure have arisen from thi s simple circumstance, that th e constitution , i f such a n heterogeneous mas s deserve that name, was settled i n the dar k days of ignorance, when the minds of men were shackled by the grossest prejudices and most immoral superstition . An d d o you , Sir , a sagaciou s philosopher , recommend nigh t as the fittes t tim e to analyze a ray of light? Are we to seek for the rights of men in the ages when a few marks were the onl y penalty imposed fo r th e lif e o f a man, and deat h fo r death when the property of the rich was touched? when—I blush to discover the depravit y of our nature—whe n a deer wa s killed! Are these the laws that it is natural to love, and sacrilegious to invade?— Were th e right s o f me n understoo d whe n th e la w authorize d o r tolerated murder?—o r is power and righ t the sam e in your creed? But i n fac t al l your declamatio n leads so directly to thi s conclu sion, tha t I beseec h yo u t o as k you r ow n heart , whe n yo u cal l yourself a friend o f liberty, whether it would not be more consistent to style yourself the champion of property, the adorer of the golden

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image whic h powe r ha s se t up?—And , whe n yo u ar e examinin g your heart, if it would not be too much like mathematical drudgery, to which a fine imagination very reluctantly stoops, enquire further, how i t i s consisten t wit h th e vulga r notion s o f honesty , an d th e foundation o f morality—truth; for a man t o boast of his virtue and independence, whe n h e canno t forge t tha t h e i s a t th e momen t enjoying th e wage s of falsehood; 1 an d that , i n a skulking, unmanly way, he ha s secured himsel f a pension* of fifteen hundred pound s per annu m o n th e Iris h establishment ? Do hones t men , Sir , fo r I am no t risin g to th e refine d principl e o f honour, eve n receiv e th e reward o f their publi c services, or secret assistance , i n the nam e of another? But t o retur n fro m a digressio n whic h yo u wil l mor e perfectl y understand than any of my readers—on what principle you, Sir, can justify th e reformation, which tore up by the roots an old establish ment, I cannot guess—but, I beg your pardon, perhaps you do not wish to justify it—an d have some mental reservation to excuse you, to yourself, for not openly avowing your reverence. Or, to go further back;—had yo u bee n a Jew—you woul d hav e joine d i n th e cry , crucify him!—crucif y him ! The promulgato r of a new doctrine, and the violator of old laws and customs, that not melting, like ours, into darkness and ignorance, rested on Divine authority, must have been a dangerous innovator, in your eyes, particularly if you had not been informed tha t th e Carpenter' s So n wa s of the stoc k an d lineag e of David. Bu t ther e i s no en d t o th e argument s whic h migh t b e de duced to combat such palpable absurdities, by shewing the manifest inconsistencies whic h ar e necessaril y involved in a direfu l trai n of false opinions . It is necessary emphatically to repeat, that there are rights which men inheri t a t thei r birth , a s rationa l creatures , wh o wer e raise d above the brut e creatio n by their improvabl e faculties; and that , in receiving these, not from their forefathers but, fro m God , prescrip tion ca n never undermine natural rights . A father ma y dissipate his property without his child having any right to complain;—but should he attempt to sell him for a slave, or fetter hi m wit h laws contrary to reason; nature , i n enabling him t o discern goo d from evil , teaches him to break the ignoble chain, and 1

Se e Mr Burke' s Bills* for oeconomical reform.

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not to believe that bread becomes flesh, and wine blood, because his parents swallowe d the Eucharist wit h this blind persuasion . There is no end t o this implici t submission t o authority—some where it must stop , or we return t o barbarism; and th e capacit y of improvement, whic h gives us a natural sceptre o n earth, is a cheat, an ignis-fatuus, that lead s us fro m invitin g meadows into bogs and dung-hills. An d i f it be allowed that man y of the precautions , with which any alteration was made, in our government, were prudent, it rather prove s it s weaknes s tha n substantiate s a n opinio n o f th e soundness of the stamina , or the excellenc e of the constitution . But o n wha t principl e Mr Burk e could defen d American independence,* I canno t conceive ; fo r the whol e tenor o f his plausible arguments settles slavery on an everlasting foundation. Allowing his servile reverence fo r antiquity, and pruden t attentio n t o self-inter est, to have the force which he insists on, the slave trade ought never to be abolished; and, becaus e ou r ignoran t forefathers , not under standing the native dignity of man, sanctioned a traffic tha t outrages every suggestio n o f reaso n an d religion , w e ar e t o submi t t o th e inhuman custom, and term an atrocious insult to humanity the love of our country , and a proper submissio n t o the law s by which our property is secured.—Security of property! Behold, in a few words, the definitio n o f English liberty. And t o this selfish principl e every nobler one is sacrificed.—The Briton takes place of the man, and the image o f Go d i s lost i n th e citizen ! But i t i s not tha t enthusiasti c flame which i n Greec e and Rom e consume d ever y sordid passion : no, self is the focus; and the disparting rays rise not above our fogg y atmosphere. Bu t softly—i t i s only the propert y o f the ric h tha t i s secure; th e ma n wh o lives by the swea t of his brow has no asylum from oppression; the strong man may enter—when was the castle of the poo r sacred ? and th e bas e informe r steal hi m fro m th e famil y that depen d o n his industry for subsistence . Fully sensibl e as you must b e o f the banefu l consequence s tha t inevitably follow this notorious infringement on the dearest rights of men, and that it is an infernal blot on the ver y face o f our immacu late constitution, I canno t avoi d expressing my surprise tha t when you recommended ou r for m o f government as a model, you did no t caution the French against the arbitrary custom of pressing men for the se a service.* You should hav e hinted t o them, that propert y in England i s much more secure than liberty, and no t hav e concealed

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that th e libert y of an honest mechanic—hi s all—is often sacrifice d to secure the propert y o f the rich. For i t is a farce t o pretend tha t a man fights for hi s country, his hearth, or his altars, when he has neithe r liberty no r property.—Hi s property i s in his nervous* arms—an d they are compelled t o pull a strange rope at the surly command o f a tyrannic boy , wh o probabl y obtaine d hi s ran k o n accoun t o f hi s family connections , o r th e prostitute d vot e o f hi s father , whos e interest i n a borough, o r voic e a s a senator, wa s acceptable t o th e minister. Our pena l law s punis h wit h deat h th e thie f wh o steal s a fe w pounds;* bu t t o tak e b y violence , o r trepan , a man , i s n o suc h heinous offence.—For wh o shall dare to complain of the venerable vestige of the la w that rendere d th e lif e o f a deer mor e sacre d tha n that o f a man? But i t was the poor ma n with only his native dignity who was thus oppressed—an d onl y metaphysical sophists an d cold mathematicians ca n discer n thi s insubstantia l form ; it i s a work of abstraction—and a gentleman of livel y imaginatio n mus t borro w some drapery fro m fanc y befor e he can love or pity a man. Misery , to reac h you r heart , I perceive , mus t hav e it s ca p an d bells ; you r tears are reserved, very naturally considering your character, for the declamation o f th e theatre , o r fo r th e downfal l o f queens , whos e rank alters th e natur e of folly, an d throw s a graceful vei l over vices that degrad e humanity ; whils t th e distres s o f man y industriou s mothers, whos e helpmates hav e been tor n fro m them , and the hun gry cry of helpless babes, wer e vulgar sorrows that coul d not move your commiseration , thoug h the y might extor t a n alms. 'The tears that ar e she d fo r fictitiou s sorro w ar e admirabl y adapted' , say s Rousseau, 't o mak e u s prou d o f al l th e virtue s whic h w e d o no t possess.'* The banefu l effect s o f the despoti c practic e of pressing w e shall, in al l probability, soo n feel ; fo r a number o f men, wh o hav e bee n taken fro m thei r dail y employments , wil l shortl y b e le t loos e o n society, no w that ther e i s no longer an y apprehension o f a war. The vulgar , and by this epithet I mean not only to describe a class of people, who , working to support th e body, have not ha d time t o cultivate thei r minds ; bu t likewis e those who , bor n i n th e la p of affluence, hav e never ha d thei r inventio n sharpene d b y a necessity are, nin e out o f ten, th e creature s o f habit and impulse .

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If I were not afrai d t o derang e your nervou s system by the bar e mention of a metaphysical enquiry, I should observe , Sir, tha t self preservation is, literally speaking, the first law of nature; and that the care necessar y t o suppor t an d guar d th e bod y i s th e firs t ste p t o unfold th e mind , an d inspir e a manly spirit o f independence. Th e mewing bab e i n swaddling-clothes , wh o i s treate d lik e a superio r being, ma y perchance becom e a gentleman; bu t natur e mus t hav e given hi m uncommo n facultie s if , whe n pleasur e hang s o n ever y bough, he has sufficient fortitud e either to exercise his mind or body in order t o acquire personal merit. The passion s are necessary auxiliaries of reason: a present impulse pushes us forward, and when we discover tha t th e gam e did no t deserv e the chace , w e find that we have gone over much ground, and not only gained many new ideas, but a habit of thinking. The exercis e of our faculties is the great end, though no t th e goa l w e ha d i n vie w whe n w e starte d wit h suc h eagerness. It would be straying still further into metaphysics to add, that this is one of the stronges t argument s for the natural immortality of the soul.—Every thing looks like a means, nothing like an end, or point of rest, when we can say, now let us sit down and enjo y th e present moment; ou r facultie s an d wishe s are proportioned t o th e presen t scene; w e may retur n withou t repinin g to ou r siste r clod . And , if no conscious dignit y whisper that w e are capable of relishing more refined pleasures , th e thirs t o f trut h appear s t o b e allayed ; and thought, the fain t type of an immaterial energy, no longer bounding it know s no t where , i s confine d t o th e tenemen t tha t afford s i t sufficient variety.—Th e rich ma n may then thank hi s God tha t he is no t lik e othe r men—bu t whe n i s retributio n t o b e mad e t o the miserable , wh o cry day and nigh t fo r help, an d ther e i s no one at hand to help them? And not only misery but immorality proceeds from thi s stretc h o f arbitrar y authority . Th e vulga r hav e no t the powe r o f emptying their min d o f the onl y ideas the y imbibe d whilst thei r hand s wer e employed; the y canno t quickl y tur n fro m one kin d o f lif e t o another . Pressin g the m entirel y unhinge s thei r minds; the y acquir e ne w habits , an d canno t retur n t o thei r ol d occupations wit h thei r forme r readiness ; consequentl y the y fal l into idleness, drunkenness, an d th e whol e train of vices which you stigmatize as gross. +

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A governmen t tha t act s in thi s manner canno t be calle d a good parent, nor inspire natural (habitual is the proper word) affection, in the breasts o f children wh o are thus disregarded. The gam e laws are almost as oppressive to the peasantry as presswarrants* to the mechanic. In thi s land of liberty what is to secur e the property of the poor farmer when his noble landlord chooses to plant a decoy field* near his little property? Game devou r the frui t of his labour; but fines and imprisonment await him if he dare to kill any—or lif t u p hi s hand to interrupt th e pleasure of his lord. How many familie s hav e bee n plunged , i n th e sporting countries , int o misery and vice for some paltry transgression of these coercive laws, by the natural consequence of that anger which a man feels when he sees th e rewar d o f hi s industr y laid wast e by unfeelin g luxury?— when his children's brea d i s given to dogs! You have shewn, Sir, by your silence on these subjects, that your respect for rank has swallowed up the common feelings of humanity; you seem to consider the poor as only the live stock of an estate, th e feather of hereditary nobility. When you had so little respect for the silent majorit y o f misery , I a m no t surprise d a t you r manne r o f treating a n individua l whose bro w a mitr e wil l neve r grace , an d whose popularit y ma y hav e wounde d you r vanity—fo r vanit y is ever sore. Even in France, Sir, befor e the revolution, literar y celebrity procured a man the treatment of a gentleman; but you are going back fo r you r credential s o f politenes s t o mor e distan t times. — Gothic affability i s the mode you think proper t o adopt, the condescension o f a Baron, no t th e civilit y of a liberal man. Politeness is , indeed, the only substitute fo r humanity; or what distinguishes th e civilised ma n fro m th e unlettere d savage ? an d h e wh o i s not gov erned by reason should squar e his behaviour by an arbitrary standard; bu t b y wha t rul e you r attac k on D r Price * wa s regulated w e have yet to learn. I agree with you, Sir, tha t the pulpit is not the plac e for political discussions* thoug h i t migh t b e mor e excusabl e to ente r o n suc h a subject , whe n th e da y wa s se t apar t merel y t o commemorat e a politica l revolutio n an d n o stated dut y wa s encroached upon . I will, however , wave this point , an d allo w that D r Price' s zeal may have carrie d hi m furthe r tha n soun d reaso n ca n justify . I d o als o most cordiall y coincide wit h you , tha t til l w e ca n se e th e remot e consequences o f things, presen t calamitie s must appea r in the ugly

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form o f evil , an d excit e ou r commiseration . Th e goo d tha t tim e slowly educe s fro m the m ma y b e hi d fro m morta l eye , o r diml y seen; whils t sympath y compel s ma n t o fee l fo r man , an d almos t restrains th e han d tha t woul d amputat e a lim b t o sav e th e whol e body. But , afte r makin g thi s concession , allo w me t o expostulat e with you , an d calml y hold u p th e glas s which wil l she w yo u your partial feelings. In reprobatin g D r Price' s opinion s yo u migh t hav e spare d th e man; an d i f you ha d ha d bu t hal f a s much reverenc e fo r th e gre y hairs o f virtue as for the accidenta l distinctions o f rank, you would not hav e treate d wit h suc h indecen t familiarit y an d superciliou s contempt, a member o f the communit y whos e talent s an d modes t virtues plac e hi m hig h i n th e scal e o f moral excellence. * I a m no t accustomed to look up with vulgar awe, even when mental superior ity exalts a man above his fellows; but stil l the sigh t of a man whose habits ar e fixed by piety and reason, an d whose virtues are consoli dated int o goodness , command s m y homage—an d I shoul d touc h his errors wit h a tender han d when I made a parade of my sensibility. Granting , fo r a moment, tha t D r Price' s political opinion s ar e Utopian reveries , and that th e worl d is not yet sufficiently civilized to adop t suc h a sublime syste m o f morality; they could , however , only be the reveries o f a benevolent mind . Tottering on the verge of the grave , that worth y man in his whole life neve r dream t of struggling fo r powe r o r riches ; and , i f a glimps e o f th e gla d daw n o f liberty rekindle d the fire of youth in his veins, you, who could no t stand th e fascinatin g glanc e of a great Lady' s eyes, * when neithe r virtue no r sens e beame d i n them , migh t hav e pardone d hi s un seemly transport,—if such i t must b e deemed . I could almost fancy that I now see this respectable old man, in his pulpit, with hands clasped, and eyes devoutly fixed, praying with all the simple energy of unaffected piety ; or, when more erect, inculcat ing the dignity of virtue, and enforcing the doctrines his life adorns ; benevolence animate d eac h feature , and persuasio n attuned hi s accents; th e preache r gre w eloquent, wh o only laboured t o b e clear; and th e respec t tha t h e extorted , seeme d onl y th e respec t du e t o personified virtu e an d mature d wisdom.*—I s thi s th e ma n yo u brand with so many opprobrious epithets ? he whose private life will stand th e tes t o f th e strictes t enquiry—awa y wit h suc h unmanl y sarcasms, and puerile conceits.—But, before I close this part of my

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animadversions, I must convict you of wilful misrepresentatio n an d wanton abuse . Dr Price , whe n h e reason s o n th e necessit y o f me n attendin g some plac e of public worship , concisel y obviates an objectio n tha t has been made in the form of an apology,* by advising those, who do not approv e of our Liturgy , an d canno t find an y mode o f worship out of the church, i n which they can conscientiously join, to establish one for themselves.* This plain advice you have tortured into a very different meaning , and represented the preacher as actuated b y a dissentin g phrensy , recommendin g dissensions , 'no t t o diffus e truth, but to spread contradictions.'1* A simple question will silence this impertinent declamation.—Wha t i s truth? A fe w fundamenta l truths mee t th e firs t enquir y o f reason , an d appea r a s clear t o a n unwarped mind , as that ai r an d brea d ar e necessary t o enabl e th e body to fulfil it s vital functions; but th e opinions which men discuss with s o muc h hea t mus t b e simplifie d an d brough t bac k t o firs t principles; or who can discriminate the vagaries of the imagination, or scrupulosity of weakness, from the verdict of reason? Let all these points be demonstrated, an d not determined b y arbitrary authority and dar k traditions, les t a dangerous supineness shoul d tak e place; for probably , in ceasin g to enquire, ou r reaso n would remain dor mant, and delivered up, without a curb, to every impulse of passion, we might soon lose sight of the clear light which the exercise of our understanding n o longe r kep t alive . To argu e fro m experience , i t should seem as if the human mind, averse to thought, could only be opened by necessity; for, when it can take opinions on trust, it gladly lets th e spiri t li e quie t i n it s gros s tenement . Perhap s th e mos t improving exercis e o f th e mind , confinin g th e argumen t t o th e enlargement o f th e understanding , i s th e restles s enquirie s tha t hover on the boundary, or stretch over the dark abyss of uncertainty. These livel y conjecture s ar e th e breeze s tha t preserv e th e stil l lake fro m stagnating . W e shoul d b e awar e o f confinin g al l mora l excellence t o on e channel , howeve r capacious ; or , i f w e ar e s o narrow-minded, w e should no t forge t ho w much w e owe to chance that our inheritanc e wa s not Mahometism; and that th e iro n han d of destiny , i n th e shap e o f deepl y roote d authority , ha s no t sus 1

Pag e 15 .

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pended the sword of destruction ove r our heads. But to return to the misrepresentation. Blackstone,1 to whom Mr Burk e pays great deference,* seems to agree with Dr Price, that the succession of the King of Great Britain depends on the choice of the people, or that they have a power to cut it off; but thi s power, as you have fully proved , has been cautiously exerted, an d migh t wit h more propriet y b e terme d a right tha n a power. Be it so!—yet when you elaborately cited precedents t o shew that ou r forefather s pai d grea t respec t t o hereditar y claims , yo u might hav e gon e bac k t o you r favourit e epoch , an d shew n thei r respect fo r a church tha t fulminatin g law s hav e since loade d with opprobrium. Th e preponderanc e of inconsistencies, whe n weighed with precedents , shoul d lesse n th e mos t bigotte d veneratio n fo r antiquity, and force men of the eighteenth century to acknowledge, that ou r canonized forefathers wer e unable , o r afraid , t o rever t t o reason, without resting on the crutch of authority; and should not be brought as a proof that their children are never to be allowed to walk alone. When w e doubt the infallibl e wisdo m of our ancestors , i t is only advancing on the same ground to doubt the sincerity of the law, and the propriet y of that servile appellation—OUR SOVEREIG N LORD TH KING.* Wh o wer e th e dictator s o f this adulator y languag e of th e law? Wer e the y not courtl y parasites and worldl y priests? Besides, whoever a t divin e service , whos e feeling s wer e no t deadene d b y habit, or their understandings quiescent, ever repeated without hor1 'Th e doctrin e o f hereditary righ t doe s b y n o mean s impl y a n indefeasible righ t t o th e throne. N o ma n will , I think , asser t this , tha t ha s considere d ou r laws , constitution , an d history, withou t prejudice , an d wit h an y degre e o f attention. I t i s unquestionably i n th e breast o f the suprem e legislativ e authorit y o f this kingdom , th e Kin g an d bot h House s of Parliament, t o defeat this hereditary right ; and, by particular entails , limitations , an d provisions, to exclude the immediate heir, and vest the inheritance i n any one else. This is strictly consonant t o our laws and constitution; as may be gathered fro m th e expression s o frequently used in our statute books, o f "the King' s Majesty, hi s heirs, and successors." In whic h we may observe that, as the word "heirs" necessarily implies an inheritance, o r hereditary right , generally subsistin g i n "th e roya l person;" s o the wor d successors , distinctl y taken , mus t imply tha t thi s inheritanc e ma y sometime s b e broke n through ; or , tha t ther e ma y b e a successor, withou t bein g the heir o f the king.'* I shall not, however, rest in something like a subterfuge, and quote, as partially as you have done, fro m Aristotle. * Blackstone has so cautiously fenced round hi s opinion wit h provisos , that it is obvious he thought th e letter o f the law leaned toward s your side of the question— but a blind respec t fo r the la w is not a part o f my creed.

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ror the sam e epithet s applie d to a man and his Creator ? If thi s is confused jargon—sa y what are the dictate s of sober reason , o r th e criterion t o distinguish nonsense? You furthe r sarcasticall y animadver t o n th e consistenc y o f th e democratists, by wresting the obvious meaning of a common phrase, the dregs o f the people'* o r you r contempt for povert y ma y hav e led you int o a n error . B e tha t a s it may , a n unprejudice d man woul d have directl y perceive d th e singl e sens e o f th e word , an d a n ol d Member o f Parliament coul d scarcel y have missed it . H e wh o had so often fel t th e puls e of the elector s needed not hav e gone beyond his ow n experience t o discove r tha t th e dreg s allude d t o wer e th e vicious, and no t th e lowe r class of the community . Again, Sir , I must doub t you r sincerity or your discernment.— You have been behind the curtain; and, though it might be difficul t to bring back your sophisticated hear t t o nature and mak e you fee l like a man, yet the awestruck confusion i n which you were plunged must hav e gone off when the vulga r emotion of wonder, excited by finding yourself a Senator, ha d subsided. Then you must have seen the clogge d wheel s of corruption continuall y oiled by th e swea t of the laborious poor, squeezed out of them by unceasing taxation. You must hav e discovered tha t th e majorit y i n the Hous e of Common s was ofte n purchase d b y th e crown , an d tha t th e peopl e wer e op pressed by the influence of their own money, extorted by the venal voice of a packed representation . You mus t hav e know n tha t a ma n o f meri t canno t ris e i n th e church, the army, or navy, unless he has some interest in a borough; and tha t eve n a paltr y exciseman' s plac e ca n onl y b e secure d b y electioneering interest. * I will go further, and assert that fe w Bishops, though there have been learned and good Bishops, have gained the mitr e withou t submittin g to a servility of dependence tha t de grades th e man.—Al l thes e circumstance s yo u must hav e known , yet you talk of virtue and liberty, as the vulgar talk of the letter of the law; an d th e polit e o f propriety . I t i s tru e tha t thes e ceremonia l observances produc e decorum ; th e sepulchre s ar e white-washed , and do not offend th e squeamish eyes of high rank; but virtu e is out of the question whe n you only worship a shadow, and worship it to secure your property. Man ha s been termed, wit h strict propriety, a microcosm, a little world i n himself.—H e i s so;—yet must , however , be reckone d a n

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ephemera, or, to adopt your figure of rhetoric, a summer's fly.* The perpetuation of property i n our familie s is one of the privileges you most warml y contend for ; yet it would not be very difficult t o prove that th e mind must hav e a very limited range that thu s confine s it s benevolence t o suc h a narrow circle , which , wit h grea t propriety , may be included i n the sordi d calculation s of blind self-love . A brutal attachmen t t o children ha s appeared mos t conspicuou s in parent s wh o hav e treate d the m lik e slaves , an d demande d du e homage fo r all the propert y the y transferre d t o them, durin g thei r lives. It has led them to force their children to break the most sacre d ties; to do violence to a natural impulse, and run int o legal prostitution* to increase wealth or shun poverty ; and, still worse, the dread of parental malediction has made many weak characters violate truth in the fac e of Heaven; and , to avoid a father's angry curse, th e mos t sacred promises have been broken. It appears to be a natural sugges tion of reason, that a man should be freed fro m implicit obedience to parents and private punishments, whe n he is of an age to be subject to the jurisdiction of the laws of his country; and that the barbarous cruelty o f allowing parents t o impriso n thei r children , t o preven t their contaminatin g thei r nobl e bloo d b y followin g th e dictate s o f nature when they chose to marry, or for any misdemeanor tha t doe s not come unde r th e cognizance o f public justice , is one of the most arbitrary violations of liberty.* Who ca n recoun t al l th e unnatura l crime s whic h th e laudable, interesting desire of perpetuating a name has produced? The younge r children hav e been sacrifice d t o th e eldes t son ; sen t int o exile , or confined i n convents , tha t the y migh t no t encroac h o n wha t was called, wit h shamefu l falsehood , the family estate . Wil l M r Burk e call thi s parenta l affectio n reasonabl e o r virtuous?—No ; i t i s th e spurious offsprin g o f over-weening, mistaken pride—and no t tha t first source of civilization, natural parental affection, tha t make s no difference betwee n chil d an d child , bu t wha t reaso n justifie s b y pointing out superior merit . Another perniciou s consequenc e whic h unavoidably arises fro m this artificia l affectio n is , the insuperabl e ba r whic h i t put s i n th e way of early marriages. It woul d be difficul t t o determin e whethe r the mind s o r bodies o f our yout h are most injure d b y this impedi ment. Ou r youn g men become selfis h coxcombs , an d gallantry with modest women , an d intrigue s wit h thos e o f anothe r description ,

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weaken both mind an d body, before either ha s arrived at maturity. The characte r of a master of a family, a husband, and a father, forms the citize n imperceptibly , b y producin g a sobe r manlines s o f thought, an d orderl y behaviour; but, fro m th e la x morals an d de praved affection s o f th e libertine , wha t results?— a finica l ma n o f taste, wh o i s only anxious to secur e hi s ow n private gratifications, and t o maintain his rank in society. The sam e syste m ha s a n equall y perniciou s effec t o n femal e morals.—Girls are sacrificed to family convenience, or else marry to settle themselves in a superior rank , and coquet, without restraint , with the fine gentleman whom I have already described. And to such lengths has this vanity, this desire of shining, carried them, that it is not no w necessary t o guar d girl s against imprudent lov e matches ; for i f som e widow s did no t no w an d the n fall i n love , Lov e an d Hymen* would seldom meet, unles s at a village church. I d o no t inten d t o b e sarcasticall y paradoxical when I say , tha t women of fashion take husbands that they may have it in their power to coquet , th e gran d busines s o f gentee l life , wit h a numbe r o f admirers, and thus flutter th e spring of life away, without laying up any stor e fo r th e winte r o f age , o r bein g o f an y us e t o society . Affection i n the marriage state can only be founded on respect—and are these weak beings respectable? Children are neglected for lovers, and we express surpris e tha t adulterie s are so common! A woman never forgets to adorn herself to make an impression on the senses of the other sex, and to extort the homage which it is gallant to pay, and yet we wonder that the y have such confine d understandings . Have ye not heard tha t we cannot serv e two masters? an immoderate desire to please contracts th e faculties , and immerges, t o bor row the idea of a great philosopher, the soul in matter, till it becomes unable to mount o n the win g of contemplation.* It woul d be an arduous task to trace all the vic e and miser y tha t arise in society from th e middle class of people apein g the manners of the great . Al l are aimin g to procur e respec t o n accoun t o f their property; an d mos t place s ar e considere d a s sinecures tha t enabl e men t o star t int o notice . Th e gran d concer n o f three part s ou t of four i s t o contriv e t o liv e above thei r equals , an d t o appea r t o b e richer tha n the y are. Ho w muc h domesti c comfor t an d privat e satisfaction is sacrificed t o this irrational ambition! It is a destructive mildew that blights the fairest virtues; benevolence, friendship, gen-

A Vindication o f th e Rights o f Men 23

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erosity, an d all those endearing charitie s whic h bind huma n heart s together, an d the pursuit s which raise the mind t o higher contem plations, al l that wer e not cankere d in the bu d b y the fals e notion s that 'grew with its growth and strengthened wit h its strength,'* are crushed b y the iro n han d of property! Property, I do not scruple to aver it, should be fluctuating, which would be the case , if it wer e more equall y divided amongst all the children of a family; else it is an everlasting rampart, in consequenc e of a barbarous feudal institution , that enables the elder son to over power talent s and depress virtue. * Besides, a n unmanl y servility , mos t inimica l t o tru e dignit y of character is, by this means, fostered in society. Men of some abilities play o n th e follie s o f th e rich , an d mountin g t o fortun e a s the y degrade themselves , the y stan d i n th e wa y of men o f superior tal ents, wh o cannot advanc e in such crooke d paths, o r wad e through the filth which parasites never boggle at. Pursuing their way straight forward, thei r spiri t i s eithe r ben t o r broke n b y th e ric h man' s contumelies, o r the difficultie s the y have to encounter . The onl y security of property tha t natur e authorizes and reason sanctions is, the right a man has to enjoy th e acquisitions which his talents and industry have acquired; and to bequeath them t o whom he chooses. Happy would it be for the world if there were no other road to wealth or honour; if pride, in the shape of parental affection , did no t absor b th e man , an d preven t friendshi p fro m havin g the same weight as relationship. Luxury and effeminacy woul d not then introduce so much idiotis m into the nobl e families whic h form on e of the pillars of our state: the ground would not lie fallow, nor would undirected activity of mind spread the contagion of restless idleness, and it s concomitant, vice , through th e whol e mass of society. Instead o f gaming they migh t nouris h a virtuous ambition, an d love migh t tak e plac e o f th e gallantr y whic h you , wit h knightl y fealty, venerate. Women would probably then act like mothers, an d the fine lady, become a rational woman, might think it necessary to superintend her family and suckle her children, in order to fulfil he r part of the social compact. But vain is the hope, whilst great masses of property are hedged roun d b y hereditary honours; fo r numberless vices, forced i n the hot-bed of wealth, assume a sightly form t o dazzle the senses and cloud the understanding. The respec t pai d to rank an d fortun e damps ever y generou s purpos e o f the soul , an d

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stifles th e natural affections o n which human contentment ough t to be built . Wh o wil l venturousl y ascend th e steep s o f virtue, o r ex plore th e grea t dee p fo r knowledge , whe n th e on e thing needful, attained b y les s arduou s exertions , i f no t inherited , procure s the attentio n ma n naturall y pants after , an d vic e 'loses half its evil by losin g all it s grossness.' 1*—What a sentimen t t o com e fro m a moral pen! A surgeo n woul d tel l yo u tha t b y skinnin g over a woun d yo u spread diseas e through the whole frame; and, surely, they indirectly aim at destroying all purity of morals, who poison the very source of virtue, b y smearin g a sentimenta l varnis h ove r vice , t o hid e it s natural deformity . Stealing, whoring , an d drunkenness , ar e gros s vices, I presume, though they may not obliterate every moral sentiment, and have a vulgar brand that makes them appear with all their native deformity ; bu t overreaching , adultery , an d coquetry , ar e venial offences , thoug h the y reduc e virtu e to a n empty name , an d make wisdom consist i n saving appearances. 'On thi s schem e o f things 2 a king is but a man; a queen i s but a woman; a woman is but a n animal, and an animal not o f the highes t order.'—All true , Sir ; i f she i s not mor e attentiv e t o th e dutie s of humanity tha n queen s an d fashionabl e ladies in genera l are. I will still further acced e to the opinion you have so justly conceived of the spirit which begins to animate this age.—'All homage paid to the sex in general , as such, and withou t distinct views, is to be regarded as romance* an d folly. ' Undoubtedly ; becaus e suc h homag e vitiate s them, prevent s thei r endeavourin g to obtai n soli d persona l merit ; and, i n short , make s thos e being s vai n inconsiderat e dolls , wh o ought to be prudent mothers an d useful member s o f society. 'Regicide and sacrileg e are but fiction s o f superstition corruptin g juris prudence, b y destroying its simplicity. The murde r o f a king, or a queen, o r a bishop, ar e onl y common homicide.'*—Agai n I agre e with you; but yo u perceive, Sir, that by leaving out the word father, I thin k the whol e extent o f the compariso n invidious. You furthe r procee d grossl y t o misrepresen t D r Price' s meaning;* and , wit h a n affectatio n o f hol y fervour , expres s you r indignation a t hi s profanin g a beautifu l rapturou s ejaculation , when alludin g to the Kin g o f France's submissio n t o the Nationa l 1

Pag e 113 . 2

A s you ironicall y observe, p. 114 .

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Assembly;1 he rejoiced to hail a glorious revolution, whic h promised an universal diffusion o f liberty and happiness . Observe, Sir , tha t I calle d you r piet y affectation.— A ran t t o enable you to point your venomous dart , an d round you r period. I speak with warmth, because, of all hypocrites, my soul most indig nantly spurns a religious one;—and I very cautiously bring forwar d such a heav y charge, t o stri p yo u o f you r cloa k of sanctity . You r speech at the time the bill for a regency was agitated now lies before me.—Then yo u coul d i n direc t terms , t o promot e ambitiou s o r interested views , exclaim without any pious qualms—'Ought the y to make a mockery of him, putting a crown of thorns on his head, a reed in his hand, and dressing him in a raiment of purple, cry, Hail! King o f the British!' * Where wa s your sensibility when you could utter thi s crue l mockery , equall y insultin g t o Go d an d man ? G o hence, tho u slav e of impulse, loo k into th e privat e recesses o f th y heart, an d tak e no t a mot e fro m th y brother' s eye , til l tho u has t removed th e beam* fro m thin e own. Of your partial feelings I shal l take another view , and she w that following nature, which is, you say, 'wisdom without reflection, and above if —has le d yo u int o grea t inconsistences , t o us e th e softes t phrase. When , o n a lat e melanchol y occasion, * a ver y importan t question wa s agitated, wit h wha t indecen t warmt h di d you trea t a woman, for I shall not la y any stress o n her title , whos e conduct i n life ha s deserved praise , thoug h not , perhaps , th e servil e elogiums which have been lavished on the queen. But sympathy, and you tell us that you have a heart of flesh, was made to give way to party spirit and th e feeling s of a man, not t o allude to your romantic gallantry, to the views of the statesman. When you descanted on the horrors of the 6t h o f October, an d gav e a glowing, and, i n som e instances , a most exaggerated description o f that inferna l night , without having troubled yoursel f t o clea n you r palette , yo u migh t hav e returne d home an d indulge d u s wit h a sketch o f the miser y yo u personally aggravated.* With wha t eloquenc e migh t yo u no t hav e insinuated , tha t th e sight of unexpected misery and strange reverse of fortune makes the mind recoi l o n itself; and, pondering , trace d th e uncertaint y of all 1 I n July, whe n h e firs t submitte d t o hi s people ; an d no t th e mobbin g triumphal cata strophe i n October, which you chose, t o giv e ful l scop e to your declamatory powers.

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human hope , th e frai l foundatio n of sublunar y grandeur! Wha t a climax lay before you. A father tor n fro m hi s children,—a husband from a n affectionat e wife,— a ma n fro m himself ! And no t tor n b y the resistless stroke of death, for time would then have lent its aid to mitigate remediless sorrow ; but tha t livin g death, whic h only kept hope aliv e i n th e corrodin g for m o f suspense, wa s a calamity tha t called fo r al l your pity. The sigh t o f august ruins , o f a depopulated country—wha t ar e they t o a disordered soul ! whe n al l the faculties are mixed i n wild confusion. I t is then indeed we tremble for humanity—and, if some wild fancy chance to cross the brain, we fearfully start , and pressin g our hand against our brow, ask if we are yet men?—if our reason is undisturbed?—if judgmen t hold th e helm ? Marius migh t si t with dignity o n th e ruin s o f Carthage,* and th e wretc h i n th e Bastille , who longed in vain to see the human face divine, might yet view the operations of his ow n mind, an d var y th e leade n prospec t b y new combinations of thought: poverty, shame, and even slavery, may be endured by the virtuous man—he has still a world to range in—but the loss of reason appears a monstrous flaw in the moral world, that eludes all investigation, and humble s without enlightening. In this state wa s the King, whe n you, with unfeeling disrespect, and indecen t haste , wishe d t o stri p hi m o f all his hereditar y hon ours.*—You wer e so eager t o tast e th e sweet s o f power, tha t yo u could not wait till time had determined, whethe r a dreadful deliriu m would settle into a confirmed madness; but, pryin g into the secret s of Omnipotence, yo u thundered ou t tha t Go d ha d hurled hi m from his throne* an d that it was the most insulting mocker y t o recollec t that he had been a king, or to treat hi m with any particular respec t on account of his former dignity.—And who was the monster whom Heaven ha d thus awfully deposed , an d smitten with such a n angry blow? Surely as harmless a character as Lewis XVIth; and the queen of Great Britain , though her heart may not be enlarged by generos ity, wh o wil l presum e t o compar e he r characte r wit h tha t o f th e queen o f France? Where the n wa s the infallibilit y o f that extolle d instinc t whic h rises above reason? was it warped by vanity, or hurled from its thron e by self-interest ? To you r ow n heart answe r these question s i n th e sober hours of reflection—and, afte r reviewin g this gust of passion, learn to respect the sovereignt y o f reason.

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I have , Sir , bee n reading , wit h a scrutinizing, comparativ e eye, several o f your insensibl e an d profan e speeches durin g the King' s illness. I disdai n t o tak e advantage of a man's wea k side , o r draw consequences fro m a n unguarde d transport— A lio n prey s no t o n carcasses! But o n this occasion yo u acted systematically . It wa s not the passio n o f the moment , ove r which humanity draws a veil: no; what but th e odiou s maxims of Machiavelian policy could have led you t o have searched i n th e ver y dregs of misery fo r forcible arguments to support your party? Had not vanity or interest steeled your heart, yo u would have been shocke d at the col d insensibility which could carry a man to those dreadfu l mansions , where human weakness appears in its most awfu l for m t o calculate the chance s against the King's recovery. Impresse d a s you ar e with respect for royalty, I am astonished tha t you did not tremble at every step, les t Heave n should aveng e on you r guilt y hea d th e insul t offere d t o it s vice regent. Bu t th e conscienc e tha t i s under th e directio n o f transient ebullitions o f feeling , i s no t ver y tende r o r consistent , whe n th e current run s another way. Had yo u been in a philosophizing mood, ha d your heart or your reason bee n a t home , yo u migh t hav e bee n convinced , b y ocula r demonstration, tha t madnes s i s only the absenc e o f reason.—The ruling angel leaving its seat, wil d anarchy ensues. Yo u would have seen tha t th e uncontroule d imaginatio n ofte n pursue s th e mos t regular cours e i n it s most darin g flight; an d tha t th e eccentricitie s are boldl y relieved whe n judgmen t no longe r officiousl y arrange s the sentiments , b y bringin g the m t o th e tes t o f principles . Yo u would have seen ever y thing ou t o f nature i n that strange chao s of levity and ferocity , and o f all sorts o f follies jumble d together. Yo u would have seen in that monstrous tragicomic scene the most opposite passion s necessaril y succeed , an d sometime s mi x wit h eac h other i n th e mind ; alternat e contemp t an d indignation ; alternate laughter an d tears ; alternat e scor n an d horror. 1—This i s a tru e picture of that chaoti c state of mind, calle d madness; when reason gone, we know not where, the wild elements o f passion clash, and all is horro r an d confusion . Yo u migh t hav e hear d th e bes t turne d conceits, flash followin g flash, and doubte d whethe r th e rhapsody was not eloquent , i f it ha d no t bee n delivere d in a n equivocal lan1

Thi s quotation i s not marke d wit h inverte d commas , becaus e i t i s not exact. * p. 11.

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guage, neither verse nor prose, if the sparkling periods had not stood alone, wanting force becaus e the y wanted concatenation . It is a proverbial observation, that a very thin partition divides wit and madness. * Poetry therefor e naturall y addresses th e fancy , an d the languag e o f passio n i s wit h grea t felicit y borrowe d fro m th e heightened pictur e whic h the imagination draws of sensible object s concentred b y impassione d reflection . And , durin g thi s 'fin e phrensy,'* reason has no right to rein-in th e imagination, unless t o prevent the introductio n o f supernumerary images; if the passion is real, th e hea d wil l no t b e ransacke d fo r stal e trope s an d col d rodomontade.* I no w spea k o f the genuin e enthusias m o f genius , which, perhaps , seldo m appears , bu t i n th e infanc y o f civilization; for a s this ligh t become s mor e luminou s reaso n clip s th e win g of fancy—the yout h becomes a man. Whether th e glor y of Europe i s set, I shall not no w enquire; bu t probably th e spiri t o f romanc e an d chivalr y i s i n th e wane ; an d reason wil l gain by its extinction . From observing several cold romantic characters I have been led to confin e th e ter m romanti c t o on e definition—false , o r rathe r artificial, feelings . Works of genius are read with a prepossession i n their favour, and sentiments imitated, because they were fashionable and pretty , an d no t becaus e the y were forcibly felt . In modern poetr y the understanding and memory often fabricate the pretended effusion s o f the heart , an d romance destroy s al l sim plicity; which, in works of taste, is but a synonymous word for truth. This romantic spirit has extended t o our prose, and scattered artifi cial flowers over th e mos t barre n heath ; o r a mixture o f verse and prose producing the strangest incongruities . Th e turgi d bombast of some o f you r period s full y prove s thes e assertions ; fo r whe n th e heart speak s we are seldom shocke d b y hyperbole, o r dry raptures . I speak in this decided tone, because from turnin g over the pages of your late publication, with more attention tha n I did when I first read it cursorily over; and comparing the sentiments it contains with your conduc t o n many important occasions , I am led very often t o doubt your sincerity, and to suppose tha t you have said many things merely fo r the sak e of saying them well ; or t o throw som e pointe d obloquy on characters an d opinion s tha t jostle d with your vanity. It i s an arduou s tas k to follo w th e doubling s o f cunning, o r th e subterfuges o f inconsistency ; fo r i n controversy , a s i n battle , th e

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brave man wishe s to face his enemy, and fight on the sam e ground . Knowing, however , th e influenc e o f a rulin g passion, * an d ho w often it assumes the form of reason when there is much sensibility in the heart , I respec t a n opponent , thoug h h e tenaciously maintains opinions i n whic h I canno t coincide ; but , i f I onc e discove r tha t many of those opinion s are empty rhetorica l flourishes, my respec t is soon change d int o that pit y which borders o n contempt; an d th e mock dignit y and haught y stalk, only reminds me of the as s in th e lion's skin. A sentiment o f this kind glanced across my mind whe n I read th e following exclamation . 'Whilst th e roya l captives, wh o followe d in the train , wer e slowl y moved along , amids t th e horri d yells , an d shrilling screams , an d franti c dances , an d infamou s contumelies , and al l th e unutterabl e abomination s o f th e furie s o f hell , i n th e abused shap e o f the viles t o f women.' 1 Probably yo u mean wome n who gained a livelihood by selling vegetables or fish, who never had had an y advantages of education; o r their vice s might have lost part of their abominable deformity, by losing part of their grossness. Th e queen o f France—the great an d smal l vulgar, claim our pity ; the y have almos t insuperabl e obstacle s t o surmoun t i n thei r progres s towards true dignity of character; still I have such a plain downright understanding tha t I d o no t lik e t o mak e a distinctio n withou t a difference. Bu t i t i s no t ver y extraordinar y tha t yo u should , fo r throughout you r lette r yo u frequentl y advert t o a sentimental jargon, which has long been current in conversation, and even in books of morals, though it never received the regal stamp of reason. A kind of mysterious instinct i s supposed t o reside in the soul, that instanta neously discerns truth , withou t the tediou s labour o f ratiocination. This instinct , fo r I kno w not wha t other nam e t o giv e it, ha s been termed common sense, and more frequently sensibility, and, by a kind of indefeasible right , it has been supposed fo r rights of this kind are no t easily proved , t o reig n paramoun t ove r th e othe r facultie s o f th e mind, and t o be an authority fro m whic h there i s no appeal. This subtl e magneti c fluid , tha t run s roun d th e whol e circl e of society, i s not subjec t t o an y know n rule , or , t o us e a n obnoxiou s phrase, i n spite of the sneers o f mock humility, or the timi d fear s of some well-meanin g Christians , wh o shrin k fro m an y freedo m o f 1

Pag e 106.

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thought, les t they should rouse the old serpent, t o the eternal fitnes of things* I t dips , w e know not why , granting it t o be an infallibl e instinct, and, though supposed always to point to truth, its pole-star, the poin t i s always shifting, and seldo m stand s du e north . It is to this instinct, without doubt, that you allude, when you talk of the 'moral constitution of the heart.' To it, I allow, for I conside r it as a congregate of sensations and passions, Poets must apply, 'who have to deal with an audience not yet graduated in the school of the rights of men.'* They must, i t is clear, often clou d the understand ing, whilst they move the heart by a kind of mechanical spring; bu t that 'i n th e theatr e th e firs t intuitiv e glance' * o f feelin g shoul d discriminate the for m o f truth, an d se e her fai r proportion , I must beg leave to doubt. Sacred be the feelings of the heart! concentred in a glowin g flame , the y becom e th e su n o f life ; and , withou t hi s invigorating impregnation , reaso n woul d probabl y li e i n helples s inactivity, an d neve r brin g fort h he r onl y legitimat e offspring — virtue. But t o prove that virtu e is really an acquisition of the indi vidual, an d no t th e blin d impuls e of unerring instinct , th e bastard vice has often bee n begotten by the sam e father. In wha t respect ar e we superior to the brute creation, i f intellect is not allowed to be the guid e of passion? Brutes hope and fear , love and hate ; but , withou t a capacit y t o improve , a powe r o f turnin g these passion s to good or evil, they neither acquir e virtue nor wis dom.—Why? Because the Creato r ha s not give n them reason. 1 But the cultivation of reason is an arduous task, and men of lively fancy, finding it easier to follow the impulse of passion, endeavour to persuade themselves an d others that it is most natural. And happy is it for those, who indolently let that heaven-lighted spark rest like the ancient lamps in sepulchres, tha t some virtuous habits, wit h which the reaso n of others shackle d them, supplie s its place.—Affectio n for parents , reverence for superiors or antiquity, notions of honour, or that worldly self-interest that shrewdly shews them tha t honesty is the bes t policy : all proceed fro m th e reaso n fo r which they serve as substitutes;—but i t i s reason at second-hand . Children ar e bor n ignorant , consequentl y innocent;* th e pas sions, ar e neithe r goo d no r evi l dispositions , til l the y receiv e a 1 I d o no t no w mea n t o discus s th e intricat e subjec t o f thei r mortality ; reaso n may , perhaps, b e given to them i n the nex t stag e of existence, i f they are to mount i n the scal e of life, lik e men, b y the mediu m o f death.

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direction, an d either boun d ove r the feebl e barrier raise d by a fain t glimmering of unexercised reason , calle d conscience, o r strengthe n her waverin g dictates til l soun d principle s ar e deepl y rooted , an d able t o cop e wit h th e headstron g passion s tha t ofte n assum e he r awful form . What moral purpose can be answered by extolling good dispositions, a s they ar e called , whe n thes e goo d disposition s ar e described a s instincts : fo r instinc t move s i n a direc t lin e t o it s ultimate end, and asks not for guide or support. Bu t if virtue is to be acquired by experience, o r taught by example, reason, perfecte d by reflection, must be the director o f the whole host of passions, which produce a fructifyin g heat , bu t n o light , tha t yo u would exal t int o her place.—She must hol d th e rudder, or , let the wind blow which way i t list , th e vesse l wil l neve r advanc e smoothl y t o it s destine d port; for the tim e lost in tacking about would dreadfully imped e it s progress. In th e name of the peopl e of England, you say, 'that we know we have made no discoveries; and we think that no discoveries are to be made in morality; nor man y in the grea t principle s o f government , nor i n th e idea s of liberty, whic h wer e understood lon g before w e were born , altogethe r a s wel l a s the y wil l b e afte r th e grav e ha s heaped it s mould upo n ou r presumption , an d the silen t tom b shal l have imposed it s law on our pert loquacity. In England we have not yet been completel y emboweled o f our natura l entrails; we still fee l within us , an d w e cheris h an d cultivat e thos e inbre d sentiment s which ar e faithfu l guardians , th e activ e monitors o f our duty , th e true supporter s o f al l liberal an d manl y morals.' 1 —What d o you mean by inbred sentiments ? Fro m whence do they come? How were they bred? Are they the brood of folly, which swarm like the insect s on the banks of the Nile, when mud an d putrefaction have enriched the langui d soil? Were thes e inbred sentiments faithfu l guardian s of our dut y whe n th e churc h wa s an asylum for murderers, an d me n worshipped bread as a God? when slavery was authorized by law to fasten her fang s on human flesh, and the iron eat into the very soul? If these sentiments are not acquired , i f our passiv e disposition s do not expan d int o virtuou s affection s an d passions , wh y ar e not th e Tartars i n th e first rud e hord e endue d wit h sentiment s whit e and elegant as the drive n snow? Wh y i s passion o r heroism th e chil d of 1

Pag e 128 .

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reflection, th e consequenc e o f dwelling with inten t contemplatio n on one object? The appetite s are the only perfect inbred powers that I can discern; an d they like instincts have a certain aim, they can be satisfied—but improveabl e reaso n ha s not ye t discovere d th e per fection i t may arrive at—God forbid ! First, however, i t i s necessary t o make what w e know practical . Who ca n deny , tha t ha s marke d th e slo w progres s o f civilization, that me n ma y become mor e virtuou s an d happ y withou t an y new discovery i n morals ? Who wil l venture t o asser t tha t virtu e would not b e promote d b y th e mor e extensiv e cultivatio n o f reason ? I f nothing more i s to be done, le t us eat and drink , for to-morrow w e die—and die for ever! Who will pretend t o say, that there is as much happiness diffuse d o n thi s glob e a s i t i s capabl e o f affording ? a s many socia l virtue s a s reaso n woul d foster , i f sh e coul d gai n th e strength sh e i s abl e t o acquir e eve n i n thi s imperfec t state ; i f the voice of nature was allowed to speak audibly from th e bottom of the heart, an d the native unalienable rights of men were recognized in thei r ful l force ; if factitious merit di d no t tak e place o f genuine acquired virtue , an d enabl e me n t o buil d thei r enjoymen t o n th e misery of their fellow creatures; if men were more under the dominion o f reaso n tha n opinion , an d di d no t cheris h thei r prejudice s 'because the y wer e prejudices?' 1* I a m not , Sir , awar e o f you r sneers, hailin g a millennium , thoug h a stat e o f greate r purit y o f morals ma y no t b e a mer e poeti c fiction ; no r di d m y fanc y eve r create a heave n o n earth , sinc e reaso n thre w of f he r swaddlin g clothes. I perceive, bu t to o forcibly, tha t happiness , literall y speaking, dwell s no t here;—an d tha t w e wander t o an d fr o i n a vale of darkness as well as tears. I perceive that my passions pursu e objects that th e imaginatio n enlarges, til l they become onl y a sublime idea that shrinks from th e enquiry of sense, an d mocks the experimenta l philosophers wh o would confin e thi s spiritua l phlogiston * i n thei r material crucibles. I know that the human understanding is deluded with vain shadows, an d that whe n we eagerly pursue an y study, we only reac h th e boundar y se t t o huma n enquires.—Thu s fa r shal t thou go , and no further, says some stern difficulty ; an d th e cause we were pursuing melts into utter darkness . But these are only the trials of contemplative minds , th e foundatio n o f virtue remain s firm. — The powe r o f exercisin g ou r understandin g raise s u s abov e th e 1

Pag e 129 .

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brutes; an d thi s exercis e produce s tha t 'primar y morality, ' whic h you term 'untaugh t feelings.' * If virtu e b e an instinct, I renounc e al l hope o f immortality; and with i t al l the sublim e reverie s an d dignifie d sentiment s tha t hav e smoothed th e rugge d pat h o f life : i t i s all a cheat, a lying vision; I have disquieted myself in vain; for in my eye all feelings are false and spurious, tha t do not rest on justice as their foundation , and are not concentred b y universal love. I reverence the rights of men.—Sacred rights! for which I acquire a more profoun d respect, th e mor e I loo k int o my own mind; and , professing thes e heterodo x opinions , I stil l preserv e m y bowels ; my hear t i s human , beat s quic k wit h huma n sympathies—an d I FEAR God ! I ben d wit h awful reverenc e whe n I enquir e o n wha t my fea r i s built.—I fea r tha t sublim e power , whos e motiv e fo r creatin g m e must have been wise and good; and I submit to the moral laws which my reason deduces from thi s view of my dependence on him.—It is not hi s powe r tha t I fear—i t i s no t t o a n arbitrar y will , bu t t o unerring reason I submit.—Submit—yes; I disregard th e charge of arrogance, to the law that regulates his just resolves; and the happi ness I pan t afte r mus t b e th e sam e i n kind , an d produce d b y th e same exertion s a s his—thoug h unfeigne d humilit y overwhelm s every idea that woul d presume t o compare th e goodnes s whic h the most exalte d create d bein g could acquire , with the gran d sourc e of life an d bliss . This fea r o f Go d make s m e reverenc e myself.—Yes , Sir , th e regard I hav e fo r honest fame , an d th e friendshi p of the virtuous , falls fa r shor t o f th e respec t whic h I hav e fo r myself . An d this , enlightened self-love , i f an epithet th e meanin g of which ha s bee n grossly perverted wil l convey my idea, forces me to see; and, if I may venture t o borro w a prostitute d term , t o feel, tha t happines s i s reflected, an d that , i n communicatin g good , m y sou l receive s it s noble aliment.— I d o no t troubl e myself , therefore , t o enquir e whether thi s i s th e fea r th e people o f Englan d feel:—and , i f i t b e natural to includ e all the modification s which you have annexed— it is not. 1 1 Vide Reflections , p . 128 . 'W e fea r God ; w e loo k u p wit h aw e to kings ; wit h affection to parliaments ; wit h duty t o magistrates ; wit h reverence t o priests ; an d wit h respect t o nobility.'*

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Besides, I cannot help suspecting that, i f you had the enlightened respect for yourself, which you affect t o despise, you would not have said that the constitution of our church and state, formed, like most other moder n ones , b y degrees , a s Europ e wa s emergin g ou t o f barbarism, was formed 'under th e auspices , an d wa s confirmed by the sanctions , o f religio n an d piety.' * Yo u hav e turne d ove r th e historic page; have been hackneye d in th e way s of men, an d mus t know that private cabals and public feuds, private virtues and vices, religion and superstition, have all concurred to foment the mass and swell it to its present form; nay more, that it in part owes its sightly appearance to bold rebellion and insidious innovation. Factions, Sir , have been the leaven, and private interest has produced public good. These genera l reflection s are no t throw n ou t t o insinuat e tha t virtue wa s a creatur e o f yesterday : No; sh e ha d he r shar e i n th e grand drama . I guar d against misrepresentation; bu t th e ma n who cannot modify genera l assertions, has scarcely learned the first rudiments of reasoning. I know that ther e is a great portion o f virtue in the Romis h church , ye t I shoul d no t choos e t o neglec t clothin g myself wit h a garmen t o f m y ow n righteousness , dependin g o n a kind donativ e o f work s of supererogation . I kno w tha t ther e ar e many clergymen, of all denominations, wise and virtuous; yet I have not tha t respec t fo r th e whol e body, which, yo u say , characterizes our nation , 'emanatin g fro m a certain plainnes s an d directnes s o f understanding.'*—Now w e ar e stumblin g o n inbred feeling s an d secret light s again—or, I beg your pardon, it may be the furbished up fac e whic h you choose to give to the argument . It is a well-known fact, that when we, the people of England, have a son whom we scarcely know what to do with—we make a clergyman of him.* When a living is in the gif t of a family, a son is brought up t o th e church ; bu t no t alway s with hope s ful l o f immortality. 'Such sublim e principles ar e no t constantly infuse d int o persons of exalted birth; ' the y sometimes thin k of 'the paltr y pelf o f the mo ment'1*—and the vulgar care of preaching the gospel, or practising self-denial, is left to the poor curates, who, arguing on your ground, cannot have , fro m th e scant y stipen d the y receive , 'ver y hig h an d worthy notions of their functio n and destination.' * This consecra tion for ever, a word , tha t fro m lip s o f fles h i s bi g wit h a mighty 1

Pag e 137 .

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nothing, has not purge d the sacred temple fro m al l the impuritie s of fraud, violence , injustice, and tyranny. Human passion s still lurk in her sanctum sanctorum', and, without the profane exertions of reason, vain woul d be her ceremonia l ablutions; morality would still stand aloof fro m thi s nationa l religion , thi s idea l consecratio n o f a state ; and men would rather choose to give the goods of their body, when on their death beds, to clear the narrow way to heaven, than restrain the ma d caree r o f passions during life . Such a curious paragraph occurs in this part of your letter, that I am tempte d t o transcrib e it, 1 an d mus t be g yo u to elucidat e it , i f I misconceive your meaning. The onl y way in which the people interfere in government, religious or civil, is in electing representatives. And, Sir, let me ask you, with manl y plainness—ar e thes e holy nominations ? Where i s th e booth o f religion ? Doe s sh e mi x he r awfu l mandates , o r lif t he r persuasive voice , in thos e scene s of drunken riot and beastl y glut tony? Does sh e preside over those nocturnal abominations which so evidently tend t o deprave the manners o f the lower class of people? The pestilenc e stops not here—the rich and poor have one common nature, and many of the great families, which, on this side adoration, you venerate, date their misery, I speak of stubborn matters of fact, from th e thoughtles s extravaganc e of a n electioneerin g frolic.* — Yet, afte r th e effervescenc e of spirits, raised b y opposition, an d all the little and tyrannic arts of canvassing are over—quiet souls! they only intend t o march rank an d file to sa y YES—or NO. Experience, I believe, will shew that sordid interest, or licentious thoughtlessness, i s the spring of action at most elections.—Again, I beg you not t o lose sight of my modification of general rules. So far are the people from being habitually convinced of the sanctity of the 1 'Whe n the people hav e emptied themselve s o f all the lus t of selfish will , which without religion it is utterly impossible the y ever should; when they are conscious that they exercise, and exercis e perhap s i n a n highe r lin k o f the orde r o f delegation, th e power , whic h t o b e legitimate must be according to that eternal immutable law , in which will and reason are the same, the y will be more careful how they place power in base and incapable hands. In thei r nomination to office, the y will not appoin t t o the exercise of authority as to a pitiful job , but as t o a n hol y function ; no t accordin g t o thei r sordi d selfis h interest , no r t o thei r wanto n caprice, no r to their arbitrary will; but the y wil l confer that power (which any man may well tremble t o giv e or t o receive) o n thos e only , i n who m the y ma y discern tha t predominan t proportion o f active virtue and wisdom , taken together an d fitted to the charge, such , a s in the grea t and inevitable mixed mass of human imperfections and infirmities, is to be found.'

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charge the y ar e conferring , tha t th e venalit y of thei r vote s mus t admonish them that they have no right to expect disinterested con duct. But to return to the church, and the habitual conviction of the people of England. So far are the people from being 'habitually convinced that no evil can be acceptable, eithe r in the act or the permission, to him whose essence i s good;' 1* tha t th e sermon s whic h the y hea r ar e t o the m almost as unintelligible as if they were preached in a foreign tongue . The languag e an d sentiment s risin g abov e thei r capacities , ver y orthodox Christians are driven to fanatical meetings for amusement, if not for edification. The clergy , I speak of the body, not forgetting the respect and affection which I have for individuals, perfor m th e duty of their profession as a kind of fee-simple,* to entitle them t o the emoluments accruing from it ; and their ignorant flock think that merely goin g to church i s meritorious . So defective, in fact , ar e our laws , respecting religious establishments, tha t I have heard many rational pious clergymen complain, that they had no method o f receiving their stipend tha t did not clog their endeavours to be useful; whilst the lives of many less conscien tious rector s ar e passe d i n litigiou s disputes wit h th e peopl e the y engaged t o instruct; or in distant cities , i n all the eas e of luxurious idleness. But yo u retur n t o you r old fir m ground.— Art thou there, Truepenny?* Mus t w e swea r t o secur e property , an d mak e assuranc e doubly sure, t o give your perturbed spiri t rest? Peace, peac e to th e manes of thy patriotic phrensy, whic h contributed t o deprive some of thy fellow-citizen s o f their propert y i n America : anothe r spiri t now walk s abroa d t o secur e th e propert y o f th e church.*—Th e tithes ar e safe!—W e wil l no t sa y for ever—becaus e th e tim e ma y come, when the traveller may ask where proud London stood? when its temples, it s laws , and it s trade , ma y b e burie d i n on e commo n ruin, an d onl y serv e a s a by-wor d t o poin t a moral , o r furnis h senators, wh o wage a wordy war, on the other side of the Atlantic , with tropes t o swell their thunderin g bursts of eloquence. Who shal l dar e t o accus e yo u o f inconsistency any more , whe n you have so staunchly supported th e despotic principles whic h agree so perfectly with the unerring interest of a large body of your fellow1

Pag e 140.

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citizens; no t th e largest—fo r whe n yo u venerat e parliaments— I presume i t is not th e majority , as you have had th e presumptio n t o dissent, and loudly explain your reasons.—But it was not my intention, whe n I bega n thi s letter , t o descen d t o th e minutia e o f your conduct, o r to weigh your infirmities in a balance; it is only some of your perniciou s opinion s tha t I wis h t o hun t ou t o f thei r lurkin g holes; and to shew you to yourself, stripped o f the gorgeous drapery in which you have enwrapped you r tyrannic principles . That the people o f England respec t th e national establishment I do no t deny ; I recollec t th e melanchol y proo f whic h they gave , in this very century, o f their enlightened zea l and reasonabl e affection . I likewis e know that, accordin g to the dictate s of a prudent law, in a commercial state , trut h i s reckoned a libel; yet I acknowledge, having never made my humanity give place to Gothic gallantry , that I should hav e bee n bette r please d t o hav e hear d tha t Lor d Georg e Gordon* wa s confine d o n accoun t o f th e calamitie s whic h h e brought o n his country, tha n fo r a libel on the quee n o f France . But on e argumen t whic h yo u adduc e t o strengthe n you r asser tion, appear s to carry the preponderancy toward s the other side . You observe that 'our education is so formed as to confirm and fix this impression , (respec t fo r the religiou s establishment) ; an d tha t our education is in a manner wholly in the hands of ecclesiastics, and in all stages from infanc y to manhood.'1 Far fro m agreeing with you, Sir, tha t thes e regulation s rende r th e clerg y a mor e usefu l an d respectable body , experience convinces me that the very contrary is the fact . I n schools an d colleges they may, in some degree, suppor t their dignity within the monastic walls; but, in paying due respect t o the parent s o f the young nobility under thei r tutorage , the y do not forget, obsequiously , t o respec t thei r nobl e patrons . Th e littl e re spect paid , in great houses, t o tutors and chaplains proves, Sir , th e fallacy o f your reasoning . I f woul d be almos t invidiou s to remark , that the y sometime s ar e only modern substitute s fo r the jester s of Gothic memory , an d serv e a s whetstones fo r th e blun t wi t o f th e noble peer who patronizes them; and what respect a boy can imbibe for a butt, at which the shaft o f ridicule is daily glanced, I leave those to determin e wh o ca n distinguis h depravit y o f moral s unde r th e specious mas k of refined manners . 1

Pag e 148 .

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Besides, th e custo m o f sendin g clergyme n t o trave l wit h thei r noble pupils , a s humble companions , instea d o f exalting, tends in evitably t o degrad e th e clerica l character : i t i s notorious tha t the y meanly submi t t o th e mos t servil e dependence, an d glos s ove r th e most capriciou s follies , t o us e a sof t phrase , o f the boy s t o who m they look up for preferment. An airy mitre dances before them, an d they wrap their sheep's clothing more closely about them, and make their spirits bend till it is prudent to claim the rights of men and the honest freedo m o f speec h o f an Englishman . How , indeed , coul d they ventur e t o reprov e fo r his vice s thei r patron : th e clerg y only give the true feudal emphasis to this word. It has been observed,* by men wh o have not superficiall y investigate d th e huma n heart , tha t when a ma n make s hi s spiri t ben d t o an y powe r bu t reason , hi s character i s soo n degraded , an d hi s min d shackle d b y th e ver y prejudi[c]es to which he submits with reluctance. The observation s of experienc e hav e bee n carrie d stil l further ; an d th e servilit y t o superiors, an d tyrann y to inferiors, said to characterize ou r clergy , have rationally been supposed t o arise naturally from thei r associat ing wit h th e nobility . Among unequals ther e ca n be no society; — giving a manly meaning to the term; from such intimacies friendship can never grow; if the basis of friendship is mutual respect, an d no t a commercial treaty . Take n thus out o f their sphere , and enjoying their tithe s at a distance fro m thei r flocks, is it not natural for them to becom e courtl y parasites , an d intriguin g dependent s o n grea t patrons, o r the treasury ? Observing al l this—for thes e thing s have not bee n transacte d i n th e dark—ou r youn g men o f fashion, by a common, thoug h erroneous , associatio n of ideas, hav e conceived a contempt fo r religion, as they sucked in with their milk a contemp t for th e clergy . The peopl e o f England , Sir , i n th e thirteent h an d fourteent h centuries, I wil l no t g o an y furthe r bac k t o insul t th e ashe s o f departed popery, did not settle the establishment, and endow it with princely revenues, t o make it proudly rear its head, as a part o f the constitutional body , t o guar d th e libertie s o f the community ; but , like some of the laboriou s commentators o n Shakespeare , yo u have affixed a meaning to laws that chance, or, to speak more philosophi cally, th e intereste d view s o f men , settled , no t dreamin g o f you r ingenious elucidations. What, bu t th e rapacit y o f th e onl y me n wh o exercise d thei r reason, the priests, secure d suc h vas t property t o the church, whe n

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a ma n gav e his perishabl e substanc e t o sav e himself fro m th e dar k torments of purgatory; and found it more convenien t t o indulge his depraved appetites, and pay an exorbitant price for absolution, than listen t o the suggestion s o f reason, an d wor k out hi s own salvation: in a word, was not the separation of religion from morality the work of th e priests , an d partl y achieve d i n thos e honourable day s which you s o piously deplore? That civilization , that th e cultivatio n of the understanding , an d refinement o f th e affections , naturall y mak e a ma n religious , I am prou d t o acknowledge.—Wha t els e ca n fill the achin g voi d i n the heart , tha t huma n pleasures , huma n friendship s can never fill? What els e ca n rende r u s resigne d t o live , thoug h condemne d t o ignorance?—What bu t a profoun d reverenc e fo r th e mode l o f all perfection, an d th e mysteriou s ti e whic h arise s fro m a lov e o f goodness? Wha t ca n make us reverenc e ourselves, bu t a reverence for tha t Being , o f whom w e are a fain t image ? That mighty Spiri t moves on the waters—confusio n hear s his voice, an d th e trouble d heart cease s t o bea t wit h anguish , fo r trus t i n Hi m bad e i t b e still. Consciou s dignit y ma y mak e u s ris e superio r t o calumny , and sternl y brav e th e wind s o f advers e fortune,—raise d i n ou r own estee m b y th e ver y storm s o f whic h w e ar e th e sport—bu t when friends are unkind, and the heart has not the prop on which it fondly leaned , wher e ca n a tende r sufferin g bein g fl y bu t t o th e Searcher o f hearts? and, when death has desolated the present scene , and tor n fro m u s th e frien d o f ou r youth—whe n w e wal k alon g the accustomed path , and, almost fancying nature dead, ask, Where art tho u wh o gav e lif e t o these well-known scenes ? whe n memor y heightens forme r pleasure s t o contras t ou r presen t prospects — there i s but on e sourc e o f comfort withi n ou r reach;—an d i n thi s sublime solitud e th e worl d appear s t o contai n onl y th e Creato r and th e creature , o f whos e happines s h e i s th e source.—Thes e are human feelings ; but I know not of any common natur e or com mon relation amongst men but wha t results fro m reason . The com mon affection s an d passion s equall y bind brute s together ; an d i t is only the continuity of those relations that entitles us to the denomi nation o f rational creatures; an d thi s continuit y arise s fro m reflec tion—from th e operation s o f that reaso n whic h you contemn wit h flippant disrespect . If then i t appears, arguin g from analogy , that reflectio n must b e the natura l foundation of rational affections, an d of that experienc e

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which enable s on e man t o ris e abov e another, a phenomenon tha t has never been see n i n the brut e creation , i t may not b e stretchin g the argument further than it will go to suppose, tha t those men who are obliged to exercise their reason have the most reason, and are the persons pointe d ou t b y Nature t o direc t th e societ y o f which the y make a part, o n any extraordinary emergency . Time onl y wil l she w whethe r th e genera l censure , whic h yo u afterwards qualify , i f not contradict , an d th e unmerite d contemp t that yo u have ostentatiously displaye d o f the Nationa l Assembly, * by founde d o n reason, th e offsprin g o f conviction, or the spaw n of envy. Time may shew, tha t thi s obscur e thron g kne w more o f the human heart and of legislation than the profligates of rank, emasculated b y hereditary effeminacy . It is not, perhaps, of very great consequence wh o were the founders of a state; savages, thieves, curates, o r practitioners in the law. It is true, yo u might sarcastically remark, that the Romans had always a smack of the old leaven, and that the private robbers, supposing the tradition t o b e true , onl y becam e publi c depredators . Yo u migh t have added, that thei r civilizatio n must hav e been ver y partial, and had more influence on the manners than morals of the people; or the amusements of the amphitheatre would not have remained a n everlasting blot not only on their humanity, but on their refinement , if a vicious eleganc e o f behaviou r an d luxuriou s mod e o f lif e i s no t a prostitution o f the term . However , th e thunderin g censure s whic h you have cast with a ponderous arm, and the more playful bushfirin g of ridicule, are not arguments that wil l ever depreciate the National Assembly, fo r applying to their understandin g rather tha n t o thei r imagination, whe n the y met t o settle th e newl y acquired libert y of the state o n a solid foundation. If yo u ha d give n th e sam e advic e to a youn g history painte r o f abilities, I should have admired your judgment, and re-echoed your sentiments.1 Study, yo u might hav e said, the noble models o f antiquity, till your imagination is inflamed; and, rising above the vulgar 1 Pag e 51 . 'If the las t generations o f your country appeare d withou t muc h lustr e in your eyes, yo u migh t hav e passed the m by , an d derive d you r claim s fro m a more earl y rac e o f ancestors. Unde r a piou s predilectio n t o thos e ancestors , you r imagination s woul d hav e realized in them a standard of virtue and wisdom, beyond the vulgar practice of the hour: and you woul d hav e rise n wit h th e exampl e t o whos e imitatio n yo u aspired . Respectin g you r forefathers, yo u would hav e been taugh t t o respect yourselves.'+

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practice o f the hour , yo u may imitate withou t copyin g those grea t originals. A glowin g picture, o f som e interestin g moment , woul d probably have been produced b y these natural means; particularly if one little circumstance is not overlooked, that the painter had noble models t o rever t to , calculate d t o excit e admiratio n an d stimulat e exertion. But, i n settlin g a constitutio n tha t involve d th e happines s o f millions, tha t stretc h beyon d th e computatio n o f science , i t was , perhaps, necessar y for the Assembly to have a higher model in view than th e imagined virtue s o f their forefathers ; an d wis e t o deduc e their respect fo r themselves from th e only legitimate source, respec t for justice . Why wa s it a dut y t o repai r a n ancien t castle , buil t i n barbarous ages , o f Gothi c materials ? Wh y wer e th e legislator s obliged t o rak e amongst heterogeneou s ruins ; t o rebuil d ol d walls, whose foundations could scarcely be explored, when a simple structure migh t b e raise d o n th e foundatio n o f experience , th e onl y valuable inheritanc e ou r forefather s coul d bequeath ? Ye t o f thi s bequest we can make little use till we have gained a stock of our own; and eve n then , thei r inherite d experienc e woul d rathe r serv e a s lighthouses, to warn us against dangerous rocks or sand-banks, tha n as fingerposts that stand at every turning to point out the right road. Nor wa s it absolutel y necessar y tha t the y shoul d b e diffiden t o f themselves whe n the y wer e dissatisfie d with , o r coul d no t discer n the almost obliterated constitutio n o f their ancestors. 1 They shoul d first have been convinced that our constitution was not only the best modern, bu t th e best possibl e one; and that our social compact was the sures t foundatio n of all the possible liberty a mass of men coul d enjoy, that the human understanding could form. They should have been certai n tha t ou r representatio n answere d al l the purpose s o f representation; an d that an established inequalit y of rank and property secured th e liberty of the whole community, instead of rendering it a sounding epithet o f subjection, when applied to the nation at large. The y shoul d hav e ha d th e sam e respec t fo r ou r Hous e o f Commons that you, vauntingly, intrude on us, though your conduct 1 Pag e 53 . 'If diffiden t o f yourselves , an d no t clearl y discernin g th e almos t obliterate d constitution o f your ancestors, you had looked to your neighbours i n this land, who had kept alive the ancien t principle s an d model s o f the ol d commo n la w of Europe meliorate d an d adapted t o it s presen t state—b y followin g wis e example s yo u woul d hav e give n ne w ex amples o f wisdom t o the world. '

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throughout lif e ha s spoke n a ver y differen t language ; befor e the y made a point o f not deviatin g from th e mode l whic h first engaged their attention . That th e Britis h Hous e o f Common s i s filled with ever y thin g illustrious in rank, in descent, i n hereditary, and acquired opulence , may be true,—but that it contains every thing respectable in talents, in military, civil, naval, and political distinction, i s very problemati cal. Arguing from natura l causes, the very contrary would appear to the speculatis t t o be the fact ; an d le t experience sa y whether thes e speculations ar e built on sure ground . It i s true you lay great stress o n the effect s produce d b y the bare idea of a liberal descent;1 but fro m th e conduct o f men of rank, men of discernmen t woul d rathe r b e le d t o conclude , tha t thi s ide a obliterated instea d o f inspirin g nativ e dignity , an d substitute d a factitious prid e that disembowele d the man. The libert y of the ric h has its ensigns armorial to puff the individual out with insubstantial honours; bu t wher e are blazoned the struggles of virtuous poverty? Who, indeed , woul d dar e to blazon wha t would blur th e pompou s monumental inscription you boast of, and make us yiew with horror, as monsters i n human shape, the superb gallery of portraits proudly set in battle array ? But t o examin e the subjec t more closely . Is it amon g the lis t of possibilities that a man of rank and fortune can have received a good education? How can he discover that he is a man, when all his wants are instantly supplied, an d inventio n i s never sharpene d b y necessity? Wil l h e labour , fo r ever y thing valuabl e must b e th e frui t o f laborious exertions , t o attai n knowledg e an d virtue , i n orde r t o merit th e affectio n o f hi s equals , whe n th e flatterin g attentio n o f sycophants i s a more lusciou s cordial? Health ca n onl y b e secure d b y temperance ; bu t i s i t eas y t o persuade a man to live on plain food eve n to recover his health, who has bee n accustome d t o far e sumptuousl y ever y day ? Ca n a ma n relish th e simpl e foo d o f friendship, who has been habituall y pam pered b y flattery? And whe n th e bloo d boils , an d th e sense s mee t 1 Pag e 49 . 'Alway s actin g a s i f i n th e presenc e o f canonize d forefathers , th e spiri t o f freedom, leadin g in itself to misrule and excess, is tempered with an awful gravity . This idea of a liberal descent inspire s u s wit h a sense of habitual nativ e dignity, whic h prevents tha t upstart insolenc e almos t inevitabl y adherin g t o an d disgracin g thos e wh o ar e th e firs t acquirers o f any distinction!'

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allurements on every side, will knowledge be pursued o n account of its abstract beauty ? No; i t is well known that talent s ar e only to be unfolded b y industry, and that w e must hav e made some advances, led by an inferior motive, before we discover that they are their own reward. But full blown talents may, accordin g to your system , b e hereditary, and a s independent o f ripening judgment, as the inbre d feel ings that , risin g abov e reason , naturall y guar d Englishme n fro m error. Noble franchises! what a grovelling mind must that man have, who can pardon his step-dame Natur e fo r not havin g made him at least a lord? And wh o will, after you r description o f senatorial virtues,* dare to sa y tha t ou r Hous e o f Common s ha s ofte n resemble d a bear garden; and appeared rathe r like a committee of ways and means than a dignifie d legislativ e body, thoug h th e concentrate d wisdo m an d virtue of the whole nation blazed in one superb constellation ? That it contains a dead weight of benumbing opulence I readily allow, and of ignobl e ambition ; no r i s ther e an y thin g surpassin g belie f i n a supposition tha t th e ra w recruits , whe n properl y drille d b y th e minister, woul d gladly march t o the Upper Hous e to unite heredi tary honours to fortune. But talents, knowledge, and virtue, must be a part o f the man, and canno t be put, as robes of state ofte n are , on a servant or a block, to render a pageant more magnificent. Our House of Commons, i t is true, has been celebrated as a school of eloquence, a hot-bed fo r wit, even whe n part y intrigue s narrow the understandin g an d contrac t th e heart ; yet , fro m th e fe w proficients i t ha s accomplished , thi s inferio r praise i s not o f grea t magnitude: nor of great consequence, M r Lock e would have added, who wa s ever o f opinio n tha t eloquenc e wa s oftener employe d t o make 'the worse appear the better part, ' than to support th e dictates of cool judgment.* However, the greater number who have gained a seat by their fortune and hereditary rank, are content wit h their pre eminence, an d struggl e no t fo r more hazardou s honours. Bu t yo u are an exception; yo u have raised yoursel f by th e exertio n o f abilities, and thrown th e automatons o f rank into the back ground. You r exertions have been a generous contest fo r secondary honours, o r a grateful tribut e o f respect du e to the noble ashes that lent a hand to raise yo u int o notice , b y introducin g yo u int o th e hous e o f which you hav e eve r bee n a n ornament , i f no t a support . But , unfortu -

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nately, you have lately lost a great part of your popularity: members were tired o f listening to declamation, or had not sufficien t tast e to be amused when you ingeniously wandered from th e question , and said certainl y man y goo d things , i f the y wer e no t t o th e presen t purpose. Yo u wer e the Cicero * of one sid e of the hous e fo r years; and the n t o sin k into oblivion , to se e your blooming honour s fad e before you , wa s enough t o rous e al l that wa s human i n you—an d make yo u produc e th e impassioned Reflections whic h hav e been a glorious revivificatio n o f you r fame.—Richar d i s himsel f again! * He i s still a grea t man , thoug h h e ha s deserte d hi s post , an d buried i n elogiums , o n churc h establishments, * th e enthusias m that force d hi m t o thro w th e weigh t o f hi s talent s o n th e sid e of liberty and natural rights, when the will 1 of the nation oppressed th e Americans. There appears to be such a mixture of real sensibility and fondl y cherished romanc e in your composition, tha t the present crisi s car ries you out of yourself; and since you could not be one of the grand movers, the next best thing that dazzle d your imagination was to be a conspicuous opposer. Full of yourself, you make as much noise to convince the world that you despise the revolution, as Rousseau did to persuade hi s contemporaries t o let him liv e in obscurity.* Reading your Reflections warily over, it has continually and for cibly struc k me , tha t ha d yo u been a Frenchman, yo u woul d have been, i n spit e o f you r respec t fo r ran k an d antiquity , a violen t revolutionist; an d deceived , a s you no w probabl y are , b y th e pas sions that cloud your reason, have termed your romantic enthusiasm an enlightene d lov e of you r country , a benevolent respec t fo r th e rights o f men. You r imaginatio n would hav e taken fire , an d hav e found arguments , ful l a s ingenious as those you now offer, t o prove that the constitution, o f which so few pillars remained, tha t consti tution whic h tim e ha d almos t obliterated , wa s no t a mode l suffi ciently nobl e t o deserv e clos e adherence . And , fo r th e Englis h constitution, you might not have had such a profound veneration as you hav e lately acquired; nay , it i s not impossibl e tha t yo u migh t have entertained th e sam e opinion o f the Englis h Parliament , tha t you professed to have during the America n war. 1 Pag e 6. 'Being a citizen of a particular state, an d bound up i n a considerable degree, by its public wiir* etc .

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Another observatio n which , by frequently occurring, ha s almos t grown int o a conviction , i s simpl y this , tha t ha d th e Englis h i n general reprobate d th e Frenc h revolution , yo u woul d hav e stoo d forth alone , and been th e avowed Goliath of liberty. But, no t liking to see so many brothers near the throne of fame, you have turned th e current o f your passions , an d consequentl y o f your reasoning , an other way . Had Dr Price's sermon no t lighted som e sparks very like envy i n you r bosom , I shrewdl y suspec t tha t h e woul d hav e bee n treated wit h more candour; no r i s it charitable to suppos e tha t any thing bu t persona l piqu e an d hurt vanit y could hav e dictated suc h bitter sarcasms * an d reiterated expression s o f contempt a s occur in your Reflections. But without fixed principles even goodness of heart is no security from inconsistency , an d mild affectionat e sensibilit y only renders a man mor e ingeniousl y cruel , whe n th e pang s o f hur t vanit y ar e mistaken fo r virtuous indignation, and th e gal l of bitterness fo r th e milk o f Christian charity . Where i s th e dignity , th e infallibilit y o f sensibility , i n th e fai r ladies, whom , i f the voic e of rumour i s to be credited , th e captiv e negroes curs e i n al l th e agon y o f bodil y pain , fo r th e unhear d o f tortures they invent? It is probable that some of them, afte r the sight of a flagellation , compos e thei r ruffle d spirit s an d exercis e thei r tender feelings by the perusal of the last imported novel.—How true these tear s are to nature, I leave you to determine. Bu t thes e ladie s may hav e read you r Enquir y concernin g th e origi n o f our idea s of the Sublim e an d Beautiful, * and , convince d b y you r arguments , may hav e laboured t o be pretty, by counterfeiting weakness. You may have convinced them tha t littleness and weakness are the very essenc e o f beauty ; an d tha t th e Suprem e Being , i n givin g women beaut y i n th e mos t supereminen t degree , seeme d t o com mand them , by th e powerfu l voic e of Nature, no t t o cultivat e th e moral virtues that might chance to excite respect, an d interfere with the pleasing sensations they were created to inspire. Thus confining truth, fortitude , and humanity, within the rigid pale of manly mor als, they might justly argue, that to be loved, women's hig h end and great distinction ! the y shoul d 'lear n t o lisp, t o totter i n their walk , and nick-nam e God' s creatures.' * Never , the y migh t repea t afte r you, wa s any man , muc h les s a woman , rendere d amiabl e by th e force o f thos e exalte d qualities , fortitude , justice , wisdom , an d

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truth; an d thus forewarned of the sacrific e they must make to those austere, unnatural virtues, they would be authorized t o turn all their attention to their persons, systematically neglecting morals to secure beauty.—Some rational old woman indeed might chance to stumble at thi s doctrine , an d hint , tha t i n avoidin g atheism yo u ha d no t steered clea r o f th e mussulman' s creed; * bu t yo u coul d readil y exculpate yourself by turning the charge on Nature, wh o made our idea of beauty independent of reason. Nor woul d it be necessary for you to recollect, that if virtue has any other foundation than worldly utility, you have clearly proved that on e half of the huma n species , at least , hav e not souls ; an d tha t Nature , b y makin g women little, smooth, delicate, fair creatures , never designed that they should exercise their reason to acquire the virtues that produce opposite, i f not contradictory, feelings. The affectio n the y excite, to be uniform and perfect, shoul d no t be tinctured wit h the respec t whic h moral vir tues inspire, lest pain should be blended with pleasure, and admiration distur b th e sof t intimac y of love. This laxit y o f morals i n th e female world is certainly more captivating to a libertine imagination than th e col d argument s o f reason , tha t giv e n o se x t o virtue . I f beautiful weaknes s be interwove n in a woman's frame , i f the chie f business of her lif e be (as you insinuate) to inspire love, and Natur e has made an eternal distinction betwee n the qualitie s that dignif y a rational being and this animal perfection, her duty and happiness in this life must clash with any preparation for a more exalted state. So that Plato an d Milton* were grossly mistaken in asserting that hu man lov e led t o heavenly , and wa s only an exaltatio n o f the sam e affection; fo r the lov e o f the Deity , whic h i s mixed wit h th e mos t profound reverence, must be love of perfection, and not compassion for weakness . To sa y the truth, I not only tremble fo r the souls of women, but for th e goo d nature d man , who m ever y on e loves . Th e amiable weakness of his mind is a strong argument against its immateriality, and seem s t o prove that beauty relaxes the solids o f the sou l as well as the body. It follow s the n immediately , fro m you r own reasoning , tha t re spect and love are antagonist principles; and that, if we really wish to render men more virtuous, we must endeavour to banish all enervating modification s of beaut y fro m civi l society . W e must , t o carr y your argumen t a little further , retur n t o th e Sparta n regulations, *

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and settle the virtues of men on the stern foundation of mortification and self-denial ; fo r an y attemp t t o civiliz e th e heart , t o mak e i t humane by implanting reasonable principles, i s a mere philosophi c dream. If refinement inevitably lessens respect for virtue, by rendering beauty , th e gran d tempter , mor e seductive ; i f thes e relaxin g feelings are incompatible with the nervous exertions of morality, the sun o f Europe i s not set ; i t begins t o dawn, when col d metaphysi cians try t o make the hea d giv e laws to the heart . But shoul d experienc e prov e tha t ther e i s a beaut y i n virtue , a charm in order, whic h necessarily implies exertion, a depraved sen sual taste may give way to a more manly one—and melting feeling s to rational satisfactions. Both may be equally natural to man; the test is their mora l difference , an d tha t poin t reaso n alon e can decide. Such a glorious change can only be produced by liberty. Inequal ity o f rank must eve r impede th e growt h of virtue, by vitiating the mind tha t submit s o r domineers ; tha t i s ever employe d t o procur e nourishment fo r th e body , o r amusemen t fo r th e mind . An d i f this gran d exampl e b e se t b y a n assembl y of unlettered clowns , i f they ca n produce a crisis tha t ma y involve the fat e o f Europe, an d 'more than Europe,' 1 you must allo w us to respect unsophisticate d reason, an d reverenc e th e activ e exertions that wer e not relaxe d by a fastidious respect fo r the beauty of rank, or a dread of the deform ity produced b y any void i n the socia l structure . After you r contemptuou s manne r o f speakin g o f th e Nationa l Assembly, after descantin g on the coarse vulgarity of their proceed ings, which, according to your own definitio n o f virtue,* is a proof of its genuineness; wa s it not a little inconsistent, not to say absurd, to assert , tha t a doze n peopl e o f quality * wer e no t a sufficien t counterpoise t o th e vulga r mob wit h who m the y condescende d t o associate? Have we half a dozen leaders of eminence in our House of Commons, o r even in the fashionable world? yet the sheep obsequi ously pursue their steps with all the undeviating sagacity of instinct. In order tha t libert y should hav e a firm foundation, an acquaint ance with the world would naturally lead cool men to conclude that it must b e laid, knowing the weaknes s of the human heart , an d th e 1 Pag e 11 . 'It looks to me as if I were in a great crisis, no t of the affairs o f France alone bu t of all Europe, perhap s o f more tha n Europe . Al l circumstances take n together , the French revolution i s the mos t astonishin g tha t ha s hitherto happene d i n the world. '

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'deceitfulness o f riches,'* either b y poor men, o r philosophers, if a sufficient numbe r o f men , disintereste d fro m principle , o r trul y wise, coul d b e found . Was it natura l to expec t tha t sensua l preju dices shoul d giv e wa y t o reason , o r presen t feeling s t o enlarge d views?—No; I a m afrai d tha t huma n nature is still in suc h a weak state, tha t th e abolitio n o f titles , th e corner-ston e o f despotism , could onl y have been th e wor k of men wh o had n o title s t o sacri fice. The Nationa l Assembly , it i s true, contain s som e honourabl e exceptions;* bu t th e majorit y ha d no t suc h powerfu l feeling s t o struggle with , whe n reaso n le d the m t o respec t th e nake d dignity of virtue. Weak minds are always timid. And wha t can equal the weakness of mind produce d b y servil e flattery, and th e vapi d pleasures tha t neither hope nor fear seasoned? Had the constitution of France been new modelled, or more cautiously repaired, by the lovers of elegance and beauty, it is natural to suppose that the imagination would have erected a fragil e temporar y building ; or th e powe r o f on e tyrant , divided amongs t a hundred, migh t hav e rendered th e struggl e for liberty only a choice of masters. And the gloriou s chance that is now given to human nature of attaining more virtue and happiness than has hithert o blesse d ou r globe , migh t hav e bee n sacrifice d t o a meteor o f the imagination , a bubble o f passion. Th e ecclesiastics , indeed, would probably have remained in quiet possession of their sinecures; and your gall might not have been mixed with your ink on account of the darin g sacrilege* that brought them more on a level. The noble s would have had bowels for their younger sons, if not for the miser y o f thei r fellow-creatures . A n augus t mas s o f propert y would hav e bee n transmitte d t o posterit y t o guar d th e templ e o f superstition, an d preven t reaso n fro m enterin g wit h he r officiou s light. An d th e pom p o f religion would have continued t o impres s the senses , i f she were unable to subjugate the passions . Is hereditar y weakness necessary t o rende r religio n lovely ? an d will her for m hav e lost the smooth delicacy that inspires love, when stripped o f its Gothic drapery? Must ever y grand model be placed on the pedestal of property? and is there no beauteous proportion in virtue, when not clothe d i n a sensual garb? Of these questions there would be no end, though they lead to the same conclusion;—that your politics and morals , whe n simplified, would undermin e religio n an d virtu e t o se t u p a spurious , sen -

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sual beauty , tha t ha s long debauche d you r imagination , unde r th e specious for m o f natural feelings. And wha t i s thi s might y revolutio n i n property ? Th e presen t incumbents onl y are injured, or the hierarchy of the clergy, an ideal part of the constitution, whic h you have personified, to render your affection mor e tender. How has posterity been injured by a distribution o f the propert y snatched , perhaps , fro m innocen t hands , bu t accumulated by the most abominable violation of every sentiment of justice an d piety ? Wa s th e monumen t o f forme r ignoranc e an d iniquity to be held sacred, t o enable the present possessor s o f enormous benefices to dissolve in indolent pleasures ? Was not their con venience, for they have not been turne d adrif t o n the world , to give place to a just partition o f the lan d belonging to the state ? And di d not th e respec t du e t o th e natura l equalit y o f ma n requir e thi s triumph ove r Monkish rapacity ? Were thos e monster s t o be rever enced on account of their antiquity, and their unjust claims perpetuated to their ideal children, the clergy, merely to preserve the sacred majesty of Property inviolate , and to enable the Church t o retain her pristine splendor? Can posterity be injured by individuals losing the chance o f obtaining grea t wealth , withou t meritin g it , b y it s being diverted fro m a narrow channel, and disembogued int o the sea that affords cloud s to water all the land? Besides, th e clergy not brough t up wit h the expectatio n of great revenues wil l not fee l th e loss; and if bishops shoul d happe n t o be chosen o n account o f their persona l merit, religio n may be benefited by the vulga r nomination. The sophistr y of asserting that Natur e lead s us to reverence our civil institution s fro m th e sam e principl e tha t w e venerat e age d individuals, is a palpable fallacy 'that is so like truth, it will serve the turn a s well.' And whe n yo u add, 'tha t w e have chosen ou r natur e rather tha n ou r speculations , ou r breast s rathe r tha n ou r inven tions,'1 the prett y jargo n seems equall y unintelligible. But i t wa s the downfal l o f the visibl e power an d dignit y o f th e church tha t roused you r ire; you could have excused a little squeez1 Pag e 50 . 'We procur e reverenc e t o ou r civi l institutions o n th e principl e upo n whic h nature teaches us to revere individual men; on account of their age; and on account of those from who m they are descended. Al l your sophisters canno t produce any thing better adapte d to preserve a rational and manl y freedom than th e cours e tha t we have pursued; wh o have chosen ou r natur e rather tha n ou r speculations , ou r breast s rathe r tha n ou r inventions , for the grea t conservatorie s an d magazines of our right s an d privileges.'

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ing of the individual s to supply present exigencies ; th e actua l pos sessors o f the propert y migh t hav e been oppresse d wit h somethin g like impunity , i f th e churc h ha d no t bee n spoile d o f it s gaud y trappings. Yo u lov e th e church , you r country , an d it s laws , you repeatedly tel l us , becaus e the y deserv e t o be loved; but fro m yo u this is not a panegyric: weaknes s and indulgence ar e the only incitements t o love and confidence that you can discern, an d it cannot be denied that the tender mothe r yo u venerate deserves, o n this score , all your affection . It would be as vain a task to attempt t o obviate all your passionate objections, a s to unrave l all your plausibl e arguments , ofte n illus trated by known truths, and rendered forcibl e by pointed invectives . I onl y attac k th e foundation . O n the natura l principle s of justice I build m y ple a fo r disseminatin g th e propert y artfull y sai d t o b e appropriated t o religiou s purposes , but , i n reality , t o suppor t idl e tyrants, amongst the society whose ancestors were cheated o r forced into illega l grants . Ca n ther e b e a n opinio n mor e subversiv e o f morality, tha n tha t tim e sanctifie s crimes, an d silence s th e bloo d that call s ou t fo r retribution , i f no t fo r vengeance ? If th e revenu e annexed t o th e Galli c churc h wa s greater tha n th e mos t bigote d protestant woul d now allow to be its reasonable share, woul d it not have bee n tramplin g o n th e right s o f me n t o perpetuat e suc h a n arbitrary appropriation of the common flock, because time had ren dered th e fraudulent seizure venerable? Besides, i f Reason had sug gested, a s surely she must, i f the imaginatio n had no t been allowed to dwel l on th e fascinatin g pomp o f ceremonial grandeur , tha t th e clergy woul d b e rendered bot h mor e virtuou s an d usefu l b y bein g put more on a par with each other, and the mass of the people it was their dut y to instruct;—where was there roo m fo r hesitation? Th e charge of presumption, throw n by you on the most reasonable innovations, may , withou t an y violenc e to truth , b e retorte d o n ever y reformation tha t ha s meliorate d ou r condition , an d eve n o n th e improvable facult y tha t give s u s a clai m t o th e pre-eminenc e o f intelligent beings . Plausibility, I know , can only be unmaske d b y shewin g the ab surdities i t glosse s over , an d th e simpl e truth s i t involve s wit h specious errors . Eloquenc e ha s ofte n confounde d triumphan t villany; but i t is probable tha t i t has more frequentl y rendered th e boundary that separates virtue and vice doubtful.—Poisons ma y be only medicines in judicious hands; but the y should no t be adminis-

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tered by the ignorant, because they have sometimes see n great cures performed b y their powerfu l aid . The man y sensible remarks and pointed observation s which you have mixed with opinions that strike at our dearest interests , fortif y those opinions, and give them a degree of strength tha t render the m formidable t o the wise , an d convincing t o the superficial . It i s impossible t o read hal f a dozen page s o f your book withou t admirin g your ingenuity, or indignantly spurning you r sophisms. Word s ar e heaped o n words, til l the understandin g is confused by endeavour ing to disentangle the sense, an d the memory by tracing contradic tions. Afte r observin g a host o f these contradictions, i t can scarcely be a breach o f charity t o thin k tha t yo u hav e often sacrifice d you r sincerity t o enforc e you r favourit e arguments, an d calle d i n you r judgment to adjust th e arrangement of words that could not convey its dictates . A fallac y o f this kind , I think, could no t hav e escaped yo u when you were treating the subject that called forth your bitterest animad versions,* th e confiscatio n o f th e ecclesiastica l revenue . Wh o o f the vindicators of the rights of men ever ventured to assert, that th e clergy o f th e presen t da y shoul d b e punishe d o n accoun t o f th e intolerable prid e an d inhuma n cruelt y o f many o f their predeces sors?1 No ; suc h a though t neve r entere d th e min d o f thos e wh o warred wit h inveterat e prejudices . A desperat e diseas e require d a powerful remedy . Injustice had no right to rest on prescription; nor has the character of the present clerg y any weight in the argument . You fin d i t ver y difficul t t o separat e polic y fro m justice : in th e political worl d the y hav e frequentl y bee n separate d wit h shamefu l dexterity. T o mentio n a recent instance . Accordin g to th e limite d views of timid, or interested politicians , an abolition of the inferna l slave trad e woul d no t onl y b e unsoun d policy , bu t a flagran t in fringement o f the law s (which are allowed to hav e been infamous) that induce d th e planter s t o purchas e thei r estates . Bu t i s i t no t consonant wit h justice , with th e commo n principle s o f humanity, not t o mentio n Christianity , t o abolis h thi s abominabl e mischief? 2 1

Vide Pag e 210.* 'Whe n me n ar e encourage d t o g o into a certain mod e o f lif e b y th e existin g laws , and protected i n that mode a s in a lawful occupation—whe n the y hav e accommodated al l their ideas, and all their habits to it,'* etc.—'I am sure it is unjust in legislature, by an arbitrary act, to offer a sudden violenc e to their mind s an d thei r feelings ; forcibly t o degrad e them fro m their stat e and condition, an d to stigmatize with shame and infamy tha t character an d thos e customs whic h before had been mad e the measur e o f their happiness. ' Page 230. 2

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There i s not on e argument , on e invective , levelle d b y yo u a t th e confiscators of the church revenue, which could not, with the strictest propriety, b e applied b y the planter s an d negro-driver s t o ou r Parliament, i f i t gloriousl y dare d t o she w th e worl d tha t Britis h senators were men: i f the natura l feelings o f humanity silenced th e cold caution s o f timidity, till thi s stigm a o n ou r natur e wa s wiped off, an d all men were allowed to enjoy their birth-right—liberty, till by their crime s the y had authorize d society to deprive them o f the blessing they had abused. The sam e arguments might be used in India, if any attempt were made to bring back things to nature, to prove that a man ought never to qui t th e cas t tha t confine d hi m t o th e professio n o f hi s lineal forefathers. Th e Bramin s would doubtless find many ingenious reasons to justify this debasing, though venerable prejudice; and would not, it is to be supposed, forget to observe that time, by interweaving the oppressiv e la w with many useful customs , ha d rendere d i t fo r the presen t ver y convenient, an d consequentl y legal. Almost every vice that has degraded our nature might be justified by shewing that it ha d bee n productiv e of some benefit t o society : for it woul d be as difficult t o point ou t positiv e evil as unallayed good, in this imperfect state . Wha t indee d woul d becom e o f morals , i f the y ha d n o other tes t tha n prescription ? Th e manner s o f me n ma y chang e without end ; but , whereve r reason receive s th e leas t cultivation — wherever me n ris e abov e brutes , moralit y mus t res t o n th e sam e base. An d th e mor e ma n discover s o f the natur e o f his min d an d body, the more clearly he is convinced, that to act according to the dictates of reason is to conform to the la w of God . The tes t of honour may be arbitrary and fallacious , and , retirin g into subterfuge, elude close enquiry; but true morality shuns not the day, nor shrinks from th e ordeal of investigation. Most of the happy revolutions that have taken place in the world have happened when weak princes held the reins they could not manage; but are they, on that account , t o b e canonize d a s saints o r demi-gods , an d pushe d forward t o notice on the throne of ignorance? Pleasure wants a zest, if experience canno t compar e i t wit h pain; but wh o courts pai n to heighten hi s pleasures ? A transien t vie w o f societ y wil l furthe r illustrate argument s whic h appea r s o obviou s tha t I a m almos t ashamed t o produc e illustrations . Ho w man y childre n hav e bee n taught oeconomy , an d man y othe r virtues , b y th e extravagan t

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thoughtlessness of their parents; yet a good educatio n i s allowed t o be a n inestimabl e blessing . Th e tenderes t mother s ar e ofte n th e most unhappy wives; but can the good that accrues from th e private distress tha t produce s a sober dignit y o f mind justif y th e inflictor ? Right o r wron g may be estimate d accordin g t o th e poin t o f sight , and othe r adventitiou s circumstances; but , t o discove r it s rea l na ture, the enquiry must g o deeper tha n th e surface, and beyond th e local consequences that confound goo d an d evil together. The ric h and weak, a numerous train, will certainly applaud your system, and loudly celebrat e you r piou s reverenc e fo r authorit y an d establish ments—they fin d i t pleasante r t o enjo y tha n t o think ; t o justif y oppression tha n correc t abuses.— The rights o f me n ar e gratin g sounds tha t se t thei r teet h o n edge ; th e impertinen t enquir y o f philosophic meddlin g innovation . If th e poo r ar e i n distress , the y will make some benevolent exertions t o assist them ; they will confer obligations, but no t d o justice. Benevolence i s a very amiable spe cious quality; yet the aversio n which men fee l t o accept a right a s a favour, shoul d rathe r be extolled as a vestige of native dignity, than stigmatized a s the odiou s offsprin g o f ingratitude. Th e poo r con sider the ric h as their lawfu l prey ; but w e ought no t too severely to animadvert on their ingratitude. When they receive an alms they are commonly gratefu l a t th e moment ; but ol d habit s quickl y return , and cunnin g has ever been a substitute fo r force . That bot h physica l an d mora l evi l wer e no t onl y foreseen , bu t entered int o th e schem e o f Providence, whe n thi s worl d wa s con templated i n th e Divin e mind , wh o ca n doubt , withou t robbin g Omnipotence o f a most exalted attribute? But the business of the lif e of a good man shoul d be, to separate light from darkness ; to diffus e happiness, whilst he submits t o unavoidable misery. And a conviction that there is much unavoidable wretchedness, appointed b y the grand Dispose r of all events, shoul d not slacke n his exertions : the extent of what is possible can only be discerned by God. Th e justice of God ma y be vindicated by a belief in a future state ; but, onl y by believing that evil is educing good for the individual, and no t fo r an imaginary whole . The happines s o f the whol e must aris e from th e happiness o f the constituent parts , or the essence o f justice is sacrificed to a supposed gran d arrangement . An d tha t ma y be goo d for the whol e o f a creature's existence , tha t disturb s th e comfor t o f a small portion . The evi l which an individual suffer s fo r the goo d of

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the community is partial, it must be allowed, if the account is settled by death.—But the partial evil which it suffers, durin g one stage of existence, t o render anothe r stage more perfect, is strictly just. Th e Father o f al l onl y ca n regulat e th e educatio n o f hi s children . T o suppose that, during the whole or part of its existence, the happiness of any individual i s sacrificed to promote the welfar e of ten, or te n thousand, othe r beings—is impious. But to suppose that the happi ness, or animal enjoyment, of one portion of existence is sacrificed t o improve and ennoble the being itself, and render i t capable of more perfect happiness, is not to reflect on either the goodness or wisdom of God. It ma y be confidently asserte d tha t n o man chooses evil , because it is evil; he only mistakes i t for happiness, the goo d h e seeks. An d the desir e of rectifying these mistakes , i s the nobl e ambitio n o f an enlightened understanding , th e impulse of feelings tha t Philosoph y invigorates. To endeavou r to make unhappy men resigne d t o their fate, i s the tende r endeavou r of short-sighted benevolence , o f transient yearnings of humanity; but to labour to increase human happi ness b y extirpatin g error , i s a masculin e godlik e affection . Thi s remark ma y be carrie d stil l further . Me n wh o possess uncommo n sensibility, whos e quic k emotion s she w ho w closel y th e ey e an d heart ar e connected, soo n forge t the mos t forcibl e sensations. No t tarrying long enough in the brain to be subject to reflection, the next sensations, o f course, obliterat e them. Memory , however , treasure s up these proofs of native goodness; and the being who is not spurred on to any virtuous act, still thinks itself of consequence, an d boasts of its feelings . Why? Because th e sigh t o f distress, or a n affectin g narrative, mad e it s bloo d flo w wit h mor e velocity , an d th e heart , literally speaking , bea t wit h sympatheti c emotion . W e ough t t o beware of confounding mechanical instinctive sensations with emotions that reason deepens, an d justly terms the feeling s of humanity. This wor d discriminate s th e activ e exertion s o f virtu e fro m th e vague declamation of sensibility. The declaratio n o f the National Assembly , when they recognize d the right s o f men, was calculated t o touch th e human e heart—th e downfall of the clergy, to agitate the pupil of impulse. On the watch to fin d fault , fault s me t you r pryin g eye; a different prepossessio n might hav e produced a different conviction .

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When w e read a book that support s ou r favourit e opinions , how eagerly do we suck in the doctrines, and suffer ou r minds placidly to reflect th e image s that illustrat e the tenet s w e have previously embraced. W e indolentl y acquiesc e i n th e conclusion , an d ou r spiri t animates and correct s th e variou s subjects. But when , o n the con trary, w e peruse a skilful writer , with whom we do not coincid e in opinion, how attentive is the mind to detect fallacy . An d this suspicious coolness often prevent s our being carried away by a stream of natural eloquence, which the prejudiced mind terms declamation— a pomp of words! We never allow ourselves to be warmed; and, afte r contending wit h the writer , ar e more confirme d i n our opinion ; as much, perhaps , fro m a spiri t o f contradictio n a s fro m reason . A lively imagination is ever in dange r of being betrayed into error b y favourite opinions, which it almost personifies, the more effectuall y to intoxicate the understanding. Always tending t o extremes, truth is lef t behin d i n th e hea t o f th e chace , an d thing s ar e viewe d as positively good , or bad, though the y wear an equivocal face. Some celebrate d writers * have supposed tha t wit and judgmen t were incompatible; opposite qualities, that, i n a kind of elementary strife, destroyed each other: and many men of wit have endeavoured to prov e tha t the y wer e mistaken . Muc h ma y be adduce d b y wit s and metaphysicians on both sides of the question. But, from experi ence, I am apt t o believe that the y d o weaken each other, an d tha t great quicknes s o f comprehension, an d facil e associatio n o f ideas , naturally preclude profundity o f research. Wi t i s often a lucky hit ; the resul t o f a momentar y inspiration . W e kno w no t whenc e i t comes, an d it blows where it lists. The operation s o f judgment, on the contrary , are cool an d circumspect ; an d coolnes s an d delibera tion are great enemies to enthusiasm. If wit is of so fine a spirit, that it almos t evaporate s whe n translate d int o anothe r language , wh y may not the temperature have an influence over it? This remark may be thought derogator y to the inferior qualities of the mind: but i t is not a hasty one; and I mention i t as a prelude to a conclusion I have frequently drawn , that th e cultivatio n of reason damp s fancy . Th e blessings o f Heaven li e on each side; we must choose, i f we wish to attain an y degree o f superiority, an d no t los e our live s in laboriou s idleness. I f w e mea n t o buil d ou r knowledg e or happines s o n a rational basis, we must learn to distinguish the possible, and not fight

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against th e stream . An d i f w e are carefu l t o guar d ourselve s fro m imaginary sorrow s an d vai n fears , w e mus t als o resig n man y en chanting illusions: for shallow must b e the discernmen t whic h fail s to discover that raptures and ecstasies arise from error.—Whether it will alway s be so , is not no w t o be discussed ; suffic e i t t o observe , that Truth is seldom arrayed by the Graces; and if she charms, it is only b y inspirin g a sobe r satisfaction , whic h take s it s ris e fro m a calm contemplatio n o f proportion an d simplicity . But, thoug h i t is allowed that one man has by nature more fancy than another, in each individual ther e i s a spring-tid e whe n fanc y shoul d gover n an d amalgamate material s fo r th e understanding ; an d a grave r period , when thos e material s shoul d b e employe d b y th e judgment . Fo r example, I a m inclined t o hav e a better opinio n o f the hear t o f an old man , wh o speak s o f Sterne * a s hi s favourit e author , tha n o f his understanding . Ther e ar e time s an d season s fo r al l things : and moralist s appea r t o me to err , whe n the y woul d confoun d th e gaiety o f yout h wit h th e seriousnes s o f age ; fo r th e virtue s o f age look no t onl y more imposing , but mor e natural , whe n the y appea r rather rigid . H e wh o ha s no t exercise d hi s judgmen t t o cur b hi s imagination durin g th e meridia n o f life , becomes , i n it s decline , too often th e prey of childish feelings . Age demands respect; yout h love: i f thi s orde r i s disturbed , th e emotion s ar e no t pure ; an d when love for a man i n his grand climacteric takes place of respect , it, generall y speaking , border s o n contempt . Judgmen t i s sub lime, wi t beautiful; * and , accordin g t o you r ow n theory, * the y cannot exis t togethe r withou t impairin g eac h other' s power . Th e predominancy of the latter, i n your endless Reflections, should lead hasty readers t o suspect tha t i t may, in a great degree , exclud e the former. But, amon g all your plausible arguments, an d witty illustrations, your contempt fo r the poor always appears conspicuous, an d rouse s my indignation. The followin g paragraph in particular struck me, as breathing th e mos t tyranni c spirit , an d displayin g the mos t facti tious feelings. 'Good order i s the foundatio n of all good things . T o be enable d t o acquire , th e people , withou t bein g servile , mus t b e tractable and obedient. Th e magistrat e must have his reverence, th e laws thei r authority . Th e bod y o f th e peopl e mus t no t fin d th e principles of natural subordination by art rooted ou t of their minds . They must respect tha t property o f which they cannot partake. They

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must labour to obtain what by labour can be obtained; and when they find, as they commonly do, the success disproportioned to the endeavour, they must be taught their consolation in the final proportions of eternal justice* Of this consolation, whoever deprives them, deaden s their industry, and strike s at the roo t o f all acquisition as of all conservation. He that does this, is the cruel oppressor, th e merciless enemy, of th e poo r an d wretched ; a t th e sam e tim e that , b y hi s wicke d speculations, h e expose s th e fruit s o f successful industry, and th e accumulations of fortune', (ah ! there's the rub) * 'to the plunde r of the negligent, the disappointed , an d the unprosperous.' 1 This is contemptible hard-hearted sophistry , in the specious form of humility , an d submissio n t o th e wil l o f Heaven.—I t is , Sir , possible to render th e poor happier in this world, without depriving them o f the consolatio n whic h you gratuitousl y grant the m i n th e next. They have a right to more comfort than they at present enjoy ; and mor e comfor t migh t b e afforde d them , withou t encroachin g on th e pleasure s o f the rich : no t no w waitin g to enquir e whethe r the ric h hav e an y righ t t o exclusiv e pleasures. Wha t d o I say? — encroaching! No; if an intercourse were established between them, it would impart the only true pleasure that can be snatched in this land of shadows, this hard schoo l of moral discipline. I know , indeed, tha t ther e i s often somethin g disgustin g i n th e distresses o f poverty, a t whic h th e imaginatio n revolts, an d start s back to exercise itself in the more attractive Arcadia* of fiction. The rich man builds a house, art and taste giv e it the highest finish. His gardens are planted, and the trees grow to recreate the fanc y o f the planter, though the temperature of the climate may rather force him to avoi d th e dangerou s damp s the y exhale , than see k th e umbra geous retreat. Every thing on the estate is cherished bu t man;—yet, to contribut e t o th e happines s o f man, i s th e mos t sublim e o f all enjoyments. Bu t if , instead of sweeping pleasure-grounds, obelisks, temples, an d elegan t cottages , a s objects fo r th e eye , th e hear t wa s allowed to beat true to nature, decent farms would be scattered over the estate, an d plenty smile around. Instead o f the poo r being sub ject t o th e gripin g han d o f a n avariciou s steward, the y woul d b e watched ove r with fatherly solicitude , by the ma n whos e duty and pleasure i t wa s to guar d thei r happiness , an d shiel d fro m rapacit y 1

Pag e 351.

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the being s who, by the swea t o f their brow, exalte d hi m abov e his fellows. I could almost imagine I see a man thus gathering blessings as he mounted th e hil l o f life ; o r consolation , i n thos e day s whe n th e spirits lag, and the tired heart finds no pleasure in them. It is not by squandering alms that th e poo r ca n be relieved, or improved—it is the fosterin g su n o f kindness , th e wisdo m tha t find s the m employments calculate d t o giv e them habit s o f virtue, tha t melio rates thei r condition . Lov e i s only the frui t o f love; condescension and authorit y may produce th e obedienc e you applaud; but h e has lost his heart of flesh who can see a fellow-creature humbled before him, and trembling at the frow n o f a being, whose heart is supplied by the same vital current, an d whos e pride ought to be checked by a consciousness o f having the sam e infirmities . What salutary dews might not be shed to refresh this thirsty land, if men were more enlightened\ Smile s and premiums might encour age cleanliness, industry, and emulation.—A garde n more inviting than Eden would then meet th e eye, and springs of joy murmur on every side . Th e clergyma n woul d superinten d hi s ow n flock, the shepherd woul d the n lov e th e shee p h e dail y tended ; th e schoo l might rea r its decent head , and the buzzing tribe, le t loose to play, impart a portion of their vivacious spirits to the heart that longed t o open thei r minds , an d lea d the m t o tast e th e pleasure s o f men . Domestic comfort, the civilizing relations of husband, brother, an d father, woul d soften labour , and rende r lif e contented . Returning onc e fro m a despoti c country * t o a par t o f England well cultivated, but no t ver y picturesque—with what delight did I not observe the poor man's garden!—The homely palings and twining woodbine, with all the rustic contrivances of simple, unlettere d taste, wa s a sight whic h relieved th e ey e that ha d wandere d indig nant fro m th e statel y palac e t o th e pestiferou s hovel , an d turne d from th e awfu l contras t int o itsel f t o mour n th e fat e o f man, an d curse the art s of civilization! Why canno t larg e estate s b e divide d int o smal l farms ? thes e dwellings would indeed grac e our land . Why ar e hug e forest s stil l allowed t o stretc h ou t wit h idl e pom p an d al l th e indolenc e o f Eastern grandeur ? Why doe s the brow n wast e meet th e traveller' s view, whe n me n wan t work ? Bu t common s canno t b e enclosed * without acts o f parliament to increase the propert y of the rich ! Why

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might not the industrious peasant be allowed to steal a farm from the heath? This sight I have seen;—the cow that supported th e children grazed nea r th e hut , an d th e cheerfu l poultr y wer e fe d b y th e chubby babes, who breathed a bracing air, far from th e disease s and the vice s of cities. Domination blast s all these prospects; virtu e can only flourish amongst equals, and the man who submits to a fellowcreature, becaus e it promote s hi s worldly interest, an d h e who re lieves onl y because i t i s hi s dut y t o la y up a treasur e i n heaven, * are much o n a par, fo r both ar e radically degraded by the habit s of their life . In thi s grea t city , tha t proudl y rear s it s head , an d boast s o f its population an d commerce , ho w muc h miser y lurk s i n pestilentia l corners, whils t idle mendicants assail , on every side, th e ma n wh o hates t o encourag e impostors , o r repress , wit h angr y frown , th e plaints o f th e poor ! Ho w man y mechanics , b y a flu x o f trad e o r fashion, los e thei r employment ; who m misfortunes , no t t o b e warded off , lea d t o th e idlenes s tha t vitiate s thei r characte r an d renders the m afterward s averse to honest labour ! Where i s the eye that marks these evils, more gigantic than any of the infringements of property , whic h yo u piousl y deprecate ? Ar e thes e remediles s evils? And i s the humane heart satisfie d wit h turning the poo r over to another world, to receive the blessings this could afford ? I f society was regulated on a more enlarged plan; if man wa s contented t o be the frien d o f man , an d di d no t see k t o bur y th e sympathie s o f humanity i n th e servil e appellation o f master; if , turnin g hi s eye s from ideal region s o f tast e an d elegance , h e laboure d t o giv e th e earth h e inhabited all the beaut y it is capable of receiving, and was ever o n th e watc h t o she d abroa d al l the happines s whic h huma n nature can enjoy;—he who , respecting the rights of men, wishes to convince or persuade society that this is true happiness and dignity, is no t th e crue l oppressor o f the poor , no r a short-sighted philoso pher—HE fear s Go d an d love s hi s fellow-creatures.—Behol d th e whole duty of man!—the citizen who acts differentl y i s a sophisticated being. Surveying civilized life, an d seeing , with undazzled eye, the pol ished vice s of the rich , thei r insincerity , want of natural affections , with al l the speciou s trai n tha t luxur y introduces, I hav e turne d impatiently to the poor , t o loo k fo r man undebauche d by riches or power—but, alas! what did I see? a being scarcely above the brutes ,

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over whic h h e tyrannized ; a broken spirit , worn-out body, an d all those gross vices which the example of the rich, rudely copied, could produce. Env y built a wall o f separation, tha t mad e the poo r hate , whilst they bent to their superiors; who, on their part, stepped aside to avoid the loathsom e sight of human misery. What were the outrages of a day1 to these continual miseries? Let those sorrow s hid e thei r diminishe d hea d befor e th e tremendou s mountain o f woe that thu s deface s ou r globe ! Man prey s on man ; and yo u mour n fo r th e idl e tapestr y tha t decorate d a gothi c pile , and th e dronis h bel l tha t summone d th e fa t pries t t o prayer . You mourn fo r th e empt y pagean t o f a name , whe n slaver y flap s he r wing, and th e sic k hear t retires t o di e in lonely wilds, far from th e abodes o f men . Di d th e pang s yo u fel t fo r insulte d nobility , th e anguish that rent your heart when the gorgeous robes were torn off the ido l human weakness had se t up, deserv e to be compared with the long-drawn sigh of melancholy reflection, when misery and vice are thu s see n to haun t our steps , and swi m on the top of ever y cheering prospect? Why i s our fanc y t o be appalled by terrific per spectives o f a hel l beyon d th e grave?*—Hel l stalk s abroad;—the lash resound s o n the slave' s nake d sides; and th e sic k wretch, wh o can no longer earn the sou r bread o f unremitting labour, steals to a ditch t o bi d th e worl d a lon g goo d night—or , neglecte d i n som e ostentatious hospital, breathes his last amidst the laugh of mercenary attendants . Such misery demands more than tears—I pause to recollect myself; an d smothe r th e contemp t I fee l risin g fo r you r rhetorica l flourishes and infantin e sensibility. Taking a retrospectiv e vie w o f my hast y answer , an d castin g a cursory glanc e ove r you r Reflections, I perceiv e tha t I hav e no t alluded t o severa l reprehensibl e passages , i n you r elaborat e work ; which I marked for censure when I first perused it with a steady eye. And no w I find it almost impossibl e candidl y to refut e you r sophisms, withou t quoting your own words, and puttin g th e numerous contradictions I observed in opposition to each other. This would be an effectua l refutation ; but , afte r suc h a tedious drudgery , I fea r I 1

Th e 6th of October.

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should onl y b e rea d b y th e patien t ey e tha t scarcel y wante d m y assistance to detect the flagrant errors. It would be a tedious proces s to shew, that often the most just and forcible illustrations are warped to colour ove r opinion s you mus t sometimes have secretly despised ; or, at least, have discovered, that wha t you asserted withou t limita tion, required th e greatest. Som e subject s of exaggeration may have been superficially viewed: depth of judgment is, perhaps, incompat ible with the predominan t feature s of your mind. You r reason may have often bee n th e dup e of your imagination; but say , did you not sometimes angril y bi d he r b e still , whe n sh e whispere d tha t yo u were departing from strict truth? Or, when assuming the awful for m of conscience, an d only smiling at the vagaries of vanity, did she not austerely bi d yo u recollec t you r ow n errors , befor e yo u lifte d th e avenging stone? Did sh e not sometime s wav e her hand , whe n you poured fort h a torren t o f shinin g sentences , an d beseec h yo u t o concatenate them—plainl y tellin g yo u tha t th e impassione d elo quence o f the hear t wa s calculated rathe r t o affec t tha n dazzl e the reader, whom it hurried alon g to conviction? Did sh e not anticipate the remark of the wise, who drink not at a shallow sparkling stream, and tel l yo u tha t the y woul d discove r when , wit h th e dignit y o f sincerity, you supported a n opinion tha t onl y appeared to you with one face ; or , whe n superannuate d vanit y mad e yo u tortur e you r invention?—But I forbear. I have before animadverted on our method of electing representa tives, convinced that it debauches both the morals of the people and the candidates, without rendering the member reall y responsible, or attached t o his constituents; but, amongst your other contradictions, you blame the Nationa l Assembly for expecting any exertions fro m the servil e principle o f responsibility, an d afterward s insult them * for no t renderin g themselve s responsible . Whethe r th e on e th e French hav e adopte d wil l answe r the purpos e better , an d be mor e than a shadow o f representation, tim e onl y ca n shew . I n theor y i t appears mor e promising.* Your real or artificial affectio n fo r the English constitution seem s to m e t o resembl e th e bruta l affectio n o f som e wea k characters . They thin k i t a dut y t o lov e thei r relation s wit h a blind, indolen t tenderness, tha t will no t see the fault s i t migh t assis t t o correct , i f their affectio n ha d bee n buil t o n rationa l grounds. The y lov e they know not why , and the y will love to the en d o f the chapter .

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Is it absolute blasphemy to doubt o f the omnipotence o f the law, or to suppose tha t religio n might b e more pur e if there wer e fewe r baits for hypocrites in the church? But our manners, you tell us, are drawn fro m th e French , thoug h yo u ha d befor e celebrate d ou r native plainness. 1 I f the y were , i t i s tim e w e brok e loos e fro m dependance—Time tha t Englishme n dre w wate r fro m thei r ow n springs; for , if manners ar e not a painted substitut e fo r morals, we have only to cultivate our reason, and we shall not feel the want of an arbitrary model . Natur e wil l suffice ; bu t I forge t myself:—Natur e and Reason, according to your system, are all to give place to authority; and th e gods , a s Shakespeare make s a frantic wretc h exclaim, * seem t o kil l us fo r their sport , a s men d o flies . Before I conclude my cursory remarks , it is but jus t to acknowledge that I coincide with you in your opinion respecting the sincerity of man y moder n philosophers. * You r consistenc y i n avowin g a veneration for rank and riches deserve s praise; but I must ow n that I hav e often indignantl y observed tha t som e of the enlightened phi losophers, wh o tal k mos t vehementl y o f the nativ e right s o f men , borrow man y noble sentiment s t o ador n thei r conversation , which have no influence on their conduct. They bow down to rank, and are careful t o secur e property ; fo r virtue , withou t thi s adventitiou s drapery, is seldom very respectable i n their eyes—nor are they very quick-sighted t o discern real dignity of character when no sounding name exalt s th e ma n abov e his elbows.—But neithe r ope n enmit y nor hollo w homage destroy s th e intrinsi c valu e of those principle s which rest on an eternal foundation, and revert for a standard to the immutable attribute s of God . 1 Pag e 118 . 'I t i s no t clear , whethe r i n Englan d w e learned thos e gran d an d decorou s principles, and manners, of which considerable traces yet remain, fro m you , or whether you took the m fro m us . But t o you, I think, we trace the m best . Yo u seem t o me t o be— gentis incunabula nostrae. France has always more or less influenced manners in England; and when your fountain is choaked up and polluted, the stream will not run long , or not run clear with us, o r perhap s wit h an y nation . Thi s give s al l Europe, i n m y opinion , bu t to o clos e an d connected a concern i n what is done i n France.'

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman

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TO M . TALLEYRAND-PERIGORD * LATE BISHO P O F AUTU N Sir, Having rea d wit h grea t pleasur e a pamphlet * whic h yo u hav e lately published . I dedicat e thi s volum e t o you ; t o induc e yo u to reconside r th e subject , an d maturel y weig h wha t I hav e advanced respectin g th e right s o f woma n an d nationa l education : and I call with the firm tone o f humanity;* for my arguments, Sir , are dictate d b y a disinterested spirit— I plea d fo r my sex—no t fo r myself. Independenc e I have long considered a s the gran d blessin g of life , th e basi s o f ever y virtue—an d independenc e I wil l eve r secure b y contracting m y wants , thoug h I wer e to liv e on a barren heath. It i s then a n affectio n fo r the whol e human rac e tha t make s my pen dar t rapidl y along to support wha t I believe to be the caus e of virtue: and the same motive leads me earnestly to wish to see woman placed in a station in which she would advance, instead of retarding, the progres s o f thos e gloriou s principle s tha t giv e a substanc e t o morality. M y opinion , indeed , respectin g th e right s an d dutie s o f woman, seems to flow so naturally from these simple principles, that I think it scarcely possible, bu t that some of the enlarged minds who formed you r admirable constitution,* will coincide wit h me . In Franc e ther e i s undoubtedl y a mor e genera l diffusio n o f knowledge than in any part of the European world, and I attribute it, in a great measure, to the social intercourse which has long subsisted between th e sexes . I t i s true, I utte r m y sentiment s wit h freedom , that i n Franc e th e ver y essence o f sensuality has been extracte d t o regale the voluptuary , and a kind of sentimental lus t ha s prevailed, which, togethe r wit h the system o f duplicity that th e whol e tenour of their politica l and civi l government taught , hav e given a siniste r sort o f sagacit y t o th e Frenc h character , properl y terme d finesse ; from whic h naturall y flo w a polis h o f manner s tha t injure s th e substance, b y huntin g sincerit y ou t o f society.—And , modesty , the faires t gar b of virtue! has been mor e grossl y insulted i n Franc e than eve n in England, til l their wome n have treated a s prudish tha t attention t o decency, which brutes instinctivel y observe. 65

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Manners and morals are so nearly allied that they have often been confounded; but , thoug h th e forme r shoul d onl y b e th e natura l reflection o f th e latter , yet , whe n variou s cause s hav e produce d factitious and corrupt manners , whic h are very early caught, morality become s an empty name . The persona l reserve , and sacre d respect fo r cleanlines s an d delicac y i n domesti c life , whic h Frenc h women almos t despise , ar e the gracefu l pillar s of modesty; but, fa r from despisin g them , i f the pur e flame of patriotism hav e reache d their bosoms , the y shoul d labou r t o improv e th e moral s o f thei r fellow-citizens, b y teachin g men , no t onl y t o respec t modest y i n women, but t o acquire it themselves, a s the onl y way to merit thei r esteem. Contending fo r the right s o f woman, my main argument i s built on this simple principle, tha t if she be not prepared b y education to become th e companion of man, she will stop the progress of knowledge an d virtue ; fo r trut h mus t b e commo n t o all , o r i t wil l b e inefficacious wit h respec t t o it s influenc e o n genera l practice . An d how can woman be expected to co-operate unless she know why she ought t o be virtuous? unless freedom strengthen he r reaso n till she comprehend he r duty , and see in what manner i t is connected wit h her real good? If children are to be educated t o understand th e tru e principle o f patriotism, their mother must be a patriot; and the love of mankind, from whic h an orderly train of virtues spring, ca n only be produced b y considering the moral and civil interest of mankind; but th e education and situation of woman, at present, shut s her out from suc h investigations . In this work I have produced many arguments, which to me were conclusive, t o prov e tha t th e prevailin g notion respectin g a sexual character wa s subversive of morality, and I have contended, tha t t o render th e human body and mind more perfect, chastity must mor e universally prevail, and tha t chastit y wil l never be respected i n th e male worl d til l th e perso n o f a woman i s not, a s it were , idolized , when littl e virtu e o r sens e embellish i t wit h th e gran d trace s o f mental beauty, or the interestin g simplicit y o f affection . Consider, Sir , dispassionately , these observations—for a glimpse of this truth seeme d t o open before you when you observed, 'that to see on e hal f o f th e huma n rac e exclude d b y th e othe r fro m al l participation of government, wa s a political phaenomenon that , ac cording to abstract principles , it was impossible to explain.'* If so,

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on wha t doe s you r constitution rest ? If th e abstrac t right s o f man will bear discussion and explanation, those of woman, by a parity of reasoning, wil l no t shrin k fro m th e sam e test : thoug h a differen t opinion prevails in this country, built on the very arguments which you use to justif y th e oppressio n o f woman—prescription. Consider, I address you as a legislator, whether, when men contend fo r thei r freedom , and t o b e allowe d to judg e for themselve s respecting their own happiness, it be not inconsistent an d unjust to subjugate women , eve n thoug h yo u firml y believ e tha t yo u ar e acting i n th e manne r bes t calculate d t o promot e thei r happiness? Who made man the exclusive judge, if woman partake with him th e gift o f reason? In this style, argue tyrants of every denomination, from th e weak king to the weak father of a family; they are all eager to crush reason; yet always assert that they usurp its throne only to be useful. Do you not ac t a similar part, whe n you force al l women, by denyin g them civil and political rights, t o remain immured i n their familie s grop ing in the dark? for surely, Sir, you will not assert, that a duty can be binding whic h i s no t founde d o n reason ? I f indee d thi s b e thei r destination, argument s ma y b e draw n fro m reason : an d thu s au gustly supported, the more understanding women acquire, the more they wil l be attached t o their duty—comprehendin g it—for unles s they comprehend it, unless their morals be fixed on the same immutable principl e a s those o f man, no authorit y ca n mak e them dis charge it in a virtuous manner. They may be convenient slaves, but slavery wil l have its constan t effect , degradin g the maste r an d th e abject dependent . But, if women are to be excluded, without having a voice, from a participation o f the natura l rights o f mankind, prove first, to ward off th e charg e o f injustic e and inconsistency , tha t the y wan t reason—else thi s fla w i n you r NE W CONSTITUTION * wil l ever shew that ma n must , i n some shape, ac t like a tyrant, and tyranny, in whatever part of society it rears its brazen front, wil l ever undermine morality. I hav e repeatedly asserted , an d produce d wha t appeare d t o m e irrefragable argument s draw n fro m matter s o f fact , t o prov e m y assertion, tha t wome n cannot , b y force , b e confine d t o domesti c concerns; fo r they will , however ignorant, intermeddl e wit h mor e weighty affairs , neglectin g privat e duties onl y to disturb , b y cun-

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ning tricks , th e orderl y plan s o f reaso n whic h ris e abov e thei r comprehension. Besides, whils t the y ar e onl y mad e t o acquir e persona l accom plishments, me n wil l seek for pleasure in variety, and faithles s husbands wil l make faithless wives; such ignorant beings, indeed , wil l be ver y excusabl e when , no t taugh t t o respec t publi c good , no r allowed an y civi l rights, the y attemp t t o d o themselve s justic e by retaliation. The bo x of mischief thu s opene d i n society, wha t is to preserv e private virtue , th e onl y securit y o f publi c freedo m an d universa l happiness? Let there be then n o coercion established in society, an d the com mon la w of gravity prevailing, the sexe s will fall int o thei r prope r places. And, now that more equitable laws are forming your citizens, marriage ma y becom e mor e sacred : you r youn g me n ma y choos e wives from motives of affection, an d your maidens allow love to root out vanity. The fathe r of a family wil l not the n weake n his constitution an d debase his sentiments, b y visiting the harlot, nor forget , in obeying the cal l of appetite, th e purpos e fo r which it wa s implanted. And , the mothe r wil l no t neglec t he r childre n t o practis e th e art s o f coquetry, when sense and modesty secure her the friendship of her husband. But, til l men become attentiv e to the duty of a father, it is vain to expect women to spend tha t time in their nursery which they, 'wise in their generation,'* choose to spend at their glass; for this exertion of cunnin g i s only a n instinc t o f natur e t o enabl e the m t o obtai n indirectly a little of that powe r of which they are unjustly denie d a share: for , i f wome n ar e no t permitte d t o enjo y legitimat e rights , they wil l render bot h me n an d themselve s vicious , t o obtain illici t privileges. I wish, Sir, to set some investigations of this kind afloat in France ; and should the y lead to a confirmation of my principles, whe n your constitution i s revised th e Right s o f Woman ma y b e respected , i f it b e full y prove d tha t reaso n call s fo r thi s respect , an d loudl y demands JUSTICE for one half of the huma n race . I am , SIR, Your's respectfully, M.W.

ADVERTISEMENT When I bega n t o writ e thi s work , I divide d i t int o thre e parts , supposing tha t on e volum e woul d contai n a ful l discussio n o f th e arguments whic h seemed t o me to rise naturally from a few simple principles; bu t fres h illustration s ocurrin g a s I advanced , I no w present onl y the first part t o the public . Many subjects , however , whic h I hav e cursorily alluded to , call for particula r investigation , especiall y the law s relative t o women , and th e consideratio n o f thei r peculia r duties . Thes e wil l furnis h ample matte r fo r a secon d volume, * whic h i n du e tim e wil l b e published, t o elucidate some of the sentiments, an d complete many of the sketche s begu n i n the first.

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INTRODUCTION After considerin g th e histori c page , an d viewin g the livin g world with anxious solicitude, the most melancholy emotions of sorrowful indignation hav e depresse d m y spirits , an d I hav e sighe d whe n obliged t o confess , tha t eithe r natur e ha s mad e a grea t differenc e between ma n an d man , o r tha t th e civilizatio n which ha s hithert o taken plac e in th e worl d ha s been ver y partial. I hav e turned ove r various book s writte n o n th e subjec t o f education , an d patientl y observed the conduct of parents and the management of schools; but what has been the result?—a profound conviction that the neglecte d education of my fellow-creatures is the grand source of the misery I deplore; an d tha t women , i n particular , ar e rendere d wea k an d wretched b y a variet y of concurrin g causes , originatin g fro m on e hasty conclusion . Th e conduc t an d manner s o f women , i n fact , evidently prove that their mind s are not i n a healthy state; for, like the flowers which are planted in too rich a soil, strength and usefulness ar e sacrificed to beauty; an d th e flauntin g leaves , afte r havin g pleased a fastidious eye, fade, disregarde d o n the stalk , long before the season when they ought to have arrived at maturity.—One cause of thi s barre n bloomin g I attribut e t o a fals e syste m o f education , gathered fro m th e books written on this subject by men who , con sidering females rathe r as women than human creatures, have been more anxiou s t o mak e the m allurin g mistresses tha n affectionat e wives an d rationa l mothers ; and th e understandin g o f the se x has been s o bubbled by this speciou s homage, that the civilized women of the presen t century , wit h a fe w exceptions, ar e onl y anxious to inspire love, when they ought to cherish a nobler ambition , and by their abilitie s and virtues exact respect . In a treatise, therefore, on female rights and manners, the works which hav e been particularl y written fo r thei r improvemen t mus t not b e overlooked ; especiall y whe n i t i s asserted , i n direc t terms , that the minds of women are enfeebled by false refinement; that th e books of instruction, writte n by men o f genius, have had th e sam e tendency as more frivolous productions; and that, in the true style of Mahometanism,* they are treated a s a kind of subordinate beings,* and no t a s a part of the huma n species, whe n improveable reason is 71

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allowed t o be the dignifie d distinctio n whic h raise s me n abov e th e brute creation , an d put s a natural sceptre i n a feeble hand . Yet, becaus e I a m a woman , I woul d no t lea d m y reader s t o suppose tha t I mea n violentl y t o agitat e th e conteste d questio n respecting th e equalit y or inferiorit y o f the sex ; but a s the subjec t lies in my way, and I cannot pass it over without subjecting the main tendency of my reasoning to misconstruction, I shall stop a moment to deliver, i n a few words, my opinion.—In th e governmen t o f th e physical world it is observable that the female in point of strength is, in general, inferior to the male. This is the law of nature; and it does not appea r t o b e suspende d o r abrogate d i n favou r o f woman . A degree of physical superiority* cannot, therefore, be denied—and it is a noble prerogative ! Bu t no t conten t wit h thi s natura l pre-emi nence, me n endeavou r t o sin k u s stil l lower , merel y t o rende r u s alluring objects for a moment; an d women, intoxicate d by the ado ration which men, under the influence of their senses , pa y them, d o not seek to obtain a durable interest in their hearts, or to become th e friends o f the fello w creature s who find amusement i n their society . I a m aware of an obvious inference:—fro m ever y quarter hav e I heard exclamations against masculine women; but where are they to be found ? I f by this appellatio n me n mea n t o inveig h against thei r ardour in hunting, shooting , and gaming, I shall most cordially join in the cry; but if it be against the imitation of manly virtues, or, more properly speaking , the attainmen t o f those talent s an d virtues , th e exercise o f which ennoble s th e huma n character , an d whic h rais e females in the scale of animal being, when they are comprehensively termed mankind;—al l those who view them wit h a philosophic eye must, I should think , wish with me, that the y may every day grow more and more masculine . This discussion naturally divides the subject. I shall first consider women in the grand light of human creatures, who, in common with men, ar e place d o n thi s eart h t o unfol d thei r faculties ; and after wards I shall more particularly point out their peculia r designation . I wis h als o t o stee r clea r o f a n erro r whic h man y respectabl e writers have fallen into ; for the instruction which has hitherto bee n addressed t o women, has rather been applicable to ladies, if the little indirect advice, that is scattered throug h Sandfor d and Merton,* be excepted; but , addressin g m y se x in a firmer tone, I pay particular attention t o those in the middl e class , because the y appear t o be in

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the most natural state. Perhaps th e seeds of false refinement, immorality, and vanity, have ever been she d by the great. Weak, artificial beings, raised above the common want s and affections o f their race , in a premature unnatural manner, undermine the very foundation of virtue, and spread corruption throug h the whole mass of society! As a class of mankind they have the strongest claim to pity; the education o f th e ric h tend s t o rende r the m vai n an d helpless , an d th e unfolding min d i s not strengthene d b y the practic e o f those dutie s which dignif y th e huma n character.—The y onl y liv e t o amuse themselves, an d b y th e sam e la w which i n natur e invariabl y pro duces certai n effects , the y soon onl y afford barre n amusement . But a s I purpos e takin g a separate vie w of the differen t rank s of society, an d o f the mora l characte r o f women, in each , thi s hin t is, for th e present , sufficient ; an d I hav e only allude d t o th e subject , because it appears to me to be the very essence of an introduction to give a cursory account o f the content s o f the wor k it introduces . My ow n sex, I hope, wil l excuse me, if I treat the m lik e rational creatures, instea d o f flatterin g their fascinating graces , an d viewing them a s if the y wer e i n a stat e o f perpetua l childhood , unabl e t o stand alone . I earnestly wish to point ou t i n wha t true dignit y and human happiness consists—I wish to persuade women to endeavour to acquire strength, bot h o f mind an d body, and t o convince the m that the sof t phrases , susceptibility o f heart, delicacy o f sentiment , and refinemen t o f taste, ar e almos t synonymou s wit h epithet s o f weakness, and that those beings who are only the objects of pity and that kind of love, which has been termed it s sister, wil l soon become objects o f contempt. Dismissing the n thos e prett y feminin e phrases, whic h th e me n condescendingly use to soften ou r slavis h dependence, an d despising tha t wea k eleganc y o f mind , exquisit e sensibility , an d swee t docility of manners, supposed to be the sexual characteristics of the weaker vessel, I wish to shew that elegance is inferior to virtue, that the firs t objec t o f laudabl e ambitio n i s t o obtai n a characte r a s a human being, regardless of the distinction of sex; and that secondary views should b e brought t o this simpl e touchstone . This i s a roug h sketc h o f m y plan ; an d shoul d I expres s m y conviction wit h the energetic emotion s that I fee l wheneve r I think of the subject, the dictates of experience and reflection will be felt by some o f m y readers . Animate d b y thi s importan t object , I shal l

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disdain to cull my phrases or polish my style;—I aim at being useful, and sincerit y will render m e unaffected; for , wishing rather t o per suade by the forc e o f my arguments, than dazzle by the eleganc e of my language , I shall not wast e my time in roundin g periods, o r in fabricating th e turgi d bombas t o f artificial feelings , which, coming from th e head , neve r reac h th e heart.— I shal l be employe d abou t things, not words!—and, anxious to render my sex more respectable members o f society, I shal l try t o avoid that flowery diction which has slide d fro m essay s int o novels , an d fro m novel s int o familia r letters and conversation. These prett y superlatives, * droppin g glibl y fro m th e tongue , vitiate the taste, an d create a kind of sickly delicacy that turns away from simpl e unadorned truth; and a deluge of false sentiment s an d overstretched feelings , stiflin g th e natura l emotion s o f th e heart , render th e domesti c pleasure s insipid , tha t ough t t o sweete n th e exercise of those severe duties, which educate a rational and immortal being for a nobler field of action. The educatio n of women has, of late, been more attended to than formerly; yet they are still reckoned a frivolous sex, and ridiculed or pitied b y th e writer s wh o endeavou r b y satir e o r instructio n t o improve them. It is acknowledged that they spend many of the first years o f their live s in acquirin g a smatterin g o f accomplishments; meanwhile strengt h o f bod y an d min d ar e sacrifice d t o libertin e notions o f beauty , t o th e desir e o f establishin g themselves,—th e only wa y wome n ca n ris e i n th e world,—b y marriage . An d thi s desire making mere animal s of them, whe n they marry they act as such childre n may be expected t o act:—they dress; they paint, an d nickname God' s creatures.—Surely thes e wea k being s ar e only fit for a seraglio!* Can they be expected t o govern a family wit h judgment, o r tak e car e o f th e poo r babe s who m the y brin g int o th e world? If then i t can be fairl y deduce d fro m th e presen t conduc t o f the sex, fro m th e prevalen t fondnes s for pleasur e which takes place of ambition and those noble r passion s that open an d enlarge the soul; that th e instructio n whic h wome n hav e hitherto receive d ha s only tended, with the constitution o f civil society, to render them insig nificant object s of desire—mere propagators o f fools!—if i t ca n b e proved that in aiming to accomplish them, withou t cultivating their understandings, the y ar e take n ou t o f thei r spher e o f duties , an d

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made ridiculous and useless when the short-lived bloom of beauty is over,11 presume that rational men wil l excuse me for endeavouring to persuade them t o become mor e masculine and respectable . Indeed the word masculine is only a bugbear: there is little reason to fea r tha t wome n wil l acquire too much courag e or fortitude ; for their apparen t inferiorit y wit h respec t t o bodil y strength , mus t render them , i n som e degree , dependen t o n me n i n th e variou s relations o f life ; bu t wh y shoul d i t b e increase d b y prejudice s that giv e a sex to virtue , an d confoun d simple truth s wit h sensual reveries? Women are , i n fact , s o much degrade d b y mistake n notion s o f female excellence, that I do not mean to add a paradox when I assert, that this artificial weaknes s produces a propensity to tyrannize, and gives birt h t o cunning , th e natura l opponen t o f strength , whic h leads them t o play off those contemptible infantin e airs that undermine esteem eve n whilst they excite desire. Le t me n becom e more chaste an d modest , an d i f wome n d o no t gro w wiser i n th e sam e ratio, i t wil l b e clea r tha t the y hav e weake r understandings. * I t seems scarcel y necessar y t o say , tha t I no w spea k o f th e se x i n general. Many individuals have more sense than their male relatives; and, as nothing preponderates where there is a constant struggle for an equilibrium, without it has naturally more gravity, some women govern their husbands without degrading themselves, because intellect wil l always govern. 1 A lively writer, I cannot recollect hi s name, asks what business women turned o f fort y have to do in th e world?

CHAPTER I THE RIGHT S AN D INVOLVE D DUTIE S O F MANKIND CONSIDERE D

In the present stat e of society it appears necessary to go back to first principles i n search o f the mos t simpl e truths, an d t o dispute wit h some prevailin g prejudice ever y inch o f ground. T o clea r my way, I mus t b e allowe d t o as k som e plai n questions , an d th e answer s will probably appear as unequivocal as the axioms on which reasoning is built; though, when entangled with various motives of action, they ar e formall y contradicted , eithe r b y th e word s o r conduc t of men. In what does man's pre-eminence ove r the brute creation consist? The answe r is as clear as that a half is less than the whole; in Reason. What acquiremen t exalt s on e bein g abov e another ? Virtue ; w e spontaneously reply . For wha t purpos e wer e th e passion s implanted ? That ma n b y struggling with them migh t attai n a degree of knowledge denied t o the brutes; whisper s Experience . Consequently th e perfection of our nature and capability of happiness, mus t b e estimate d b y th e degre e o f reason , virtue , an d knowledge, tha t distinguis h th e individual , an d direc t th e law s which bind society: and that fro m th e exercise of reason, knowledge and virtu e naturall y flow , i s equall y undeniable , i f mankin d b e viewed collectively. The right s an d dutie s o f ma n thu s simplified , i t seem s almos t impertinent t o attempt t o illustrate truths tha t appea r s o incontrovertible; yet such deeply rooted prejudices have clouded reason, and such spuriou s qualitie s hav e assumed th e name of virtues, tha t it is necessary to pursue the course of reason as it has been perplexed and involved in error, by various adventitious circumstances, comparin g the simpl e axio m with casua l deviations. Men, i n general , see m t o employ their reaso n to justify prejudices , which they have imbibed, they can scarcely trace how, rather than to root them out. The min d must be strong that resolutely forms its own principles; for a kind of intellectual cowardice prevails which makes many men shrin k fro m 76

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the task, or only do it by halves. Yet the imperfect conclusions thus drawn, ar e frequentl y ver y plausible , becaus e the y ar e buil t o n partial experience, on just, though narrow , views. Going bac k t o firs t principles , vic e skulks , wit h al l it s nativ e deformity, fro m clos e investigation ; but a set o f shallow reasoners are alway s exclaiming that thes e argument s prov e to o much , an d that a measure rotte n a t the cor e ma y be expedient. Thus expedi ency i s continuall y contraste d wit h simpl e principles , til l trut h is lost in a mist of words; virtue, in forms, and knowledg e rendered a soundin g nothing , b y th e speciou s prejudice s tha t assum e it s name. That the society is formed in the wisest manner, whose constitution is founded o n the natur e of man, strikes, in the abstract , every thinking being so forcibly, that it looks like presumption t o endeavour t o bring forward proofs ; though proo f must b e brought, o r th e strong hol d o f prescriptio n wil l neve r b e force d b y reason ; ye t t o urge prescriptio n a s an argumen t t o justif y th e deprivin g men (o r women) of their natural rights, is one of the absurd sophisms which daily insult common sense . The civilizatio n of the bulk of the people of Europe is very partial; nay, i t ma y b e mad e a question , whethe r the y hav e acquired an y virtues i n exchang e fo r innocence , equivalen t t o th e miser y pro duced b y th e vice s tha t hav e been plastere d ove r unsightl y igno rance, an d th e freedo m whic h ha s bee n bartere d fo r splendi d slavery. Th e desir e o f dazzlin g by riches , th e mos t certai n pre eminence tha t ma n ca n obtain , th e pleasur e o f commandin g flattering sycophants, an d many other complicated lo w calculations of doting self-love, have all contributed t o overwhel m the mas s of mankind, and make liberty a convenient handle for mock patriotism. For whils t rank and titles are held of the utmost importance , before which Geniu s 'mus t hid e it s diminishe d head,' * i t is , wit h a few exceptions, ver y unfortunate for a nation whe n a man o f abilities, without rank or property, pushes himself forward t o notice.—Alas! what unhear d o f miser y hav e thousand s suffere d t o purchas e a cardinal's hat fo r an intriguin g obscure adventurer , who longed t o be ranke d wit h princes , o r lor d i t ove r the m b y seizin g the tripl e crown!* Such, indeed , ha s bee n th e wretchednes s tha t ha s flowe d fro m hereditary honours, riches , and monarchy, that men of lively sensi-

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bility have almost uttered blasphemy in order to justify th e dispensations of providence. Man ha s been held out as independent o f his power who made him, or as a lawless planet darting from it s orbit to steal the celestial fire of reason; and the vengeance of heaven, lurking in th e subtil e flame, like Pandora's pen t u p mischiefs, * sufficientl y punished hi s temerity, b y introducing evil into the world. Impressed b y thi s vie w of th e miser y an d disorde r whic h per vaded society , an d fatigue d wit h jostlin g agains t artificia l fools , Rousseau becam e enamoure d o f solitude,* and, bein g at th e sam e time a n optimist , h e labour s wit h uncommo n eloquenc e t o prov e that ma n wa s naturally a solitary animal. Misled b y his respect fo r the goodnes s o f God , wh o certainly—fo r wha t ma n o f sens e an d feeling ca n doubt it!—gave life onl y to communicate happiness, h e considers evi l as positive, an d th e wor k of man; no t awar e that h e was exalting one attribute at the expence of another, equally necessary to divine perfection. Reared on a false hypothesis his arguments in favour o f a state of nature are plausible, but unsound . I say unsound; for to assert tha t a state of nature is preferable to civilization, in all its possible perfection, is , in other words , to arraign supreme wisdom ; and th e para doxical exclamation , that Go d ha s mad e al l things right , an d tha t error has been introduced by the creature,* whom he formed, knowing what he formed , is as unphilosophical as impious. When that wise Being who created us and placed us here, saw the fair idea , he willed, by allowing it to be so, that the passions should unfold ou r reason , becaus e h e coul d se e tha t presen t evi l would produce futur e good . Coul d th e helples s creature whom h e calle d from nothin g break loose fro m hi s providence , an d boldl y learn to know goo d b y practisin g evil , without hi s permission ? No.—How could tha t energeti c advocat e fo r immortalit y argu e s o inconsist ently? Had mankin d remained for ever in the brutal state of nature, which even his magi c pen canno t paint as a state in whic h a single virtue took root, i t would have been clear , though no t to the sensitive unreflecting wanderer, that ma n wa s born t o ru n th e circl e of life an d death , an d ador n God' s garde n fo r som e purpos e whic h could not easil y be reconciled with his attributes . But if , t o crow n th e whole , ther e wer e t o b e rationa l creature s produced, allowe d to ris e i n excellenc e by th e exercis e o f powers implanted for that purpose; if benignity itself thought fit to call into

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existence a creature above the brutes, who could think and improve himself, why should that inestimable gift, for a gift it was, if man was so create d a s t o hav e a capacit y t o ris e abov e th e stat e i n whic h sensation produced brutal ease, be called, in direct terms, a curse? A curse i t migh t b e reckoned , i f th e whol e o f ou r existenc e wer e bounded b y ou r continuanc e i n thi s world ; fo r wh y shoul d th e gracious fountain of life giv e us passions, an d th e powe r of reflecting, only to imbitter ou r day s and inspire us with mistaken notions of dignity ? Wh y shoul d h e lea d u s fro m lov e o f ourselve s t o th e sublime emotions whic h the discover y of his wisdom and goodnes s excites, if thes e feeling s wer e not set in motio n to improv e our nature, of which they make a part,2 and render u s capable of enjoying a more godlik e portion of happiness? Firmly persuaded tha t n o evil exists in the world that God did not design to take place, I build my belief on the perfectio n of God . Rousseau exert s himsel f to prov e tha t al l was right originally : a crowd o f authors that al l is now right : and I , tha t al l will be right. But, true to his first position, next to a state of nature, Rousseau celebrates barbarism, and apostrophizing the shade of Fabricius, h e forgets that, in conquering the world, the Romans never dreamed of establishing their ow n libert y o n a fir m basis , o r o f extending th e reign o f virtue . Eage r t o suppor t hi s system , h e stigmatizes , a s vicious, every effort o f genius; and, uttering the apotheosis of savage virtues, h e exalts those t o demi-gods, wh o were scarcely human— the bruta l Spartans, * who , i n defianc e o f justic e an d gratitude , sacrificed, i n col d blood , th e slave s wh o ha d shew n themselve s heroes to rescue their oppressors. Disgusted wit h artificial manner s an d virtues , the citize n o f Ge neva,* instead of properly sifting the subject, threw away the wheat 1 Contrar y to the opinion of anatomists, who argue by analogy from th e formatio n of the teeth, stomach , an d intestines , Roussea u wil l no t allo w a man t o b e a carnivorous animal. And, carried away from nature by a love of system, he disputes* whether man be a gregarious animal, though the lon g and helpless state of infancy seem s to point hi m ou t as particularly impelled to pair, th e first step towards herding . 2 Wha t would you say to a mechanic whom you had desired t o make a watch to point ou t the hour of the day, if, to shew his ingenuity, he added wheels to make it a repeater, etc . that perplexed th e simpl e mechanism; should he urge, to excuse himself—had yo u not touched a certai n spring , yo u woul d hav e known nothing o f th e matter , an d tha t h e shoul d hav e amused himself by making an experiment withou t doing you any harm: would you not retort fairly upon him, by insisting that if he had not added those needless wheels and springs, th e accident coul d not have happened?

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with th e chaff , withou t waiting to inquire whether th e evil s which his arden t sou l turne d fro m indignantly , were the consequenc e o f civilization o r th e vestige s of barbarism. H e sa w vice trampling on virtue, and the semblance of goodness taking place of the reality; he saw talents bent by power to sinister purposes, and never thought of tracing the gigantic mischief up to arbitrary power, up to the hereditary distinctions that clash with the mental superiority that naturally raises a man above his fellows. He did not perceive that regal power, in a few generations, introduce s idiotis m into th e nobl e stem , and holds out baits to render thousand s idle and vicious. Nothing can set the regal character in a more contemptible poin t of view , tha n th e variou s crime s tha t hav e elevate d me n t o th e supreme dignity.—Vil e intrigues, unnatural crimes, an d every vice that degrade s our nature , hav e been th e step s t o this distinguishe d eminence; ye t millions of men hav e supinely allowed the nerveless limbs of the posterit y o f such rapaciou s prowlers to rest quietl y on their ensanguine d thrones. 1 What bu t a pestilentia l vapou r ca n hove r ove r societ y whe n its chie f directo r i s onl y instructe d i n th e inventio n o f crimes, o r the stupi d routin e o f childis h ceremonies ? Wil l me n neve r b e wise?—will the y neve r ceas e t o expec t cor n fro m tares , an d fig s from thistles? * It i s impossible fo r any man, whe n the mos t favourabl e circum stances concur , t o acquir e sufficien t knowledg e an d strengt h o f mind to discharge the duties of a king, entrusted wit h uncontrouled power; how then must they be violated when his very elevation is an insuperable bar to the attainment of either wisdo m or virtue; when all the feelings of a man are stifled by flattery, and reflection shut ou t by pleasure! Surel y i t i s madnes s t o mak e th e fat e o f thousand s depend o n the capric e of a weak fellow creature , whose very station sinks hi m necessarily belo w th e meanes t o f hi s subjects ! But on e power shoul d no t b e throw n dow n to exalt another—for al l power inebriates wea k man ; an d it s abus e prove s tha t th e mor e equalit y there is established among men, the more virtue and happiness will reign i n society . Bu t thi s an d an y simila r maxi m deduce d fro m simple reason, raises an outcry—the church or the state is in danger, 1 Coul d ther e be a greater insul t offere d t o th e right s o f man tha n th e bed s o f justice in France, when an infant wa s made the orga n of the detestabl e Dubois! *

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if fait h i n th e wisdo m o f antiquit y i s no t implicit ; an d the y who , roused by the sight of human calamity, dare to attack human authority, are reviled as despisers o f God, an d enemies o f man. These are bitter calumnies , ye t the y reache d on e o f the bes t o f men, 1 whose ashes stil l preac h peace , an d whos e memory demand s a respectful pause, whe n subjects are discussed tha t la y so near hi s heart.— After attackin g the sacred majesty of Kings, I shall scarcely excite surprise b y addin g m y fir m persuasio n tha t ever y profession , i n which grea t subordinatio n o f rank constitute s it s power , i s highly injurious t o morality. A standin g army , fo r instance , i s incompatibl e wit h freedom ; because subordinatio n an d rigou r ar e th e ver y sinew s o f military discipline; an d despotis m is necessary t o give vigour to enterprize s that on e will directs. A spirit inspire d b y romantic notion s o f hon our, a kind of morality founded on the fashio n o f the age , can only be fel t b y a few officers, whils t th e mai n bod y must b e move d b y command, like the waves of the sea; for the strong wind of authority pushes th e crowd of subalterns forward, they scarcely know or care why, with headlong fury . Besides, nothing can be so prejudicial to the morals of the inhab itants o f country town s a s the occasiona l residenc e o f a set o f idle superficial youn g men , whos e onl y occupatio n i s gallantry , an d whose polished manners render vice more dangerous, by concealing its deformit y unde r ga y ornamenta l drapery . A n ai r o f fashion , which i s but a badge o f slavery, and prove s tha t th e sou l has not a strong individua l character , awe s simpl e countr y peopl e int o a n imitation of the vices, when they cannot catch the slippery graces, of politeness. Ever y corps i s a chain o f despots, who , submittin g an d tyrannizing without exercising their reason, become dead weights of vice and foll y o n the community . A man o f rank or fortune, sure of rising by interest, has nothing to do but t o pursue som e extravagant freak; whilst the needy gentleman, who is to rise, as the phrase turns , by his merit, become s a servile parasite or vile pander. Sailors, th e nava l gentlemen, com e unde r th e sam e description , only their vice s assume a different an d grosse r cast . They are more positively indolent , whe n no t dischargin g th e ceremonial s o f their station; whils t the insignificant fluttering of soldiers may be terme d 1

D r Price.*

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active idleness . Mor e confine d t o th e societ y o f men , th e forme r acquire a fondnes s for humou r an d mischievou s tricks ; whilst th e latter, mixing frequently with well-bred women, catch a sentimental cant.—But min d i s equall y ou t o f th e question , whethe r the y indulge the horse-laugh, o r polite simper . May I be allowed to extend the comparison t o a profession where more min d i s certainl y t o b e found ; fo r th e clerg y hav e superio r opportunities o f improvement , thoug h subordinatio n almos t equally cramp s thei r faculties ? Th e blin d submissio n impose d a t college t o form s of belie f serve s a s a novitiat e t o th e curate , wh o must obsequiousl y respect th e opinion of his rector or patron, if he mean t o ris e i n hi s profession . Perhap s ther e canno t b e a mor e forcible contras t tha n between th e servil e dependent gai t of a poor curate and the courtl y mien o f a bishop. An d th e respec t an d con tempt the y inspire render th e discharg e of their separat e functions equally useless. It i s o f grea t importanc e t o observ e tha t th e characte r o f every man is , in som e degree , forme d by hi s profession . A man o f sense may only have a cast of countenance that wears off as you trace his individuality, whilst the weak , common ma n ha s scarcely ever any character, bu t wha t belong s t o th e body ; a t least , al l his opinion s have bee n s o steepe d i n th e va t consecrate d b y authority , tha t the fain t spiri t whic h th e grap e o f hi s ow n vin e yield s cannot b e distinguished. Society, therefore , a s i t become s mor e enlightened , shoul d b e very careful no t t o establish bodies of men who must necessarily be made foolish or vicious by the very constitution of their profession . In th e infanc y o f society , whe n me n wer e jus t emerging ou t o f barbarism, chiefs and priests, touching the most powerful spring s of savage conduct, hope and fear, must have had unbounded sway. An aristocracy, of course, is naturally the first form of government. But, clashing interests soon losing their equipoise, a monarchy and hierarchy brea k ou t o f th e confusio n of ambitiou s struggles , an d th e foundation o f both i s secured b y feudal tenures . This appears to be the origi n o f monarchica l an d priestl y power , an d th e daw n o f civilization. But such combustible materials cannot long be pent up; and, gettin g ven t i n foreig n war s an d intestin e insurrections , th e people acquire some power in the tumult, which obliges their rulers to glos s over their oppressio n wit h a shew of right. Thus, as wars,

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agriculture, commerce, an d literature, expand the mind, despots are compelled, to make covert corruption hold fast the power which was formerly snatche d b y ope n force. 1 An d thi s banefu l lurkin g gan grene i s most quickl y spread b y luxur y and superstition , th e sur e dregs o f ambition . Th e indolen t puppe t o f a cour t firs t become s a luxuriou s monster , o r fastidiou s sensualist , an d the n make s the contagio n whic h hi s unnatural stat e spread , th e instrumen t o f tyranny. It is the pestiferous purple which renders the progress o f civilization a curse , an d warp s th e understanding , til l me n o f sensibility doubt whether the expansion of intellect produces a greater portio n of happiness o r misery. But the nature of the poison point s out th e antidote; and had Rousseau mounted on e step higher * i n his inves tigation, o r coul d hi s ey e hav e pierce d throug h th e fogg y atmos phere, whic h he almost disdained to breathe, hi s active mind would have darte d forwar d t o contemplat e th e perfectio n o f man i n th e establishment o f tru e civilization , instea d o f takin g hi s ferociou s flight bac k to the nigh t o f sensual ignorance. 1 Me n o f abilities scatte r seed s tha t gro w up an d hav e a great influenc e on th e formin g opinion; an d whe n once the publi c opinion preponderates , throug h th e exertio n of reason, the overthro w of arbitrary power is not ver y distant.

CHAPTER I I THE P R E V A I L I N G OPINIO N O F A SEXUA L CHARACTER DISCUSSE D

To accoun t for , an d excus e th e tyrann y o f man , man y ingeniou s arguments have been brought forwar d t o prove, that th e two sexes, in the acquirement o f virtue, ought to aim at attaining a very differ ent character: or, to speak explicitly, women are not allowed to have sufficient strengt h o f mind to acquire what really deserves the name of virtue. Yet it should seem, allowing them to have souls, that ther e is but on e wa y appointed b y Providenc e t o lea d mankind to eithe r virtue or happiness . If then women are not a swarm of ephemeron triflers , why should they b e kep t i n ignoranc e unde r th e speciou s nam e o f innocence? Men complain , an d wit h reason , o f the follie s an d caprice s o f ou r sex, whe n the y d o not keenl y satirize our headstron g passion s an d groveling vices.—Behold , I shoul d answer , th e natura l effec t o f ignorance! The min d wil l ever be unstable tha t ha s only prejudices to rest on, and the current will run with destructive fury when there are no barriers to break its force. Women are told from their infancy , and taught b y the example of their mothers , tha t a little knowledge of huma n weakness , justl y terme d cunning , softnes s o r temper , outward obedience , an d a scrupulous attentio n t o a puerile kind of propriety, wil l obtai n fo r the m th e protectio n o f man; an d shoul d they b e beautiful , ever y thing els e i s needless, for , at least , twent y years of their lives . Thus Milto n describe s ou r firs t frai l mother ; thoug h whe n h e tells u s tha t wome n ar e forme d fo r softnes s an d swee t attractiv e grace, I canno t comprehen d hi s meaning , unless , i n th e tru e Mahometan strain, * he meant t o deprive us of souls, an d insinuat e that w e wer e being s onl y designe d b y swee t attractiv e grace , an d docile blind obedience , to gratify th e sense s of man when he can no longer soar on the win g of contemplation.* How grossl y do they insult us who thus advis e us only to rende r ourselves gentle , domesti c brutes ! Fo r instance , th e winnin g soft ness s o warmly , an d frequently , recommended , tha t govern s b y 84

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obeying. Wha t childis h expression , an d ho w insignifican t is th e being—can i t be an immortal one ? wh o wil l condescen d t o govern by suc h siniste r methods ! 'Certainly, ' say s Lord Bacon , 'ma n i s of kin t o the beasts by his body; and if he be not of kin to God b y his spirit, he is a base and ignoble creature!'* Men, indeed , appear to me to act in a very unphilosophical manner when they try to secure the good conduct of women by attempting to keep them always in a state of childhood. Rousseau was more consistent when he wished to stop the progres s o f reaso n i n bot h sexes , fo r i f men ea t o f th e tre e o f knowledge, women will come in for a taste; but, fro m th e imperfec t cultivation which their understandings now receive, they only attain a knowledge of evil. Children, I grant , shoul d b e innocent ; bu t whe n th e epithe t i s applied to men, or women, it is but a civil term fo r weakness. For i f it b e allowe d that wome n wer e destined b y Providenc e t o acquir e human virtues , an d b y th e exercis e o f thei r understandings , tha t stability of character which is the firmest ground t o rest our futur e hopes upon, they must be permitted to turn to the fountain of light, and no t force d t o shap e thei r cours e b y th e twinklin g of a mer e satellite. Milton, I grant, was of a very different opinion ; for he only bends t o the indefeasibl e right o f beauty, though i t woul d be diffi cult to render two passages which I now mean to contrast, consist ent. But into similar inconsistencies ar e great men often led by their senses. 'To whom thus Ev e with perfect beauty adorn'd . My Autho r and Disposer, wha t thou bids t Unargued I obey; so God ordains ; God i s thy law, thou mine: to know no more Is Woman's happiest knowledg e and he r praise.'*

These are exactly the arguments that I have used to children; but I have added, your reason is now gaining strength, and , till it arrives at som e degree o f maturity, yo u must loo k up t o m e fo r advice— then yo u ought t o think, and only rely on God . Yet i n th e followin g line s Milto n seem s t o coincid e wit h me ; when he makes Adam thus expostulate wit h his Maker . 'Hast thou no t made me here thy substitute , And thes e inferior far beneath m e set?

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Vindication o f th e Rights of Woman Among unequals what society Can sort, what harmony or true delight? Which mus t be mutual, in proportion du e Giv'n and receiv'd ; but i n disparity The on e intense, the other stil l remiss Cannot wel l suit with either, but soo n prove Tedious alike: of fellowship I speak Such a s I seek, fit to participate All rational delight—'*

In treating, therefore, of the manners of women, let us, disregarding sensua l arguments , trac e wha t w e shoul d endeavou r t o mak e them i n order to co-operate, i f the expression be not too bold, with the suprem e Being . By individual education, I mean, for the sense of the wor d is not precisely defined, such an attention to a child as will slowly sharpen the senses , for m th e temper , regulat e the passion s a s they begin to ferment, an d set the understanding to work before the body arrives at maturity; so that the man may only have to proceed, not to begin, the importan t tas k of learning to think and reason. To prevent any misconstruction, I must add, that I do not believe that a private education can work the wonders which some sanguine writers have attributed t o it. Men an d women must be educated, in a great degree, by the opinions and manners of the societ y they live in. In every age there has been a stream of popular opinion that has carried al l before it, an d give n a family character , a s it were, to th e century. I t ma y then fairl y b e inferred , that, til l societ y be differ ently constituted , much canno t b e expected fro m education . I t is , however, sufficient fo r my present purpos e to assert, that, whatever effect circumstance s have on the abilities , every being may become virtuous by the exercis e of its own reason; for if but on e being was created wit h viciou s inclinations , tha t i s positivel y bad , wha t ca n save u s fro m atheism ? or i f w e worshi p a God , i s no t tha t Go d a devil? Consequently, th e most perfect education, in my opinion, is such an exercise of the understandin g as is best calculate d to strengthe n the bod y an d for m th e heart . Or , i n othe r words , t o enabl e th e individual to attain such habits of virtue as will render it independ ent. I n fact , i t is a farce t o call any being virtuous whose virtues do not result fro m th e exercis e of its own reason. This was Rousseau's

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opinion* respectin g men : I exten d i t t o women , an d confidentl y assert that they hav e been drawn out of their sphere by false refine ment, an d not by an endeavour t o acquire masculine qualities. Stil l the rega l homage whic h they receiv e is so intoxicating, that til l th e manners o f the time s ar e changed, an d forme d on more reasonabl e principles, i t may be impossible t o convince them tha t th e illegiti mate power, which they obtain, by degrading themselves, i s a curse, and tha t the y mus t retur n t o natur e an d equality , i f they wis h t o secure the placid satisfaction that unsophisticated affection s impart . But fo r thi s epoc h w e mus t wait—wait , perhaps , til l king s an d nobles, enlightene d b y reason , and , preferrin g the rea l dignit y of man t o childis h state , thro w of f their gaud y hereditary trappings : and i f then wome n d o no t resig n th e arbitrar y power o f beauty— they will prove that the y have less mind tha n man . I may be accused o f arrogance; stil l I must declar e what I firmly believe, that all the writers who have written on the subject of female education an d manners fro m Roussea u t o Dr Gregory, * have con tributed t o render women more artificial, weak characters, tha n they would otherwise hav e been; and , consequently, mor e useless mem bers o f society . I migh t hav e expresse d thi s convictio n i n a lower key; but I am afraid i t would have been the whine of affectation, an d not th e faithfu l expressio n o f my feelings, of the clear result, whic h experience an d reflection have led me to draw. When I come to that division o f the subject , I shal l adver t t o th e passage s tha t I mor e particularly disapprov e of , in th e work s of the author s I hav e just alluded to ; bu t i t i s firs t necessar y t o observe , tha t m y objectio n extends t o th e whol e purpor t o f thos e books , whic h tend , i n m y opinion, t o degrad e on e half o f th e huma n species , an d rende r women pleasing at the expenc e o f every solid virtue. Though, t o reaso n o n Rousseau' s ground, * i f man di d attai n a degree o f perfection of mind whe n hi s body arrive d a t maturity, i t might b e proper, i n order t o make a man an d hi s wife one, that sh e should rel y entirel y o n hi s understanding ; an d th e gracefu l ivy , clasping th e oa k tha t supporte d it , woul d for m a whol e i n whic h strength an d beauty would be equally conspicuous. But , alas ! hus bands, as well as their helpmates, are often only overgrown children; nay, thank s t o earl y debauchery , scarcel y me n i n thei r outwar d form—and i f th e blin d lea d th e blind , on e nee d no t com e fro m heaven to tell us the consequence .

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Many ar e the causes that, i n the present corrup t stat e o f society, contribute t o enslave women by cramping their understandings and sharpening their senses . One , perhaps , tha t silently does more mis chief than al l the rest , i s their disregar d o f order. To d o ever y thin g i n a n orderl y manner , i s a mos t importan t precept, whic h women , who , generall y speaking , receiv e onl y a disorderly kin d o f education, seldo m atten d t o wit h that degre e of exactness that men, who from thei r infancy are broken into method, observe. Thi s negligen t kin d o f guesswork, fo r wha t othe r epithe t can be used to point out the random exertions of a sort of instinctive common sense , neve r brought t o the tes t of reason? prevents thei r generalizing matter s o f fact—s o the y d o to-day , wha t the y di d yesterday, merel y becaus e the y di d it yesterday . This contempt o f the understanding in early life has more banefu l consequences tha n i s commonly supposed ; fo r the littl e knowledge which wome n o f stron g mind s attain , is , fro m variou s circum stances, o f a more desultory kind than the knowledge of men, and it is acquired more by sheer observation s on real life, tha n fro m com paring what has been individually observed with the results of experience generalize d b y speculation. Le d by their dependent situatio n and domesti c employment s mor e int o society , wha t the y lear n i s rather b y snatches; an d a s learning is with them, i n general , only a secondary thing , the y d o no t pursu e an y on e branc h wit h tha t persevering ardou r necessar y t o giv e vigou r t o th e faculties , an d clearness t o th e judgment . I n th e presen t stat e o f society , a littl e learning i s require d t o suppor t th e characte r o f a gentleman ; an d boys ar e obliged t o submi t t o a few years o f discipline. Bu t i n th e education of women, the cultivatio n of the understandin g i s always subordinate to the acquirement of some corporeal accomplishment ; even while enervated by confinement and fals e notions of modesty, the bod y i s prevented fro m attainin g that grac e an d beaut y whic h relaxed half-forme d limb s neve r exhibit . Besides , i n yout h thei r faculties ar e no t brough t forwar d b y emulation ; an d havin g n o serious scientifi c study, if they have natural sagacit y it is turned to o soon on life and manners. They dwell on effects, an d modifications, without tracing them back to causes; and complicated rules to adjust behaviour are a weak substitut e fo r simple principles . As a proo f tha t educatio n give s this appearanc e o f weakness t o females, we may instance the example of military men, who are, like

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them, sen t int o the world before their mind s have been store d wit h knowledge or fortified b y principles. Th e consequence s ar e similar; soldiers acquir e a littl e superficia l knowledge , snatche d fro m th e muddy current o f conversation, and, from continuall y mixing with society, they gain, what is termed a knowledge of the world; and this acquaintance wit h manner s an d custom s ha s frequently been con founded wit h a knowledge of the huma n heart . Bu t ca n the crud e fruit o f casual observation, neve r brough t t o th e tes t o f judgment, formed b y comparin g speculatio n an d experience , deserv e suc h a distinction? Soldiers , a s well as women, practis e th e mino r virtue s with punctiliou s politeness. Wher e i s the n th e sexua l difference , when the education has been the same? All the difference tha t I can discern, arises from th e superior advantage of liberty, which enables the forme r to see more o f life . It i s wanderin g fro m m y presen t subject , perhaps , t o mak e a political remark; but, as it was produced naturally be the train of my reflections, I shall not pas s it silently over. Standing armie s ca n never consis t o f resolute, robus t men ; the y may be well disciplined machines, but the y will seldom contain men under th e influence of strong passions, or with very vigorous facul ties. And as for any depth of understanding, I will venture to affirm , that i t is as rarely to be foun d i n the arm y as amongst women ; and the cause, I maintain, is the same. It may be further observed, tha t officers ar e also particularly attentive to their persons , fon d o f dan cing, crowde d rooms , adventures , an d ridicule. 1 Lik e th e fair sex , the business of their lives is gallantry.—They were taught to please, and the y onl y live to please. Yet they d o not los e their rank in th e distinction o f sexes, fo r they ar e still reckone d superio r t o women , though i n what their superiorit y consists , beyon d wha t I hav e just mentioned, i t is difficult t o discover . The grea t misfortun e i s this , tha t the y bot h acquir e manner s before morals, and a knowledge of life before they have, from reflec tion, any acquaintance with the grand ideal outline of human nature. The consequenc e i s natural ; satisfie d wit h commo n nature , the y become a prey to prejudices, and taking all their opinions on credit, 1 Wh y shoul d wome n b e censured wit h petulant acrimony , becaus e the y see m t o have a passion for a scarlet coat?* Has not education place d the m more on a level with soldiers tha n any othe r class o f men?

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they blindly submit to authority. S o that if they have any sense, it is a kin d o f instinctive glance, tha t catche s proportions , an d decide s with respect to manners; but fail s when arguments are to be pursued below the surface , or opinions analyzed. May not th e sam e remark be applied to women? Nay, the argu ment ma y be carried still further, for they are both thrown out o f a useful statio n b y the unnatura l distinctions establishe d i n civilized life. Riches and hereditary honours have made cyphers of women to give consequence to the numerical figure; and idleness has produced a mixture o f gallantry and despotis m int o society , whic h leads th e very me n wh o ar e th e slave s of their mistresse s t o tyranniz e over their sisters , wives , an d daughters . Thi s i s onl y keepin g the m i n rank and file, it is true. Strengthe n th e femal e mind by enlarging it, and there will be an end to blind obedience; but, as blind obedience is ever sought fo r by power, tyrants and sensualist s are in the righ t when the y endeavou r t o kee p wome n i n th e dark , becaus e th e former onl y want slaves, and the latter a play-thing. The sensualist , indeed, ha s been th e mos t dangerou s of tyrants, an d wome n have been dupe d b y thei r lovers , a s prince s b y thei r ministers , whils t dreaming that the y reigned ove r them . I now principally allude to Rousseau, for his character of Sophia* is, undoubtedly, a captivating one , thoug h i t appears t o me grossly unnatural; however it is not the superstructure, bu t th e foundation of he r character , th e principle s o n whic h he r educatio n wa s built, that I mean to attack; nay, warmly as I admire the genius of that able writer, whose opinions I shall often hav e occasion t o cite, indigna tion always takes place of admiration, and the rigid frown o f insulted virtue effaces th e smile of complacency, which his eloquent periods are won t t o raise , whe n I rea d hi s voluptuou s reveries. I s thi s th e man, who, in his ardour for virtue, would banish all the sof t art s of peace, an d almos t carr y u s bac k to Sparta n discipline ? Is thi s th e man wh o delights t o pain t th e usefu l struggle s o f passion, th e tri umphs of good dispositions , an d th e heroi c flight s whic h carry the glowing soul out of itself?—How are these mighty sentiments low ered whe n he describes the prett y foo t an d enticing airs of his little favourite! But , fo r the present , I wav e the subject , and , instea d of severely reprehending the transient effusions o f overweening sensibility, I shal l only observe, tha t whoeve r has cast a benevolent eye on society , mus t ofte n hav e been gratifie d b y th e sigh t o f humbl e

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mutual love, not dignifie d by sentiment, o r strengthened b y a union in intellectual pursuits. The domesti c trifles of the day have afforded matters fo r cheerful converse, an d innocen t caresse s hav e softened toils whic h di d no t requir e grea t exercis e o f min d o r stretc h o f thought: yet , has not the sight of this moderate felicity excited more tenderness tha n respect ? A n emotion simila r to what w e feel whe n children are playing, or animals sporting,1 whilst the contemplatio n of the nobl e struggle s of suffering meri t ha s raised admiration , and carried our thoughts to that world where sensation wil l give place to reason. Women are , therefore, to be considered eithe r as moral beings, or so weak that they must be entirely subjected to the superior facultie s of men. Let u s examin e thi s question . Roussea u declare s tha t a woman should never , fo r a moment , fee l hersel f independent , tha t sh e should b e governe d b y fea r t o exercis e he r natural cunning , an d made a coquetish slav e in order to render her a more alluring object of desire, a sweeter companion to man, whenever he chooses t o relax himself. He carries the arguments, whic h he pretends t o draw from the indications of nature, still further,* and insinuates that truth and fortitude, the corner stones of all human virtue, should be cultivated with certain restrictions, because , wit h respect t o the female charac ter, obedience i s the grand lesson which ought to be impressed wit h unrelenting rigour . What nonsense ! whe n wil l a grea t ma n aris e wit h sufficien t strength o f mind to puff away the fumes whic h pride and sensuality have thus spread ove r the subject! If women are by nature inferior to men, thei r virtue s must b e the sam e in quality, if not i n degree, o r virtue i s a relativ e idea ; consequently , thei r conduc t shoul d b e founded o n the sam e principles, an d hav e the sam e aim. Connected wit h ma n a s daughters , wives , an d mothers , thei r moral character may be estimated b y their manner of fulfilling thos e simple duties; bu t th e end, th e gran d end of their exertion s should 1 Simila r feeling s has Milton's pleasing picture* o f paradisiacal happiness eve r raised in my mind; yet , instead o f envying the lovel y pair, I have, with conscious dignity , or Satani c pride, turne d t o hel l fo r sublime r objects . I n th e sam e style , whe n viewin g som e nobl e monument o f human art , I have traced th e emanation o f the Deity i n the orde r I admired, till, descending fro m tha t gidd y height, I have caught mysel f contemplating the grandes t of all human sights;—fo r fanc y quickl y placed, i n som e solitar y recess, a n outcas t o f fortune, rising superior t o passion an d discontent .

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be to unfold thei r own faculties and acquire the dignity of conscious virtue. They may try to render thei r road pleasant; but ought never to forget, in common with man, that life yields not the felicity which can satisfy a n immortal soul. I do not mean to insinuate, that eithe r sex shoul d b e s o lost i n abstrac t reflection s or distan t views , as t o forget th e affection s an d dutie s tha t li e befor e them , an d are , i n truth, th e mean s appointe d t o produc e th e frui t o f life ; o n th e contrary, I woul d warml y recommend them , eve n whil e I assert , that the y afford mos t satisfactio n when they are considered i n their true, sober * light. Probably th e prevailin g opinion , tha t woma n wa s create d fo r man, ma y hav e taken its ris e fro m Moses' s poetica l story; * yet, as very few, it is presumed, wh o have bestowed any serious thought on the subject , eve r suppose d tha t Ev e was , literally speaking, one of Adam's ribs, the deduction must be allowed to fall to the ground; or, only b e s o fa r admitte d a s i t prove s tha t man , fro m th e remotes t antiquity, found i t convenient to exert his strength t o subjugate his companion, an d hi s inventio n t o she w tha t sh e ought t o hav e he r neck ben t unde r th e yoke , becaus e th e whol e creatio n wa s only created fo r his convenience or pleasure.* Let i t not be concluded tha t I wish to invert the order o f things; I hav e already granted, that , fro m th e constitutio n o f their bodies , men seem to be designed by Providence to attain a greater degree of virtue. I speak collectively of the whole sex; but I see not the shadow of a reason to conclude that thei r virtue s should diffe r i n respect t o their nature . I n fact , ho w ca n they , i f virtu e ha s onl y on e eterna l standard? I mus t therefore , i f I reaso n consequentially , a s strenuously maintai n tha t the y hav e th e sam e simpl e direction , a s tha t there is a God . It follow s the n tha t cunnin g shoul d no t b e opposed t o wisdom , little care s t o grea t exertions , o r insipi d softness , varnishe d ove r with th e nam e o f gentleness , t o tha t fortitud e whic h gran d views alone can inspire. I shal l be told tha t woma n would then los e many of her peculiar graces, an d th e opinio n o f a well known poet migh t b e quote d t o refute m y unqualifie d assertion . Fo r Pop e ha s said, in th e nam e of the whol e male sex, 'Yet ne'er so sure our passio n to create, As when sh e touch'd th e brink o f all we hate.'*

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In what light this sally places men and women, I shall leave to the judicious t o determine; meanwhil e I shal l content mysel f with ob serving, that I cannot discove r why, unless they are mortal, females should alway s b e degrade d b y bein g mad e subservien t t o lov e or lust . To spea k disrespectfully of love is, I know, high treaso n agains t sentiment an d fine feelings; but I wish to speak the simple language of truth, and rather t o address the head than the heart. To endeav our to reason love out of the world, would be to out Quixote Cervan tes,* and equally offend agains t common sense; but an endeavour to restrain thi s tumultuous passion , an d to prove that it should no t be allowed to dethrone superio r powers , or to usurp the sceptre which the understandin g should eve r coolly wield, appears les s wild. Youth i s the seaso n fo r lov e in bot h sexes ; bu t i n thos e day s of thoughtless enjoymen t provision shoul d b e made for the more im portant year s of life , whe n reflectio n takes place o f sensation. Bu t Rousseau, and most of the male writers who have followed hi s steps, have warmly inculcated that the whole tendency of female education ought t o be directed t o one point:—to render the m pleasing. * Let m e reason wit h the supporters o f this opinion who have any knowledge o f huma n nature , d o the y imagin e tha t marriag e ca n eradicate the habitude of life? The woma n who has only been taugh t to please wil l soon find that he r charm s are oblique sunbeams , an d that they cannot have much effect o n her husband's hear t when they are seen ever y day, when the summe r i s passed an d gone . Will she then hav e sufficient nativ e energy t o loo k into hersel f fo r comfort , and cultivat e he r dorman t faculties ? or , i s i t no t mor e rationa l t o expect tha t sh e wil l tr y t o pleas e othe r men ; and , i n th e emotion s raised by the expectation o f new conquests, endeavou r to forget th e mortification he r lov e o r prid e ha s received ? When th e husban d ceases to be a lover—and the time will inevitably come, her desire of pleasing wil l then gro w languid , o r become a spring of bitterness; and love, perhaps, th e most evanescent of all passions, gives place to jealousy or vanity. I no w speak of women who are restrained b y principle or prejudice; such women, though the y would shrink from a n intrigue with real abhorrence , yet , nevertheless , wis h t o b e convince d b y th e homage o f gallantr y that the y ar e cruell y neglected b y thei r hus bands; or , day s and week s are spen t i n dreamin g o f the happines s enjoyed b y congenial souls till their healt h is undermined an d thei r

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spirits broken by discontent. How then can the great art of pleasing be such a necessary study? it is only useful t o a mistress; th e chast e wife, an d serious mother, shoul d onl y consider he r power to please as the polis h of her virtues, and the affectio n o f her husban d as one of the comfort s that rende r he r tas k less difficul t an d he r lif e hap pier.—But, whether she be loved or neglected, her first wish should be to make herself respectable, an d not to rely for all her happines s on a being subject to like infirmities wit h herself. The worth y Dr Gregory * fel l int o a similar error . I respec t hi s heart; bu t entirel y disapprov e o f hi s celebrate d Legac y t o hi s Daughters. He advise s the m t o cultivat e a fondnes s fo r dress , becaus e a fondness fo r dress , h e asserts , i s natura l t o them . I a m unabl e t o comprehend wha t eithe r h e o r Roussea u mean , whe n the y fre quently use this indefinite term. If they told us that in a pre-existent state the soul was fond o f dress, and brought this inclination with it into a new body, I should listen to them with a half smile, as I ofte n do when I hear a rant about innate elegance.—But if he only meant to say that the exercise of the faculties will produce this fondness — I deny it. It is not natural; but arises, like false ambition in men, fro m a love of power. Dr Gregor y goe s muc h further; * h e actuall y recommend s dis simulation, and advise s an innocen t gir l to giv e the li e to he r feel ings, and not dance with spirit, when gaiety of heart would make her feet eloquent without making her gestures immodest. In the name of truth an d common sense , why should not one woman acknowledge that she can take more exercise than another? or, in other words, that she has a sound constitution; and why, to damp innocent vivacity, is she darkly to be told that men will draw conclusions which she little thinks of?—Let the libertine draw what inference he pleases; but, I hope, tha t n o sensible mother wil l restrain th e natura l frankness o f youth by instilling such indecent cautions . Out of the abundance of the hear t th e mout h speaketh; * an d a wise r tha n Solomo n hat h said,* that th e hear t shoul d be made clean, and not trivia l ceremonies observed, which it is not very difficult t o fulfi l wit h scrupulous exactness when vice reigns in the heart . Women ought to endeavour to purify thei r heart; but can they do so when their uncultivate d understandings make them entirel y de pendent o n their sense s fo r employment and amusement , whe n no

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noble pursuit sets them above the little vanities of the day, or enables them to curb the wild emotions that agitate a reed ove r which every passing breeze has power? To gai n the affection s o f a virtuous man is affectatio n necessary ? Nature ha s give n woma n a weaker fram e than man; but, to ensure her husband's affections , mus t a wife, who by the exercise of her mind and body whilst she was discharging the duties of a daughter, wife, and mother, has allowed her constitution to retain its natural strength, an d her nerves a healthy tone, is she, I say, to condescend t o use art an d feig n a sickly delicacy in order t o secure he r husband' s affection ? Weaknes s ma y excit e tenderness , and gratif y th e arrogan t pride o f man; bu t th e lordl y caresses o f a protector wil l not gratif y a noble mind tha t pant s for , and deserve s to be respected. Fondnes s i s a poor substitut e fo r friendship! In a seraglio, I grant, that all these arts are necessary; the epicure must hav e his palat e tickled, or h e wil l sin k into apathy ; but hav e women s o little ambitio n a s to b e satisfie d wit h suc h a condition? Can the y supinel y drea m lif e awa y i n th e la p o f pleasure , o r th e languor of weariness, rather than assert their claim to pursue reasonable pleasures and render themselve s conspicuous by practising the virtues which dignify mankind? Surely she has not an immortal soul who can loiter lif e awa y merely employed to adorn her person , tha t she may amuse the langui d hours, and softe n the care s o f a fellowcreature wh o i s willin g t o b e enlivene d b y he r smile s an d tricks , when the seriou s business of life i s over. Besides, the woman who strengthens he r body and exercises her mind will , by managin g her famil y an d practisin g various virtues, become th e friend , an d not the humbl e dependent o f her husband ; and if she, by possessing such substantial qualities, merit his regard, she will not find it necessary to conceal her affection, no r to pretend to a n unnatura l coldnes s o f constitutio n t o excit e he r husband' s passions. In fact, if we revert to history, we shall find that the women who hav e distinguishe d themselve s hav e neithe r bee n th e mos t beautiful no r th e mos t gentl e of their sex . Nature, or , t o spea k wit h stric t propriety , God , ha s mad e all things right ; bu t ma n ha s sought hi m out man y inventions to mar the work. I now allude to that par t of Dr Gregory' s treatise , where he advise s a wife neve r t o le t he r husban d kno w the exten t o f he r sensibility or affection. * Voluptuou s precaution, an d a s ineffectua l as absurd.—Love, from it s very nature, must be transitory. To seek

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for a secret tha t would render i t constant, woul d be as wild a search as for the philosopher' s stone, * or th e gran d panacea : and th e dis covery would be equally useless, o r rather pernicious , t o mankind. The mos t holy band of society is friendship. It has been well said, by a shrew d satirist , 'tha t rar e a s true lov e is , tru e friendshi p i s stil l rarer.'* This is an obvious truth , an d th e caus e not lyin g deep, wil l not elude a slight glanc e of inquiry. Love, th e commo n passion , i n which chanc e an d sensatio n tak e place o f choice an d reason , is , in som e degree , fel t b y th e mas s of mankind; for it is not necessary to speak, at present, of the emotion s that rise above or sink below love. This passion, naturally increased by suspens e an d difficulties , draw s the min d ou t o f its accustome d state, and exalts the affections; but the security of marriage, allowing the feve r o f lov e t o subside , a health y temperatur e i s though t in sipid, onl y by thos e wh o hav e no t sufficien t intellec t t o substitut e the calm tenderness of friendship, the confidence of respect, instead of blind admiration , and th e sensual emotions o f fondness. This is, must be, the course of nature—friendship or indifferenc e inevitably succeeds love.—An d this constitution seem s perfectly to harmonize wit h th e syste m o f governmen t whic h prevail s i n th e moral world . Passions ar e spurs t o action, an d open th e mind ; bu t they sin k int o mer e appetites , becom e a persona l an d momentar y gratification, whe n the object is gained, and the satisfie d min d rests in enjoyment . The ma n wh o had som e virtu e whilst h e was struggling for a crown, often becomes a voluptuous tyrant when it graces his brow; and, when the lover is not lost in the husband, the dotard , a prey to childish caprices, an d fond jealousies , neglects th e seriou s duties of life, and the caresses which should excite confidence in his children ar e lavished on the overgrow n child, hi s wife . In orde r t o fulfi l th e dutie s o f life, an d t o be able to pursue with vigour the variou s employments whic h form th e moral character, a master an d mistres s o f a family ough t no t t o continue t o lov e each other wit h passion . I mea n t o say , tha t the y ough t no t t o indulg e those emotion s whic h disturb th e orde r o f society, and engross th e thoughts tha t shoul d b e otherwis e employed . Th e min d tha t ha s never been engrosse d b y one object wants vigour—if it can long be so, it i s weak.

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A mistake n education , a narrow , uncultivate d mind , an d man y sexual prejudices , tend t o mak e women mor e constan t tha n men ; but, fo r the present, I shall not touch o n this branch o f the subject. I wil l go still further, and advance , without dreaming of a paradox, that a n unhapp y marriag e is ofte n ver y advantageous to a family , and that the neglected wif e is, in general, the best mother. An d this would almos t alway s b e th e consequenc e i f the femal e min d wer e more enlarged; for , it seems to be the common dispensatio n o f Pro vidence, that what we gain in present enjoyment should be deducted from th e treasure of life, experience; and that when we are gathering the flowers of the day and revelling in pleasure, the solid fruit of toil and wisdo m shoul d no t b e caugh t a t th e sam e time . Th e wa y lies before us, we must turn to the right or left; and he who will pass life away in bounding from on e pleasure to another, must no t complain if he acquire neithe r wisdom no r respectabilit y o f character. Supposing, fo r a moment, tha t the soul is not immortal, and that man was only created for the present scene,—I think we should have reason to complain that love , infantine fondness, ever grew insipid and palle d upo n th e sense . Le t u s eat , drink , an d love , fo r to morrow we die, would be, in fact, the language of reason, the moral ity of life; an d wh o but a fool woul d part with a reality for a fleeting shadow? But , i f awed b y observin g th e improbabl e power s o f th e mind, w e disdain to confine ou r wishe s or thoughts t o such a com paratively mea n fiel d o f action ; tha t onl y appear s gran d an d im portant, a s it i s connected wit h a boundless prospec t an d sublim e hopes, wha t necessit y i s ther e fo r falsehoo d in conduct , an d wh y must th e sacre d majest y o f truth b e violate d t o detai n a deceitfu l good that sap s the very foundation of virtue? Why must th e femal e mind b e tainte d b y coquetis h art s t o gratif y th e sensualist , an d prevent love from subsidin g into friendship, or compassionate ten derness, whe n ther e ar e no t qualitie s on whic h friendshi p can b e built? Le t th e hones t hear t she w itself, and reason teach passio n t o submit to necessity; or, let the dignified pursuit of virtue and knowledge rais e th e min d abov e thos e emotion s whic h rathe r imbitte r than sweeten the cup of life, when they are not restrained within due bounds. I d o no t mea n t o allud e t o th e romanti c passion , whic h i s th e concomitant o f genius.—Wh o ca n cli p it s wing ? Bu t tha t gran d

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passion not proportioned t o the puny enjoyments of life, is only true to the sentiment, an d feeds on itself. The passion s which have been celebrated fo r their durabilit y have always been unfortunate . They have acquired strength by absence and constitutional melancholy.— The fanc y ha s hovere d roun d a for m o f beaut y diml y seen—bu t familiarity migh t hav e turned admiratio n int o disgust ; or , a t least , into indifference, and allowed the imagination leisure to start fres h game. With perfec t propriety, according to this view of things, doe s Rousseau make the mistress of his soul, Eloisa, love St Preux,* when life wa s fading before her; but thi s is no proof of the immortality of the passion . Of the sam e complexion i s Dr Gregory' s advice respecting deli cacy of sentiment,* which he advises a woman not to acquire, i f she have determined t o marry. This determination, however , perfectly consistent wit h hi s forme r advice , he call s indelicate, and earnestl y persuades hi s daughter s t o concea l it , thoug h i t ma y gover n thei r conduct:—as if it were indelicate to have the commo n appetite s of human nature . Noble morality ! and consisten t wit h th e cautiou s prudenc e o f a little sou l tha t cannot exten d it s views beyond th e presen t minut e division of existence. If all the faculties of woman's mind are only to be cultivate d a s the y respec t he r dependenc e o n man ; if , whe n a husband be obtained, she have arrived at her goal, and meanly proud rests satisfie d wit h such a paltry crown, let her grove l contentedly , scarcely raised by her employments abov e the animal kingdom; but, if, strugglin g for the priz e of her hig h calling, she looks beyond th e present scene, let her cultivate her understanding withou t stoppin g to conside r wha t characte r th e husban d ma y hav e who m sh e i s destined t o marry. Let he r onl y determine, withou t being too anxious about presen t happiness, to acquire the qualities that ennoble a rational being, an d a rough inelegan t husband ma y shock he r tast e without destroying her peac e of mind. Sh e will not model he r sou l to sui t th e frailtie s o f her companion , bu t t o bea r wit h them : hi s character ma y be a trial, bu t no t an impediment to virtue . If D r Gregor y confine d hi s remar k t o romanti c expectation s of constan t lov e an d congenia l feelings , h e shoul d hav e recollect ed that experienc e will banish what advice can never make us cease to wis h for , whe n th e imaginatio n i s kep t aliv e a t th e expenc e o f reason.

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I ow n i t frequentl y happen s tha t wome n wh o hav e fostere d a romantic unnatural delicacy of feeling, waste their1 lives in imagining how happ y they should hav e been wit h a husband wh o coul d love them wit h a fervid increasin g affection ever y day, and al l day. Bu t they migh t a s well pine married a s single—and woul d not b e a jot more unhapp y wit h a ba d husban d tha n longin g fo r a goo d one . That a proper education ; or , t o spea k wit h mor e precision , a well stored mind , woul d enabl e a woma n t o suppor t a singl e lif e wit h dignity, I grant; but tha t she should avoid cultivating her taste, lest her husband should occasionally shock it, is quitting a substance for a shadow . To sa y the truth , I d o no t kno w of what us e i s an im proved taste, if the individual be not rendered more independent of the casualties of life; if new sources of enjoyment, only dependent on the solitary operations of the mind, are not opened. Peopl e of taste, married o r single , withou t distinction , wil l eve r b e disguste d b y various things that touch not less observing minds. On this conclu sion th e argumen t must no t b e allowed to hinge ; but i n the whole sum o f enjoyment is taste to be denominate d a blessing? The questio n is, whether it procures most pain or pleasure? The answer will decide the propriet y of Dr Gregory' s advice, and shew how absurd an d tyranni c it is thus t o lay down a system o f slavery; or to attempt t o educate moral beings by any other rule s than thos e deduced fro m pur e reason, whic h apply to the whol e species. Gentleness o f manners, forbearance and long-suffering, are such amiable Godlik e qualities, tha t i n sublim e poetic strain s th e Deit y has been invested with them; and, perhaps, no representation o f his goodness so strongly fasten s on the huma n affection s as those that represent him abundant in mercy and willing to pardon. Gentleness, considered i n this point of view, bears on its front al l the character istics o f grandeur , combine d wit h th e winnin g graces o f condes cension; bu t wha t a differen t aspec t i t assume s whe n i t i s th e submissive demeanour of dependence, the support of weakness that loves, because it wants protection; and is forbearing, because it must silently endure injuries; smiling under the lash at which it dare not snarl. Abject a s this picture appears , it is the portrai t o f an accom plished woman , according to th e receive d opinion of female excel lence, separate d by specious reasoners fro m huma n excellence. Or , 1

Fo r example , the her d o f Novelists.

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they kindly restore the rib, and make one moral being of a man and woman; not forgettin g to give her al l the 'submissiv e charms.'* How woman are to exist in that state where there i s to be neither marrying no r givin g i n marriage, * w e ar e no t told . Fo r thoug h moralists have agreed that the tenor o f life seems t o prove that man is prepare d b y variou s circumstances fo r a futur e state , the y con stantly concu r i n advisin g woman onl y to provid e fo r th e present . Gentleness, docility, and a spaniel-like affection are , on this ground, consistently recommende d a s the cardina l virtues o f the sex ; and , disregarding th e arbitrar y economy o f nature , on e write r ha s de clared tha t i t i s masculine for a woman to be melancholy. Sh e was created to be the toy of man, his rattle, and it must jingle in his ears whenever, dismissing reason, he chooses t o be amused. To recommen d gentleness , indeed , o n a broa d basi s i s strictl y philosophical. A frai l bein g shoul d labou r t o b e gentle . Bu t whe n forbearance confounds right and wrong, it ceases to be a virtue; and, however convenient it may be found in a companion—that compan ion wil l ever be considere d a s an inferior , and onl y inspire a vapid tenderness, whic h easily degenerates into contempt. Still , if advice could really make a being gentle, whose natural disposition admitted not o f suc h a fine polish, somethin g toward s th e advancemen t of order woul d be attained; but if , as might quickly be demonstrated , only affectation b e produced b y this indiscriminate counsel, which throws a stumbling-block i n the wa y of gradual improvement, an d true melioration o f temper, th e se x is not much benefite d by sacrificing solid virtues to the attainment of superficial graces, though for a few years they ma y procure the individual s regal sway. As a philosopher, I rea d wit h indignatio n the plausibl e epithet s which men use to soften thei r insults ; and, as a moralist, I ask what is meant by such heterogeneous associations, as fair defects, amiable weaknesses,* etc.? If there b e but on e criterion o f morals, but on e archetype fo r man , wome n appea r t o b e suspende d b y destiny , according to the vulgar tale of Mahomet's coffin;* the y have neither the unerrin g instinc t o f brutes , no r ar e allowe d t o fi x th e ey e of reason o n a perfect model. They were made to be loved, and mus t not ai m a t respect , les t the y shoul d b e hunte d ou t o f societ y a s masculine. 1

Vid e Rousseau, and Swedenborg. *

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But to vie w the subjec t in anothe r poin t of view . Do passiv e indolent wome n mak e the bes t wives ? Confinin g our discussio n t o the present moment o f existence, let us see how such weak creatures perform thei r part ? Do th e wome n who, by the attainment o f a few superficial accomplishments , hav e strengthene d th e prevailin g prejudice, merely contribute to the happiness of their husbands? Do they display their charms merely to amuse them? And have women, who hav e earl y imbibe d notion s o f passiv e obedience , sufficien t character t o manag e a famil y o r educat e children ? S o fa r fro m it , that, after surveyin g the histor y of woman, I cannot help , agreein g with the severes t satirist , considerin g the se x as the weakes t as well as the most oppressed hal f of the species. What does history disclose but mark s o f inferiority , and ho w fe w wome n hav e emancipate d themselves fro m th e gallin g yoke of sovereign man?—So few, that the exception s remin d m e o f a n ingeniou s conjectur e respectin g Newton:* tha t h e wa s probabl y a bein g o f a superio r order , accidently cage d i n a huma n body . Followin g th e sam e trai n o f thinking, I hav e bee n le d t o imagin e tha t th e fe w extraordinary women wh o have rushed i n eccentrica l direction s ou t o f the orbi t prescribed t o thei r sex , wer e male spirits , confine d b y mistak e i n female frames. But if it be not philosophical to think of sex when the soul is mentioned, th e inferiority must depen d on the organs; or the heavenly fire , whic h i s t o fermen t th e clay , i s no t give n i n equa l portions. But avoiding , as I hav e hitherto done , an y direct compariso n of the tw o sexes collectively, or frankl y acknowledgin g the inferiority of woman, according to the present appearance o f things, I shall only insist that men have increased that inferiorit y till women are almost sunk belo w th e standar d o f rationa l creatures . Le t thei r facultie s have roo m t o unfold , and thei r virtue s t o gai n strength , an d the n determine wher e the whole sex must stan d i n the intellectual scale, Yet le t it be remembered, tha t fo r a small number o f distinguished women I do not as k a place. It is difficult fo r us purblind mortal s to say to what height human discoveries an d improvement s ma y arrive when th e gloo m o f des potism subsides , whic h makes us stumble a t every step; but , whe n morality shall be settled o n a more soli d basis , then , without being gifted wit h a prophetic spirit , I will venture t o predict tha t woman will be either the frien d or slave of man. We shall not, as at present ,

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doubt whethe r sh e i s a moral agent , o r th e lin k which unite s ma n with brutes . But , shoul d i t the n appear , tha t lik e th e brute s the y were principall y create d fo r th e us e o f man, h e wil l le t the m pa tiently bit e th e bridle , an d no t moc k the m wit h empt y praise ; or , should thei r rationalit y b e proved , h e wil l no t imped e thei r im provement merel y to gratify hi s sensual appetites. H e wil l not, with all th e grace s o f rhetoric , advis e the m t o submi t implicitl y thei r understanding t o the guidanc e of man. He wil l not, whe n he treat s of the education o f women, assert that they ought neve r to have the free us e of reason, no r woul d he recommend cunnin g and dissimu lation t o being s wh o ar e acquiring , i n lik e manne r a s himself, th e virtues of humanity. Surely there ca n be but on e rule of right, i f morality has an eternal foundation , an d whoeve r sacrifice s virtue , strictl y s o called , to presen t convenience , o r whos e duty i t i s t o ac t i n suc h a man ner, live s onl y fo r th e passin g day , an d canno t b e a n accountabl e creature. The poe t the n shoul d hav e dropped hi s sneer whe n h e says, 'If wea k wome n go astray, The star s ar e more i n fault tha n they.'*

For tha t the y are bound by the adamantine chain of destiny is most certain, i f i t b e prove d tha t the y ar e neve r t o exercis e thei r ow n reason, neve r to be independent, neve r to rise above opinion, o r to feel th e dignit y of a rational will that onl y bows to God , an d ofte n forgets that the universe contains any being but itself and the model of perfection t o which its ardent gaz e is turned, t o adore attribute s that, softene d int o virtues , ma y b e imitate d i n kind , thoug h th e degree overwhelm s the enraptured mind . If, I say , fo r I woul d no t impres s b y declamatio n whe n Reaso n offers he r sobe r light , if they be really capable of acting like rational creatures, le t them no t be treated lik e slaves; or, like the brutes who are dependent o n the reason o f man, when they associate with him; but cultivat e their minds , giv e them th e salutary , sublime cur b of principle, an d le t them attai n consciou s dignit y b y feelin g them selves only dependent o n God. Teac h them, i n common wit h man, to submi t t o necessity , instea d o f giving , t o rende r the m mor e pleasing, a sex to morals .

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Further, shoul d experienc e prov e tha t the y canno t attai n th e same degre e o f strengt h o f mind, perseverance , an d fortitude , let their virtue s be the sam e i n kind, though the y may vainly struggl e for th e same degree; and the superiority of man will be equally clear, if no t clearer ; an d truth , a s it i s a simpl e principle , whic h admit s of n o modification , woul d b e commo n t o both . Nay , th e orde r of societ y a s i t i s a t presen t regulate d woul d no t b e inverted , fo r woman would then only have the rank that reason assigned her, and arts could no t be practised t o bring the balanc e even, much les s t o turn it. These ma y be terme d Utopia n dreams.—Thank s t o tha t Bein g who impressed the m on my soul, and gave me sufficient strengt h of mind to dare to exert my own reason, till, becoming dependent only on him fo r the suppor t o f my virtue , I view, with indignation, th e mistaken notions tha t enslave my sex. I love man as my fellow; but his scepter, real, or usurped, extends not t o me, unless the reaso n of an individual demands my homage; and eve n then the submissio n is to reason, and no t to man. In fact , the conduct of an accountable being must be regulated by the operations o f its ow n reason ; o r o n wha t foundatio n rests th e thron e o f God? It appear s t o m e necessar y t o dwel l o n thes e obviou s truths , because females have been insulated, as it were; and, while they have been stripped o f the virtues that should clothe humanity, they have been decke d wit h artificia l grace s tha t enabl e the m t o exercis e a short-lived tyranny . Love, i n thei r bosoms , takin g place o f every nobler passion , thei r sol e ambitio n i s t o b e fair , t o rais e emotio n instead of inspiring respect; and this ignoble desire, like the servility in absolute monarchies, destroys all strength of character. Liberty is the mothe r o f virtue, and i f women be, by their ver y constitution , slaves, an d no t allowe d t o breath e th e shar p invigoratin g air o f freedom, the y mus t eve r languis h lik e exotics , an d b e reckone d beautiful flaw s i n nature . As to the argument respecting the subjection in which the sex has ever bee n held , i t retort s o n man . Th e man y hav e alway s bee n enthralled b y the few ; and monsters , wh o scarcely have shewn any discernment o f human excellence, hav e tyrannized over thousands of thei r fellow-creatures . Why hav e men o f superior endowment s

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submitted t o such degradation ? For , i s it not universall y acknowl edged tha t kings , viewe d collectively , hav e eve r bee n inferior , in abilities an d virtue , t o th e sam e numbe r o f me n take n fro m th e common mass of mankind—yet, have they not, and are they not still treated wit h a degree of reverence that i s an insult to reason? China is not th e onl y country wher e a living man has been mad e a God.* Men have submitted t o superior strengt h t o enjoy with impunity the pleasure o f th e moment— women hav e onl y don e th e same , an d therefore til l it is proved that th e courtier, wh o servilely resigns the birthright o f a man, is not a moral agent, it cannot be demonstrate d that woma n i s essentiall y inferio r t o ma n becaus e sh e ha s always been subjugated. Brutal force has hitherto governed the world, and that the science of politics is in its infancy, is evident from philosopher s scruplin g to give the knowledge most useful to man that determinate distinction . I shall not pursue thi s argument an y further than t o establish an obvious inference , tha t a s sound politic s diffus e liberty , mankind , including woman, will become mor e wis e and virtuous .

CHAPTER II I THE SAM E SUBJEC T CONTINUE D

Bodily strengt h fro m bein g th e distinctio n o f heroe s i s no w sun k into such unmerited contempt tha t men, as well as women, seem to think i t unnecessary : th e latter , a s i t take s fro m thei r feminin e graces, an d fro m tha t lovel y weaknes s the sourc e o f thei r undu e power; and the former, because it appears inimical to the characte r of a gentleman. That the y hav e bot h b y departin g fro m on e extrem e ru n int o another, may easily be proved; but first it may be proper to observe, that a vulgar error has obtained a degree of credit, whic h has given force t o a false conclusion, in which an effect ha s been mistaken for a cause. People o f genius have, very frequently, impaire d thei r constitu tions b y stud y o r careles s inattentio n t o thei r health , an d th e vio lence o f their passion s bearin g a proportion t o th e vigou r of thei r intellects, th e sword' s destroyin g th e scabbar d ha s become almos t proverbial,* an d superficia l observers hav e inferre d fro m thence , that men of genius have commonly weak , or, to use a more fashion able phrase, delicat e constitutions. Ye t the contrary , I believe, will appear to be the fact; for, on diligent inquiry, I find that strength of mind has , i n mos t cases , bee n accompanie d b y superio r strengt h of body,—natural soundness o f constitution,—not that robust ton e of nerve s an d vigou r o f muscles , whic h aris e fro m bodil y labour, when the mind i s quiescent, or only directs th e hands . Dr Priestle y ha s remarked, * i n th e prefac e t o hi s biographical chart, that th e majorit y of great me n hav e lived beyon d forty-five . And, considerin g the thoughtles s manne r i n whic h the y hav e lavished thei r strength , whe n investigatin g a favourit e scienc e the y have waste d th e lam p o f life , forgetfu l o f th e midnigh t hour ; or , when, los t i n poeti c dreams , fanc y ha s peopled th e scene , an d th e soul ha s been disturbed , til l i t shoo k th e constitution , b y th e pas sions tha t meditatio n ha d raised ; whose objects, the baseles s fabri c of a vision,* faded before the exhausted eye, they must have had iron 105

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frames. Shakspear e neve r graspe d th e air y dagger wit h a nerveless hand,* no r di d Milto n trembl e whe n h e le d Sata n fa r fro m th e confines o f hi s drear y prison.*—Thes e wer e no t th e raving s o f imbecility, th e sickl y effusion s o f distempere d brains ; bu t th e exuberance o f fancy , tha t 'i n a fine phrenzy'* wandering, wa s not continually reminded o f its material shackles . I am aware that this argument would carry me further than it may be supposed I wish to go; but I follow truth, and, still adhering to my first position, I wil l allow that bodil y strength seem s t o giv e man a natural superiorit y ove r woman ; and thi s i s the onl y solid basis o n which the superiorit y o f the se x can be built. Bu t I still insist, tha t not only the virtue, but the knowledge o f the two sexes should be the same i n nature , i f no t i n degree , an d tha t women , considere d no t only as moral, but rationa l creatures, ough t to endeavour to acquire human virtues (or perfections) by the same means as men, instead of being educated lik e a fanciful kin d of halfbeing—one o f Rousseau's wild chimeras. 1 1 'Researche s into abstract and speculativ e truths, th e principle s an d axiom s of sciences, in short , ever y thin g whic h tend s t o generaliz e ou r ideas , i s no t th e prope r provinc e o f women; thei r studie s shoul d b e relativ e t o point s o f practice; i t belong s t o the m t o apply those principles which men have discovered; and it is their part to make observations, which direct men to the establishment of general principles. All the ideas of women, which have not the immediate tendency to points of duty, should be directed t o the study of men, and to the attainment o f those agreeabl e accomplishment s whic h hav e taste fo r thei r object ; for as to works o f genius, the y ar e beyon d thei r capacity ; neithe r hav e they sufficien t precisio n o r power of attention t o succeed i n sciences whic h require accuracy: and as to physical knowledge, i t belongs t o those onl y who are most active , most inquisitive ; who comprehend th e greatest variet y of objects: in short, i t belongs to those wh o have the stronges t powers , and who exercise the m most , t o judge of the relation s betwee n sensibl e being s an d th e law s of nature. A woman who i s naturally weak, and doe s no t carr y her idea s t o an y grea t extent , knows how to judge and make a proper estimat e of those movements which she sets to work, in order to aid her weakness; and these movements are the passions of men. The mechanis m she employs is much more powerful tha n ours; for all her levers move the human heart. Sh e must hav e the skil l to incline u s to d o every thing whic h her se x will not enabl e her t o d o herself, and which is necessary or agreeable to her; therefore she ought to study the mind of man thoroughly, not the mind of man in general, abstractedly, but th e dispositions of those men to whom she is subject, either by the laws of her country or by the force of opinion. Sh e should lear n t o penetrate int o thei r rea l sentiment s fro m thei r conversation , thei r actions , their looks , an d gestures . Sh e shoul d als o hav e the art , b y he r ow n conversation , actions , looks, and gestures, t o communicate those sentiments which are agreeable to them, without seeming t o inten d it . Me n wil l argu e mor e philosophicall y abou t th e huma n heart ; bu t women will read the heart of man better than they. It belongs to women, if I may be allowed the expression , t o for m a n experimenta l morality , an d t o reduc e th e stud y o f ma n t o a system. Wome n hav e most wit , men hav e most genius ; women observe, me n reason : fro m the concurrence of both w e derive the clearest ligh t and the most perfect knowledge, which

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But, i f strength of body be, with some she w of reason, the boas t of men, wh y ar e wome n s o infatuate d as t o b e prou d o f a defect ? Rousseau ha s furnished them wit h a plausible excuse, which could only have occurred to a man, whose imagination had been allowed to run wild, and refine on the impressions made by exquisite senses;— that the y might , forsooth , hav e a pretex t fo r yieldin g to a natural appetite withou t violatin g a romanti c specie s o f modesty , whic h gratifies th e prid e and libertinis m o f man. Women, delude d b y thes e sentiments , sometime s boas t o f their weakness, cunningly obtaining power by playing on the weakness of men; an d the y may well glory in their illicit sway, for, like Turkish bashaws,* they have more real power than their masters: but virtue is sacrificed to temporary gratifications, and the respectability of life to the triump h o f an hour. Women, a s well as despots, hav e now, perhaps, more power than they would have if the world, divided and subdivided into kingdoms and families , wer e governed by law s deduced fro m th e exercis e of reason; but in obtaining it, to carry on the comparison, their charac ter is degraded, and licentiousness spread through the whole aggregate of society. The man y become pedestal to the few . I, therefore, will venture to assert, that till women are more rationally educated, the progress of human virtu e and improvement i n knowledge must receive continual checks. An d i f it be grante d tha t woma n was not created merel y t o gratif y th e appetit e o f man, o r t o b e th e uppe r servant, who provides his meals and takes care of his linen, it must follow, tha t th e firs t car e o f thos e mother s o r fathers , wh o really attend t o th e educatio n o f females, should be , i f not t o strengthe n the body , at least, no t t o destro y th e constitutio n b y mistaken no tions o f beaut y an d femal e excellence ; no r shoul d girl s eve r b e allowed t o imbib e th e perniciou s notio n tha t a defec t can, b y an y chemical proces s o f reasoning , becom e a n excellence . I n thi s respect, I a m happ y t o find , tha t th e autho r o f on e o f th e mos t instructive books, that our country has produced for children, cointhe huma n min d is , o f itself , capabl e o f attaining . I n on e word , fro m henc e w e acquir e the mos t intimat e acquaintance , bot h wit h ourselve s an d others , o f whic h ou r natur e i s capable; and i t is thus that ar t ha s a constant tendenc y to perfect those endowment s which nature ha s bestowed.—The worl d i s the boo k of women.' Rousseau's Emilius* I hop e m y readers still remember the comparison, whic h I have brought forward, between women and officers.

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cides with me in opinion; I shall quote his pertinent remark s to give the forc e o f his respectable authorit y t o reason. 1 But should it be proved that woman is naturally weaker than man, whence does i t follo w tha t i t i s natural for her t o labour to becom e still weaker than natur e intended he r t o be? Arguments of this cas t are a n insul t t o commo n sense , and savou r o f passion. Th e divine right o f husbands , lik e th e divin e righ t o f kings , may , i t i s t o b e hoped, i n thi s enlightene d age , b e conteste d withou t danger , and , though convictio n may not silence many boisterous disputants , yet, when an y prevailin g prejudice is attacked , th e wis e wil l consider , and leav e the narrow-minded t o rail with thoughtless vehemenc e at innovation. The mother , who wishes t o give true dignity of character t o her daughter, must, regardles s of the sneer s of ignorance, proceed o n a plan diametricall y opposit e t o tha t whic h Roussea u ha s recom mended wit h all the deludin g charms o f eloquence an d philosophi cal sophistry : fo r hi s eloquenc e render s absurditie s plausible , an d his dogmati c conclusion s puzzle , withou t convincing , thos e wh o have not abilit y to refute them . 1 A respectable ol d ma n give s the followin g sensibl e accoun t o f the metho d h e pursue d when educating his daughter. 'I endeavoured to give both t o her mind and body a degree of vigour, which is seldom found in the femal e sex. As soon as she was sufficiently advance d in strength t o be capable of the lighter labours of husbandry and gardening, I employed her as my constant companion. Selene , fo r that was her name, soon acquired a dexterity in all these rustic employments, whic h I considered wit h equal pleasure and admiration. I f women are in general feeble both i n body and mind, it arises less from natur e than fro m education . We encourage a viciou s indolenc e an d inactivity , whic h w e falsel y cal l delicacy ; instea d o f hardening their mind s by the severer principles of reason and philosophy, w e breed them to useless arts, whic h terminate in vanity and sensuality. In most of the countries whic h I had visited, they are taught nothing of an higher natur e than a few modulations of the voice , or useless postures o f the body; their time is consumed in sloth or trifles, and trifles become th e only pursuits capabl e of interesting them . We seem to forget, tha t it is upon th e qualities of the femal e se x that ou r ow n domesti c comfort s an d th e educatio n o f ou r childre n mus t depend. An d what are the comforts or the education whic h a race of beings, corrupte d fro m their infancy , an d unacquainte d wit h all the dutie s of life, ar e fitted t o bestow? To touc h a musical instrument wit h useless skills , to exhibit their natura l or affected grace s to the eyes of indolent and debauched youn g men, to dissipate their husband's patrimony i n riotous and unnecessary expences , thes e ar e the onl y arts cultivated b y women in most o f the polishe d nations I had seen. And the consequences ar e uniformly such as may be expected t o proceed from suc h pollute d sources , privat e misery and publi c servitude . 'But Selene' s educatio n wa s regulated b y differen t views , and conducte d upo n severe r principles; i f tha t ca n b e calle d severit y whic h open s th e min d t o a sens e o f mora l an d religious duties , an d mos t effectuall y arm s it against the inevitabl e evils of life. ' Mr Day's Sandford an d Merton* Vol . Ill

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Throughout th e whol e anima l kingdo m ever y youn g creatur e requires almos t continua l exercise , an d th e infanc y o f children , comformable to this intimation, shoul d be passed in harmless gam bols, that exercise the feet and hands, without requiring very minute direction fro m th e head, or the constant attention of a nurse. In fact , the care necessary for self-preservation is the first natural exercise of the understanding, as little inventions to amuse the present momen t unfold th e imagination . But thes e wis e designs o f nature are counteracted b y mistaken fondnes s or blind zeal. The chil d i s not lef t a moment t o its own direction, particularl y a girl, and thus rendere d dependent—dependence is called natural. To preserv e personal beauty, woman's glory! the limbs and faculties are cramped wit h worse than Chinese bands,* and the sedentary life which they are condemned t o live, whilst boys frolic in the open air, weakens the muscles and relaxes the nerves.—As for Rousseau's remarks,* whic h hav e sinc e bee n echoe d b y severa l writers , tha t they have naturally, that is from thei r birth, independent o f education, a fondness for dolls, dressing, and talking—they are so puerile as not to merit a serious refutation. That a girl, condemned t o sit for hours together listening t o the idle chat of weak nurses, or to atten d at he r mother' s toilet , wil l endeavou r t o joi n th e conversation , is , indeed, ver y natural; and that sh e will imitate her mother o r aunts , and amuse herself by adorning her lifeless doll , as they do in dressing her, poo r innocen t babe ! is undoubtedly a most natura l consequence. Fo r me n of the greatest abilities have seldom ha d sufficien t strength t o rise above the surrounding atmosphere; and , if the page of geniu s hav e alway s been blurre d b y th e prejudice s o f th e age , some allowance should be made for a sex, who, like kings, always see things throug h a false medium . Pursuing these reflections, the fondness for dress, conspicuous in women, may be easily accounted for, without supposing it the result of a desir e t o pleas e th e se x o n whic h the y ar e dependent . Th e absurdity, in short , o f supposing tha t a girl is naturally a coquette , and that a desire connected with the impulse of nature to propagat e the species , shoul d appea r eve n before an improper educatio n has , by heatin g th e imagination , calle d i t fort h prematurely , i s s o un philosophical, that such a sagacious observer as Rousseau would not have adopted it , if he had not been accustomed t o make reason give way to his desire o f singularity, and trut h t o a favourite paradox. *

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Yet thu s t o giv e a sex to min d wa s not ver y consistent wit h th e principles o f a ma n wh o argue d s o warmly , an d s o well , fo r th e immortality of the soul.*—But what a weak barrier is truth whe n it stands in the way of an hypothesis ! Roussea u respected—almos t adored virtue—an d ye t h e allowe d himsel f t o lov e wit h sensua l fondness. Hi s imaginatio n constantl y prepare d inflammabl e fewe l for hi s inflammable senses; but, i n order t o reconcile his respect fo r self-denial, fortitude, and those heroic virtues, which a mind like his could not cooll y admire, he labours to invert the law of nature, and broaches a doctrine pregnan t wit h mischie f an d derogator y t o th e character o f supreme wisdom . His ridiculous stories, which tend to prove that girls are naturally attentive t o thei r persons , withou t layin g an y stres s o n dail y example, ar e belo w contempt.—An d tha t a littl e mis s shoul d have suc h a correc t tast e a s t o neglec t th e pleasin g amusemen t of makin g O's , merel y becaus e sh e perceive d tha t i t wa s a n ungraceful attitude , shoul d b e selecte d wit h th e anecdote s o f th e learned pig. 1* I have , probably, ha d a n opportunity o f observing more girl s in their infanc y tha n J. J. Rousseau— I can recollect m y own feelings, and I hav e looked steadil y around me ; yet , s o far fro m coincidin g with him in opinion respecting th e first dawn of the femal e charac ter, I will venture to affirm, tha t a girl, whose spirits have not bee n damped b y inactivity , o r innocenc e tainte d b y fals e shame , wil l always b e a romp , an d th e dol l wil l neve r excit e attentio n unles s confinement allow s he r n o alternative . Girl s an d boys , i n short , would pla y harmlessl y together , i f th e distinctio n o f se x wa s no t inculcated lon g before nature makes any difference.—I wil l go further, an d affirm , a s an indisputable fact , that most of the women, in the circle of my observation, wh o have acted like rational creatures , or shewn an y vigour of intellect, hav e accidentally been allowe d to 1 ' I once knew a young person wh o learned t o write before she learned t o read, and bega n to write with her needle before she could use a pen. A t first, indeed, sh e took it into her hea d to mak e n o othe r lette r tha n th e O : thi s lette r sh e wa s constantly makin g of all sizes, an d always th e wron g way . Unluckily , on e day , a s sh e wa s inten t o n thi s employment , sh e happened t o se e hersel f i n th e looking-glass ; when , takin g a dislik e t o th e constraine d attitude i n whic h sh e sa t whil e writing , sh e thre w awa y her pen , lik e anothe r Pallas , an d determined agains t making the O any more. He r brothe r wa s also equally averse to writing : it was the confinement, however, and not the constrained attitude , tha t most disguste d him. ' Rousseau's Emilius*

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run wild—a s som e o f th e elegan t former s o f th e fai r se x would insinuate. The banefu l consequence s whic h flow fro m inattentio n to health during infancy , an d youth , exten d furthe r tha n i s supposed—de pendence of body naturally produces dependence of mind; and how can she be a good wif e o r mother, th e greate r par t of whose time is employed t o guar d agains t o r endur e sickness ? Nor ca n i t b e ex pected tha t a woma n wil l resolutel y endeavou r t o strengthe n he r constitution an d abstai n fro m enervatin g indulgencies, i f artificia l notions o f beauty , an d fals e description s o f sensibility , hav e bee n early entangle d wit h he r motive s o f action . Mos t me n ar e some times oblige d t o bea r wit h bodily inconveniencies, an d t o endure , occasionally, th e inclemenc y o f th e elements ; bu t gentee l wome n are, literall y speaking , slave s t o thei r bodies , an d glor y i n thei r subjection. I once knew a weak woman of fashion, wh o was more than com monly prou d o f her delicac y and sensibility . She though t a distinguishing taste and puny appetite the height of all human perfection, and acte d accordingly.— I hav e seen thi s wea k sophisticate d bein g neglect al l the dutie s of life, ye t recline with self-complacency on a sofa, an d boas t o f he r wan t o f appetit e a s a proof o f delicac y tha t extended to, or, perhaps, arose from, he r exquisite sensibility: for it is difficult t o render intelligible suc h ridiculous jargon.—Yet, at the moment, I hav e seen he r insul t a worthy old gentlewoman , whom unexpected misfortune s had mad e dependen t o n he r ostentatiou s bounty, an d who , in better days , had claim s on he r gratitude . Is it possible that a human creature coul d hav e become such a weak and depraved being , if , lik e th e Sybarites, * dissolve d i n luxury , every thing lik e virtu e ha d no t bee n wor n away , o r neve r impresse d b y precept, a poor substitute, i t is true, for cultivation of mind, thoug h it serves a s a fence agains t vice ? Such a woman is not a more irrational monster tha n some of the Roman emperors, wh o were depraved by lawless power. Yet, sinc e kings hav e bee n mor e unde r th e restrain t o f law , an d th e curb , however weak, of honour, th e record s o f history are not filled with such unnatura l instances of folly an d cruelty , nor doe s the despot ism that kill s virtue and genius in the bud, hover over Europe with that destructiv e blast * whic h desolate s Turkey , an d render s th e men, a s well as the soil , unfruitful .

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Women ar e every where in this deplorabl e state; for, in order t o preserve their innocence , a s ignorance is courteously termed , trut h is hidde n fro m them , an d the y ar e mad e t o assum e a n artificia l character befor e their facultie s have acquired an y strength. Taugh t from thei r infanc y tha t beauty is woman's sceptre , the mind shape s itself t o th e body , and , roamin g roun d it s gil t cage , onl y seek s t o adorn it s prison . Me n hav e variou s employment s an d pursuit s which engag e thei r attention , an d giv e a character t o th e openin g mind; but women , confined to one, and having their thought s con stantly directed t o the most insignifican t part of themselves, seldo m extend thei r view s beyond th e triumph o f the hour. Bu t were their understanding onc e emancipate d fro m th e slaver y t o whic h th e pride and sensuality of man and their short-sighted desire, lik e that of dominio n in tyrants , of presen t sway , has subjecte d them , we should probabl y read o f their weaknesse s with surprise . I mus t b e allowed t o pursue th e argumen t a little farther. Perhaps, if the existence of an evil being were allowed, who, in the allegorical languag e o f scripture , wen t abou t seekin g who m h e should devour, * he could no t mor e effectuall y degrad e th e huma n character tha n b y giving a man absolut e power . This argumen t branche s int o variou s ramifications.—Birth , riches, an d ever y extrinsi c advantag e tha t exal t a ma n abov e hi s fellows, withou t an y menta l exertion , sin k hi m i n realit y belo w them. In proportion t o his weakness, he is played upon by designing men, til l th e bloate d monste r ha s los t al l traces o f humanity. And that tribes o f men, like flocks of sheep, shoul d quietl y follow suc h a leader, i s a solecis m tha t onl y a desir e o f presen t enjoymen t an d narrowness of understanding can solve. Educated in slavish dependence, an d enervate d b y luxury and sloth , wher e shal l w e find men who wil l stan d fort h t o asser t th e right s o f man;—o r clai m th e privilege o f moral beings, wh o shoul d hav e but on e road t o excel lence? Slaver y to monarchs an d ministers , whic h th e worl d will be long i n freein g itsel f from , an d whos e deadl y gras p stop s th e progress of the huma n mind , is not yet abolished . Let no t men then i n the pride of power, use the same arguments that tyranni c kings and vena l ministers hav e used, an d fallaciousl y assert that woman ought to be subjected because she has always been so.—But, when man, governed by reasonable laws, enjoys his natural freedom, let him despise woman, if she do not share it with him;

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and, till that glorious perio d arrives, in descanting o n the folly of the sex, let him no t overloo k his own. Women, i t is true, obtaining power by unjust means , b y practis ing o r fosterin g vice , evidentl y los e th e ran k whic h reaso n woul d assign them , an d the y becom e eithe r abjec t slave s o r capriciou s tyrants. The y los e al l simplicity, al l dignity o f mind, i n acquirin g power, an d ac t a s me n ar e observe d t o ac t whe n the y hav e bee n exalted b y the sam e means . It i s time t o effec t a revolution i n femal e manners—tim e t o re store t o the m thei r los t dignity—an d mak e them, a s a part o f th e human species , labou r b y reformin g themselve s t o refor m th e world. I t i s time t o separat e unchangeabl e moral s fro m loca l man ners.—If me n b e demi-gods—wh y le t u s serv e them ! An d i f th e dignity o f th e femal e sou l b e a s disputabl e a s tha t o f animals—i f their reaso n doe s no t affor d sufficien t ligh t t o direc t thei r conduc t whilst unerrin g instinc t i s denied—they ar e surel y o f all creature s the mos t miserable ! and , ben t beneat h th e iro n han d o f destiny , must submi t to be zfair defect i n creation. But t o justify th e way s of Providence* respectin g them , b y pointin g ou t som e irrefragabl e reason for thus making such a large portion of mankind accountable and no t accountable, woul d puzzle the subtiles t casuist . The onl y solid foundation for morality appears to be the character of the supreme Being; the harmony of which arises from a balance of attributes;—and, t o spea k wit h reverence , on e attribut e seem s t o imply the necessity o f another. H e mus t b e just, because h e is wise, he mus t b e good , becaus e h e i s omnipotent . Fo r t o exal t on e at tribute at the expence of another equall y noble and necessary, bears the stam p o f th e warpe d reaso n o f man—th e homag e o f passion . Man, accustome d to bow dow n to powe r in his savag e state , can seldom divest himself of this barbarous prejudice, even when civilization determine s ho w much superio r menta l i s to bodily strength ; and hi s reaso n i s clouded b y thes e crud e opinions , eve n whe n h e thinks of the Deity.—Hi s omnipotenc e is made to swallo w up, or preside over his other attributes , an d those mortals are supposed t o limit his power irreverently, who think that it must be regulated by his wisdom. I disclai m tha t speciou s humilit y which , afte r investigatin g nature, stop s a t th e author.—Th e Hig h an d Loft y One , wh o inhabiteth eternity, doubtless possesses man y attributes of which we

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can for m n o conception; but reaso n tell s me that the y cannot clas h with those I adore—and I am compelled t o listen to her voice. It seem s natura l fo r man t o searc h fo r excellence , and eithe r t o trace i t i n th e objec t that h e worships , o r blindl y to inves t it with perfection, as a garment. But what good effect ca n the latter mode of worship have on the moral conduct of a rational being? He bends to power; he adores a dark cloud, which may open a bright prospect t o him, or burst in angry, lawless fury, on his devoted head—he knows not why. And, supposing that the Deity acts from the vague impulse of an undirected will, man must also follow his own, or act according to rules, deduce d fro m principle s whic h he disclaims as irreverent. Into thi s dilemm a have both enthusiast s and cooler thinker s fallen , when the y laboure d t o fre e me n fro m th e wholesom e restraint s which a just conception of the character o f God imposes . It i s not impiou s thus t o sca n th e attribute s of the Almighty : in fact, who can avoid it that exercises his faculties? Fo r t o love God as the fountain of wisdom, goodness, and power, appears to be the only worship usefu l t o a bein g wh o wishe s t o acquir e eithe r virtu e o r knowledge. A blind unsettle d affectio n may , lik e human passions , occupy th e min d an d war m th e heart , whilst , t o d o justice , love mercy, and wal k humbly with our God , i s forgotten. I shall pursue this subjects still further, when I consider religion in a light opposite to tha t recommende d b y Dr Gregory , wh o treats i t a s a matter o f sentiment o r taste.* To return from this apparent digression. It were to be wished that women woul d cherish a n affectio n fo r their husbands , founde d on the same principle that devotio n ought to rest upon. No other firm base i s there unde r heaven—fo r le t the m bewar e of the fallaciou s light of sentiment; too often use d as a softer phras e for sensuality. It follows then , I think, that fro m thei r infanc y wome n should eithe r be shut u p lik e eastern princes , o r educated i n such a manner a s to be able to thin k and ac t for themselves . Why d o me n hal t betwee n tw o opinions , an d expec t impos sibilities? Wh y d o the y expec t virtu e fro m a slave , fro m a bein g whom th e constitutio n o f civi l societ y ha s rendere d weak , if no t vicious? Still I kno w tha t i t wil l requir e a considerabl e lengt h o f tim e to eradicat e th e firml y roote d prejudice s whic h sensualist s hav e planted; it will also require some time to convince women that they

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act contrar y t o thei r rea l interes t o n a n enlarge d scale , whe n the y cherish o r affec t weaknes s under th e nam e of delicacy, and t o con vince the world that the poisoned sourc e of female vices and follies , if i t b e necessary , i n complianc e with custom, t o us e synonymous terms in a lax sense, has been the sensual homage paid to beauty:— to beauty of features; for it has been shrewdly observed by a German writer, tha t a prett y woman , a s a n objec t o f desire , i s generall y allowed to be so by men of all descriptions; whilst a fine woman, who inspires mor e sublim e emotion s b y displayin g intellectual beauty, may be overlooked or observed with indifference, b y those men who find their happines s i n the gratificatio n o f their appetites . I foresee an obvious retort—whilst man remain s such a n imperfect being as he appears hitherto to have been, h e will, more or less, be the slave of his appetites; and those women obtaining most power who gratif y a predominan t one , th e se x i s degrade d by a physical , i f not b y a moral necessity . This objection has, I grant, some force; but whil e such a sublime precept exists , as , c be pur e a s you r heavenl y Father i s pure'; * i t would seem that the virtues of man are not limited by the Being who alone coul d limi t them ; an d tha t h e ma y pres s forwar d withou t considering whether he steps out of his sphere by indulging such a noble ambition. T o th e wild billows it has been said , 'thus far shalt thou go, and no further; and here shall thy proud waves be stayed.'* Vainly the n d o the y bea t an d foam , restraine d b y th e powe r tha t confines th e strugglin g planets in thei r orbits , matte r yield s to th e great governin g Spirit.—Bu t a n immorta l soul , no t restraine d b y mechanical law s and strugglin g to fre e itsel f fro m th e shackle s of matter, contribute s to , instead o f disturbing, th e orde r o f creation, when, co-operating with the Father of spirits, it tries to govern itself by the invariable rule that, in a degree, before which our imagination faints, regulate s the universe. Besides, i f wome n b e educate d fo r dependence ; tha t is , t o ac t according to the wil l of another fallibl e being , an d submit , righ t or wrong, to power, where are we to stop? Are they to be considered as vicegerents allowed to reign over a small domain, and answerable for their conduc t t o a higher tribunal, liable to error? It wil l not b e difficul t t o prov e tha t suc h delegate s will act like men subjected by fear, and make their children and servants endure their tyrannica l oppression. A s the y submi t withou t reason , the y

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will, havin g no fixed rules to squar e thei r conduc t by , b e kind, or cruel, just as the whim of the moment directs; and w e ought not to wonder if sometimes, galle d by their heavy yoke, they take a malignant pleasure in resting it on weaker shoulders. But, supposing a woman, trained up to obedience, be married to a sensible man, who directs her judgmen t without making her fee l the servility of her subjection, to act with as much propriety by this reflected ligh t a s ca n b e expected whe n reaso n i s take n at secon d hand, yet she cannot ensure the life of her protector; he may die and leave her wit h a large family . A double duty devolves on her; to educate them i n the character of both fathe r an d mother; to form thei r principles and secure their property. But , alas! sh e ha s neve r thought , muc h les s acte d fo r herself. She has only learned to please1 men, to depend gracefully on them; yet, encumbered wit h children, how is she to obtain another protector—a husband to supply the place of reason? A rational man, for w e are not treadin g on romanti c ground, though h e may think her a pleasing docile creature, will not choos e to marry a family fo r love, when the world contains many more pretty creatures. What is then to become of her? She eithe r fall s an easy prey to som e mean fortune-hunter, who defrauds her children of their parental inheritance, and renders her miserable; or becomes the victim of discontent 1 'I n th e unio n o f th e sexes , bot h pursu e on e commo n object , bu t non e i n th e same manner. Fro m thei r diversit y i n thi s particular , arise s th e firs t determinat e differenc e between th e moral relation s o f each. Th e on e should b e active and strong, th e other passiv e and weak: it is necessary th e one should hav e both th e power an d the will, and that the other should mak e little resistance . 'This principle bein g established, i t follows that woma n is expressly forme d t o please th e man: i f the obligation b e reciprocal also , an d the ma n ought t o please i n his turn, it is not so immediately necessary : hi s grea t meri t is in his power, an d h e pleases merely becaus e h e is strong. This , I must confess , i s not one of the refine d maxims of love; it is, however, on e of the law s of nature, prio r t o love itself . 'If woman be formed to please and be subjected t o man, it is her place, doubtless, t o render herself agreeabl e t o him , instead o f challengin g hi s passion . Th e violenc e o f hi s desire s depends o n her charms ; i t is by means o f these sh e should urg e him to the exertion o f those powers whic h natur e hat h give n him. The mos t successfu l metho d o f exciting them , is , to render such exertion necessar y b y resistance; as, in that case, self-love is added t o desire, an d the one triumphs i n the victory which th e other oblige d t o acquire. Hence arise the various modes o f attack and defenc e between th e sexes ; th e boldness o f one sex and th e timidit y of the other; and, in a word, tha t bashfulness an d modest y wit h which natur e hat h armed th e weak, in order t o subdue th e strong. ' Rousseau's Emilius* I shall make no other comment o n this ingenious passage, than just to observe, that it is the philosophy o f lasciviousness .

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and blind indulgence. Unable t o educate her sons, or impress the m with respect; fo r it i s not a play on words to assert, tha t peopl e ar e never respected , thoug h fillin g a n importan t station , wh o ar e no t respectable; sh e pine s unde r th e anguis h o f unavailin g impoten t regret. The serpent' s tooth* enters into her very soul, and the vices of licentious youth bring her wit h sorrow, if not wit h poverty also, to the grave. This is not a n overcharged picture ; o n th e contrary , i t i s a very possible case , an d somethin g simila r mus t hav e falle n unde r ever y attentive eye. I have, however, taken it for granted, that she was well-disposed, though experienc e shews , tha t th e blind ma y as easily be led into a ditch as along the beaten road . But supposing , n o very improbable conjecture, tha t a bein g onl y taugh t t o pleas e mus t stil l fin d he r happiness i n pleasing;—wha t a n exampl e o f folly , no t t o sa y vice, will she be to her innocent daughters! The mothe r will be lost in the coquette, and , instea d o f makin g friend s o f he r daughters , vie w them wit h eyes askance, fo r they are rivals—rivals more cruel tha n any other, because they invite a comparison, and drive her fro m th e throne o f beauty, who has never thought o f a seat o n th e benc h of reason. It does not require a lively pencil, or the discriminating outline of a caricature, to sketch the domesti c miseries an d pett y vices which such a mistress of a family diffuses . Stil l she only acts a s a woman ought t o act, brough t u p accordin g to Rousseau's system . Sh e can never b e reproache d fo r bein g masculine , o r turnin g ou t o f he r sphere; nay, she may observe anothe r o f his grand rules , and , cau tiously preserving her reputation free fro m spot, be reckoned a good kind o f woman. Yet i n wha t respect ca n sh e be terme d good ? Sh e abstains, i t i s true , withou t an y grea t struggle , fro m committin g gross crimes; but ho w does she fulfi l he r duties ? Duties!—in trut h she ha s enoug h t o thin k o f t o ador n he r bod y an d nurs e a wea k constitution. With respect to religion, she never presumed to judge for herself; but conformed, as a dependent creature should, to the ceremonies of the churc h whic h sh e wa s brought u p in , piousl y believin g tha t wiser head s tha n he r ow n hav e settled tha t business:—an d no t t o doubt is her point of perfection. She therefore pays her tythe of mint and cummin*—and thanks her God that she is not as other women

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are.* These are the blesse d effect s o f a good education ! These th e virtues of man's help-mate!1 I must reliev e myself by drawing a different picture . Let fanc y no w present a woman with a tolerable understanding, for I do not wish to leave the line of mediocrity, whose constitution, strengthened b y exercise , ha s allowe d her bod y t o acquir e it s ful l vigour; he r mind , a t th e sam e time , graduall y expanding itsel f t o comprehend th e moral duties of life, and in what human virtue and dignity consist . Formed thu s by the discharge of the relative duties of her station, she marrie s fro m affection , withou t losin g sigh t o f prudence , an d looking beyond matrimonial felicity, sh e secures he r husband' s re spect before it is necessary to exert mean arts to please him and fee d a dyin g flame , whic h natur e doome d t o expir e whe n th e objec t became familiar , when friendshi p and forbearanc e take place o f a more arden t affection.—Thi s i s the natura l death o f love, and do mestic peace is not destroyed by struggles to prevent its extinction. I also suppose the husband to be virtuous; or she is still more in want of independent principles . Fate, however , break s thi s tie.—Sh e i s lef t a widow , perhaps , without a sufficient provision ; but sh e is not desolate ! The pan g of nature i s felt ; bu t afte r tim e ha s softene d sorro w int o melancholy resignation, he r hear t turn s t o he r childre n wit h redouble d fond ness, and anxious to provide for them, affection give s a sacred heroic cast to her maternal duties. She thinks that not only the eye sees her virtuous effort s fro m who m al l he r comfor t no w mus t flow , an d whose approbation i s life; but her imagination, a little abstracted an d exalted b y grief , dwell s on th e fon d hop e tha t th e eye s which he r trembling han d closed , ma y stil l se e how sh e subdue s ever y wayward passio n to fulfi l th e doubl e duty of being the fathe r a s well as the mother of her children . Raise d t o heroism b y misfortunes, sh e represses th e firs t fain t dawnin g of a natural inclination , before it 1 ' O ho w lovely,' exclaims Rousseau, speakin g of Sophia, 'i s her ignorance! Happ y i s he who is destined to instruct her! Sh e will never pretend to be the tutor of her husband, bu t will b e conten t t o b e hi s pupil . Fa r fro m attemptin g t o subjec t hi m t o he r taste , sh e will accommodate hersel f t o his. Sh e will be more estimabl e t o him, tha n i f she was learned: h e will have a pleasure i n instructing her. ' Rousseau's Emilius* I shall content mysel f with simply asking, how friendship can subsist, whe n love expires , between th e maste r an d his pupil?

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ripens into love, and in the bloom of life forgets her sex—forgets th e pleasure o f a n awakenin g passion, whic h migh t agai n hav e bee n inspired an d returned . Sh e n o longe r think s o f pleasing, an d con scious dignit y prevents he r fro m pridin g herself o n accoun t o f th e praise which her conduct demands. Her childre n have her love, and her brightes t hope s ar e beyon d th e grave , wher e he r imaginatio n often strays . I think I see her surrounded b y her children, reaping the reward of her care . The intelligen t eye meets hers, whils t health an d innocence smile on their chubby cheeks, and as they grow up the cares of life ar e lessene d b y thei r gratefu l attention . Sh e live s t o se e th e virtues whic h sh e endeavoure d t o plan t o n principles , fixe d int o habits, to see her children attain a strength o f character sufficien t t o enable the m t o endure adversit y without forgettin g their mother' s example. The tas k of lif e thu s fulfilled , sh e calml y wait s fo r th e slee p o f death, and rising from th e grave, may say—Behold, thou gaves t me a talent—and her e ar e five talents.* I wish to sum up what I have said in a few words, for I here throw down m y gauntlet , an d den y th e existenc e o f sexua l virtues , no t excepting modesty. For man and woman, truth, i f I understand th e meaning o f th e word , mus t b e th e same ; ye t th e fancifu l femal e character, s o prettily draw n by poets an d novelists , demandin g th e sacrifice of truth and sincerity, virtue becomes a relative idea, having no othe r foundatio n tha n utility , an d o f tha t utilit y me n preten d arbitrarily to judge, shaping i t to their ow n convenience. Women, I allow, may have different dutie s t o fulfil ; bu t the y are human duties, an d the principles tha t shoul d regulat e the discharg e of them, I sturdily maintain, mus t b e the same . To becom e respectable , th e exercis e o f thei r understandin g i s necessary, there i s no other foundation for independence of character; I mean explicitly to say that they must only bow to the authority of reason, instea d o f being the modest slave s of opinion. In th e superio r rank s of life ho w seldom do we meet wit h a man of superio r abilities , o r eve n commo n acquirements ? Th e reaso n appears to me clear, the state they are born i n was an unnatural one. The huma n character has ever been formed by the employments th e individual, or class , pursues ; an d i f the facultie s ar e not sharpene d by necessity, the y must remain obtuse. The argumen t may fairly be

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extended t o women; for , seldom occupie d b y serious business , th e pursuit of pleasure gives that insignificancy to their character which renders th e societ y o f th e great s o insipid . Th e sam e wan t o f firmness, produced b y a similar cause, force s them bot h t o fly from themselves to noisy pleasures, and artificial passions, till vanity takes place o f every social affection , an d th e characteristic s o f humanity can scarcel y b e discerned . Suc h ar e th e blessing s o f civil govern ments, a s the y ar e a t presen t organized , tha t wealt h an d femal e softness equall y tend t o debas e mankind, and ar e produced b y th e same cause ; bu t allowin g wome n t o b e rationa l creatures , the y should b e incited t o acquire virtue s which they may call their own , for ho w ca n a rational being b e ennoble d b y an y thin g tha t i s no t obtained b y it s own exertions?

CHAPTER I V OBSERVATIONS O N TH E STAT E O F DEGRADATIO N TO WHIC H WOMA N I S REDUCE D BY VARIOU S CAUSE S

That woma n i s naturall y weak , or degrade d b y a concurrenc e o f circumstances, is , I think , clear . Bu t thi s positio n I shal l simpl y contrast wit h a conclusion, which I have frequently heard fal l fro m sensible men i n favour of an aristocracy: tha t th e mas s o f mankind cannot be an y thing, o r the obsequious slaves , who patiently allow themselves to be driven forward, would feel their own consequence , and spur n thei r chains . Men , the y furthe r observe , submi t ever y where to oppression, whe n they have only to lif t u p thei r head s to throw of f the yoke ; yet, instea d o f asserting thei r birthright , the y quietly lick the dust, and say, let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.* Women , I argu e fro m analogy , ar e degrade d b y th e sam e propensity t o enjo y th e presen t moment ; and , a t last , despis e th e freedom whic h they have not sufficien t virtu e to struggle t o attain . But I must be more explicit. With respect to the culture of the heart, it is unanimously allowed that se x is out of the question; but th e line of subordination i n th e mental powers is never to be passed over. 1 Only 'absolut e in loveliness,'* the portion of rationality granted to woman, is, indeed, very scanty; for , denying her genius and judgment, it is scarcely possibl e to divine what remains to characterize intellect. The stame n of immortality, if I may be allowed the phrase, is the perfectibility of human reason; for, were men created perfect , or did a flood of knowledge break in upon him , whe n he arrived at matu rity, tha t preclude d error , I shoul d doub t whethe r hi s existenc e 1 Int o what inconsistencie s d o me n fal l whe n the y argu e withou t th e compas s o f principles. Women, weak women , ar e compare d wit h angels ; yet, a superiour orde r o f beings should b e supposed to possess more intellect tha n man; or, i n what doe s their superiority consist? In the same strain, to drop the sneer, they are allowed to possess more goodness of heart, piety, and benevolence.—I doubt the fact, though it be courteously brought forward , unless ignorance be allowed to be the mother of devotion; for I am firmly persuaded that, on an average , th e proportio n between virtu e an d knowledge , i s mor e upo n a pa r tha n i s commonly granted.

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would b e continue d afte r th e dissolutio n o f the body . But , i n th e present stat e of things, ever y difficulty i n morals that escape s fro m human discussion , an d equally baffles th e investigation of profound thinking, an d th e lightnin g glanc e o f genius , i s a n argumen t o n which I buil d m y belie f o f the immortalit y o f the soul . Reaso n is , consequentially, the simple powe r of improvement; or , more properly speaking, of discerning truth. Every individual is in this respec t a world in itself. More or less may be conspicuous in one being than another; but th e nature of reason must be the same in all, if it be an emanation o f divinity , the ti e tha t connect s th e creatur e wit h th e Creator; for , can that soul be stamped wit h the heavenly image, that is not perfecte d b y th e exercis e o f its ow n reason? 1 Ye t outwardly ornamented wit h elaborat e care , an d s o adorne d t o deligh t man , 'that with honour he may love,'2 the soul of woman is not allowed to have this distinction, and man, ever placed between he r and reason, she i s alway s represente d a s onl y create d t o se e throug h a gros s medium, an d t o take things o n trust. Bu t dismissin g these fancifu l theories, an d considerin g woma n as a whole, le t i t b e wha t i t will , instead o f a part o f man, th e inquir y is whether sh e have reason or not. I f sh e have , which, fo r a moment, I wil l tak e for granted , sh e was no t create d merel y t o b e th e solac e o f man , an d th e sexua l should no t destro y th e huma n character . Into this error men have, probably, been led by viewing education in a fals e light ; no t considerin g i t a s the firs t ste p t o for m a being advancing gradually towards perfection; 3 bu t onl y as a preparation for life . O n thi s sensua l error , fo r I mus t cal l i t so , ha s th e fals e system of female manners bee n reared, which robs the whole sex of its dignity, and classe s th e brow n an d fai r wit h the smilin g flowers that onl y adorn th e land . This has ever been th e languag e of men, and th e fea r o f departin g fro m a suppose d sexua l character , ha s made eve n wome n o f superio r sens e adop t th e sam e sentiments. 4 1 'Th e brutes, ' say s Lor d Monboddo , 'remai n i n th e stat e i n whic h natur e ha s place d them, excep t i n s o far as their natura l instinct i s improved b y th e cultur e w e bestow upo n them.'* 2 Vid e Milton.* 3 Thi s word is not strictl y just , but I cannot find a better. 4 'Pleasure' s the portio n o f th' inferior kind ; But glory , virtue, Heaven fo r man design'd.'*

After writin g thes e lines , ho w could Mr s Barbaul d writ e th e followin g ignobl e comparison?

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Thus understanding, strictl y speaking , has been denie d t o woman; and instinct , sublimate d int o wi t and cunning , fo r the purpose s o f life, ha s been substitute d i n its stead . The powe r of generalizing ideas, of drawing comprehensive con clusions fro m individua l observations, i s the onl y acquirement, fo r an immorta l being , tha t reall y deserve s th e nam e o f knowledge . Merely t o observe, withou t endeavouring to account fo r any thing, may (i n a very incomplete manner ) serv e a s the commo n sens e o f life; bu t wher e is the stor e lai d up tha t i s to clothe the sou l when it leaves the body ? This power has not only been denied to women; but writers have insisted tha t i t i s inconsistent , wit h a fe w exceptions , wit h thei r sexual character. Le t men prove this , and I shall gran t tha t woman only exist s fo r man. I must , however , previousl y remark, tha t th e power o f generalizing ideas,* to any great extent , i s not ver y com mon amongs t me n o r women. But thi s exercis e i s the tru e cultiva tion o f the understanding ; and every thing conspire s t o render th e cultivation o f th e understandin g mor e difficul t i n th e femal e tha n the mal e world. I a m naturall y le d b y thi s assertio n t o th e mai n subjec t o f th e present chapter , an d shal l no w attemp t t o poin t ou t som e o f th e

'To a Lady, with some painted flowers. Flowers t o the fair : t o you these flower s I bring , And striv e to greet yo u with an earlier spring . Flowers SWEET , an d gay, an d DELICAT E LIK E YOU; Emblems of innocence, and beauty too. With flowers the Grace s bin d thei r yello w hair , And flowery wreaths consenting lover s wear. Flowers, the sole luxury which nature knew, In Eden's pure an d guiltless garde n grew . To loftier forms are rougher tasks assign 'd; The sheltering oak, resists the stormy wind, The tougher yew repels invading foes, And the tall pine for future navies grows; But this soft family, to cares unknown, Were bo m for pleasure an d delight ALONE . Gay without toil, and lovel y without art , They spring t o CHEE R the sense , an d GLA D the heart. Nor blush , m y fair , t o own you copy these; Your BEST , your SWEETES T empire is—T O PLEASE.'* So the me n tel l us ; but virtue , say s reason, mus t b e acquire d b y rough toils , an d usefu l struggles with worldly cares.

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causes tha t degrad e the sex , and preven t wome n fro m generalizin g their observations . I shal l not g o back to the remot e annal s of antiquity to trace th e history o f woman; it i s sufficient t o allo w tha t sh e has alway s bee n either a slave, or a despot, an d t o remark, tha t eac h of these situa tions equall y retard s th e progres s o f reason . Th e gran d sourc e o f female foll y and vice has ever appeared t o me to arise from narrow ness of mind; and the very constitution o f civil governments has put almost insuperable obstacles in the way to prevent the cultivation of the femal e understanding:—ye t virtu e ca n b e buil t o n n o othe r foundation! Th e sam e obstacle s ar e thrown i n the wa y of the rich , and th e sam e consequences ensue . Necessity ha s bee n proverbiall y terme d th e mothe r o f inven tion—the aphorism may be extended to virtue. It is an acquirement , and an acquirement t o which pleasure must be sacrificed—and wh o sacrifices pleasur e when it is within the grasp , whos e mind ha s not been opened an d strengthened by adversity, or the pursuit of knowledge goade d o n b y necessity?—Happ y i s it whe n peopl e hav e th e cares o f lif e t o struggl e with ; fo r thes e struggle s preven t thei r be coming a prey to enervating vices, merely from idleness! But, if from their birt h me n an d wome n b e place d i n a torri d zone , wit h th e meridian su n of pleasure darting directly upon them , ho w can they sufficiently brac e their minds to discharge the duties of life, or even to relish th e affection s tha t carr y them ou t o f themselves? Pleasure i s the business of woman's life , accordin g to the presen t modification o f society, and while it continues t o be so, little can be expected fro m such weak beings. Inheriting, in a lineal descent fro m the first fair defect in nature, the sovereignty of beauty, they have, to maintain their power, resigned the natural rights, which the exercise of reason might have procured them , an d chosen rather to be shortlived queen s tha n labou r t o obtai n th e sobe r pleasure s tha t aris e from equality . Exalted by their inferiority (this sounds like a contradiction), they constantly demand homage as women, though experi ence shoul d teac h the m tha t th e me n wh o pride themselve s upo n paying thi s arbitrar y insolen t respec t t o th e sex , wit h th e mos t scrupulous exactness , ar e most incline d t o tyrannize over, an d de spise, th e ver y weaknes s the y cherish . Ofte n d o the y repea t M r Hume's sentiments ; when , comparin g th e Frenc h an d Athenia n character, h e alludes to women . 'Bu t wha t is more singula r i n thi s

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whimsical nation, sa y I to th e Athenians , is , that a frolick o f yours during the Saturnalia,* when the slaves are served by their masters , is seriously continued by them throug h the whole year, and through the whole course of their lives ; accompanied too with some circumstances, whic h stil l furthe r augmen t th e absurdit y an d ridicule . Your spor t onl y elevate s fo r a fe w day s thos e who m fortun e ha s thrown down , an d who m sh e too , i n sport , ma y reall y elevate fo r ever abov e you. But thi s natio n gravel y exalts those, who m natur e has subjecte d t o them , an d whos e inferiorit y an d infirmitie s ar e absolutely incurable. The women , thoug h withou t virtue , are their masters an d sovereigns.'* Ah! why do women, I writ e wit h affectionat e solicitude , conde scend t o receiv e a degree o f attentio n an d respec t fro m strangers , different fro m tha t reciprocatio n o f civilit y which th e dictate s o f humanity and th e politenes s o f civilization authorise betwee n ma n and man ? And , wh y d o the y no t discover , whe n 'i n th e noo n o f beauty's power,' * that the y ar e treate d lik e queens onl y to b e de luded b y hollo w respect, til l they ar e led to resign , o r no t assume , their natural prerogatives? Confined then in cages like the feathered race, the y hav e nothin g t o d o bu t t o plum e themselves , an d stal k with mock majesty fro m perc h to perch. It is true they are provided with foo d an d raiment , fo r whic h the y neithe r toi l no r spin; * bu t health, liberty , an d virtue , ar e give n i n exchange . But , where , amongst mankind , ha s bee n foun d sufficien t strengt h o f min d t o enable a being t o resig n thes e adventitiou s prerogatives ; on e who , rising wit h th e cal m dignit y o f reason abov e opinion , dare d t o b e proud of the privilege s inheren t in man? And it is vain to expect i t whilst hereditary power chokes the affections an d nips reason in the bud. The passion s of men have thus placed women on thrones, and, till mankind become more reasonable, it is to be feared tha t women will avail themselves of the power which they attain with the least exertion, an d whic h i s th e mos t indisputable . The y wil l smile,—yes , they will smile, thoug h tol d that — 'In beauty's empir e i s no mean, And woman , either slav e or queen , Is quickly scorn'd whe n not ador'd.'*

But th e adoratio n come s first, and th e scor n i s not anticipated .

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Lewis th e XlVth,* in particular, spread factitiou s manners, an d caught, i n a specious way, th e whol e nation in his toils ; for , estab lishing an artfu l chai n of despotism, h e made it th e interes t o f th e people a t large , individuall y to respec t hi s statio n an d suppor t hi s power. And women, whom he flattered b y a puerile attention to the whole sex, obtained in his reign that prince-like distinction so fata l to reason an d virtue . A kin g i s alway s a king—an d a woma n alway s a woman: 1 hi s authority an d he r sex , ever stan d betwee n the m an d rationa l converse. With a lover, I grant, she should be so, and her sensibility will naturally lead her to endeavour to excite emotion, not to gratify he r vanity, but he r heart . Thi s I d o not allo w to be coquetry, i t is the artless impulse of nature, I only exclaim against the sexual desire of conquest whe n the hear t i s out o f the question . This desire is not confined to women; 'I have endeavoured,' says Lord Chesterfield , 't o gai n th e heart s o f twent y women , whos e persons I would not have given a fig for.'* The libertine , who, in a gust o f passion , take s advantag e o f unsuspectin g tenderness , i s a saint when compared wit h this cold-hearted rascal ; for I like to use significant words . Yet onl y taught t o please , wome n are alway s on the watch to please, an d with true heroic ardou r endeavou r t o gain hearts merely to resign or spurn them, when the victory is decided, and conspicuous . I must descen d t o the minutiae o f the subject . I lament that women are systematically degraded by receiving the trivial attentions, which men think it manly to pay to the sex, when, in fact , the y ar e insultingly supportin g thei r ow n superiority. I t i s not condescensio n t o bo w t o a n inferior . So ludicrous , i n fact , d o these ceremonies appear to me, that I scarcely am able to govern my muscles, whe n I see a man start with eager, and serious solicitude, to lift a handkerchief, or shut a door, when the lady coul d have done it herself, ha d sh e only moved a pace or two. A wild wish has just flown from m y heart t o my head, an d I will not stifle it though it may excite a horse-laugh.—I do earnestly wish to see the distinction of sex confounded in society, unless where love animates th e behaviour . Fo r thi s distinctio n is , I a m firmly per1 An d a wit, always a wit, might be added ; for th e vai n fooleries of wits and beautie s to obtain attention , an d mak e conquests, ar e much upo n a par.

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suaded, th e foundatio n o f th e weaknes s o f characte r ascribe d t o woman; i s th e caus e wh y th e understandin g i s neglected , whils t accomplishments ar e acquire d wit h sedulou s care : an d th e sam e cause account s fo r thei r preferrin g th e gracefu l befor e th e heroi c virtues. Mankind, includin g every description, wis h to be loved an d re spected b y something', an d th e commo n her d wil l alway s tak e th e nearest road t o the completion o f their wishes . The respec t pai d to wealth an d beaut y i s th e mos t certain , an d unequivocal ; and , o f course, will always attract the vulga r eye of common minds . Abili ties an d virtue s ar e absolutel y necessar y t o rais e me n fro m th e middle ran k o f lif e int o notice ; an d th e natura l consequenc e i s notorious, th e middl e ran k contains mos t virtu e and abilities. Me n have thus, in one station, a t least a n opportunity o f exerting themselves wit h dignity , an d o f risin g b y th e exertion s whic h reall y improve a rational creature; bu t th e whol e female se x are, til l thei r character i s formed, in the sam e conditio n a s the rich : fo r they ar e born, I no w spea k o f a stat e o f civilization , wit h certai n sexua l privileges, an d whils t the y ar e gratuitousl y grante d them , fe w will ever think of works of supererogation, to obtain the esteem of a small number o f superiour people . When do we hear of women who, starting out of obscurity, boldly claim respec t o n accoun t o f their grea t abilitie s o r darin g virtues ? Where are they to be found?—'To be observed, to be attended to , to be take n notic e o f with sympathy , complacency , an d approbation , are all the advantages which they seek.'*—True! my male readers will probably exclaim ; but le t them , befor e the y dra w an y conclusion , recollect tha t thi s was not writte n originall y as descriptiv e of women, but of the rich. In Dr Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments , I have found a general character of people of rank and fortune, that, in my opinion, migh t wit h th e greates t propriety b e applied t o the female sex. I refer the sagacious reader to the whole comparison; bu t must b e allowe d t o quot e a passage t o enforc e an argumen t tha t I mean to insist on, as the on e most conclusiv e against a sexual character. For if, excepting warriors, no great men, of any denomination, have eve r appeare d amongs t th e nobility , ma y i t no t b e fairl y in ferred that their local situation swallowed up the man, and produced a characte r simila r t o tha t o f women , wh o ar e localized, i f I ma y be allowe d th e word , b y th e ran k the y ar e place d in , b y courtesy!

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Women, commonl y calle d Ladies , ar e no t t o b e contradicte d i n company, ar e not allowe d to exer t an y manual strength; an d fro m them th e negativ e virtues onl y are expected, whe n an y virtues are expected, patience , docility , good-humour , an d flexibility; virtues incompatible wit h an y vigorou s exertio n o f intellect . Besides , b y living more with each other, and being seldom absolutely alone, they are more under the influenc e o f sentiments tha n passions. Solitud e and reflectio n ar e necessary to giv e to wishes the forc e o f passions, and to enable the imagination to enlarge the object, and make it the most desirable . Th e sam e ma y b e sai d o f th e rich ; the y d o no t sufficiently dea l in general ideas, collected by impassioned thinking, or calm investigation, to acquire that strength of character on which great resolve s ar e built . Bu t hea r wha t a n acut e observe r say s of the great. c Do the great seem insensible of the easy price at which they may acquire the public k admiration; or do they seem t o imagine that t o them, as to other men , it must be the purchase either of sweat or of blood? By what important accomplishments i s the young nobleman instructed t o support th e dignit y of his rank, and to render himsel f worthy o f tha t superiorit y ove r hi s fellow-citizens , t o whic h th e virtue o f hi s ancestor s ha d raise d them ? I s i t b y knowledge , by industry, by patience, by self-denial, or by virtue of any kind? As all his words, as all his motions ar e attended to , h e learn s an habitual regard t o every circumstance of ordinary behaviour, and studie s to perform al l those smal l duties with the most exact propriety. As he is conscious how much he is observed, and how much mankind are disposed t o favour al l his inclinations, he acts, upon the most indifferent occasions, with that freedom and elevation which the though t of thi s naturall y inspires. Hi s air , hi s manner , hi s deportment , al l mark tha t elegan t an d gracefu l sens e of his own superiority, which those wh o ar e bor n t o inferio r statio n ca n hardl y eve r arriv e at . These ar e th e art s b y whic h h e propose s t o mak e mankind mor e easily submi t t o hi s authority , and t o gover n their inclination s according to his own pleasure: and in this he is seldom disappointed . These arts, supporte d b y rank and pre-eminence, are , upon ordin ary occasions, sufficient t o govern the world. Lewis XIV during the greater part of his reign, was regarded, not only in France, but over all Europe , a s the mos t perfec t mode l o f a grea t prince . Bu t wha t were the talents and virtues by which he acquired this great reputa-

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tion? Was it by the scrupulous and inflexible justice of all his undertakings, b y th e immens e danger s an d difficultie s wit h whic h they were attended , o r b y th e unwearie d an d unrelentin g applicatio n with which he pursued them? Was it by his extensive knowledge, by his exquisit e judgment, or b y hi s heroi c valour? I t wa s by none of these qualities. But h e was, first of all, the most powerfu l princ e in Europe, an d consequentl y hel d th e highes t ran k among kings; and then, say s his historian, "he surpassed all his courtiers in the grace fulness o f his shape , an d th e majesti c beauty o f his features . Th e sound o f his voice , noble an d affecting , gaine d those heart s which his presenc e intimidated . H e ha d a ste p an d a deportmen t whic h could sui t onl y hi m an d hi s rank , an d whic h woul d hav e bee n ridiculous in any other person . The embarrassmen t whic h he occa sioned t o those wh o spoke to him , flattere d tha t secre t satisfaction with whic h h e fel t hi s ow n superiority." * These frivolou s accom plishments, supported by his rank, and, no doubt too, by a degree of other talent s and virtues , whic h seems, however , not t o have been much abov e mediocrity, established thi s prince in the esteem o f his own age, and have drawn, even from posterity, a good deal of respect for hi s memory. Compare d wit h these, in his own times, an d in his own presence, no other virtue, it seems, appeared to have any merit. Knowledge, industry , valour , an d beneficence , trembled , wer e abashed, and los t al l dignity before them.'* Woman als o thus 'i n hersel f complete,' * by possessing al l these frivolous accomplishments, s o changes the natur e of things 'That wha t she wills to do or say Seems wisest , virtuousest, discreetest, best ; All higher knowledg e in he r presence fall s Degraded. Wisdo m i n discourse wit h her Loses discountenanced , and, like Folly, shows ; Authority and Reason on her wait,'— *

And al l this is built on her loveliness! In the middle rank of life, to continue the comparison, men, in their youth, are prepared for professions, and marriage is not considere d as the gran d featur e in thei r lives , whilst women, o n th e contrary , have no other schem e t o sharpen thei r faculties . It i s not business , extensive plans , o r an y o f th e excursiv e flight s o f ambition , tha t

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engross thei r attention ; no , thei r thought s ar e no w employe d i n rearing suc h nobl e structures . T o ris e i n th e world , an d hav e th e liberty o f running fro m pleasur e t o pleasure, the y mus t marr y ad vantageously, an d t o thi s objec t thei r tim e i s sacrificed , and thei r persons ofte n legall y prostituted.* A man whe n he enters an y pro fession ha s his eye steadily fixed on some futur e advantag e (and th e mind gain s grea t strengt h b y havin g all its effort s directe d t o on e point), and , ful l of his business , pleasur e is considere d as mer e relaxation; whils t wome n see k fo r pleasur e a s the mai n purpos e of existence. I n fact , fro m th e education , whic h the y receiv e fro m society, the love of pleasure may be said to govern them all; but doe s this prove that there i s a sex in souls? It woul d be just as rational to declare tha t th e courtier s i n France , whe n a destructive syste m of despotism ha d forme d thei r character , were no t men , becaus e lib erty, virtue, and humanity, were sacrificed to pleasure and vanity.— Fatal passions , whic h have ever domineere d ove r the whole race! The sam e lov e o f pleasure , fostere d b y th e whol e tendenc y o f their education , give s a triflin g tur n t o th e conduc t o f wome n i n most circumstances : fo r instance, the y ar e ever anxiou s about sec ondary things ; an d o n th e watc h fo r adventures , instea d o f bein g occupied b y duties . A man, when he undertakes a journey, has, in general, the end in view; a woma n think s mor e o f th e incidenta l occurrences , th e strange thing s that ma y possibly occur o n the road ; the impressio n that sh e ma y mak e on he r fellow-travellers ; and , abov e all , sh e i s anxiously intent o n the car e of the finery that sh e carries with her , which is more than ever a part of herself, when going to figure on a new scene ; when , t o us e a n ap t Frenc h tur n o f expression, sh e is going to produce a sensation.—Can dignity of mind exist with such trivial cares? In short, women, in general, as well as the rich of both sexes, have acquired al l th e follie s an d vice s o f civilization , an d misse d th e useful fruit . It is not necessary for me always to premise, tha t I speak of th e conditio n o f th e whol e sex , leavin g exception s ou t o f th e question. Thei r senses are inflamed, and their understandings neg lected, consequentl y the y becom e th e pre y o f thei r senses , deli cately termed sensibility , and are blown about by every momentary gust of feeling. Civilized women are, therefore, so weakened by fals e refinement, that , respectin g morals , thei r conditio n i s much belo w

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what i t woul d b e wer e the y lef t i n a stat e neare r t o nature . Eve r restless and anxious, their over exercised sensibility not only renders them uncomfortabl e themselves , bu t troublesome , t o us e a sof t phrase, t o others . Al l their thought s tur n o n thing s calculate d t o excite emotion; and feeling, when they should reason, their conduct is unstable , an d thei r opinion s ar e wavering—no t th e waverin g produced by deliberation or progressive views, but by contradictory emotions. By fits and starts they are warm in many pursuits; yet this warmth, never concentrated int o perseverance, soon exhausts itself; exhaled b y it s ow n heat , o r meetin g wit h some othe r fleetin g pas sion, to which reason has never given any specific gravity, neutrality ensues. Miserabl e indeed , mus t b e tha t bein g whose cultivation of mind has only tended to inflame its passions! A distinction should be made between inflaming and strengthening them. The passion s thus pampered, whils t th e judgmen t is lef t unformed , what can be ex pected t o ensue?—Undoubtedly, a mixture of madness an d folly ! This observation should not be confined t o the fair sex ; however, at present, I only mean to apply it to them . Novels, music, poetry, and gallantry, all tend to make women the creatures o f sensation , an d thei r characte r i s thu s forme d i n 'the mould of folly during the time they are acquiring accomplishments, the only improvement they are excited, by their station in society, to acquire. Thi s overstretche d sensibilit y naturall y relaxe s th e othe r powers of the mind, and prevents intellect from attainin g that sov ereignty which it ought to attain to render a rational creature usefu l to others , an d conten t wit h its ow n station: for the exercis e of th e understanding, a s life advances , i s the onl y method pointe d ou t b y nature to calm the passions . Satiety has a very different effect , an d I have often bee n forcibl y struck by an emphatical description of damnation:—when the spirit is represente d a s continuall y hoverin g wit h abortiv e eagernes s round th e defile d body , unabl e t o enjo y an y thin g withou t th e organs o f sense. Yet , t o thei r senses , ar e wome n mad e slaves , be cause it is by their sensibilit y that the y obtain present power . And wil l moralists pretend t o assert, that thi s is the condition in which one half of the huma n rac e should b e encouraged to remain with listles s inactivit y and stupi d acquiescence ? Kin d instructors ! what were we created for ? T o remain , it may be said, innocent; they mean i n a state o f childhood.—We might a s well neve r have been

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born, unles s i t wer e necessary tha t w e should b e create d t o enable man to acquire the noble privilege of reason, the power of discerning good from evil, whilst we lie down in the dust fro m whenc e we were taken, never to rise again.— It woul d b e a n endles s tas k t o trac e th e variet y of meannesses , cares, and sorrows, into which women are plunged by the prevailing opinion, that the y were created rathe r t o fee l tha n reason , an d tha t all th e powe r the y obtain , mus t b e obtaine d b y thei r charm s an d weakness: Tine by defect, and amiably weak!'*

And, mad e b y thi s amiabl e weaknes s entirely dependent , except ing what they gai n by illicit sway, on man, no t onl y for protection , but advice , i s i t surprisin g that , neglectin g th e dutie s tha t rea son alon e point s out , an d shrinkin g fro m trial s calculate d t o strengthen thei r minds , the y onl y exer t themselve s t o giv e thei r defects a gracefu l covering , whic h ma y serv e t o heighte n thei r charms i n the eye of the voluptuary, though i t sink them belo w the scale of moral excellence? Fragile i n every sense of the word , they are obliged to look up t o man fo r ever y comfort . I n th e mos t triflin g danger s the y clin g t o their support , wit h parasitica l tenacity , piteousl y demandin g suc cour; an d thei r natural protecto r extend s hi s arm , o r lift s u p hi s voice, to guard the lovely trembler—from what ? Perhaps th e frow n of an old cow , or the jum p of a mouse ; a rat , woul d be a seriou s danger. I n th e nam e o f reason, an d eve n commo n sense , what can save such beings from contempt ; eve n though they be soft an d fair ? These fears , whe n no t affected , ma y produc e som e prett y atti tudes; but they shew a degree of imbecility which degrades a rational creature in a way women are not awar e of—for lov e and esteem ar e very distinct things . I a m full y persuade d tha t w e shoul d hea r o f non e o f thes e infantine airs , i f girl s wer e allowed to tak e sufficien t exercise , an d not confine d i n close room s til l their muscle s ar e relaxed, and thei r powers of digestion destroyed . T o carr y the remar k still further , if fear i n girls , instea d o f bein g cherished , perhaps , created , wer e treated in the same manner as cowardice in boys, we should quickly see women wit h mor e dignifie d aspects . I t i s true, the y coul d no t then wit h equal propriety be termed th e sweet flowers that smil e in

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the wal k o f man; bu t the y woul d be more respectabl e member s o f society, an d discharg e th e importan t dutie s o f lif e b y th e ligh t o f their ow n reason. 'Educat e wome n lik e men,' say s Rousseau, 'an d the mor e the y resembl e ou r se x the les s powe r wil l the y hav e over us.'* This i s the ver y point I ai m at. I d o no t wis h the m t o hav e power ove r men; bu t ove r themselves . In the same strain have I heard men argue against instructing the poor; for many are the forms that aristocracy assumes. 'Teach the m to rea d an d write, ' sa y they, 'an d yo u take them ou t o f the statio n assigned the m b y nature. ' A n eloquen t Frenchma n ha s answere d them, I will borrow his sentiments. Bu t the y know not, whe n they make ma n a brute, tha t the y ma y expec t ever y instan t t o se e him transformed int o a ferocious beast. Without knowledge there can be no morality! Ignorance is a frail base for virtue! Yet, that it is the condition for which woman was organized, has been insiste d upo n by the writer s who hav e most vehementl y argue d i n favou r o f th e superiorit y o f man; a superiority not in degree, bu t essence ; though, t o soften th e argument, the y have laboured to prove, with chivalrous generosity, that the sexe s ough t no t to be compared; ma n was made t o reason, woman t o feel : an d tha t together , fles h an d spirit , the y mak e th e most perfect whole, by blending happily reason an d sensibility into one character . And wha t i s sensibility ? 'Quicknes s o f sensation ; quicknes s o f perception; delicacy. ' Thus is it define d b y Dr Johnson; * and th e definition give s me no othe r ide a than o f the mos t exquisitel y pol ished instinct . I discer n no t a trace o f the imag e o f God i n eithe r sensation o r matter . Refine d sevent y time s seven, * the y ar e stil l material; intellect dwells not there; nor will fire ever make lead gold! I come round to my old argument; if woman be allowed to have an immortal soul , she must have , as the employment o f life, a n understanding t o improve . An d when , t o rende r th e presen t stat e mor e complete, thoug h ever y thin g prove s i t t o b e bu t a fractio n o f a mighty sum , sh e i s incite d b y presen t gratificatio n t o forge t he r grand destination , natur e i s counteracted, o r sh e wa s born onl y to procreate an d rot. Or , grantin g brutes, o f every description, a soul, though no t a reasonable one, th e exercis e of instinct an d sensibility may b e th e step , whic h the y ar e t o take , i n thi s life , toward s th e attainment o f reason i n th e next ; s o that throug h al l eternity the y

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will lag behind man , who, why we cannot tell , had the power give n him o f attaining reason in his first mode of existence. When I treat of the peculiar duties of women, as I should treat of the peculiar duties of a citizen or father, it will be found that I do not mean t o insinuat e tha t the y shoul d b e take n ou t o f their families , speaking of the majority. 'He that hath wife and children,' says Lord Bacon, 'hath given hostages to fortune; for they are impediments t o great enterprises , eithe r o f virtu e o r mischief . Certainl y th e bes t works, and of greatest merit for the public, have proceeded fro m th e unmarried o r childles s men.'* I sa y the sam e o f women. But , th e welfare of society is not built on extraordinary exertions; and were it more reasonabl y organized, ther e woul d be stil l les s nee d o f grea t abilities, or heroic virtues. In the regulation of a family, in the education of children, understanding, i n a n unsophisticate d sense , i s particularl y required : strength both of body and mind; yet the men who, by their writings, have most earnestl y laboured t o domesticate women , have endeavoured, by arguments dictated by a gross appetite, whic h satiety had rendered fastidious , to weaken their bodies and cramp their minds . But, if even by these sinister methods they really persuaded women , by working on their feelings, to stay at home, and fulfi l th e duties of a mother an d mistress o f a family, I should cautiously oppose opinions that led women to right conduct, by prevailing on them to make the discharg e o f suc h importan t dutie s th e mai n business o f life , though reaso n were insulted. Yet, and I appeal to experience, i f by neglecting the understanding they be as much, nay , more detached from thes e domestic employments , than the y could be by the mos t serious intellectua l pursuit , thoug h i t ma y b e observed , tha t th e mass o f mankind wil l neve r vigorousl y pursue a n intellectua l ob ject,1 I may be allowed to infer that reason is absolutely necessary to enable a woma n t o perfor m an y dut y properly , an d I mus t agai n repeat, tha t sensibilit y i s not reason . The compariso n wit h the ric h stil l occurs t o me; for, when men neglect the dutie s of humanity, women will follow thei r example ; a common strea m hurrie s them bot h alon g with thoughtless celerity . Riches an d honours preven t a man fro m enlargin g his understand ing, an d enervat e all his power s b y reversin g th e orde r o f nature , 1

Th e mas s o f mankind ar e rather the slaves of their appetites than o f their passions .

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which has ever made true pleasure the reward of labour. Pleasure— enervating pleasure is, likewise, within women's reach without earning it. But, till hereditary possessions are spread abroad, how can we expect me n t o b e prou d o f virtue ? And , til l the y are , wome n wil l govern them by the most direct means, neglecting their dull domestic duties to catch the pleasure tha t sits lightly on the wing of time. 'The power of the woman,' says some author, 'is her sensibility';* and men, not aware of the consequence, d o all they can to make this power swallow up every other. Thos e who constantly employ their sensibility will have most: for example; poets, painters, and composers.1 Yet , whe n th e sensibilit y i s thus increase d a t th e expenc e o f reason, an d eve n the imagination , why do philosophical men com plain o f their fickleness ? Th e sexua l attention o f man particularly acts o n femal e sensibility , an d thi s sympath y ha s bee n exercise d from thei r yout h up . A husband canno t lon g pay thos e attention s with the passio n necessary to excite lively emotions, an d the heart , accustomed t o livel y emotions, turn s t o a ne w lover , o r pine s i n secret, th e pre y of virtue or prudence . I mea n whe n th e hear t ha s really been rendered susceptible , an d the taste formed; for I am apt to conclude, from wha t I have seen in fashionable life, that vanity is oftener fostere d than sensibilit y by the mod e of education, an d th e intercourse betwee n th e sexes , whic h I hav e reprobated; an d tha t coquetry more frequentl y proceeds fro m vanit y than fro m tha t in constancy, which overstrained sensibility naturally produces. Another argumen t tha t ha s ha d grea t weigh t wit h me , must , I think, hav e som e forc e wit h ever y considerat e benevolen t heart . Girls who have been thus weakly educated, ar e often cruelly left by their parent s withou t any provision; and, of course, ar e dependen t on, no t onl y th e reason , bu t th e bount y o f their brothers . Thes e brothers are , t o vie w the faires t sid e o f the question , goo d sor t o f men, and give as a favour, what children of the sam e parents had an equal righ t to . I n thi s equivoca l humiliating situation, a docile female may remain some time, with a tolerable degree of comfort. But, when th e brothe r marries , a probabl e circumstance , fro m bein g considered as the mistress o f the family , sh e is viewed with averted 1 Me n o f thes e description s pou r i t int o thei r compositions , t o amalgamat e the gros s materials; and, moulding them wit h passion, giv e to the iner t body a soul; but, in woman's imagination, love alone concentrates thes e ethereal beams .

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looks as an intruder, a n unnecessary burde n o n the benevolenc e of the master o f the house , an d hi s new partner. Who ca n recoun t th e misery , whic h man y unfortunat e beings , whose mind s an d bodie s ar e equall y weak , suffe r i n suc h situa tions—unable t o work , an d ashame d t o beg ? Th e wife , a cold hearted, narrow-minded , woman , an d thi s i s no t a n unfai r supposition; fo r th e presen t mod e o f educatio n doe s no t ten d t o enlarge the heart any more than the understanding, i s jealous of the little kindnes s whic h he r husban d shew s t o hi s relations ; an d he r sensibility no t risin g t o humanity , sh e i s displease d a t seein g th e property o f her children lavishe d on an helpless sister . These are matters o f fact, whic h have come unde r m y ey e again and again . Th e consequenc e i s obvious , th e wif e ha s recours e t o cunning t o undermin e th e habitua l affection , whic h sh e i s afrai d openly to oppose; an d neithe r tear s no r caresse s ar e spared til l th e spy i s worked ou t o f her home , an d throw n o n th e world , unpre pared fo r it s difficulties ; o r sent , a s a great effor t o f generosity , o r from som e regard t o propriety, wit h a small stipend, an d an uncultivated mind, int o joyless solitude. These tw o wome n ma y b e muc h upo n a par , wit h respec t t o reason and humanity; and changing situations, might have acted just the sam e selfis h part ; bu t ha d the y bee n differentl y educated , th e case would also have been ver y different. Th e wif e woul d not hav e had tha t sensibility , o f whic h sel f i s th e centre , an d reaso n migh t have taught he r no t t o expect, an d no t eve n to be flattered by, th e affection o f her husband , i f it le d hi m t o violat e prior duties . Sh e would wis h no t t o lov e hi m merel y becaus e h e love d her , bu t o n account of his virtues; and the sister migh t have been abl e to struggle for herself instea d o f eating the bitte r brea d o f dependence . I am, indeed, persuaded that the heart, as well as the understand ing, is opened by cultivation; and by, which may not appear so clear, strengthening th e organs ; I a m no t no w talkin g o f momentar y flashes of sensibility, but o f affections. And , perhaps, i n the educa tion o f both sexes , th e mos t difficul t tas k is so to adjus t instructio n as not t o narrow the understanding , whilst the hear t i s warmed by the generous juices of spring, just raised by the electric fermentation of the season ; nor t o dry up th e feeling s b y employing the mind i n investigations remot e fro m life .

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With respec t t o women , whe n the y receiv e a careful education , they are either mad e fine ladies, brimful o f sensibility, and teeming with capriciou s fancies ; o r merel y notabl e women . Th e latte r ar e often friendly , hones t creatures , an d hav e a shrew d kin d o f goo d sense joine d wit h worldl y prudence, tha t ofte n rende r the m mor e useful member s o f societ y tha n th e fin e sentimenta l lady , thoug h they posses s neithe r greatnes s o f mind no r taste . Th e intellectua l world i s shut agains t them; tak e them ou t o f their famil y o r neigh bourhood, and they stand still; the mind finding no employment, for literature afford s a fun d o f amusemen t whic h the y hav e neve r sought to relish, but frequently to despise. The sentiment s and taste of mor e cultivate d mind s appea r ridiculous , eve n i n thos e who m chance an d famil y connections hav e led the m t o love ; but i n mer e acquaintance they think it all affectation . A man of sense can only love such a woman on account of her sex, and respec t her , becaus e sh e i s a trust y servant . H e let s her , t o preserve hi s ow n peace , scol d th e servants , an d g o t o churc h i n clothes mad e of the ver y best materials . A man o f her ow n siz e of understanding would, probably, no t agre e so well with her; fo r h e might wis h t o encroach o n her prerogative , an d manag e some do mestic concerns himself. Yet women, whose minds are not enlarged by cultivation, or the natura l selfishness of sensibility expande d by reflection, are very unfit to manage a family; for, by an undue stretch of power, the y ar e always tyrannizing to support a superiority tha t only rests o n the arbitrar y distinction of fortune. The evi l is sometimes more serious , and domestics are deprived o f innocent indul gences, and made to work beyond their strength , i n order to enable the notabl e woma n to keep a better table , an d outshine he r neigh bours i n finer y an d parade . I f sh e atten d t o he r children , i t is , in general, to dress them in a costly manner—and, whether thi s attention arise from vanit y or fondness , it is equally pernicious. Besides, ho w many women of this description pass their days; or, at least , thei r evenings , discontentedly . Thei r husband s acknowl edge that they are good managers, and chaste wives; but leav e home to see k fo r mor e agreeable , ma y I b e allowe d to us e a significan t French word , piquant society; an d th e patien t drudge , wh o fulfil s her task, like a blind horse in a mill, is defrauded o f her just reward; for th e wages due to her are the caresses of her husband; and women

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who have so few resources in themselves, d o not very patiently bear this privatio n of a natural right. A fine lady, on the contrary , has been taugh t t o loo k dow n with contempt o n th e vulga r employments o f life ; thoug h sh e ha s only been incite d t o acquir e accomplishment s tha t ris e a degre e above sense; for even corporeal accomplishments cannot be acquired with any degree of precision unless the understanding has been strengthened by exercise. Without a foundation o f principles taste is superficial, grace must aris e from somethin g deeper tha n imitation. Th e imagination, however, is heated, an d th e feeling s rendere d fastidi ous, i f no t sophisticated ; or , a counterpois e o f judgmen t i s no t acquired, when the heart still remains artless, though it becomes too tender. These women are often amiable ; and their hearts are really more sensible t o genera l benevolence, mor e aliv e to th e sentiment s tha t civilize life, tha n the square-elbowe d famil y drudge ; but, wanting a due proportion o f reflection an d self-government, the y only inspire love; and are the mistresses of their husbands, whilst they have any hold o n thei r affections ; an d th e platoni c friend s o f hi s mal e ac quaintance. Thes e ar e th e fai r defect s i n nature ; th e wome n wh o appear to be created no t to enjoy th e fellowshi p o f man, but t o save him fro m sinkin g into absolute brutality, by rubbing off the roug h angles of his character; and by playful dallianc e to give some dignity to the appetit e tha t draw s him t o them.—Graciou s Creato r o f the whole human race ! hast tho u create d suc h a being as woman, who can trace thy wisdo m in thy works , and fee l tha t tho u alon e art b y thy natur e exalte d abov e her,—fo r n o bette r purpose?—Ca n sh e believe that she was only made to submit to man, her equal, a being, who, like her, wa s sent int o the worl d to acquire virtue?—Can she consent t o be occupied merel y to pleas e him ; merel y to ador n th e earth, when her soul is capable of rising to thee?—And can she rest supinely dependen t o n ma n fo r reason, whe n sh e ough t t o moun t with him th e arduou s steeps o f knowledge?— Yet, if love be the supreme good , let women be only educated t o inspire it, and let every charm be polished t o intoxicate the senses ; but, i f the y b e mora l beings , le t the m hav e a chanc e t o becom e intelligent; and let love to man be only a part o f that glowin g flame of universal love, which, after encircling humanity, mounts in grateful incens e t o God .

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To fulfi l domesti c dutie s muc h resolutio n i s necessary , an d a serious kind of perseverance that requires a more firm support tha n emotions, howeve r lively and true to nature. To giv e an example of order, th e sou l o f virtue , som e austerit y o f behaviou r mus t b e adopted, scarcely to be expected from a being who, from it s infancy, has bee n mad e th e weathercoc k o f it s ow n sensations . Whoeve r rationally means to be usefu l mus t hav e a plan of conduct; and , in the discharg e o f th e simples t duty , w e ar e ofte n oblige d t o ac t contrary to the present impulse of tenderness o r compassion. Severity is frequently the most certain , a s well as the mos t sublime proof of affection; an d the want of this power over the feelings, and of that lofty, dignifie d affection , whic h make s a perso n prefe r th e futur e good o f the belove d objec t t o a present gratification , is the reaso n why s o many fon d mother s spoi l thei r children , an d ha s mad e i t questionable whether negligence or indulgence be most hurtful: bu t I am inclined to think, that th e latter has done most harm . Mankind see m t o agre e tha t childre n shoul d b e lef t unde r th e management o f women during their childhood . Now, fro m al l the observation tha t I have been able to make, women of sensibility ar e the most unfit fo r this task, because they will infallibly, carried away by thei r feelings , spoi l a child' s temper . Th e managemen t o f th e temper, th e first, and most important branch of education, requires the sobe r stead y ey e o f reason ; a pla n o f conduc t equall y distan t from tyrann y and indulgence: yet these are the extremes that people of sensibility alternately fall into; always shooting beyond the mark. I hav e followe d thi s trai n o f reasonin g muc h further , til l I hav e concluded, that a person of genius is the most improper person to be employed in education, public or private. Minds of this rare species see thing s to o muc h i n masses , an d seldom , i f ever , hav e a goo d temper. That habitua l cheerfulness, terme d good-humour , is , per haps, a s seldo m unite d wit h grea t menta l powers , a s wit h stron g feelings. And those people who follow, with interest and admiration, the flights of genius; or, with cooler approbation suck in the instruction which has been elaborately prepared fo r them by the profound thinker, ought no t to be disgusted, i f they find the former choleric , and th e latte r morose ; becaus e livelines s of fancy , an d a tenacious comprehension o f mind , ar e scarcel y compatibl e wit h tha t plian t urbanity whic h leads a man, a t least , t o ben d t o th e opinion s an d prejudices o f others, instea d o f roughly confronting them.

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But, treatin g o f education o r manners, minds of a superior clas s are no t t o b e considered , the y ma y b e lef t t o chance ; i t i s th e multitude, wit h moderat e abilities , wh o cal l fo r instruction , an d catch th e colou r o f the atmospher e the y breathe . Thi s respectabl e concourse, I contend, men and women, should not have their sensations heightene d i n th e hot-be d o f luxuriou s indolence , a t th e expence o f thei r understanding ; for , unles s ther e b e a ballas t o f understanding, the y wil l neve r becom e eithe r virtuou s o r free : a n aristocracy, founded o n property, or sterling talents, will ever sweep before it , the alternatel y timid, an d ferocious , slaves of feeling . Numberless ar e the arguments , t o take another vie w of the sub ject, brought forward wit h a shew of reason, because supposed to be deduced fro m nature , that men have used morally and physically, to degrade the sex . I must notic e a few. The femal e understandin g ha s ofte n bee n spoke n o f wit h con tempt, a s arrivin g sooner a t maturit y tha n th e male . I shal l no t answer thi s argumen t b y alludin g to th e earl y proofs of reason, as well a s genius, i n Cowley , Milton, and Pope, 1* but onl y appeal to experience to decide whether young men, who are early introduced into company (and examples now abound), do not acquire the same precocity. S o notoriou s i s this fact , tha t th e bar e mentionin g o f it must bring before people, who at all mix in the world , the idea of a number o f swaggering apes of men, whose understandings are nar rowed by being brought into the society of men when they ought to have been spinnin g a top o r twirling a hoop. It ha s als o been asserted , b y som e naturalists , tha t me n d o no t attain thei r ful l growt h an d strengt h til l thirty ; bu t tha t wome n arrive at maturity by twenty.* I apprehend tha t they reason on fals e ground, led astray by the mal e prejudice, which deems beauty th e perfection o f woman—mere beauty of features and complexion, th e vulgar acceptation of the word, whilst male beauty is allowed to have some connection with the mind. Strength of body, and that character of countenance, which the French term uphysionomie, women do not acquir e befor e thirty , an y mor e tha n men . Th e littl e artles s tricks of children, it is true, are particularly pleasing and attractive; yet, whe n th e prett y freshnes s o f yout h i s wor n off , these artles s graces become studied airs, and disgust every person of taste. In the 1

Man y other name s might be added.

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countenance of girls we only look for vivacity and bashful modesty ; but, the spring-tide of life over, we look for soberer sense in the face , and fo r trace s o f passion, instea d o f the dimple s o f animal spirits ; expecting to se e individuality of character, th e onl y fastener of th e affections.1 W e then wish to converse, not to fondle; to give scope to our imagination s as well as to the sensation s o f 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 commonl y o f th e sam e opinion ; for , when the y ca n n o longe r inspire love , the y pa y fo r th e vigou r an d vivacit y of youth . Th e French, who admit more of mind int o their notion s of beauty, give the preferenc e t o wome n o f thirty . I mea n t o sa y that the y allo w women to be in their most perfect state, when vivacity gives place to reason, an d t o tha t majesti c seriousness o f character, whic h marks maturity;—or, th e restin g point . I n youth , til l twenty , th e bod y shoots out, till thirty the solids are attaining a degree of density; and the flexible muscles, growin g 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 . Me n cannot , how ever, claim any natural superiority from th e grandeu r of longevity; for i n this respec t natur e has not distinguishe d the male. Polygamy i s another physica l degradation; and a plausible argu ment fo r a custom, tha t blasts every domestic virtue , is drawn fro m the well-atteste d fact , tha t in the countrie s where i t i s established, more females are born than males. This appears to be an indication of nature , an d t o nature , apparentl y reasonable speculation s mus t yield. A furthe r conclusio n obviousl y presented itself ; if polygamy be necessary, woman must b e inferior to man, an d made for him. With respec t t o th e formatio n of the fetu s in th e womb , w e are very ignorant ; bu t i t appear s t o m e probable , tha t a n accidenta l physical cause may account for this phenomenon, and prove it not to be a law of nature. I have met wit h some pertinent observation s on the subject in Forster's Account of the Isles o f the South-Sea , that 1 Th e strengt h o f an affection is , generally, in the same proportion as the character of the species i n the objec t beloved, is lost i n that of the individual.

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will explai n m y meaning . Afte r observin g tha t o f th e tw o sexe s amongst animals, the most vigorous and hottest constitution alway s 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 us e of so many women, and therefore les s vigorous ; th e women , o n th e contrary , ar e o f a hotte r constitution, no t onl y o n accoun t o f thei r mor e irritabl e nerves , more sensible organization, and more livel y fancy ; bu t likewis e be cause they are deprived in their matrimony of that share of physical love which , i n a monogamous condition , woul d al l be theirs ; an d thus, fo r th e abov e reasons , th e generalit y o f childre n ar e bor n females.* 'In th e greate r par t o f Europe i t ha s bee n prove d b y th e mos t accurate lists of mortality, that th e proportio n o f men t o women is nearly equal , or , i f an y differenc e take s place, th e male s bor n ar e more numerous, i n the proportio n o f 10 5 to 100. ' The necessit y of polygamy, therefore, does not appear; yet when a man seduce s a woman, it should , I think be termed a left-handed marriage, an d th e ma n shoul d b e legally oblige d t o maintai n th e woman an d he r children , unles s adultery , a natura l divorcement , abrogated the law. And this law should remain in force as long as the weakness o f wome n cause d th e wor d seductio n t o b e use d a s a n excuse for their frailty and want of principle; nay, while they depend on ma n fo r a subsistence , instea d o f earning i t b y th e exertio n o f their ow n hands or heads. But thes e wome n should not , i n the ful l meaning of the relationship, be termed wives, or the very purpose of marriage would be subverted, and all those endearing charitie s that flow fro m persona l fidelity , an d giv e a sanctit y t o th e tie , whe n neither lov e no r friendshi p unite s th e hearts , woul d mel t int o selfishness. Th e woma n who is faithful t o the fathe r o f her children demands respect, and should not be treated like a prostitute; though I readil y grant tha t i f it b e necessary fo r a man an d woma n to live together i n order to bring up their offspring, natur e never intended that a man shoul d hav e more than on e wife . Still, highl y as I respec t marriage , a s th e foundatio n of almost every social virtue, I cannot avoid feeling the most lively compassion for thos e unfortunate females wh o are broken off from society , and by on e erro r tor n fro m al l thos e affection s an d relationship s tha t improve the heart and mind. It does not frequently even deserve the

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name of error ; for man y innocen t girl s becom e the dupe s of a sincere, affectionate heart , and still more are, as it may emphatically be termed , ruined befor e they kno w the differenc e betwee n virtu e and vice:—an d thu s prepare d b y thei r educatio n fo r infamy , the y become infamous . Asylum s an d Magdalens * ar e no t th e prope r remedies for these abuses. It is justice, not charity, that is wanting in the world! A woman who has lost he r honour , imagine s that sh e cannot fal l lower, and a s for recovering her forme r station, it is impossible; n o exertion ca n was h thi s stai n away . Losin g thu s ever y spur , an d having n o othe r mean s o f support , prostitutio n become s he r onl y refuge, an d the character is quickly depraved by circumstances over which th e poo r wretc h ha s littl e power , unles s sh e possesse s a n uncommon portio n o f sense and loftiness of spirit. Necessity never makes prostitution th e business of men's lives; though numberles s are the women who are thus rendere d systematicall y 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 t o man fo r a maintenance, and to consider their persons a s the proper retur n for his exertion s t o suppor t them . Meretriciou s airs , an d th e whol e science o f wantonness , hav e the n a mor e powerfu l stimulu s tha n either appetit e or vanity; and this remark gives force t o the prevail ing opinion , tha t wit h chastit y al l i s los t tha t i s respectabl e i n woman. He r characte r depend s o n th e observanc e o f on e virtue , though th e onl y passio n fostere d i n he r heart—i s love . Nay , th e honour o f a woman is not mad e even to depend o n her will. When Richardson 1 make s Clariss a tel l Lovelac e tha t h e ha d robbed he r o f he r honour, * h e mus t hav e ha d strang e notion s o f honour and virtue. For, miserabl e beyond all names of misery is the condition o f a being, who could b e degrade d withou t its own con sent! This excess of strictness I have heard vindicate d as a salutary error. I shal l answe r i n th e word s o f Leibnitz—'Error s ar e ofte n useful; bu t i t is commonly to remedy other errors.' * Most of the evil s of life aris e from a desire of present enjoyment that outrun s itself . The obedienc e require d o f women in the mar riage state come s under this description; the mind, naturally weak1 D r Youn g supports the same opinion, in his plays, when he talks of the misfortune that shunned th e ligh t of day.*

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ened b y depending o n authority, neve r exert s it s own powers, an d the obedien t wif e i s thu s rendere d a wea k indolen t mother . Or , supposing tha t thi s i s not alway s the consequence , a future stat e of existence i s scarcel y take n int o th e reckonin g whe n onl y negative virtues are cultivated. For, i n treating of morals, particularl y when women are alluded to, writers have too often considere d virtu e in a very limite d sense , an d mad e th e foundatio n o f i t solely worldl y utility; nay, a still more fragil e bas e ha s been give n to thi s stupen dous fabric, and the waywar d fluctuating feelings of men have been made the standard of virtue. Yes, virtue as well as religion, has been subjected t o the decision s o f taste. It would almost provoke a smile of contempt, i f the vain absurdities of man did not strike us on all sides, to observe, how eager men are to degrade the sex from who m they pretend t o receive the chief pleasure o f life; an d I have frequently with ful l convictio n retorte d Pope's sarcas m o n them; or , t o spea k explicitly, it has appeared t o me applicable to the whole human race. A love of pleasure or sway* seems t o divide mankind, and the husband wh o lords it in his little haram think s onl y o f hi s pleasur e o r hi s convenience . T o suc h lengths, indeed , doe s a n intemperat e lov e o f pleasur e carr y som e prudent men, o r worn out libertines, wh o marry to have a safe bed fellow, tha t the y seduc e thei r ow n wives.—Hymen banishes mod esty, and chast e lov e takes its flight . Love, considered a s an animal appetite, canno t long feed o n itself without expiring . An d thi s extinctio n i n it s ow n flame , ma y b e termed th e violen t deat h o f love. But th e wif e wh o ha s thu s bee n rendered licentious, will probably endeavou r t o fill the voi d lef t b y the los s o f he r husband' s attentions ; fo r sh e canno t contentedl y become merel y a n uppe r servan t afte r havin g been treate d lik e a goddess. Sh e i s stil l handsome , and , instea d o f transferrin g he r fondness t o her children, sh e only dreams o f enjoying the sunshin e of life . Beside s ther e ar e man y husband s s o devoi d o f sens e an d parental affection, tha t durin g the first effervescence of voluptuous fondness the y refus e to let their wives suckle their children . The y are only to dress an d liv e to please them : an d love—eve n innocen t love, soo n sink s int o lasciviousnes s whe n th e exercis e o f a dut y is sacrificed t o its indulgence . Personal attachmen t i s a very happ y foundatio n fo r friendship ; yet, when even two virtuous young people marry, it would, perhaps,

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be happy if some circumstances checked their passion ; if the reco l lection of some prior attachment, or disappointed affection , mad e it on one side, at least, rather a match founded on esteem. In that case they would look beyond the present moment, an d try to render th e whole of life respectable , b y forming a plan to regulate a friendship which only death ought t o dissolve. Friendship i s a seriou s affection ; th e mos t sublim e o f al l affec tions, because it is founded on principle, and cemented by time. Th e very reverse may be said of love. In a great degree, love and friend ship canno t subsis t i n th e sam e bosom ; eve n whe n inspire d b y different object s the y weake n or destro y eac h other , an d fo r th e same object can only be fel t i n succession. Th e vai n fears an d fon d jealousies, the wind s which fan the flame of love, when judiciously or artfull y tempered , ar e both incompatibl e wit h the tende r confi dence and sincer e respect o f friendship. Love, suc h as the glowin g pen of genius has traced, exists not on earth, or only resides in those exalted, fervid imagination s that have sketched suc h dangerou s pictures . Dangerous , becaus e the y no t only afford a plausible excuse, to the voluptuary who disguises sheer sensuality unde r a sentimental veil ; but a s they sprea d affectation , and tak e fro m th e dignit y of virtue. Virtue , as the ver y word im ports, should have an appearance of seriousness, i f not o f austerity; and to endeavour to trick her out in the garb of pleasure, because the epithet ha s been use d as another name for beauty, is to exalt her on a quicksand; a most insidious attempt to hasten her fal l by apparent respect. Virtue and pleasur e are not, i n fact, s o nearly allied in this life a s som e eloquen t writers * hav e laboure d t o prove . Pleasur e prepares the fadin g wreath, and mixes the intoxicating cup; but th e fruit whic h virtu e gives, i s the recompenc e o f toil : and , gradually seen as it ripens, only affords cal m satisfaction; nay, appearing to be the resul t o f the natura l tendency of things, i t is scarcely observed. Bread, th e commo n foo d o f life , seldo m though t o f a s a blessing , supports th e constitutio n an d preserve s health ; stil l feast s deligh t the heart of man, though diseas e and even death lurk in the cup or dainty that elevates the spirits or tickles the palate. The livel y heated imagination likewise, to apply the comparison, draws the picture of love, a s i t draw s ever y other picture , wit h thos e glowin g colours, which the daring hand will steal from the rainbow that is directed by a mind, condemned in a world like this, to prove its noble origin by

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panting afte r unattainabl e perfection ; eve r pursuin g wha t i t ac knowledges to be a fleeting dream. An imagination o f this vigorous cast ca n giv e existence t o insubstantia l forms , an d stabilit y t o th e shadowy reveries which the min d naturally falls int o when realities are foun d vapid . It ca n then depic t love with celestial charms, an d dote on th e gran d idea l object—it ca n imagine a degree o f mutual affection tha t shall refine the soul, and not expire when it has served as a 'scale to heavenly;' * and, lik e devotion, mak e it absor b every meaner affectio n an d desire . I n eac h other s arms , a s in a temple , with its summit los t in the clouds, the worl d is to be shut out , and every though t an d wish , tha t d o no t nurtur e pur e affectio n an d permanent virtue.—Permanen t virtue ! alas! Rousseau, respectabl e visionary! thy paradise * would soon be violated by the entranc e of some unexpected guest. Like Milton's it would only contain angels, or me n sun k belo w the dignit y of rational creatures. Happines s i s not material , it cannot b e seen o r felt ! Ye t the eage r pursuit o f the good whic h every one shapes to hi s own fancy , proclaim s man th e lord o f this lower world, and t o be an intelligential creature, who is not t o receive , but acquir e happiness . They , therefore , wh o com plain o f th e delusion s o f passion , d o no t recollec t tha t the y ar e exclaiming against a strong proof of the immortalit y of the soul . But leaving superior minds to correct themselves, an d pay dearly for thei r experience, i t is necessary t o observe, tha t it is not against strong, perseverin g passions; but romanti c wavering feelings tha t I wish to guard the femal e heart by exercising the understanding: for these paradisiacal reveries are oftener the effec t o f idleness than of a lively fancy . Women hav e seldo m sufficien t seriou s employmen t t o silenc e their feelings; a round of little cares, or vain pursuits frittering away all strength o f mind and organs, they become naturally only objects of sense.—In short, the whole tenour of female education (the edu cation o f society ) tends t o rende r th e bes t dispose d romanti c an d inconstant; and the remainder vain and mean. In the present state of society this evil can scarcely be remedied, I am afraid, i n the slightest degree; shoul d a more laudabl e ambition ever gain ground the y may b e brough t neare r t o natur e an d reason , an d becom e mor e virtuous and usefu l a s they grow more respectable . But, I wil l ventur e t o asser t tha t thei r reaso n wil l never acquir e sufficient strengt h t o enable it to regulate their conduct , whils t the

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making an appearance in the worl d is the firs t wish of the majorit y of mankind. To thi s wea k wish the natural affections, an d the mos t useful virtue s are sacrificed. Girls marry merely to better themselves, to borrow a significant vulga r phrase, an d hav e such perfect power over their hearts as not to permit themselves to fall i n love till a man with a superiour fortune offers. O n this subject I mean to enlarge in a futur e chapter ; i t i s onl y necessar y t o dro p a hin t a t present , because women are so often degrade d b y sufferin g th e selfis h pru dence o f age to chill the ardou r of youth. From the same source flows an opinion that young girls ought to dedicate grea t par t o f their tim e t o needle-work; yet , this employ ment contract s thei r facultie s mor e tha n an y other tha t coul d have been chosen fo r them, by confining thei r thoughts t o their persons . Men order their clothes to be made, and have done with the subject; women mak e their ow n clothes , necessar y o r ornamental , an d ar e continually talkin g abou t them ; an d thei r thought s follo w thei r hands. I t i s not indee d th e makin g of necessaries that weaken s the mind; but the frippery of dress. For when a woman in the lower rank of lif e make s he r husband' s an d children' s clothes , sh e doe s he r duty, this is her part of the famil y business; but whe n women work only to dress better than they could otherwise afford, i t is worse than sheer los s of time. T o rende r th e poo r virtuou s the y must b e em ployed, and wome n in the middl e rank of life, di d the y not ap e the fashions o f the nobility , without catching their ease , migh t employ them, whils t the y themselve s manage d thei r families , instructe d their children , an d exercised thei r ow n minds. Gardening , experi mental philosophy , an d literature , woul d affor d the m subject s t o think o f an d matte r fo r conversation , tha t i n som e degre e woul d exercise their understandings. The conversatio n of French women, who ar e not s o rigidly nailed t o thei r chair s t o twis t lappets,* and knot ribands, is frequently superficial; but , I contend, tha t i t is not half so insipid as that of those English women whose time is spent in making caps, bonnets, an d the whole mischief o f trimmings, not to mention shopping , bargain-hunting , etc . etc. ; an d i t i s the decent , prudent women, who are most degraded by these practices; for their motive i s simpl y vanity . Th e wanto n wh o exercise s he r tast e t o render he r passio n alluring , has something mor e i n view. These observations all branch out of a general one, which I have before made , an d whic h canno t b e to o ofte n insiste d upon , for ,

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speaking of men, women , o r professions , it wil l b e foun d tha t th e employment of the thoughts shapes the character both generally and individually. Th e thought s o f women eve r hove r roun d thei r per sons, and is it surprising that their persons are reckoned most valu able? Yet som e degree of liberty of mind i s necessary even to for m the person; and this may be one reason why some gentle wives have so fe w attraction s besid e tha t o f sex . Ad d t o this , sedentar y employments rende r th e majorit y o f women sickly—an d fals e no tions of female excellence make them proud of this delicacy, though it be another fetter , tha t b y calling the attentio n continuall y to th e body, cramps th e activity of the mind . Women o f qualit y seldo m d o an y o f th e manua l par t o f thei r dress, consequently onl y their tast e is exercised, an d the y acquire , by thinkin g less o f th e finery , whe n th e busines s o f thei r toile t i s over, that ease, which seldom appears in the deportment o f women, who dres s merel y for th e sak e of dressing. I n fact , th e observatio n with respect to the middle rank, the one in which talents thrive best, extends not to women; for those of the superior class, by catching, at least, a smattering of literature, an d conversin g more with men, on general topics , acquir e more knowledg e than th e wome n wh o ape their fashion s an d fault s withou t sharin g thei r advantages . Wit h respect t o virtue, to use the wor d in a comprehensive sense, I have seen most in low life. Many poor women maintain their children b y the swea t of their brow, and keep together familie s tha t the vices of the father s would have scattered abroad ; but gentlewome n ar e too indolent to be actively virtuous, and are softened rather than refine d by civilization . Indeed , th e goo d sens e whic h I hav e me t with , among the poor women who have had fe w advantages of education, and yet have acted heroically, strongly confirmed me in the opinion that triflin g employment s hav e rendere d woma n a trifler . Man , taking her1 body, the mind is left t o rust; so that while physical love enervates man, as being his favourite recreation, h e will endeavour to enslave woman:—and, who can tell, how many generations may be necessar y t o giv e vigou r t o th e virtu e an d talent s o f th e free d posterity o f abject slaves? 2 1

' I take her body,' says Ranger.* 'Supposin g tha t wome n are voluntar y slaves—slavery o f an y kin d is unfavourabl e to human happines s and improvement.' Knox's Essays* 2

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In tracing the causes that , in my opinion, hav e degraded woman , I have confined m y observations to such as universally act upon th e morals and manners of the whole sex, and to me it appears clear that they all spring from wan t of understanding. Whether thi s arise fro m a physical or accidental weakness of faculties, time alone can determine; fo r I shal l no t la y an y grea t stres s o n th e exampl e o f a few women1 who , fro m havin g receive d a masculin e education , hav e acquired courag e and resolution; I only contend tha t th e men who have been placed in similar situations, have acquired a similar character—I speak of bodies of men, and that men of genius and talent s have starte d ou t o f a class , i n whic h wome n hav e neve r ye t bee n placed. 1 Sappho , Eloisa , Mr s Macaulay , th e Empres s o f Russia, Madam e d'Eon, * etc. These , and man y more, ma y be reckone d exceptions ; and , ar e no t al l heroes, a s well a s heroines , exceptions to general rules? I wish to see women neither heroine s nor brutes; but reasonable creatures.

CHAPTER V A N I M A D V E R S I O N S O N SOM E O F TH E WRITER S WHO HAV E RENDERE D WOME N OBJECT S O F PITY , BORDERING O N CONTEMP T

The opinion s speciousl y supported , i n som e moder n publication s on the female character and education, which have given the tone to most o f the observation s made , i n a more cursor y manner , o n th e sex, remain no w to be examined. Section I I shal l begi n wit h Rousseau , an d giv e a sketc h o f hi s characte r o f woman, in his own words, interspersing comment s an d reflections. My comments, i t is true, will all spring from a few simple principles, and might have been deduced fro m wha t I have already said; but th e artificial structur e ha s been raise d wit h s o much ingenuity , that i t seems necessar y t o attac k i t i n a more circumstantia l manner , an d make the applicatio n myself. Sophia, say s Rousseau, shoul d b e as perfect a woman as Emilius is a man , an d t o rende r he r so , i t i s necessar y t o examin e th e character whic h nature has given to the sex. * He the n proceed s t o prov e tha t woma n ough t t o b e wea k an d passive, becaus e she has less bodily strengt h than man; an d henc e infers, tha t sh e was formed t o please and t o be subject to him ; and that i t i s he r dut y t o rende r hersel f agreeable t o he r master—thi s being the gran d end o f her existence. 1 Still, however, to give a little mock dignit y t o lust , h e insist s tha t ma n shoul d no t exer t hi s strength, bu t depen d o n the wil l of the woman , whe n h e seek s for pleasure wit h her . 'Hence we deduce a third consequence fro m th e different consti tutions of the sexes; which is, that the strongest shoul d be master in appearance, an d b e dependent i n fac t o n th e weakest ; and tha t no t from an y frivolou s practic e o f gallantr y or vanit y of protectorship , 1

I have already inserted th e passage , pag e 117 .

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but fro m a n invariable law of nature, which, furnishing woman with a greate r facilit y t o excite desires tha n sh e has given man t o satisf y them, make s th e latte r dependen t o n th e goo d pleasur e o f th e former, and compels him to endeavour to please in his turn, in order to obtain her consent that h e should b e strongest.1 O n thes e occasions , the mos t delightfu l circumstanc e a man find s i n hi s victor y is , t o doubt whethe r i t wa s th e woman' s weaknes s tha t yielde d t o hi s superior strength , o r whether he r inclination s spok e in hi s favour : the female s ar e also generall y artful enoug h t o leav e this matte r i n doubt. Th e understandin g o f women answer s i n thi s respec t per fectly t o thei r constitution : s o fa r fro m bein g ashame d o f thei r weakness, they glory in it; their tende r muscle s mak e no resistance ; they affec t t o b e incapabl e o f liftin g th e smalles t burthens , an d would blush to be thought robus t and strong. To what purpose is all this? Not merel y for the sak e of appearing delicate, but throug h a n artful precaution : it is thus they provide an excuse beforehand, and a right t o be feeble when the y think it expedient.'* I have quoted thi s passage, les t my readers shoul d suspec t tha t I warped the author's reasonin g to support my own arguments. I have already asserted tha t i n educating wome n thes e fundamental prin ciples lead to a system o f cunning and lasciviousness. Supposing woma n t o hav e bee n forme d onl y t o please , an d b e subject t o man , th e conclusio n i s just, she ought t o sacrific e ever y other consideratio n t o render hersel f agreeabl e to him: an d let this brutal desir e o f self-preservatio n b e th e gran d sprin g o f al l he r actions, when it is proved to be the iron bed of fate, to fit which her character should b e stretched or contracted, regardless of all moral or physical distinctions. But, if, as I think, may be demonstrated, th e purposes, o f eve n thi s life , viewin g th e whole , b e subverte d b y practical rule s buil t upo n thi s ignoble base , I ma y b e allowe d t o doubt whether woman were created for man: and, though th e cry of irreligion, or eve n atheism , b e raised agains t me, I wil l simpl y de clare, that wer e an angel from heave n to tell me that Moses's beautiful, poetica l cosmogony , an d the account o f the fal l of man,* were literally true , I coul d no t believ e wha t m y reaso n tol d m e wa s derogatory t o th e characte r o f the Suprem e Being : and , havin g no fear o f the devil before mine eyes, I venture to call this a suggestion 1

Wha t nonsense!

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of reason, instead of resting my weakness on the broad shoulders of the firs t seduce r o f my frai l sex . 'It being once demonstrated,' continues Rousseau, 'that man and woman ar e not, no r ough t t o be, constituted alik e in temperamen t and character , it follows of course that they should no t be educated in the same manner. In pursuing the directions of nature, they ought indeed to act in concert, but they should not be engaged in the same employments: the end of their pursuits should b e the same, but th e means the y shoul d tak e t o accomplis h them , an d o f consequenc e their taste s and inclinations , should b e different. ' 'Whether I consider th e peculia r destination o f the sex , observe their inclinations, or remark their duties, all things equally concur to point ou t th e peculia r method o f education best adapte d t o them . Woman an d ma n wer e made fo r each other ; bu t thei r mutua l de pendence is not the same . The me n depend o n the wome n only on account of their desires ; the wome n on the men both o n account of their desire s and thei r necessities : w e could subsis t bette r withou t them tha n the y without us.' 'For thi s reason , th e educatio n o f the wome n shoul d b e alway s relative to the men. To please, to be useful to us, to make us love and esteem them , t o educate us when young, and tak e care of us when grown up , t o advise , t o consol e us , t o rende r ou r live s eas y an d agreeable: these are the duties of women at all times, and what they should be taught in their infancy . S o long as we fail t o recur to this principle, w e run wid e of the mark , and al l the precept s whic h are given them contribut e neithe r t o their happines s nor our own.' 'Girls are fro m thei r earlies t infanc y fon d o f dress. No t conten t with being pretty, they are desirous of being thought so; we see, by all their little airs, that this thought engages their attention; and they are hardl y capabl e o f understandin g wha t i s sai d t o them , befor e they are to be governed by talking to them of what people will think of thei r behaviour . Th e sam e motive , however , indiscreetly made use o f wit h boys , ha s no t th e sam e effect : provide d the y ar e le t pursue thei r amusement s a t pleasure , the y car e ver y littl e wha t people think of them. Time and pains are necessary to subject boys to this motive.

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'Whencesoever girls derive this first lesson, i t is a very good one. As the body is born, in a manner, before the soul , our first concern should b e t o cultivat e th e former ; thi s orde r i s commo n t o bot h sexes, but th e object of that cultivation is different. I n the one sex it is the developmen t o f corporeal powers ; i n th e other , tha t o f per sonal charms: not that either the quality of strength o r beauty ought to be confined exclusively to one sex; but onl y that the order of the cultivation o f bot h i s i n tha t respec t reversed . Wome n certainl y require a s much strengt h a s to enable them t o move and act gracefully, an d men as much address as to qualify the m to act with ease.' 'Children o f both sexe s hav e a great man y amusements i n com mon; and so they ought; have they not also many such when they are grown up? Each sex has also its peculiar taste to distinguish in this particular. Boy s love sports of noise and activity; to beat th e drum , to whip the top, and to drag about their little carts: girls, on the other hand, are fonder of things of show and ornament; such as mirrours, trinkets, and dolls: the doll is the peculiar amusement o f the females; from whenc e we see their taste plainly adapted to their destination. The physica l part o f the ar t o f pleasing lies in dress ; and thi s i s all which children ar e capacitated t o cultivate of that art. ' 'Here then we see a primary propensity firmly established, which you need only to pursue and regulate. The little creature will doubtless be very desirous to know how to dress u p he r doll , to make its sleeve-knots, it s flounces, its head-dress, etc . sh e is obliged t o have so much recours e t o th e peopl e abou t her , fo r thei r assistanc e i n these articles , tha t i t woul d be much mor e agreeabl e to her t o owe them al l to her ow n industry. Hence we have a good reason fo r th e first lessons that are usually taught these young females: in which we do no t appea r t o b e settin g the m a task , bu t obligin g them , b y instructing them i n what is immediately useful t o themselves. And, in fact , almost al l of them lear n wit h reluctanc e t o read an d write ; but ver y readily apply themselves to the use of their needles . They imagine themselves already grown up, an d think with pleasure that such qualification s will enable the m to decorate themselves.' * This is certainly only an education o f the body ; but Roussea u is not th e onl y man who has indirectly said that merely the perso n of a young woman, without any mind, unless animal spirits come unde r

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that description, i s very pleasing. T o rende r i t weak, and what som e may call beautiful, th e understandin g i s neglected, an d girl s forced to sit still, pla y with doll s and liste n t o foolis h conversations;—th e effect o f habit is insisted upon as an undoubted indicatio n of nature. I know it was Rousseau's opinio n that the first years of youth should be employe d t o for m th e body, * thoug h i n educatin g Emiliu s h e deviates fro m thi s plan ; yet , th e differenc e betwee n strengthenin g the body , o n whic h strengt h o f mind i n a great measur e depends , and onl y giving it an easy motion, i s very wide. Rousseau's observations , i t i s proper t o remark , wer e made i n a country wher e th e ar t o f pleasin g wa s refined onl y t o extrac t th e grossness of vice. He did not go back to nature, or his ruling appetite disturbed th e operation s o f reason, els e h e woul d no t hav e drawn these crud e inferences. In France boys and girls, particularly the latter, are only educated to please, to manage their persons, and regulate their exterior behaviour; an d thei r mind s ar e corrupted , a t a ver y earl y age , b y th e worldly and piou s caution s the y receiv e to guard the m agains t im modesty. I spea k of past times . The ver y confessions whic h mer e children wer e obliged t o make, and the questions asked by the holy men, I asser t thes e fact s on goo d authority , wer e sufficien t to impress a sexual character; and the education o f society was a school of coquetry an d art . A t th e ag e o f te n o r eleven ; nay , ofte n muc h sooner, girl s began to coquet, an d talked, unreproved, of establish ing themselves i n the worl d b y marriage . In short , the y wer e treate d lik e women , almos t fro m thei r ver y birth, an d compliment s wer e listene d t o instea d o f instruction . These, weakening the mind, Nature was supposed t o have acted like a step-mother, whe n sh e formed thi s after-though t o f creation. Not allowing them understanding, however, it was but consisten t to subject them t o authority independent o f reason; an d to prepar e them fo r this subjection, h e gives the followin g advice: 'Girls ought to be active and diligent ; nor is that all ; they should also be early subjected to restraint . Thi s misfortune, i f it really be one, i s inseparable from thei r sex ; nor d o they ever throw it off but to suffer more cruel evils. They must be subject, all their lives, to the most constan t an d sever e restraint, whic h is that o f decorum: i t is, therefore, necessar y t o accusto m the m earl y to suc h confinement , that it may not afterwards cost them too dear; and to the suppressio n

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of their caprices, that the y may the more readil y submit t o the wil l of others . If , indeed , the y b e fon d o f bein g alway s a t work , they should be sometime s compelle d to lay it aside . Dissipation, levity , and inconstancy , ar e fault s tha t readil y spring u p fro m thei r firs t propensities, when corrupted or perverted by too much indulgence. To prevent this abuse, we should teach them, above all things, to lay a du e restrain t o n themselves . Th e lif e o f a modest woma n i s re duced, by our absur d institutions , t o a perpetual conflic t wit h her self: no t bu t i t i s just tha t thi s se x should partak e of the suffering s which arise from thos e evil s it hath cause d us.'* And wh y i s th e lif e o f a modes t woma n a perpetua l conflict ? I should answer , tha t thi s ver y syste m o f educatio n make s i t so . Modesty, temperance , an d self-denial , ar e th e sobe r offsprin g o f reason; but when sensibility is nurtured at the expence of the understanding, such wea k beings must b e restrained b y arbitrary means, and b e subjecte d t o continua l conflicts ; bu t giv e thei r activit y of mind a wide r range, an d noble r passion s an d motive s wil l gover n their appetite s an d sentiments . 'The commo n attachmen t an d regar d o f a mother , nay , mer e habit, wil l mak e her belove d b y he r children , i f she d o nothing t o incur thei r hate . Eve n th e constrain t sh e lay s the m under , i f well directed, will increase their affection, instead of lessening it; because a state of dependence being natural to the sex , they perceive themselves formed fo r obedience.'* This is begging the question ; fo r servitude not onl y debases th e individual, but it s effects see m to be transmitted t o posterity. Con sidering th e lengt h o f time that wome n hav e been dependent , is it surprising tha t som e o f the m hu g thei r chains , an d faw n lik e th e spaniel? 'Thes e dogs,' observes a naturalist, 'a t first kept their ear s erect; bu t custo m ha s supersede d nature , an d a toke n o f fea r i s becoming a beauty.'* 'For the same reason,' adds Rousseau, 'women have, or ought to have, but little liberty; they are apt to indulge themselves excessively in what is allowed them. Addicte d in every thing to extremes, they are even more transported a t their diversion s than boys.'* The answe r to thi s i s very simple. Slave s and mobs hav e always indulged themselve s i n th e sam e excesses , whe n onc e the y broke loose fro m authority.—Th e ben t bo w recoil s wit h violence , whe n the hand is suddenly relaxed that forcibly held it; and sensibility, the

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play-thing of outward circumstances, mus t be subjected to authority, or moderated b y reason. 'There results, ' h e continues , 'fro m thi s habitua l restrain t a tractableness whic h wome n hav e occasio n fo r durin g thei r whol e lives, as they constantly remain either unde r subjection to the men, or t o th e opinion s o f mankind ; an d ar e neve r permitte d t o se t themselves abov e thos e opinions . Th e firs t an d mos t importan t qualification i n a woma n i s good-natur e o r sweetnes s o f temper : formed t o obey a being so imperfect as man, often ful l o f vices, and always ful l o f faults , sh e ough t t o lear n betime s eve n t o suffe r injustice, an d to bear the insults of a husband without complaint; it is no t fo r hi s sake , bu t he r own , tha t sh e shoul d b e o f a mil d disposition. Th e perversenes s an d ill-natur e o f th e wome n onl y serve t o aggravat e their ow n misfortunes , an d th e misconduc t o f their husbands ; the y migh t plainl y perceive tha t suc h ar e no t th e arms by which they gain the superiority.' * Formed t o live with such a n imperfect being as man, the y ought to lear n fro m th e exercis e o f thei r facultie s th e necessit y o f for bearance; bu t al l th e sacre d right s o f humanit y ar e violate d b y insisting o n blind obedience ; or , the most sacre d right s belong only to man. The bein g wh o patientl y endure s injustice , an d silentl y bear s insults, wil l soon becom e unjust , o r unabl e t o discer n righ t fro m wrong. Besides, I deny the fact , thi s is not th e true wa y to form o r meliorate th e temper ; for , as a sex, me n hav e better temper s tha n women, because they are occupied by pursuits that interest the head as well as the heart ; and th e steadines s of the hea d give s a healthy temperature t o th e heart . Peopl e o f sensibilit y hav e seldo m goo d tempers. Th e formatio n of the tempe r i s the coo l wor k of reason, when, as life advances , she mixes with happy art, jarring elements. I neve r kne w a wea k o r ignoran t perso n wh o ha d a goo d temper , though tha t constitutiona l goo d humour , an d tha t docility , which fear stamp s on the behaviour, often obtain s the name . I say behaviour, for genuine meekness neve r reached th e heart or mind, unless as th e effec t o f reflection ; an d tha t simpl e restrain t produce s a number o f peccan t humour s i n domesti c life , man y sensibl e me n will allow , who fin d som e o f thes e gentl e irritabl e creatures , ver y troublesome companions .

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'Each sex, ' h e furthe r argues , 'shoul d preserv e it s peculiar ton e and manner ; a mee k husban d ma y mak e a wif e impertinent ; bu t mildness of disposition on the woman's side will always bring a man back to reason, at least if he be not absolutely a brute, and will sooner or later triump h ove r him.'* Perhaps th e mildness o f reason migh t sometimes hav e this effect; but abject fear always inspires contempt; and tear s are only eloquent whe n the y flow down fai r cheeks . Of wha t material s ca n tha t hear t b e composed , whic h ca n mel t when insulted, an d instead o f revolting at injustice, kiss the rod ? Is it unfair t o infer tha t her virtue is built on narrow views and selfishness, wh o ca n caress a man, wit h tru e feminin e softness, th e ver y moment whe n h e treat s he r tyrannically ? Nature neve r dictate d such insincerity;—and , thoug h prudenc e o f this sor t b e terme d a virtue, moralit y becomes vagu e when an y part i s supposed t o res t on falsehood . These are mere expedients , an d expedient s ar e only useful fo r the moment . Let th e husban d bewar e of trusting to o implicitly t o this servil e obedience; fo r i f hi s wif e ca n wit h winnin g sweetness cares s hi m when angry, and when she ought t o be angry, unless contempt ha d stifled a natura l effervescence , sh e ma y d o th e sam e afte r partin g with a lover. These are all preparations fo r adultery; or, should th e fear o f th e world , o r o f hell , restrai n he r desir e o f pleasin g othe r men, whe n sh e can no longe r pleas e he r husband , wha t substitut e can be found b y a being who was only formed, by nature and art, to please man? what can make her amends for this privation, or where is she to seek for a fresh employment ? where find sufficient strengt h of mind to determine to begin the search, when her habits are fixed, and vanit y has long ruled he r chaoti c mind? But this partial moralist recommends cunnin g systematically and plausibly. 'Daughters should be always submissive; their mothers, however , should no t b e inexorable . T o mak e a young perso n tractable , sh e ought not to be made unhappy, to make her modest she ought not to be rendered stupid . O n th e contrary , I should no t be displeased at her being permitted to use some art, not to elude punishment in case of disobedience, bu t t o exempt hersel f fro m th e necessit y o f obey ing. I t i s not necessar y t o mak e her dependenc e burdensome , bu t only to let her fee l it . Subtilt y is a talent natural to the sex ; and, as

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I a m persuaded , al l our natura l inclination s ar e righ t an d goo d i n themselves, I am of opinion thi s should b e cultivated as well as the others: i t is requisite fo r us only to prevent it s abuse.'* 'Whatever is, is right,'* he then proceed s triumphantl y t o infer . Granted;—yet, perhaps, no aphorism eve r containe d a more para doxical assertion . It is a solem n trut h wit h respec t to God . He, reverentially I speak, sees the whole at once, and saw its just proportions in the womb of time; but man, who can only inspect disjointed parts, find s man y things wrong ; and i t is a part o f the system , an d therefore right , that h e shoul d endeavou r t o alte r wha t appear s t o him to be so, even while he bows to the Wisdom o f his Creator, an d respects th e darknes s he labours t o disperse . The inferenc e that follow s i s just, supposing th e principl e t o be sound. 'Th e superiority of address, peculia r t o the femal e sex , is a very equitabl e indemnificatio n fo r thei r inferiorit y i n poin t o f strength: withou t this, woman would not be the companion of man; but hi s slave : i t i s b y he r superiou r ar t an d ingenuit y tha t sh e preserves he r equality , an d govern s hi m whil e she affect s t o obey . Woman ha s every thing agains t her, a s well our faults , a s her ow n timidity an d weakness ; sh e ha s nothin g i n he r favour , bu t he r subtilty an d he r beauty . I s i t no t ver y reasonable , therefore , sh e should cultivat e both?' * Greatnes s o f mind ca n neve r dwel l with cunning, o r address; for I shall no t boggle abou t words , whe n thei r direct significatio n is insincerity and falsehood , but conten t mysel f with observing , tha t i f an y clas s o f mankind b e s o create d tha t i t must necessaril y b e educate d b y rule s no t strictl y deducibl e fro m truth, virtu e is an affair o f convention. How could Rousseau dar e to assert, afte r givin g this advice, that in the grand end of existence th e object of both sexe s should be the same, when he well knew that th e mind, formed by its pursuits, is expanded by great views swallowing up littl e ones , or that i t becomes itself little ? Men hav e superiour strengt h o f body; bu t wer e i t no t fo r mis taken notion s o f beauty, women woul d acquire sufficien t t o enable them t o earn their own subsistence, th e true definition o f independence; and to bear those bodily inconveniencies and exertions that are requisite t o strengthen the mind . Let u s then, b y being allowed to take the sam e exercis e as boys, not only during infancy, but youth, arrive at perfection of body, that we may know how far the natura l superiority o f man extends . Fo r

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what reaso n o r virtu e ca n b e expecte d fro m a creatur e whe n th e seed-time o f life i s neglected? None—did no t th e wind s of heaven casually scatter man y useful seed s i n the fallo w ground . 'Beauty cannot be acquired by dress, and coquetry is an art not so early and speedily attained. While girls are yet young, however, they are in a capacity to study agreeable gesture, a pleasing modulation of voice, a n easy carriage and behaviour ; a s well as to take the advan tage of gracefully adaptin g their look s and attitude s t o time , place , and occasion . Thei r application , therefore , shoul d no t b e solel y confined t o the art s o f industry and th e needle , whe n they com e to display other talents , whos e utility is already apparent.' 'For my part, I would have a young Englishwoman cultivat e her agreeable talents , i n orde r t o pleas e he r futur e husband , wit h a s much care and assiduity as a young Circassian cultivates her's, to fit her fo r the Hara m o f an Eastern bashaw.' * To rende r wome n completel y insignificant , he adds—'Th e tongues of women are very voluble; they speak earlier, more readily, and more agreeably, than the men; they are accused also of speaking much more ; bu t s o it ough t t o be , an d I shoul d b e ver y read y t o convert thi s reproach int o a compliment; thei r lips and eyes have the same activity , and fo r th e sam e reason . A man speak s o f wha t h e knows, a woman o f what please s her ; th e on e require s knowledge , the othe r taste ; th e principa l object of a man's discours e shoul d b e what is useful, tha t o f a woman's wha t is agreeable. There ought t o be nothin g i n commo n betwee n thei r differen t conversatio n bu t truth.' 'We ough t not , therefore , t o restrai n th e prattl e of girls, i n th e same manner a s we should tha t o f boys, wit h that sever e question ; To what purpose ar e you talking? but b y another , whic h i s n o les s difficult t o answer , How will your discourse b e received? In infancy , while they are as yet incapable to discern good from evil , they ought to observe it, a s a law, never t o sa y any thing disagreeabl e to thos e whom they are speaking to: what will render the practice of this rule also th e mor e difficult , is , tha t i t mus t eve r b e subordinat e t o th e former, of never speaking falsely o r telling an untruth.'* To gover n the tongue in this manner must requir e great address indeed; and it is too much practise d bot h b y men and women.—Out of the abun dance of the heart how few speak!* So few, that I, who love simplicity, would gladly give up politenes s fo r a quarter o f the virtu e that

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has been sacrificed to an equivocal quality which at best should only be the polis h o f virtue. But, t o complet e th e sketch . 'I t i s easy t o b e conceived , tha t i f male childre n b e no t i n a capacit y t o for m an y tru e notion s o f religion, thos e idea s mus t b e greatl y abov e th e conceptio n o f th e females: it is for this very reason, I would begin to speak to them th e earlier o n thi s subject ; fo r i f w e wer e t o wai t til l the y wer e i n a capacity t o discus s methodicall y suc h profoun d questions , w e should ru n a risk of never speakin g to them o n this subjec t as long as the y lived . Reaso n i n wome n i s a practica l reason , capacitatin g them artfull y t o discove r th e mean s o f attaining a known end, bu t which woul d neve r enabl e the m t o discove r tha t en d itself . Th e social relation s o f the sexe s ar e indee d trul y admirable : fro m thei r union there results a moral person, of which woman may be termed the eyes , an d ma n th e hand , wit h thi s dependenc e o n eac h other , that it is from th e man that the woman is to learn what she is to see, and i t is of the woma n that ma n is to learn what he ought t o do. If woman coul d recu r t o the firs t principle s o f things a s well as man, and man was capacitate d to ente r int o thei r minutiae as wel l as woman, alway s independent o f each other, the y would live in per petual discord, and their union could not subsist. But in the presen t harmony whic h naturall y subsist s betwee n them , thei r differen t faculties tend to one common end; it is difficult t o say which of them conduces th e most t o it: each follows th e impulse o f the other; each is obedient, an d both ar e masters.' 'As the conduct o f a woman is subservient t o the publi c opinion, her fait h i n matter s o f religio n should , fo r tha t ver y reason , b e subject t o authority. Every daughter ought to be of the same religion as her mother, and every wife to be of the same religion as her husband: for, though such religion should be false, that docility which induces the mother and daughter to submit to the order of nature, takes away, in the sight o f God, th e criminality o f their error. 1 A s the y ar e no t i n a capacity to judge for themselves, the y ought to abide by the decision 1 Wha t i s to be the consequence, i f the mother's and husband's opinio n shoul d chance not to agree? An ignorant person canno t be reasoned ou t of an error—and when persuaded to give up on e prejudice for another th e min d i s unsettled. Indeed , the husban d ma y not hav e any religion t o teach her , thoug h i n such a situation sh e will be in great wan t of a support t o her virtue, independen t o f worldly considerations .

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of thei r father s an d husband s a s confidentl y a s b y tha t o f th e church.' 'As authority ought to regulate the religion of the women, it is not so needful t o explai n to the m th e reason s fo r their belief , as to lay down precisel y the tenet s the y ar e to believe: for the creed , whic h presents onl y obscure ideas to the mind, is the source of fanaticism; and tha t whic h presents absurdities , leads to infidelity.' * Absolute, uncontroverted authority, it seems, must subsist somewhere: but i s not this a direct and exclusive appropriation of reason? The rights o f humanit y hav e been thu s confine d t o th e mal e lin e from Ada m downwards. Rousseau would carry his male aristocracy still further, for he insinuates, tha t h e should not blame those, who contend fo r leavin g woman i n a stat e o f th e mos t profoun d igno rance, if it were not necessar y in order t o preserve her chastit y and justify th e man's choice, in the eyes of the world, to give her a little knowledge of men, an d th e custom s produce d b y human passions ; else she might propagat e a t hom e withou t being rendered les s vo luptuous and innocent by the exercise of her understanding: excepting, indeed , durin g th e firs t yea r o f marriage , whe n sh e migh t employ i t t o dres s lik e Sophia. 'He r dres s i s extremely modest i n appearance, an d ye t ver y coquettish i n fact : sh e doe s no t mak e a display of her charms , sh e conceals them; but i n concealing them , she knows how to affec t you r imagination. Every one who sees he r will say, There is a modest an d discreet girl ; but whil e you are near her, your eyes and affections wande r all over her person, so that you cannot withdraw them; an d you would conclude, that every part of her dress, simple as it seems, was only put i n its proper order to be taken t o piece s b y th e imagination.' * I s thi s modesty ? Is thi s a preparation for immortality? Again.—What opinion are we to form of a system of education, when the autho r says of his heroine, 'tha t with her, doing things well, is but a secondary concern ; her principal concern i s to d o them neatly?* Secondary, in fact, are all her virtues and qualities, for, respecting religion, h e make s he r parent s thu s addres s her , accustome d t o submission—'Your husband wil l instruct yo u in good time?* After thu s cramping a woman's mind, if, in order t o keep it fair , he hav e not mad e i t quit e a blank, he advise s her t o reflect , tha t a reflecting ma n ma y no t yaw n in he r company , when h e i s tired o f

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caressing her.—What has she to reflec t abou t who must obey ? and would i t no t b e a refinement on cruelt y only to ope n he r min d t o make the darknes s and miser y of her fat e visible? Yet , these ar e his sensible remarks ; ho w consisten t wit h wha t I hav e alread y bee n obliged t o quote , t o giv e a fair vie w of the subject , the reade r may determine. 'They who pass their whole lives in working for their daily bread, have no idea s beyond thei r busines s o r thei r interest , an d al l their understanding seems to lie in their fingers ' ends . This ignorance is neither prejudicia l to thei r integrit y nor thei r morals ; i t i s often o f service t o them . Sometimes , b y mean s o f reflection, we are le d t o compound wit h our duty, and we conclude by substituting a jargon of words , i n th e roo m o f things. Ou r ow n conscienc e i s th e mos t enlightened philosopher . Ther e i s no nee d t o b e acquainte d wit h Tully's offices, * t o mak e a man o f probity: an d perhap s th e mos t virtuous woman in the world , is the leas t acquainted with the defi nition of virtue. But it is no less true, that an improved understand ing only can render societ y agreeable; and i t i s a melancholy thing for a father o f a family , wh o i s fon d o f home , t o b e oblige d t o b e always wrappe d u p i n himself , an d t o hav e nobody abou t hi m t o whom he can impart his sentiments . 'Besides, ho w shoul d a woma n voi d o f reflectio n be capabl e of educating her children ? How shoul d she discern what is proper fo r them? Ho w shoul d sh e inclin e the m t o thos e virtue s sh e i s unacquainted with , or to tha t meri t of which she has no idea ? She can only sooth or chide them; render them insolent or timid; she will make them formal coxcombs, or ignorant blockheads; but will never make them sensible or amiable.'* How indeed should she, when her husband i s not alway s at hand t o lend he r hi s reason?—when the y both together make but on e moral being. A blind will, 'eyes without hands,' would go a very little way; and perchanc e hi s abstract rea son, tha t shoul d concentrat e th e scattere d beam s o f he r practica l reason, ma y b e employe d i n judgin g o f th e flavou r o f wine , descanting o n th e sauce s mos t prope r fo r turtle ; or , mor e pro foundly intent at a card-table, h e may be generalizing his ideas as he bets awa y hi s fortune , leavin g all the minutiae of education t o hi s helpmate, o r to chance. But, grantin g that woma n ough t t o b e beautiful , innocent, an d silly, t o rende r he r a mor e allurin g and indulgen t companion; —

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what i s her understandin g sacrifice d for ? An d wh y i s all this pre paration necessar y only , accordin g t o Rousseau' s ow n account , t o make her the mistress of her husband, a very short time? For no man ever insisted mor e o n the transien t natur e of love. Thus speaks the philosopher. 'Sensua l pleasures ar e transient. Th e habitua l state of the affection s alway s loses b y thei r gratification . The imagination , which decks the objec t of our desires , i s lost i n fruition . Exceptin g the Suprem e Being , wh o is self-existent, ther e i s nothing beautifu l but wha t is ideal.'* But he returns to his unintelligible paradoxes again, when he thus addresses Sophia . 'Emilius , i n becoming you r husband , i s becom e your master; and claims your obedience. Suc h is the order of nature. When a ma n i s married , however , t o suc h a wif e a s Sophia , i t i s proper h e shoul d b e directe d b y her : this i s als o agreeabl e t o th e order o f nature: it is, therefore, to give you as much authorit y over his heart as his sex gives him over your person, that I have made you the arbiter of his pleasures. It may cost you, perhaps, some disagree able self-denial; but yo u will be certain of maintaining your empir e over him, if you can preserve i t over yourself—what I have already observed, also, shows me, that this difficult attemp t does not surpass your courage . 'Would you have your husband constantl y at your feet? kee p him at som e distanc e fro m you r person . Yo u wil l lon g maintai n th e authority in love, if you know but ho w to render you r favour s rar e and valuable. It is thus you may employ even the arts of coquetry in the servic e of virtue, and thos e o f love in that o f reason.'* I shal l clos e my extracts wit h a just descriptio n o f a comfortabl e couple. 'And yet you must not imagine, that even such management will always suffice. Whateve r precautio n b e taken , enjoyment will, by degrees, tak e off the edg e of passion. Bu t whe n love hath laste d as long a s possible, a pleasing habitude supplie s it s place , an d th e attachment o f a mutua l confidenc e succeeds t o th e transport s o f passion. Children ofte n for m a more agreeabl e and permanent connection betwee n marrie d peopl e tha n eve n lov e itself . Whe n yo u cease to be the mistress o f Emilius, yo u will continue t o be his wif e and friend , yo u will be the mothe r o f his children.' 1 Children, h e trul y observes , for m a muc h mor e permanen t 1

Rousseau's Emilius*

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connexion betwee n marrie d peopl e tha n love . Beauty, he declares , will not be valued, or even seen after a couple have lived six months together; artificia l grace s an d coquetr y wil l likewis e pall o n th e senses: wh y then doe s he say that a girl should be educated fo r her husband wit h the sam e care as for an eastern haram? I now appeal from th e reveries of fancy and refined licentiousnes s to the good sense of mankind, whether, if the object of education be to prepar e wome n t o becom e chast e wive s and sensibl e mothers , the metho d s o plausibl y recommende d i n th e foregoin g sketch , be the one best calculated to produce those ends? Will it be allowed that th e sures t wa y t o mak e a wif e chaste , i s t o teac h he r t o practice th e wanto n art s o f a mistress, terme d virtuou s coquetry , by th e sensualis t wh o ca n n o longe r relis h th e artles s charm s o f sincerity, or taste the pleasure arising from a tender intimacy, when confidence i s unchecke d b y suspicion , an d rendere d interestin g by sense? The ma n wh o ca n b e contente d t o liv e wit h a pretty , usefu l companion, withou t a mind, has lost i n voluptuou s gratifications a taste for more refined enjoyments ; he has never fel t th e cal m satisfaction, tha t refreshe s th e parche d heart , lik e th e silen t de w o f heaven,—of being beloved by one who could understand him.—In the societ y of his wife he is still alone, unless when the ma n i s sunk in the brute. 'The charm of life,' says a grave philosophical reasoner, is 'sympathy; nothing pleases us more than to observe in other me n a fellow-feelin g wit h all the emotion s o f our ow n breast.'* But, accordin g to th e tenou r o f reasoning, by which women are kept fro m th e tre e of knowledge, the importan t year s of youth, th e usefulness o f age , an d th e rationa l hopes o f futurity , ar e al l to b e sacrificed t o rende r wome n a n objec t o f desir e fo r a short time . Besides, ho w could Rousseau expec t the m t o be virtuous and con stant whe n reaso n i s neither allowe d to b e th e foundatio n of thei r virtue, nor trut h th e objec t of their inquiries? But al l Rousseau's error s in reasoning arose from sensibility , and sensibility to their charm s women are very ready to forgive ! Whe n he shoul d hav e reasone d h e becam e impassioned , an d reflectio n inflamed hi s imagination instead of enlightening his understanding. Even his virtues also led him farthe r astray; for, born wit h a warm constitution an d livel y fancy, natur e carried hi m towar d th e othe r sex with such eage r fondness, that h e soon became lascivious. Had

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he given way to these desires, the fire would have extinguished itself in a natura l manner ; bu t virtue , an d a romanti c kin d o f delicacy, made hi m practis e self-denial ; yet , whe n fear , delicacy , o r virtue , restrained him , he debauched his imagination, and reflecting on the sensations t o whic h fanc y gav e force , h e trace d them i n th e mos t glowing colours, an d sun k them dee p into hi s soul. He the n sought for solitude, not to sleep with the man of nature; or calmly investigate the causes of things under the shade where Sir Isaac Newton indulge d contemplation,* but merel y to indulg e his feelings. An d so warmly has he painted, wha t he forcibly felt, that, interesting the heart and inflaming the imagination of his readers; in proportion t o th e strengt h o f thei r fancy , the y imagin e tha t thei r understanding i s convinced whe n they only sympathize wit h a po etic writer, who skilfully exhibits the objects of sense, most voluptu ously shadowe d o r gracefull y veiled—An d thu s makin g u s fee l whilst dreaming that we reason, erroneous conclusions are left in the mind. Why wa s Rousseau's lif e divide d betwee n ecstas y an d misery ? Can any other answe r be give n than this , tha t th e effervescenc e o f his imagination produced both ; but , ha d hi s fanc y bee n allowe d to cool, i t i s possibl e tha t h e migh t hav e acquire d mor e strengt h o f mind. Still , i f the purpos e of life b e to educate the intellectua l part of man, al l with respect to him was right; yet, had not deat h le d to a noble r scen e o f action, i t i s probable tha t h e woul d have enjoye d more equal happiness on earth, an d have felt th e calm sensations of the man of natur e instea d of being prepare d for anothe r stag e of existence by nourishing the passions which agitate the civilized man. But peace to his manes! I war not with his ashes, but his opinions. I wa r onl y with th e sensibilit y tha t le d hi m t o degrad e woman by making her th e slav e of love. 'Curs'd vassalage , First idolliz'd till love's hot fire be o'er, Then slaves to those who courted us before. ' Dryden*

The perniciou s tendenc y o f thos e books , i n whic h th e writer s insidiously degrad e th e se x whils t the y ar e prostrat e befor e thei r personal charms, canno t be too often o r too severely exposed.

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Let us , my dear contemporaries , aris e above such narro w preju dices! If wisdom be desirable on its own account, if virtue, to deserve the name , mus t b e founde d o n knowledge ; le t u s endeavou r t o strengthen ou r minds by reflection, till our heads become a balance for ou r hearts ; le t u s no t confin e al l ou r thought s t o th e pett y occurrences o f the day , or ou r knowledg e to an acquaintanc e wit h our lovers' o r husbands' hearts ; but le t the practice of every duty be subordinate to the grand one of improving our minds, and preparing our affection s fo r a more exalte d state ! Beware then, m y friends , of suffering th e hear t t o be moved by every trivial incident: th e ree d i s shaken by a breeze, an d annually dies, but th e oa k stands firm, and fo r ages braves the storm ! Were we , indeed, onl y created t o flutter our hour ou t an d die — why le t u s the n indulg e sensibility , an d laug h a t th e severit y o f reason.—Yet, alas! even then w e should wan t strength o f body and mind, an d lif e woul d b e los t i n feveris h pleasure s o r wearisom e languor. But th e syste m o f education , whic h I earnestl y wis h t o se e exploded, seem s t o pre-suppos e wha t ough t neve r t o b e take n fo r granted, tha t virtu e shield s u s fro m th e casualitie s of life; an d tha t fortune, slippin g of f he r bandage , wil l smil e o n a well-educate d female, and bring in her hand an Emilius or a Telemachus.* Whilst, on the contrary, the reward which virtue promises t o her votaries is confined, i t seems clear , t o their ow n bosoms; an d ofte n mus t the y contend wit h th e mos t vexatiou s worldly cares, an d bea r wit h th e vices an d humour s o f relation s fo r who m the y ca n neve r fee l a friendship. There have been many women in the world who, instead of being supported b y th e reaso n an d virtu e o f their father s and brothers , have strengthene d thei r ow n minds b y strugglin g wit h thei r vice s and follies ; ye t hav e neve r me t wit h a hero , i n th e shap e o f a husband; who , payin g the deb t tha t mankin d owe d them , migh t chance t o brin g bac k thei r reaso n t o it s natura l dependen t state , and restor e th e usurpe d prerogative , o f risin g abov e opinion , t o man. Section II Dr Fordyce' s sermons* hav e long made a part of a young woman's library; nay, girl s at school ar e allowed to rea d them ; bu t I shoul d

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instantly dismis s them fro m m y pupil's , i f I wishe d t o strengthe n her understanding , b y leadin g he r t o for m soun d principle s o n a broad basis ; or , wer e I onl y anxious to cultivat e her taste ; thoug h they must b e allowed to contain many sensible observations. Dr Fordyc e may have had a very laudable end i n view; but thes e discourses are written in such an affected style , that were it only on that account , an d ha d I nothin g t o objec t agains t hi s mellifluous precepts, I should not allow girls to peruse them, unless I designed to hun t ever y spar k o f natur e ou t o f thei r composition , meltin g every human quality into female meekness and artificial grace . I say artificial, fo r tru e grac e arises fro m som e kin d o f independence o f mind. Children, careles s of pleasing, and onl y anxious to amuse themselves, ar e ofte n ver y graceful ; an d th e nobilit y wh o hav e mostly lived wit h inferiours , and alway s had th e comman d o f money, ac quire a graceful eas e of deportment, whic h should rathe r be termed habitual grac e o f body , tha n tha t superiou r gracefulnes s which i s truly the expression of the mind. This mental grace, not noticed by vulgar eyes, often flashes across a rough countenance, an d irradiat ing every feature, shows simplicity and independence of mind.—It is then we read characters of immortality in the eye, and see the soul in every gesture, though when at rest, neither the face nor limbs may have much beauty to recommend them ; or the behaviour, any thing peculiar to attract universa l attention. Th e mas s of mankind, however, loo k fo r mor e tangible beauty ; ye t simplicit y is , i n general , admired, whe n peopl e d o not conside r wha t they admire ; an d can there b e simplicit y withou t sincerity ? But , t o hav e don e wit h re marks that are in some measure desultory, though naturally excited by the subject — In declamator y period s D r Fordyc e spin s ou t Rousseau' s elo quence; and in most sentimental rant, details his opinions respecting the femal e character , an d th e behaviou r whic h woma n ough t t o assume t o render he r lovely. He shal l spea k fo r himself , fo r thu s h e make s Natur e addres s man. 'Behold these smiling innocents, whom I have graced with my fairest gifts , an d committe d t o you r protection; behol d the m wit h love and respect; trea t them wit h tenderness an d honour. They are timid an d wan t t o b e defended . The y ar e frail ; O d o no t tak e advantage o f thei r weakness ! Le t thei r fear s an d blushe s endea r them. Let thei r confidence in you never be abused.—But is it pos -

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sible, that an y of you can be such barbarians, s o supremely wicked, as t o abus e it ? Ca n yo u fin d i n you r hearts 1 t o despoi l th e gentle , trusting creature s o f their treasure , o r do any thing to strip the m of their nativ e rob e o f virtue? Curst be th e impiou s han d tha t woul d dare t o violat e th e unblemishe d for m o f Chastity ! Tho u wretch ! thou ruffian ! forbear ; no r ventur e t o provok e heaven' s fierces t vengeance.'* I know not any comment tha t can be made seriously on this curiou s passage , an d I coul d produc e man y simila r ones ; an d some, s o very sentimental, tha t I hav e heard rationa l me n us e th e word indecent , whe n they mentioned the m wit h disgust. Throughout there i s a display of cold artificia l feelings , and tha t parade o f sensibility whic h boy s an d girl s shoul d b e taugh t t o de spise as the sur e mark of a little vain mind. Florid appeals are made to heaven, and to the beauteous innocents, the fairest images of heaven here below , whils t sobe r sens e i s left fa r behind.—This i s not th e language of the heart, nor will it ever reach it, though th e ear may be tickled. I shal l b e told , perhaps , tha t th e publi c hav e been please d wit h these volumes.—True—an d Hervey' s Meditations * ar e still read , though h e equally sinned agains t sense an d taste . I particularl y object to the lover-like phrase s of pumped u p pas sion, which are every where interspersed. I f women be ever allowed to wal k withou t leading-strings, * wh y mus t the y b e cajole d int o virtue b y artfu l flatter y an d sexua l compliments?—Speak t o the m the languag e o f trut h an d soberness , an d awa y wit h th e lullab y strains of condescending endearment! Let them be taught to respect themselves a s rational creatures , an d no t le d t o hav e a passion fo r their ow n insipi d persons . I t move s m y gal l t o hea r a preache r descanting o n dres s an d needle-work ; an d stil l more , t o hea r hi m address th e British fair, th e fairest o f th e fair* a s i f the y ha d onl y feelings. Even recommendin g piet y h e use s th e followin g argument . 'Never, perhaps, doe s a fine woman strike more deeply , than when, composed int o piou s recollection , an d possesse d wit h th e nobles t considerations, sh e assumes, withou t knowing it, superiour dignity and new graces; so that the beauties of holiness seem to radiate about 1 Ca n you?—Can you? would be the most emphatical comment, wer e it drawled out in a whining voice.

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her, an d th e by-stander s ar e almos t induce d t o fanc y he r alread y worshipping amongst he r kindre d angels!'* Why ar e women t o be thus bred u p wit h a desire of conquest? the very word, used in this sense, give s m e a sickl y qualm ! D o religio n an d virtu e offe r n o stronger motives, no brighter reward? Must they always be debased by being made to consider th e se x of their companions ? Must they be taugh t alway s to b e pleasing ? And whe n levellin g their smal l artillery at the hear t of man, is it necessary t o tell them tha t a little sense is sufficient t o render thei r attentio n incredibly soothing? 'As a small degree of knowledge entertains in a woman, so from a woman, though fo r a differen t reason , a smal l expressio n o f kindnes s de lights, particularly if she have beauty!'* I should have supposed fo r the sam e reason. Why ar e girl s t o b e tol d tha t the y resembl e angels ; bu t t o sink them belo w women? Or, tha t a gentle innocen t femal e i s an object that come s nearer to the ide a which we have formed of angels than any other. Yet they are told, at the same time, that they are only like angels when they are young and beautiful ; consequently, i t is their persons, no t their virtues , tha t procur e them thi s homage . Idle empt y words ! What ca n suc h delusiv e flattery lea d to , bu t vanity and folly ? Th e lover , it is true, has a poetical licence to exalt his mistress; his reason is the bubble of his passion, and he does not utter a falsehood when h e borrow s th e languag e of adoration. Hi s imagination ma y rais e th e ido l o f hi s heart , unblamed , abov e hu manity; and happy would it be for women, if they were only flattered by th e me n wh o loved them; I mean, wh o love the individual , not the sex ; but shoul d a grav e preacher interlar d hi s discourse s wit h such fooleries ? In sermon s o r novels, however, voluptuousness i s always true t o its text. Men are allowed by moralists to cultivate, as Nature directs , different qualities , an d assum e th e differen t characters , tha t th e same passions, modified almost to infinity, give to each individual. A virtuous man may have a choleric or a sanguine constitution, be gay or grave , unreproved ; b e fir m til l h e i s almos t overbearing , or , weakly submissive , hav e n o wil l o r opinio n o f hi s own ; bu t al l women are to be levelled, by meekness and docility , into one character of yielding softness and gentl e compliance. I wil l use the preacher' s ow n works. 'Let it be observed, tha t in your sex manly exercises are never graceful; tha t in them a tone and

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figure, a s well as an air and deportment , o f the masculin e kind, are always forbidding; and that men of sensibility desire in every woman soft features, and a flowing voice, a form, not robust, and demeanour delicate and gentle.' * Is not the followin g portrait—the portrait of a house salve? 'I am astonished a t th e foll y o f many women , wh o ar e stil l reproachin g their husband s fo r leavin g them alone , fo r preferrin g this o r tha t company to theirs, for treating them with this and the other mark of disregard or indifference; when, to speak the truth, they have themselves in a great measure to blame. Not tha t I would justify th e men in any thing wrong on their part. But had you behaved to them with more respectful observance, and a more equal tenderness; studying their humours, overlooking their mistakes, submitting to their opinions i n matters indifferent , passin g b y littl e instance s o f unevenness , ca price, or passion, giving soft answer s to hasty words, complaining as seldom a s possible , an d makin g it you r dail y care t o reliev e their anxieties and preven t thei r wishes , to enliven the hou r o f dulness, and cal l u p th e idea s o f felicity : ha d yo u pursue d thi s conduct , I doub t no t bu t yo u woul d hav e maintaine d an d eve n increase d their esteem , s o fa r a s t o hav e secure d ever y degre e o f influence that could conduce to their virtue , or your mutual satisfaction; and your hous e migh t a t thi s da y hav e bee n th e abod e o f domesti c bliss.'* Such a woman ought to be an angel—or she is an ass—for I discern no t a trac e o f th e huma n character , neithe r reaso n no r passion in this domesti c drudge , whose being is absorbed i n that of a tyrant's . Still D r Fordyc e mus t hav e ver y littl e acquaintanc e wit h th e human heart , i f he really supposed tha t suc h conduc t woul d bring back wanderin g love , instea d o f excitin g contempt . No , beauty , gentleness, etc . etc . ma y gai n a heart; bu t esteem , th e onl y lasting affection, ca n alone be obtained by virtue supported b y reason. It is respect fo r th e understandin g tha t keeps aliv e tenderness fo r th e person. As these volume s are so frequently pu t int o the hand s o f young people, I hav e take n mor e notic e o f them than , strictl y speaking , they deserve ; but a s they hav e contributed t o vitiate the taste , an d enervate the understanding of many of my fellow-creatures, I could not pas s them silentl y over.

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Section HI Such paterna l solicitud e pervade s D r Gregory' s Legac y t o hi s Daughters, tha t I ente r o n th e tas k o f criticis m wit h affectionat e respect; but as this little volume has many attractions to recommend it t o th e notic e o f th e mos t respectabl e par t o f m y sex , I canno t silently pas s ove r argument s tha t s o speciousl y suppor t opinion s which, I think, have had the most baneful effect o n the morals and manners of the femal e world. His eas y familia r styl e i s particularly suited t o th e teno r o f hi s advice, an d th e melanchol y tendernes s whic h hi s respec t fo r th e memory of a beloved wife, diffuses throug h the whole work, renders it ver y interesting ; ye t ther e i s a degre e o f concis e eleganc e con spicuous in many passages that disturbs this sympathy; and we pop on the author , when we only expected t o meet the—father . Besides, having two objects in view, he seldom adhered steadily to either; fo r wishing to make his daughter s amiable , and fearin g les t unhappiness shoul d onl y b e th e consequence , o f instillin g senti ments that might draw them out of the track of common life without enabling them t o act with consonant independence and dignity , he checks th e natura l flo w o f hi s thoughts , an d neithe r advise s on e thing nor the other. In the preface he tells them a mournful truth, 'that they will hear, at least once in their lives, the genuine sentiments of a man who has no interest i n deceiving them.'* Hapless woman! what can be expected from the e when the beings on whom thou ar t said naturally to depend fo r reason and support , have all an interest in deceiving thee! This is the root of the evil that has shed a corroding mildew on all thy virtues; and blighting in th e bud th y openin g faculties , has rendered the e th e wea k thin g tho u art! It i s this separate interest—this insidious state o f warfare, tha t undermines morality, and divide s mankind! If love have made some wome n wretched—how many more has the cold unmeaning intercourse of gallantry rendered vai n and use less! yet this heartless attention t o the se x is reckoned so manly, so polite that , til l societ y i s ver y differentl y organized , I fear , thi s vestige of gothic manners wil l not b e done away by a more reason able an d affectionat e mod e o f conduct . Besides , t o stri p i t o f it s

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imaginary dignity , I mus t observe , tha t i n th e mos t uncivilize d European state s thi s lip-servic e prevail s i n a ver y grea t degree , accompanied with extreme dissoluteness of morals. In Portugal, the country that I particularly allude to, it takes place of the most serious moral obligations ; fo r a ma n i s seldo m assassinate d whe n i n th e company o f a woman . Th e savag e hand o f rapin e i s unnerve d b y this chivalrou s spirit ; and , i f th e strok e o f vengeanc e canno t b e stayed—the lady is entreated t o pardon th e rudeness an d depar t in peace, thoug h sprinkled , perhaps , wit h he r husband' s o r brother's blood.* I shal l pas s ove r hi s stricture s o n religion , becaus e I mea n t o discuss tha t subjec t in a separate chapter . The remark s relativ e t o behaviour , thoug h man y o f the m ver y sensible, I entirel y disapprov e of , becaus e i t appear s t o m e t o b e beginning, as it were, at the wrong end. A cultivated understanding , and a n affectionat e heart , wil l neve r wan t starche d rule s o f decorum—something mor e substantia l tha n seemlines s wil l b e th e re sult; and, without understanding the behaviour here recommended , would be rank affectation. Decorum , indeed , i s the one thing needful!—decorum i s to supplan t nature , an d banis h al l simplicity an d variety of character ou t of the femal e world. Yet what good end can all thi s superficia l counse l produce ? It is , however, muc h easie r t o point ou t thi s o r that mod e o f behaviour, tha n t o se t the reaso n t o work; but, whe n the min d ha s been store d wit h usefu l knowledge, and strengthene d b y being employed , th e regulatio n o f the behaviour may safel y b e lef t t o its guidance . Why, for instance, shoul d the following caution be given when art of ever y kin d mus t contaminat e th e mind ; an d wh y entangl e th e grand motives of action, which reason and religion equally combine to enforce , wit h pitifu l worldl y shifts an d sligh t o f han d trick s t o gain th e applaus e o f gapin g tasteles s fools ? 'B e eve n cautiou s i n displaying your good sense. 1 It will be thought you assume a superiority over the res t o f the company—Bu t if you happen t o have any learning, kee p i t a profoun d secret , especiall y fro m th e me n wh o generally look with a jealous and malignant eye on a woman of great parts, an d a cultivated understanding.'* If men o f real merit, a s he 1 Le t wome n once acquire good sense—and if it deserve the name, it will teach them; or , of what use will it be? how to employ it .

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afterwards observes , b e superio r t o thi s meanness , wher e i s th e necessity tha t th e behaviou r of the whol e sex should b e modulated to pleas e fools , o r men , wh o having little clai m t o respec t a s indi viduals, choos e t o kee p clos e i n thei r phalanx . Men, indeed , wh o insist on their commo n superiority , having only this sexua l superi ority, are certainly very excusable. There woul d b e n o en d t o rule s fo r behaviour , i f i t b e prope r always to adopt th e ton e o f the company ; for thus, fo r ever varying the key , aflat woul d often pas s fo r a natural note. Surely i t woul d hav e been wise r t o hav e advised wome n t o im prove themselves til l they rose above the fume s o f vanity; and the n to let the public opinion come round—for where are rules of accommodation t o stop ? Th e narro w pat h o f trut h an d virtu e incline s neither t o th e righ t no r left—i t i s a straightforward business, an d they wh o are earnestly pursuing thei r road , may bound ove r many decorous prejudices , withou t leavin g modest y behind . Mak e th e heart clean , an d giv e the hea d employment , an d I wil l ventur e t o predict tha t ther e wil l be nothing offensiv e i n the behaviour. The ai r o f fashion , whic h man y youn g peopl e ar e s o eage r t o attain, alway s strikes me like the studie d attitude s o f some moder n pictures, copie d wit h tasteless servilit y after th e antiques;—the soul is lef t out , an d non e o f th e part s ar e tie d togethe r b y wha t ma y properly b e terme d character . Thi s varnis h o f fashion, which sel dom sticks very close to sense, may dazzle the weak; but leave nature to itself, and it will seldom disgust the wise. Besides, whe n a woman has sufficient sens e no t t o pretend t o any thing which she does no t understand i n some degree, ther e i s no need of determining t o hide her talents under a bushel.* Let things take their natural course, and all will be well. It i s this syste m o f dissimulation, throughout th e volume , tha t I despise. Wome n ar e always to seem to be thi s and that—ye t virtu e might apostrophize them , in the words of Hamlet*—Seems! I know not seems!—Have that withi n that passet h show! — Still the same tone occurs; for in another place, after recommend ing, without sufficiently discriminatin g delicacy, he adds, 'The men will complai n o f your reserve . The y wil l assur e yo u tha t a franke r behaviour woud make you more amiable. But, trust me, they are not sincere whe n the y tel l yo u so.—I acknowledg e that o n som e occa sions i t migh t rende r yo u mor e agreeabl e a s companions , bu t i t

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would mak e you les s amiable as women: a n importan t distinction , which many of your sex are not awar e of.'—* This desire of being always women, is the very consciousness tha t degrades the sex. Excepting with a lover, I must repeat with emphasis, a former observation,—it would be well if they were only agreeable or rational companions.—But in this respect his advice is even inconsistent wit h a passag e whic h I mea n t o quot e wit h th e mos t marked approbation . 'The sentiment, tha t a woman may allow all innocent freedoms , provided her virtue is secure, i s both grossly indelicate and danger ous, and has proved fatal to many of your sex.'* With this opinion I perfectly coincide . A man, or a woman, of any feeling, must always wish t o convinc e a belove d objec t tha t i t i s th e caresse s o f th e individual, not the sex, that are received and returned wit h pleasure; and, tha t th e heart , rathe r tha n th e senses , i s moved. Withou t thi s natural delicacy , lov e becomes a selfis h persona l gratificatio n tha t soon degrade s the character . I carry this sentiment stil l further. Affection , whe n love is out of the question, authorise s many personal endearments, tha t naturally flowing fro m a n innocent heart, give life t o th e behaviour ; bu t th e personal intercours e o f appetite, gallantry , or vanity, is despicable. When a man squeeze s the han d o f a pretty woman , handing her t o a carriage, whom he has never seen before, she will consider such an impertinent freedo m i n th e ligh t o f an insult , i f she have any tru e delicacy, instea d o f being flattere d b y thi s unmeanin g homag e t o beauty. Thes e ar e th e privilege s o f friendship , o r th e momentar y homage whic h the heart pays to virtue, when it flashes suddenly on the notice—mere animal spirits have no claim to the kindnesses of a affection! Wishing t o fee d th e affection s wit h wha t i s no w th e foo d o f vanity, I would fain persuade my sex to act from simple r principles . Let them meri t love, and they will obtain it, though they may never be told that—'The power of a fine woman over the hearts of men, of men of the finest parts, is even beyond wha t she conceives.'* I have already noticed th e narrow cautions with respect t o dupli city, femal e softness , delicac y o f constitution; * fo r thes e ar e th e changes which he rings round without ceasing—in a more decorou s manner, it is true, than Rousseau; but i t all comes home to the same point, and whoever is at the trouble to analyze these sentiments, wil l find the first principles not quit e s o delicate as the superstructure .

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The subjec t of amusements i s treated i n to o cursor y a manner; but wit h the same spirit. When I trea t o f friendship, love, and marriage , it wil l be foun d that we materially differ i n opinion; I shall not then forestal l what I have to observe on these important subjects; but confine my remarks to th e genera l teno r o f them, t o tha t cautiou s famil y prudence , t o those confine d view s of partial unenlightened affection , whic h ex clude pleasur e an d improvement , b y vainl y wishin g t o war d of f sorrow an d error—an d b y thu s guardin g the hear t an d mind , de stroy also all their energy.—It is far better t o be often deceive d than never to trust; to be disappointed in love than never to love; to lose a husband's fondnes s than forfei t hi s esteem . Happy would it be for the world, and for individuals, of course, if all this unavailing solicitude to attain worldly happiness, o n a con fined plan, were turned into an anxious desire to improve the understanding.—'Wisdom i s th e principa l thing : therefore ge t wisdom ; and with all thy gettings get understanding.'—'How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity, and hate knowledge?' Saith Wisdom to the daughter s o f men!—* Section IV I d o not mean t o allude to all the writer s wh o have written o n the subject o f female manners—i t would , in fact , b e onl y beating over the old ground, for they have, in general, written in the same strain; but attackin g the boasted prerogativ e of man—the prerogative that may emphatically b e called th e iron sceptre of tyranny, the origina l sin of tyrants, I declare against all power built on prejudices, however hoary. If the submissio n demande d b e founde d o n justice—there is no appealing to a higher power—fo r Go d is Justice itself. Let u s then, as childre n o f th e sam e parent , i f no t bastardize d b y bein g th e younger born, reason together, and learn to submit to the authority of reason—when her voic e is distinctly heard. But, i f it be proved, that this throne of prerogative only rests on a chaotic mass of prejudices, tha t hav e n o inheren t principl e o f orde r t o kee p the m to gether, o r on an elephant, tortoise , o r even the mighty shoulders of a son of the earth, * they may escape, wh o dare to brave the conse quence, withou t an y breac h o f duty , withou t sinnin g agains t th e order of things.

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Whilst reaso n raise s man above the brutal herd, an d deat h i s big with promises, the y alone are subject to blind authority who have no reliance on their own strength. The y are free—who wil l be free!'— ! The bein g who can govern itself has nothing to fear i n life; but if any thin g be dearer tha n it s own respect, th e price must b e 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 tha t peace , 'whic h passet h understanding', * whe n sh e i s merely made the stilts of reputation; and respected, wit h pharisaical exactness, becaus e 'honest y is the best policy. ' That th e pla n o f life whic h enables u s t o carr y some knowledge and virtu e int o anothe r world , is the on e best calculate d t o ensur e content i n this , canno t b e denied ; ye t fe w people ac t accordin g t o this principle, thoug h it be universally allowed that i t admits not of dispute. Presen t pleasure , o r presen t power , carr y befor e i t thes e sober convictions; and it is for the day, not for life, that man bargains with happiness. How few!—ho w very few! have sufficient foresight , or resolution, to endure a small evil at the moment, t o avoid a greater hereafter. Woman i n particular , whos e virtue 2 i s built o n mutabl e preju dices, seldom attains to this greatness of mind; so that, becoming the slave of her own feelings, she is easily subjugated by those of others. Thus degraded, her reason, her misty reason! is employed rather t o burnish tha n t o snap her chains . Indignantly have I heard women argue in the sam e track as men, and adop t th e sentiment s tha t brutaliz e them, with al l the pertinacity of ignorance. I mus t illustrat e m y assertio n b y a few examples. Mrs . Piozzi, * who ofte n repeate d b y rote , wha t sh e di d no t understand , come s forward wit h Johnsonian periods . 'Seek no t fo r happiness in singularity; and drea d a refinement of wisdom as a deviation into folly.' Thus she dogmatically addresses a new marrie d man ; an d t o elucidat e thi s pompou s exordium , sh e adds, ' I sai d tha t th e perso n o f you r lad y woul d no t gro w mor e pleasing to you, but pra y let her never suspect tha t i t grows less so: that a woma n wil l pardo n a n affron t t o he r understandin g muc h 'He is the fre e man , who m the truth makes free!' Cowper* I mea n t o use a word that comprehend s mor e tha n chastit y the sexual virtue.

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sooner tha n one to her person , is wel l known; nor wil l any of us contradict th e assertion . Al l our attainments , al l our arts , ar e em ployed to gain and keep the heart of man; and what mortification can exceed the disappointment, i f the end be not obtained? There is no reproof howeve r pointed , n o punishmen t howeve r severe , tha t a woman of spirit wil l not prefe r to neglect; an d i f she can endure i t without complaint , i t onl y proves tha t sh e mean s t o mak e herself amends by the attentio n o f others fo r the slight s of her husband!' * These ar e trul y masculin e sentiments.—'Al l ou r arts ar e em ployed t o gain and kee p the hear t o f man:'—and wha t is the infer ence?—if her person , an d wa s there eve r a person, thoug h formed with Medicean* symmetry, that was not slighted? be neglected, she will mak e hersel f amend s b y endeavourin g t o pleas e othe r men . Noble morality ! But thu s i s th e understandin g o f th e whol e sex affronted, an d thei r virtue deprived of the commo n basi s of virtue. A woman must know , that he r perso n canno t be as pleasing to he r husband a s it was to her lover , and i f she be offended wit h him fo r being a human creature, she may as well whine about the loss of his heart a s abou t an y othe r foolis h thing.—An d thi s ver y wan t o f discernment o r unreasonable anger, proves that he could not change his fondness for her perso n int o affection fo r her virtue s or respec t for he r understanding . Whilst wome n avow , an d ac t u p t o suc h opinions , thei r understandings, a t least , deserv e th e contemp t an d obloqu y tha t men, wh o never insult their persons , hav e pointedly levelled at th e female mind . And i t is the sentiment s o f these polit e men, wh o do not wis h t o be encumbered wit h mind, tha t vai n women thought lessly adopt. Yet they shoul d know , that insulte d reaso n alon e can spread tha t sacred reserv e about th e person , whic h renders huma n affections, fo r huma n affection s hav e alway s some bas e alloy , a s permanent a s i s consisten t wit h th e gran d en d o f existence—th e attainment of virtue. The Barones s de Stael* speaks the same language as the lady just cited, with more enthusiasm . He r eulogiu m o n Rousseau wa s accidentally put int o my hands, an d her sentiments , th e sentiment s of too man y o f m y sex , ma y serv e a s th e tex t fo r a fe w comments . 'Though Rousseau, ' sh e observes , 'ha s endeavoure d t o preven t women from interferin g in public affairs, an d acting a brilliant part in the theatre of politics; yet in speaking of them, how much has he

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done i t t o thei r satisfaction ! If he wishe d t o depriv e them o f some rights foreign to their sex, how has he for ever restored to them all those t o which it has a claim! And i n attempting t o diminis h their influence ove r the deliberation s of men, how sacredly has he established the empire they have over their happiness ! In aiding them to descend fro m a n usurped throne , h e ha s firmly seated the m upo n that to which they were destined by nature; and though he be full of indignation against them when they endeavour to resemble men, yet when the y com e before him wit h all the charms, weaknesses, virtues and errors, of their sex , his respect fo r their persons amounts almost to adoration.' * True!—For neve r wa s there a sensualist wh o paid more ferven t adoratio n at the shrin e of beauty. So devout, indeed , was his respect fo r the person, that excepting the virtu e of chastity, for obviou s reasons, he only wished to see it embellished by charms, weaknesses, an d errors . H e wa s afraid les t th e austerit y of reason should distur b th e sof t playfulnes s o f love. The maste r wishe d t o have a meretricious slave to fondle, entirely dependent on his reason and bounty ; h e di d no t wan t a companion , who m h e shoul d b e compelled t o esteem, o r a friend t o whom he could confide the care of hi s children' s education , shoul d deat h depriv e the m o f thei r father, befor e h e ha d fulfille d th e sacre d task . He denie s woma n reason, shut s he r ou t fro m knowledge , and turn s he r asid e fro m truth; yet his pardon i s granted, becaus e c he admits th e passio n o f love.'* It would require some ingenuity to shew why women were to be under such an obligation to him for thus admitting love; when it is clea r tha t h e admit s i t onl y fo r th e relaxatio n o f men , an d t o perpetuate th e species; but he talked with passion, and that powerful spell worked on the sensibility of a young encomiast. 'What signifie s it,' pursues this rhapsodist, c to women, that his reason disputes with them th e empire , whe n hi s hear t i s devotedl y theirs.' * I t i s no t empire,—but equality , tha t the y shoul d conten d for . Yet , i f the y only wishe d t o lengthe n ou t thei r sway , they shoul d no t entirel y trust t o their persons , fo r 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 wome n are once sufficientl y enlightene d to discover their real interest , o n a gran d scale , the y will , I a m persuaded , b e ver y ready t o resig n al l th e prerogative s o f love , tha t ar e no t mutual ,

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speaking of them as lasting prerogatives, for the calm satisfaction of friendship, an d th e tende r confidenc e of habitua l esteem . Befor e marriage the y wil l no t assum e an y insolen t airs , o r afterward s ab jectly submit; but endeavourin g to act like reasonable creatures, i n both situations , they wil l not b e tumbled fro m a throne t o a stool. Madame Genlis* has written severa l entertaining books for children; an d he r Letter s on Educatio n affor d man y useful hints , tha t sensible parents will certainly avail themselves of; but he r views are narrow, an d her prejudice s as unreasonable a s strong. I shall pass over her vehement argument in favour o f the eternity of future punishments , becaus e I blush to think that a human being should ever argue vehemently in such a cause, and onl y make a few remarks o n he r absur d manne r o f makin g th e parenta l authorit y supplant reason . Fo r ever y where does she inculcate no t onl y blind submission t o parents; but t o the opinion of the world. 1 She tells a story* of a young man engaged by his father's express desire to a girl of fortune. Before the marriage could take place, she is deprived of her fortune, and thrown friendless on the world. Th e father practises the most infamous arts to separate his son from her , and whe n the so n detects hi s villany, and followin g th e dictate s of honour marrie s th e girl , nothin g bu t miser y ensues , becaus e for sooth h e married without his father's consent. O n wha t ground can religion o r morality rest whe n justice is thus se t a t defiance ? Wit h the sam e vie w sh e represent s a n accomplishe d youn g woman,* as ready t o marr y any body tha t he r mamma pleased t o recommend ; and, as actually marrying the young man of her own choice, without feeling an y emotion s o f passion, becaus e tha t a well educated gir l had no t tim e to be in love. Is it possible to have much respect fo r a system of education that thu s insult s reason an d nature? Many simila r opinion s occu r i n her writings , mixed wit h senti ments tha t do honour to her head and heart. Yet so much superstition i s mixed with her religion , and s o much worldl y wisdom with 1 A person is not t o act in this or that way, though convinced they are right i n so doing, because som e equivoca l circumstances ma y lea d th e worl d t o suspect tha t the y acted fro m different motives.—Thi s i s sacrificin g th e substanc e fo r a shadow . Le t peopl e bu t watc h their own hearts, and act rightly, as far as they can judge, and they may patiently wait till the opinion of the worl d comes round. It i s best t o be directed b y a simple motive—for justice has too ofte n bee n sacrifice d t o propriety;—anothe r word for convenience.

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her morality , that I shoul d no t le t a young person rea d he r works, unless I could afterwards converse on the subjects, and point out the contradictions. Mrs Chapone' s Letters* are written wit h suc h goo d sense , an d unaffected humility , and contai n 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 ver y wor d respec t bring s Mr s Macaula y t o m y remem brance. The woma n of the greatest abilities, undoubtedly, that thi s country has ever produced.—And yet this woman has been suffere d to die without sufficient respec t bein g paid to her memory. * Posterity, however , wil l b e mor e just ; an d remembe r tha t Catharine Macaula y wa s a n exampl e o f intellectua l acquirement s supposed t o be incompatibl e with th e weaknes s of her sex . I n he r style o f writing , indeed , n o se x appears , fo r i t i s lik e the sens e i t conveys, strong and clear . I will not call hers a masculine understanding, because I admit not of such an arrogant assumption o f reason; but I contend tha t it was a sound one, and that her judgment, the matured frui t o f profound thinking, was a proof that a woman can acquire judgment, in the ful l extent of the word. Possessing more penetration than sagacity, more understanding than fancy , sh e writes with sober energ y and argu mentative closeness; yet sympathy and benevolence give an interest to her sentiments, an d that vital heat to arguments, which forces the reader t o weigh them.1 When I first thought of writing these strictures I anticipated Mr s Macaulay's approbation, with a little of that sanguine ardour, which it ha s been th e busines s of my lif e t o depress; bu t soo n hear d with the sickl y qual m of disappointed hope ; and the stil l seriousness of regret—that she was no more! Section V Taking a vie w o f th e differen t work s which hav e been writte n o n education, Lord Chesterfield' s Letter s must no t be silently passed 1 Coincidin g i n opinio n wit h Mr s Macaula y relativ e t o man y branche s o f education, I refer t o her valuabl e work, instead o f quoting her sentiment s t o support my own.

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over. No t tha t I mean t o analyze his unmanly, immora l system , or even t o cul l an y o f the useful , shrew d remark s whic h occu r i n hi s epistles—No, I only mean t o make a few reflections on the avowed tendency o f them—the ar t o f acquiring an earl y knowledge of th e world. A n art , I wil l ventur e t o assert , tha t prey s secretly , lik e the worm in the bud,* on the expanding powers, and turns to poison the generous juices which should mount with vigour in the youthfu l frame, inspirin g warm affections an d grea t resolves. 1 For ever y thing, saith the wise man, there is a season;*—and who would loo k fo r th e fruit s o f autum n durin g th e genia l month s o f spring? Bu t thi s i s mere declamation , an d I mea n t o reaso n wit h those worldly-wise instructors, who , instead of cultivating the judgment, instil l prejudices , an d rende r har d th e hear t tha t gradua l experience woul d onl y hav e cooled . A n earl y acquaintanc e wit h human infirmities; or, what is termed knowledg e of the world, is the surest way , i n m y opinion , t o contrac t th e hear t an d dam p th e natural youthfu l ardou r whic h produces no t only great talents, bu t great virtues. For the vain attempt t o bring forth the fruit o f experience, before the sapling has thrown ou t its leaves, only exhausts its strength, and prevents its assuming a natural form; just as the for m and strengt h o f subsiding metals are injured whe n the attractio n of cohesion i s disturbed . Tell me, ye who have studied th e human mind, is it not a strange way to fix principles by showing young people that they are seldom stable? An d ho w ca n the y b e fortifie d b y habit s whe n the y ar e 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 fro m worldl y mischances; but will infallibly preclude excellence in either virtue or knowledge.2 The stumbling-bloc k throw n acros s ever y pat h b y suspicion , wil l prevent an y vigorou s exertion s o f geniu s o r benevolence , an d lif e will b e strippe d o f it s mos t allurin g char m lon g befor e it s cal m 1 Tha t children ough t to be constantly guarded against the vices and follies of the world, appears, t o me , a very mistaken opinion; fo r i n th e cours e o f my experience , an d m y eyes have looked abroad, I never knew a youth educated i n this manner, who had early imbibed these chillin g suspicions, an d repeate d b y rote the hesitatin g i f o f age , tha t di d no t prov e a selfish character . 2 I have already observed* that an early knowledge of the world, obtained in a natural way, by mixing in the world , has the same effect: instancin g officers an d women .

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evening, when man should retir e to contemplation fo r comfort and support. A youn g man wh o has been bre d u p wit h domestic friends , an d led to store hi s mind with as much speculative knowledge as can be acquired b y readin g an d th e natura l reflection s whic h youthfu l ebullitions o f anima l spirit s an d instinctiv e feeling s inspire , wil l enter th e worl d wit h war m an d erroneou s expectations . Bu t thi s appears to be the course of nature; and in morals, as well as in works of taste, w e should b e observant o f her sacre d indications , an d no t presume t o lead whe n we ought obsequiousl y to follow . In th e worl d few people act from principle ; present feelings , and early habits , ar e th e gran d springs : bu t ho w woul d th e forme r be deadened, an d th e latte r rendere d iro n corrodin g fetters, i f th e world were shewn to young people just as it is; when no knowledge of mankin d o r thei r ow n hearts , slowl y obtaine d b y experience , rendered them forbearing ? Their fellow creatures would not then be viewed as frail beings ; like themselves, condemne d t o struggle with human infirmities , and sometime s displayin g the light , an d some times the dark side of their character ; extortin g alternate feelings of love an d disgust ; but guarde d agains t a s beasts o f prey , til l ever y enlarged socia l feeling, in a word,—humanity, was eradicated. In life , o n th e contrary , a s we gradually discover th e imperfec tions of our nature , we discover virtues, and variou s circumstances attach us to our fello w creatures, whe n we mix with them, an d view the sam e objects , tha t ar e neve r though t o f i n acquirin g a hast y unnatural knowledge of the world . We se e a folly swel l into a vice, by almos t imperceptibl e degrees , and pit y whil e w e blame; but , i f the hideou s monster burs t suddenl y on our sight , fea r an d disgus t rendering us more severe than man ought t o be, might lead us with blind zea l t o usur p th e characte r o f omnipotence , an d denounc e damnation on our fello w mortals, forgettin g that we cannot read th e heart, an d that w e have seeds o f the sam e vices lurking in our own. I hav e already remarked tha t w e expect mor e fro m instruction , than mer e instruction ca n produce: for, instead o f preparing youn g people t o encounte r th e evil s o f lif e wit h dignity , an d t o acquir e wisdom an d virtu e b y th e exercis e of their ow n faculties , precept s are heape d upo n precepts , an d blin d obedienc e required , whe n conviction shoul d b e brought hom e t o reason.

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Suppose, for instance, that a young person in the first ardour o f friendship deifies the beloved object—what harm can arise from thi s mistaken enthusiastic attachment? Perhaps i t is necessary for virtue first to appear in a human form to impress youthfu l hearts ; the ideal model, whic h a more mature d an d exalte d min d look s up to , an d shapes fo r itself , woul d elud e thei r sight . H e wh o love s no t hi s brother who m 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 wit h every good quality, and the emulation produced by ignorance, or, to speak wit h mor e propriety , b y inexperience , bring s forwar d th e mind capable of forming such an affection, an d when, in the lapse of time, perfectio n i s foun d no t t o b e withi n th e reac h o f mortals , virtue, abstractedly, is thought beautiful , and wisdom sublime. Admiration then give s place to friendship, properly so called, because it is cemented b y esteem; an d the being walks alone only dependent on heave n fo r tha t emulou s pantin g afte r perfectio n whic h eve r glows in a noble mind. But thi s knowledge a man must gai n by th e exertion o f his ow n faculties ; and thi s i s surely the blesse d frui t o f disappointed hope ! for He wh o delighteth t o diffus e happines s and shew merc y t o th e wea k creatures , wh o are learning to kno w him, never implante d a good propensit y t o be a tormenting ignis fatuus. Our tree s are now allowed to spread with wild luxuriance, nor do we expec t b y forc e t o combin e th e majesti c mark s o f tim e wit h youthful graces ; bu t wai t patiently till they hav e struck dee p thei r root, an d braved man y a storm.—Is the mind then , which , i n pro portion t o its dignity, advances more slowl y towards perfection, to be treate d wit h les s respect ? T o argu e fro m analogy , every thin g around us is in a progressive state; an d when an unwelcome knowledge of life produce s almost a satiety of life, an d w e discover by th e natural course of things that all that is done under the sun is vanity,* we ar e drawin g nea r th e awfu l clos e o f th e drama . Th e day s o f activity an d hop e ar e over , an d th e opportunitie s whic h th e firs t stage o f existence ha s afforde d o f advancing in th e scal e of intelli gence, mus t soo n b e summe d up.— A knowledg e at thi s perio d o f the futility of life, or earlier, if obtained by experience, is very useful, because it is natural; but whe n a frail bein g is shewn the follie s an d vices of man, that h e may be taught prudentl y to guard against the

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common casualties o f lif e b y sacrificin g hi s heart—surel y i t i s no t speaking harshly to call it the wisdom of this world, contrasted wit h the noble r frui t o f piety and experience . I will venture a paradox, and deliver my opinion without reserve ; if men wer e only born t o form a circle of life and death , i t would be wise t o tak e ever y ste p tha t foresigh t coul d sugges t t o rende r lif e happy. Moderatio n i n ever y pursui t woul d the n b e suprem e wis dom; an d th e pruden t voluptuar y might enjo y a degree of content , though h e neithe r cultivate d hi s understanding no r kep t hi s hear t pure. Prudence, supposin g w e were mortal, would be true wisdom, or, to be more explicit, would procure the greatest portion of happiness, considerin g the whol e of life, bu t knowledg e beyond th e con veniences of life woul d be a curse. Why shoul d w e injur e ou r healt h b y clos e study ? Th e exalte d pleasure whic h intellectua l pursuit s affor d woul d scarcel y b e equivalent t o th e hour s o f languo r tha t follow ; especially , i f i t b e necessary to take into the reckoning the doubts and disappointment s that clou d ou r researches . Vanit y and vexation close ever y inquiry: for th e caus e which we particularly wished to discover flie s lik e the horizon befor e u s a s w e advance . Th e ignorant , o n th e contrary , resemble children , an d suppose , tha t i f the y coul d wal k straigh t forward the y should a t last arrive where the earth and clouds meet . Yet, disappointe d a s w e ar e i n ou r researches , th e min d gain s strength b y th e exercise , sufficient , perhaps , t o comprehen d th e answers which , i n anothe r ste p o f existence, i t ma y receiv e t o th e anxious question s i t asked , whe n th e understandin g wit h feebl e wing was fluttering round th e visible effects t o dive into the hidde n cause. The passion s also , th e wind s o f life , woul d b e useless , i f no t injurious, di d th e substanc e whic h compose s ou r thinkin g being , after w e have thought i n vain, only become the support o f vegetable life, an d invigorat e a cabbage , o r blus h i n a rose . Th e appetite s would answe r ever y earthly purpose , an d produc e mor e moderat e and permanen t happiness . Bu t th e power s o f th e sou l tha t ar e of little use here, and , probably , disturb our anima l enjoyments, even while consciou s dignit y makes us glor y in possessin g them , prov e that lif e is merely an education, a state of infancy, to which the only hopes wort h cherishing should no t be sacrificed. I mean, therefore , to infer , that w e ough t t o hav e a precis e ide a o f wha t w e wis h t o

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attain by education, fo r the immortalit y of the sou l is contradicte d by the action s of many people who firmly profes s the belief . If yo u mea n t o secur e eas e an d prosperit y o n eart h a s the firs t consideration, an d leav e futurity t o provide for itself; you act pru dently in giving your child an early insight into the weaknesses of his nature. You may not, i t is true, make an Inkle* of him; but d o not imagine that he will stick to more than the letter of the law, who has very earl y imbibe d a mea n opinio n o f huma n nature ; no r wil l h e think it necessary to rise much above the common standard. He may avoid gros s vices , becaus e honest y i s th e bes t policy ; but h e wil l never ai m a t attainin g grea t virtues . Th e exampl e o f writer s an d artists will illustrate this remark. I must therefore venture to doubt whether what has been thought an axiom in morals may not hav e been a dogmatical assertion made by me n wh o hav e cooll y see n mankin d throug h th e mediu m o f books, and say, in direct contradiction to them, that the regulations of the passion s is not, always , wisdom.—On the contrary, it should seem, tha t on e reason why men have superior judgment, and mor e fortitude tha n women , i s undoubtedl y this , tha t the y giv e a free r scope t o th e gran d passions , an d b y mor e frequentl y going astray enlarge their minds. If then by the exercise of their own 1 reason they fix on some stable principle, they have probably to thank the force of their passions , nourishe d b y false view s of life , an d permitte d t o overleap the boundar y that secure s content . Bu t if , in th e daw n of life, w e coul d soberl y surve y th e scene s befor e a s i n perspective , and se e every thing in its true colours, how could the passion s gain sufficient strengt h to unfold the faculties? Let m e now as from a n eminence survey the world stripped of all its fals e delusiv e charms. Th e clea r atmospher e enable s me t o see each object in its true point of view, while my heart is still. I am calm as th e prospec t i n a mornin g whe n th e mists , slowl y dispersing, silently unveil the beautie s of nature, refreshe d by rest. In wha t ligh t wil l th e worl d no w appear?— I ru b m y eye s an d think, perchance, tha t I am just awakening from a lively dream. I se e th e son s an d daughter s o f me n pursuin g shadows , an d anxiously wastin g thei r power s t o fee d passion s whic h hav e n o adequate object—i f th e ver y excess o f these blin d impulses , pam 1

' I find that al l is but lip-wisdo m whic h wants experience,' says Sidney.*

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pered b y tha t lying , yet constantly truste d guide , th e imagination , did not , b y preparin g the m fo r som e othe r state , rende r short sighted mortal s wise r withou t thei r ow n concurrence ; or , wha t comes to the same thing, when they were pursuing some imaginary present good . After viewin g objects in this light, it would not be very fanciful t o imagine that thi s worl d was a stage on which a pantomime i s daily performed fo r the amusemen t o f superior beings . Ho w woul d they be diverted to see the ambitious man consuming himself by running after a phantom , and , 'pursuin g th e bubbl e fam e i n th e cannon' s mouth'* that was to blow him to nothing: for when consciousness is lost, it matters not whether we mount i n a whirlwind or descend i n rain. And should they compassionately invigorate his sight and shew him th e thorn y pat h whic h led t o eminence , tha t lik e a quicksand sinks as he ascends, disappointing his hopes when almost within his grasp, would he not leave to others the honour of amusing them, and labour to secure the present moment, thoug h from th e constitutio n of hi s natur e h e woul d no t fin d i t ver y eas y t o catc h th e flyin g stream? Suc h slave s are we to hope an d fear ! But, vai n a s the ambitiou s man's pursuit s woul d be, h e is ofte n striving fo r somethin g mor e substantia l tha n fame—tha t indee d would be the veriest meteor, the wildest fire that could lure a man to ruin.—What! renounc e th e mos t triflin g gratificatio n t o b e ap plauded whe n h e shoul d b e n o more ! Wherefor e thi s struggle , whether ma n b e morta l o r immortal , i f that nobl e passio n di d no t really raise the bein g above his fellows? — And love ! What divertin g scenes would it produce—Pantaloon's tricks* must yield to more egregious folly. To se e a mortal adorn an object wit h imaginary charms, an d the n fal l dow n and worshi p the idol which he had himself set up—how ridiculous! But what serious consequences ensu e to rob man of that portion of happiness, which the Deit y b y callin g him int o existenc e ha s (or , o n wha t ca n hi s attributes rest!) indubitably promised: would not all the purposes of life have been much better fulfille d i f he had only felt what has been termed physica l love ? And , would no t th e sigh t o f the object , no t seen through th e medium of the imagination, soon reduce the pas sion to an appetite, if reflection, the noble distinction of man, did not give i t force , an d mak e i t a n instrumen t t o rais e hi m abov e thi s earthy dross , b y teachin g hi m t o lov e the centr e o f all perfection;

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whose wisdom appears clearer and clearer in the works of nature, in proportion a s reason i s illuminated an d exalte d b y contemplation , and b y acquirin g that lov e of order whic h the struggle s o f passion produce? The habi t o f reflection, and th e knowledg e attained b y fostering any passion, might be shewn to be equally useful, though th e object be proved equall y fallacious; fo r they woul d all appear i n th e sam e light, if they were not magnified by the governing passion implante d in u s b y th e Autho r o f al l good , t o cal l fort h an d strengthe n th e faculties of each individual, and enable it to attain all the experience that an infant can obtain, who does certain things, it cannot tell why. I descend fro m m y height, an d mixing with my fellow-creatures , feel myself hurried along the common stream; ambition , love, hope, and fear , exer t thei r wonte d power , thoug h w e b e convince d b y reason that their present and most attractive promises are only lying dreams; bu t ha d th e col d han d o f circumspectio n dampe d eac h generous feelin g before it had left an y permanent character, or fixed some habit, what could be expected, but selfish prudence and reason just rising above instinct? Who tha t ha s read Dean Swift' s disgusting description of the Yahoos, and insipid one of Houyhnhnm* with a philosophica l eye , can avoid seeing the futilit y o f degrading pas sions, or making man rest in contentment? The yout h should act; for had he the experience of a grey head he would be fitter for death than life, though his virtues, rather residing in hi s hea d tha n hi s heart , coul d produc e nothin g great , an d hi s understanding, prepare d fo r thi s world , woul d not , b y it s nobl e flights, prove that i t had a title to a better. 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 forc e o f th e temptatio n whic h betraye d hi s brothe r int o vice . Those who are entering life , an d thos e wh o are departing , se e th e world from suc h very different point s of view, that they can seldom think alike , unles s th e unfledge d reaso n o f th e forme r neve r at tempted a solitary flight. When w e hear o f some darin g crime—it come s ful l o n us i n th e deepest shad e of turpitude, an d raises indignation; but th e eye that gradually sa w th e darknes s thicken , mus t observ e i t wit h mor e compassionate forbearance . Th e worl d canno t b e see n b y a n un moved spectator , w e must mi x i n th e throng , an d fee l a s men fee l

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before w e can judge of their feelings . I f w e mean, i n short, to liv e in the worl d t o grow wiser and better, and no t merely to enjoy th e good things of life, we must attain a knowledge of others a t the same time tha t w e becom e acquainte d wit h ourselves—knowledg e ac quired an y othe r wa y onl y harden s th e hear t an d perplexe s th e understanding. I ma y be told , tha t th e knowledg e thu s acquired , i s sometime s purchased a t to o dea r a rate. I ca n onl y answe r tha t I ver y muc h doubt whethe r an y knowledg e can be attaine d withou t labou r an d sorrow; and those who wish to spare their childre n both, should no t complain, if they are neither wis e nor virtuous. They only aimed at making the m prudent ; an d prudence , earl y in life , i s but th e cau tious craf t o f ignorant self-love. I have observed that young people, t o whose education particular attention ha s been paid , have, in general , been ver y superficial an d conceited, an d fa r fro m pleasin g i n an y respect , becaus e the y ha d neither th e unsuspectin g warmt h o f youth , no r th e coo l dept h o f age. I cannot help imputing this unnatural appearance principally to that hasty premature instruction, which leads them presumptuousl y to repeat all the crude notions they have taken upon trust, so that the careful education which they received, makes them all their lives the slaves of prejudices . Mental a s well as bodily exertion is, at first, irksome, so much so, that th e man y would fai n le t others bot h wor k and thin k fo r them . An obsveration which I have often mad e will illustrate my meaning. When in a circle of strangers, or acquaintances, a person of moderate abilities asserts a n opinion wit h heat , I wil l venture to affirm , fo r I have traced thi s fac t home , ver y often, tha t i t is a prejudice. These echoes have a high respect fo r the understanding of some relation or friend, an d withou t full y comprehendin g th e opinions , whic h they are so eager to retail, they maintain them with a degree of obstinacy, that woul d surprise eve n the perso n wh o concocted them . I kno w that a kind o f fashio n no w prevail s of respecting preju dices; an d whe n an y on e dare s t o fac e them , thoug h actuate d b y humanity and arme d b y reason, h e is superciliously asked whethe r his ancestor s wer e fools . No , I shoul d reply ; opinions , a t first , o f every description , wer e all , probably , considered , an d therefor e were founde d o n som e reason ; ye t no t unfrequently , of course , i t was rathe r a loca l expedien t tha n a fundamenta l principle , tha t would b e reasonabl e a t al l times. But , moss-covere d opinion s as -

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sume th e disproportione d for m o f prejudices, when the y ar e indolently adopted onl y because age has given them a venerable aspect , though the reason on which they were built ceases to be a reason, or cannot b e traced . Wh y ar e w e t o lov e prejudices , merely becaus e they are prejudices? 1 A prejudice is a fond obstinat e persuasio n fo r which we can give no reason; for the moment a reason ca n be given for a n 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? This mode of arguing, if arguing it may be called, reminds m e o f wha t i s vulgarl y terme d a woman' s reason . Fo r women sometimes declar e that the y love, or believe, certain things , because they love, or believe them . It is impossible to converse with people to any purpose, wh o only use affirmatives and negatives. Before you can bring them to a point, to start fairl y from , yo u must g o back t o the simpl e principle s tha t were antecedent t o the prejudice s broached b y power; and i t is ten to on e bu t yo u ar e stopped b y th e philosophica l assertion , tha t certain principles ar e as practically false as they are abstractly true. 2 Nay, it may be inferred, that reason has whispered some doubts, for it generally happens that people assert their opinions with the great est heat whe n the y begi n t o waver; striving to driv e out thei r ow n doubts b y convincing their opponent , the y gro w angry when thos e gnawing doubts ar e thrown back to prey on themselves . The fac t is , tha t me n expec t fro m education , wha t educatio n cannot give . A sagacious paren t o r tuto r ma y strengthen th e bod y and sharpe n th e instruments b y which the child is to gather knowl edge; bu t th e hone y mus t b e th e rewar d o f th e individual' s own industry. I t i s almost as absurd t o attempt t o make a youth wise by the experienc e o f another, a s to expect th e bod y to grow strong by the exercise which is only talked of, or seen.3 Many of those children whose conduct has been most narrowly watched, become th e weakest men , becaus e thei r instructor s onl y instil l certai n notion s int o their minds, that have no other foundatio n than their authority; and if they be love d o r respected , th e min d i s cramped i n it s exertion s and wavering in its advances. The busines s of education in this case, 1 2

Vid e Mr Burke. * 'Convinc

e a man agains t his will , He's o f the sam e opinion still.'* 3 'On e sees nothing when one is content t o contemplate only; it is necessary to act oneself to be able to see how others act. ' Rousseau.

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is only to conduc t th e shootin g tendril s t o a proper pole ; ye t afte r laying precep t upo n precept , withou t allowin g a chil d t o acquir e judgment itself, parents expec t the m t o act in the sam e manner by this borrowe d fallaciou s light , a s if the y ha d illuminate d i t them selves; an d be , whe n the y ente r life , wha t thei r parent s ar e a t th e close. They do not consider that the tree, and even the human body, does not strengthe n it s fibre s til l it has reached it s ful l growth . There appears to be something analogous in the mind. The sense s and the imagination give a form to the character, during a childhood and youth; and the understanding, as life advances, gives firmness to the first fai r purpose s o f sensibility—till virtue, arising rather fro m the clear conviction of reason than the impulse of the heart, morality is made to rest on a rock against which the storm s o f passion vainly beat. I hope I shall not be misunderstood whe n I say, that religion will not hav e this condensin g energy, unless it be founded on reason. I f it b e merel y th e refug e o f weaknes s o r wil d fanaticism , and no t a governing principle o f conduct, draw n fro m self-knowledge , and a rational opinio n respectin g th e attribute s o f God , wha t ca n i t b e expected t o produce ? The religio n whic h consist s i n warmin g th e affections, an d exaltin g th e imagination , i s onl y th e poetica l part , and may afford th e individua l pleasure without rendering it a more moral being. It may be a substitute for worldly pursuits; ye t narrow, instead o f enlarging the heart : bu t virtu e must b e loved as in itself sublime and excellent, and not fo r the advantages it procures or the evils i t averts , i f any grea t degree o f excellence b e expected . Me n will not become moral whe n they only build air y castles in a future world to compensate fo r the disappointments whic h they meet with in this; if they turn thei r thought s fro m relativ e duties t o religious reveries. Most prospect s i n lif e ar e marre d b y th e shufflin g worldl y wis dom of men, who , forgetting that the y cannot serv e God and mam mon,* endeavou r t o blen d contradictor y things.—I f yo u wis h t o make your son rich, pursu e on e course—if you are only anxious to make him virtuous, you must tak e another; but d o not imagine that you can bound fro m on e road to the other withou t losing your way.1 1

Se e an excellent essay on this subject by Mrs Barbauld , in Miscellaneous Pieces in Prose*

CHAPTER V I THE EFFEC T WHIC H A N EARL Y ASSOCIATIO N OF IDEA S HA S UPO N TH E CHARACTE R

Educated i n th e enervatin g styl e recommende d b y th e writer s o n whom I hav e been animadverting ; an d no t havin g a chance, fro m their subordinat e stat e in society, t o recover thei r los t ground , i s it surprising that wome n every where appear a defect in nature? Is it surprising, whe n w e conside r wha t a determinat e effec t a n earl y association o f idea s ha s o n th e character , tha t the y neglec t thei r understandings, an d turn al l their attentio n t o their persons? The grea t advantage s whic h naturall y resul t fro m storin g th e mind wit h knowledge , ar e obviou s fro m th e followin g considera tions. Th e associatio n o f our idea s i s either habitua l o r instantan eous; an d th e latte r mod e seem s rathe r t o depen d o n th e origina l temperature o f th e min d tha n o n th e will . Whe n th e ideas , an d matters o f fact , ar e onc e take n in , the y li e b y fo r use , til l som e fortuitous circumstanc e make s th e informatio n dar t int o th e min d with illustrative force, that ha s been receive d at very different peri ods o f our lives . Lik e th e lightning' s flash are man y recollections ; one ide a assimilating and explainin g another, wit h astonishin g ra pidity. I do not now allude to that quick perception o f truth, which is s o intuitiv e tha t i t baffle s research , an d make s u s a t a los s t o determine whether it is reminiscence or ratiocination, lost sight of in its celerity , tha t open s th e dar k cloud . Ove r thos e instantaneou s associations w e hav e littl e power ; fo r whe n th e min d i s onc e en larged by excursive flights, or profound reflection, the raw materials will, i n som e degree , arrang e themselves. Th e understanding , i t is true, ma y kee p us fro m goin g out o f drawing when w e group ou r thoughts, o r transcribe fro m th e imaginatio n th e war m sketches o f fancy; bu t th e anima l spirits , th e individua l character , giv e th e colouring. Ove r thi s subtil e electri c fluid, 1 how little powe r d o we 1 I have sometimes, when inclined to laug h at materialists,* asked whether , as the most powerful effect s i n nature are apparently produced by fluids, the magnetic, etc. the passions might no t b e fin e volatil e fluid s tha t embrace d humanity, keepin g th e mor e refractor y elementary part s together—or whethe r they wer e simpl y a liqui d fir e tha t pervaded th e more sluggish materials, giving them life an d heat ?

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possess, and over i t how little power ca n reason obtain! These fine intractable spirits appear to be the essence of genius, and beaming in its eagle eye, produce in the most eminent degree the happy energy of associatin g thought s tha t surprise , delight , an d instruct . Thes e are th e glowin g minds tha t concentrat e picture s fo r thei r fellow creatures; forcin g them t o vie w with interes t th e object s reflected from th e impassione d imagination , whic h the y passe d ove r i n nature. I mus t b e allowe d to explai n myself. Th e generalit y o f peopl e cannot see or feel poetically, they want fancy, and therefore fly from solitude in search of sensible objects; but when an author lends them his eyes they can see as he saw, and be amused by images they could not select, thoug h lying before them. Education thus only supplies the ma n of genius with knowledge to giv e variet y an d contras t t o hi s associations ; bu t ther e i s a n habitual association of ideas, that grow s 'with our growth/ * which has a great effect o n the mora l character o f mankind; and by which a turn i s given to the mind that commonly remains throughout life . So ductile is the understanding, and yet so stubborn, tha t the associations whic h depen d o n adventitiou s circumstances , durin g th e period tha t th e bod y take s t o arriv e a t maturity , ca n seldo m b e disentangled b y reason. On e idea calls up another, its old associate, and memory, faithful t o the first impressions, particularly when the intellectual powers are not employed to cool our sensations, retraces them wit h mechanical exactness. This habitua l slavery , t o firs t impressions , ha s a mor e banefu l effect o n the femal e tha n th e mal e character, becaus e business an d other dr y employment s o f the understanding , ten d t o deade n th e feelings an d brea k associations that d o violenc e to reason . Bu t fe males, wh o are made women of when they ar e mere children , an d brought bac k t o childhoo d whe n the y ough t t o leav e th e go-car t for ever , hav e no t sufficien t strengt h o f min d t o effac e th e superinductions of art tha t hav e smothered nature . Every thin g tha t the y see or hea r serve s to fix impressions, cal l forth emotions , an d associat e ideas , that giv e a sexual character t o the mind . Fals e notion s o f beauty and delicac y stop th e growt h of their limb s an d produc e a sickl y soreness, rathe r tha n delicac y of organs; and thus weakened by being employed in unfolding instead of examinin g the firs t associations , force d o n the m b y ever y sur -

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rounding object, how can they attain the vigour necessary t o enable them to throw off that factitious character?—where find strength to recur t o reaso n an d ris e superiou r t o a system o f oppression, tha t blasts th e fai r promise s o f spring? This crue l associatio n o f ideas , which every thing conspires to twist into all their habits of thinking, or, to speak with more precision, of feeling, receives new force when they begin to act a little for themselves; fo r they then perceiv e that it i s onl y throug h thei r addres s t o excit e emotion s i n men , tha t pleasure and powe r are to be obtained. Besides, th e books professedly written fo r their instruction , whic h make the firs t impressio n on thei r minds , al l inculcate th e sam e opinions . Educate d the n i n worse than Egyptian bondage,* it is unreasonable, as well as cruel, to upbraid the m wit h fault s tha t ca n scarcel y b e avoided , unles s a degree of native vigour be supposed, tha t falls to the lot of very few amongst mankind. For instance, the severest sarcasms have been levelled against the sex, and the y hav e bee n ridicule d for repeatin g ' a set of phrase s learnt by rote,'* when nothing could be more natural , considerin g the education they receive, and that their 'highes t praise is to obey, unargued'*—the will of man. If they be not allowed to have reason sufficient t o govern their own conduct—why, all they learn—must be learne d b y rote! And whe n al l their ingenuit y i s called fort h t o adjust thei r dress, ' a passion for a scarlet coat,'* is so natural, that it never surprised me; and, allowing Pope's summary of their charac ter to be just, 'that every woman is at heart a rake,'* why should they be bitterly censured fo r seeking a congenial mind, an d preferrin g a rake to a man o f sense? Rakes know how to wor k on thei r sensibility , whilst the modes t merit of reasonable men has , of course, less effect o n their feelings, and the y cannot reac h th e hear t b y th e wa y of the understanding , because they have few sentiments i n common . It seem s a little absur d t o expec t wome n t o b e more reasonabl e than me n i n thei r likings, and stil l to den y them th e uncontroule d use of reason. When d o men j^all-in-love with sense? When do they, with their superiour powers and advantages, turn from the person to the mind ? An d ho w ca n the y the n expec t women , wh o ar e onl y taught to observe behaviour, and acquire manners rather than mor als, to despise what they have been all their lives labouring to attain? Where ar e the y suddenl y t o fin d judgmen t enoug h t o weig h pa -

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tiently the sense of an awkward virtuous man, when his manners, of which they are made critical judges, are rebuffing, an d his conversation cold and dull, because it does not consist of pretty repartees, or well turned compliments? In order to admire or esteem any thing for a continuance , w e must , a t least , hav e ou r curiosit y excite d b y knowing, i n som e degree , wha t w e admire ; fo r w e ar e unabl e t o estimate th e valu e of qualities and virtues , abov e our comprehen sion. Suc h a respect, whe n it i s felt, ma y be ver y sublime; and th e confused consciousnes s of humility may render the dependent creature a n interesting object, in some points o f view; but huma n love must hav e grosser ingredients ; an d th e perso n ver y naturally will come in fo r its share—and, an ample share it mostly has! Love is, in a great degree, an arbitrary passion, and will reign, like some other stalkin g mischiefs, by its own authority, without deigning to reason; an d i t may also be easily distinguished fro m esteem , the foundatio n of friendship, because it is often excite d by evanes cent beauties and graces, though, to give an energy to the sentiment , something mor e soli d mus t deepe n thei r impressio n an d se t th e imagination to work, to make the most fair—th e firs t good . Common passions ar e excited b y common qualities.—Me n look for beaut y and th e simpe r o f good-humoured docility : women ar e captivated b y eas y manners; a gentleman-lik e man seldo m fail s t o please them , an d thei r thirst y ear s eagerl y drin k th e insinuatin g nothings o f politeness , whils t the y tur n fro m th e unintelligibl e sounds o f th e charmer—reason , char m h e neve r s o wisely . With respect t o superficia l accomplishments , th e rak e certainly ha s th e advantage; and o f these females can form an opinion, fo r it is their own ground . Rendere d ga y and gidd y by th e whol e tenor o f thei r lives, the very aspect of wisdom, or the severe graces of virtue, must have a lugubrious appearance t o them ; an d produc e a kind of re straint fro m whic h the y an d love , sportiv e child , naturall y revolt. Without taste, excepting of the lighter kind, for taste is the offsprin g of judgment, how can they discover that true beauty and grace must arise fro m the pla y of the mind ? and ho w can they be expected t o relish i n a love r wha t the y d o not , o r ver y imperfectly , posses s themselves? The sympath y that unite s hearts, an d invites to confidence, i n the m i s s o ver y faint , tha t i t canno t tak e fire , an d thu s mount to passion. No, I repeat it, the love cherished by such minds, must hav e grosser fewel !

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The inferenc e i s obvious ; til l wome n ar e le d t o exercis e thei r understandings, the y should not be satirized for their attachmen t t o rakes; o r eve n fo r bein g rake s at heart , whe n i t appear s t o b e th e inevitable consequenc e o f thei r education . The y wh o liv e t o please—must find their enjoyments, their happiness, i n pleasure! It is a trite, yet true remark, that we never do any thing well, unless we love it fo r its ow n sake. Supposing, however , fo r a moment, tha t wome n were , i n som e future revolutio n of time, to become, wha t I sincerely wish them t o be, even love would acquire more serious dignity, and be purified i n its own fires; and virtue giving true delicacy to their affections, the y would tur n wit h disgus t fro m a rake . Reasonin g then , a s wel l a s feeling, th e onl y province o f woman, a t present , the y migh t easil y guard agains t exteriou r graces , an d quickl y lear n t o despis e th e sensibility tha t ha d bee n excite d an d hackneye d i n th e way s o f women, whos e trad e wa s vice; and allurements , wanto n airs . They would recollec t tha t th e flame, one must us e appropriated expres sions, whic h the y wishe d t o light up , ha d bee n exhauste d b y lust, and tha t th e sate d appetite , losin g al l relis h fo r pur e an d simpl e pleasures, coul d onl y be roused b y licentious art s o r variety. What satisfaction coul d a woman o f delicac y promis e hersel f i n a unio n with suc h a man, whe n th e ver y artlessnes o f her affectio n migh t appear insipid ? Thus does Dryde n describ e th e situation , 'Where love is duty, o n the femal e side , On their s mer e sensua l gust , an d sought wit h surly pride.'*

But on e gran d trut h wome n hav e ye t t o learn, thoug h muc h i t imports the m t o ac t accordingly. In th e choic e o f a husband, the y should no t b e led astray by the qualitie s of a lover—for a lover th e husband, eve n supposing hi m to be wise and virtuous, canno t lon g remain. Were wome n mor e rationall y educated, coul d the y tak e a mor e comprehensive vie w of things, the y would be contented t o love but once in their lives; and after marriage calmly let passion subside into friendship—into that tender intimacy, which is the best refuge fro m care; ye t i s built o n suc h pure , stil l affections , tha t idl e jealousie s would not be allowed to disturb the discharge of the sober dutie s of life, or to engross the thoughts that ought to be otherwise employed. This is a state in which man y men live ; but few , very few women.

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And the difference may easily be accounted for , without recurring to a sexual character. Men, fo r whom w e are told wome n wer e made, have too much occupied th e thoughts of women; and this association has so entangled lov e with all their motives of action; and, to harp a little on an old string, having been solely employed either to prepare themselves t o excite love , or actually putting thei r lesson s i n practice, they cannot live without love. But, when a sense of duty, or fear of shame, oblige s them t o restrain thi s pampere d desir e of pleasing beyond certai n lengths , to o fa r fo r delicacy , it i s true , thoug h fa r from criminality , they obstinately determine t o love, I speak of the passion, thei r husband s to the end of the chapter—and the n actin g the part which they foolishly exacted from their lovers, they become abject woers , and fon d slaves . Men o f wit and fancy are often rakes; and fancy is the food of love. Such me n will inspire passion. Half th e sex, in its present infantine state, would pine for a Lovelace;* a man so witty, so graceful, an d so valiant: and can they deserve blame for acting according to principles so constantl y inculcated ? The y wan t a lover , an d protector ; an d behold him kneeling before them—bravery prostrate to beauty! The virtues of a husband ar e thus throw n by love into the back ground , and ga y hopes, o r livel y emotions, banis h reflectio n til l th e da y of reckoning come; an d come it surely will, to turn th e sprightl y lover into a surly suspicious tyrant , who contemptuously insult s the very weakness he fostered . Or , supposin g th e rak e reformed, he cannot quickly get rid o f old habits. When a man o f abilities is first carried away by his passions, it is necessary that sentiment an d taste varnish the enormitie s o f vice , an d giv e a zest t o bruta l indulgences ; bu t when th e glos s of novelty is worn off , and pleasur e pall s upon th e sense, lasciviousnes s become s barefaced , an d enjoymen t onl y th e desperate effor t o f weakness flying from reflectio n as from a legion of devils. Oh! virtue, thou ar t no t a n empty name ! All that lif e ca n give—thou givest ! If muc h comfor t canno t b e expecte d fro m th e friendshi p o f a reformed rak e of superiour abilities , what is the consequenc e whe n he lacket h sense , a s wel l as principles ? Verily misery, i n it s mos t hideous shape . When th e habits of weak people are consolidated by time, a reformation is barely possible; an d actually makes the beings miserable wh o have not sufficien t min d t o be amuse d b y innocen t pleasure; like the tradesman who retires fro m th e hurry of business,

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nature present s t o the m onl y a universal blank; * an d th e restles s thoughts prey on the dampe d spirits. 1 Their reformation, as well as his retirement , actuall y makes the m wretche d becaus e i t deprive s them of all employment, by quenching the hopes and fear s tha t set in motion their sluggis h minds. If such be the forc e o f habit; if such be the bondage of folly, how carefully ough t we to guard the mind fro m storin g up viciou s associations; an d equall y carefu l shoul d w e be t o cultivat e th e under standing, to save the poo r wigh t from th e wea k dependen t stat e of even harmles s ignorance . Fo r i t i s th e righ t us e o f reaso n alon e which make s u s independen t o f ever y thing—exceptin g th e unclouded Reason—'Whose service is perfect freedom.' * 1 I hav e frequentl y see n thi s exemplifie d i n wome n whos e beauty could n o longe r b e repaired. They have retired fro m th e nois y scene s o f dissipation; but, unles s they becam e methodists, the solitude of the select society of their family connections or acquaintance, has presented onl y a fearful void ; consequently, nervous complaints, and all the vapourish train of idleness, rendered them quite as useless, and far more unhappy, than when they joined the giddy throng.

CHAPTER VI I MODESTY COMPREHENSIVEL Y CONSIDERED , AND NO T A S A SEXUA L V I R T U E

Modesty! Sacred offsprin g o f sensibility and reason!—true delicacy of mind!—may I unblamed presum e t o investigate thy nature, an d trace to its covert the mild charm, that mellowing each harsh featur e of a character , render s wha t woul d otherwis e onl y inspir e col d admiration—lovely!—Thou tha t smoothes t th e wrinkle s o f wis dom, and softenest the tone of the sublimest virtues till they all melt into humanity;—tho u tha t spreades t th e etherea l clou d that , sur rounding love , heighten s ever y beauty , i t hal f shades , breathin g those co y sweets tha t stea l int o th e heart , and char m th e senses — modulate fo r m e th e languag e o f persuasiv e reason , til l I rous e my se x fro m th e flower y bed , o n whic h the y supinel y slee p lif e away!* In speakin g of th e associatio n o f ou r ideas , I hav e notice d tw o distinct modes ; an d i n definin g modesty , i t appear s t o m e equally proper t o discriminat e tha t purit y o f mind, whic h i s th e effec t o f chastity, fro m a simplicity o f character tha t lead s us t o for m a just opinion o f ourselves , equall y distan t fro m vanit y or presumption , though by no means incompatible with a lofty consciousnes s o f our own dignity. Modesty, i n the latter significatio n o f the term, is , that soberness o f mind whic h teaches a man not to think more highly of himself tha n h e ough t t o think , an d shoul d b e distinguishe d fro m humility, because humilit y is a kind o f self-abasement . A modest ma n ofte n conceive s a great plan , an d tenaciousl y ad heres t o it , consciou s o f hi s ow n strength , til l succes s give s i t a sanction tha t determine s it s character . Milto n wa s no t arrogan t when h e suffere d a suggestio n o f judgmen t t o escap e hi m tha t proved a prophecy;* no r wa s Genera l Washingto n whe n h e ac cepted the command of the American forces.* The latte r has always been characterize d as a modest man ; but ha d he been merel y hum ble, he would probably have shrunk back irresolute, afrai d o f trusting t o himsel f th e directio n o f a n enterprise , o n whic h s o muc h depended. 198

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A modes t ma n i s steady, a n humbl e ma n timid , an d a vain one presumptuous:—this i s th e judgment , whic h th e observatio n o f many characters , ha s le d m e t o form . Jesu s Chris t wa s modest , Moses wa s humble, an d Peter vain. Thus, discriminating modesty fro m humilit y in one case, I do not mean t o confound it with bashfulness i n the other . Bashfulness , in fact, i s so distinct fro m modesty , tha t th e mos t bashfu l lass , or raw country lout, often become the most impudent; for their bashfulness being merel y th e instinctiv e timidit y o f ignorance , custo m soo n changes i t into assurance. 1 The shameles s behaviour of the prostitutes, wh o infest the street s of thi s metropolis , raisin g alternat e emotion s o f pit y an d disgust , may serve to illustrate this remark. They trample on virgin bashfulness wit h a sort of bravado, and gloryin g in thei r shame , becom e more audaciously lewd than men, howeve r depraved, to whom thi s sexual quality has not been gratuitousl y granted, eve r appear to be. But thes e poo r ignoran t wretche s neve r ha d an y modest y t o lose , when they consigned themselve s to infamy; fo r modesty i s a virtue, not a quality. No, the y wer e only bashful, shame-face d innocents ; and losin g thei r innocence , thei r shame-facednes s wa s rudel y brushed off; a virtue would have left som e vestiges in the mind, had it been sacrifice d t o passion, t o make us respect th e gran d ruin . Purity of mind, or that genuin e delicacy, which is the only virtu ous support o f chastity, is near akin to that refinement of humanity, which neve r reside s i n an y but cultivate d minds . I t i s somethin g nobler tha n innocence , i t i s the delicac y of reflection, and no t th e coyness o f ignorance . Th e reserv e o f reason , which , lik e habitua l cleanliness, i s seldo m see n i n an y grea t degree , unles s th e sou l i s active, ma y easil y b e distinguishe d fro m rusti c shynes s o r wanto n skittishness; and, so far from being incompatible with knowledge, it 1

'Suc

h i s the country-maiden' s fright , When firs t a red-coat is in sight ; Behind the doo r she hides her face ; Next tim e at distance eye s the lace : She now can all his terrors stand , Nor fro m hi s squeeze withdraw s her hand . She plays familiar i n his arms , And ev'r y soldie r hat h hi s charms ; From tent t o tent sh e spreads he r flame; For custo m conquer s fea r an d shame.' Gay*

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is its fairest fruit . What a gross idea of modesty had the writer of the following remark ! 'Th e lad y wh o aske d th e questio n whethe r women may be instructed in the modern syste m of botany, consistently wit h femal e delicacy?—wa s accuse d o f ridiculou s prudery : nevertheless, i f sh e ha d propose d th e questio n t o me , I shoul d certainly hav e answered—They cannot.' * Thus is the fai r boo k of knowledge t o b e shu t wit h a n everlastin g seal ! On readin g simila r passages I have reverentially lifted up my eyes and heart to Him who liveth fo r ever an d ever , an d said , O my Father, hast Thou by th e very constitution o f her nature forbid Th y chil d to seek Thee in the fair form s of truth? And, can her sou l be sullied by the knowledge that awfull y call s her t o Thee? I hav e the n philosophicall y pursue d thes e reflection s til l I in ferred that those women who have most improved their reason must have th e mos t modesty—thoug h a dignified sedatenes s o f deportment ma y hav e succeede d th e playful , bewitchin g bashfulnes s of youth.1 And thus have I argued. To render chastity the virtue from which unsophisticated modest y will naturally flow, the attention should be called awa y fro m employment s whic h only exercise the sensibility ; and th e hear t mad e to beat tim e t o humanity, rathe r tha n t o thro b with love. The woma n who has dedicated a considerable portion of her tim e t o pursuit s purel y intellectual, an d whos e affection s hav e been exercise d b y human e plan s o f usefulness , mus t hav e mor e purity o f mind, a s a natural consequence, tha n th e ignoran t being s whose tim e an d thought s hav e been occupie d b y ga y pleasures o r schemes t o conquer hearts. 2 The regulatio n o f the behaviour is not modesty, though thos e who study rules of decorum are , in general, termed modes t women. Make the heart clean, let it expand and fee l 1 Modesty , i s the gracefu l cal m virtu e o f maturity; bashfulness, the char m o f vivacious youth. 2 I hav e conversed, a s ma n wit h man , wit h medica l men , o n anatomica l subjects ; an d compared th e proportion s o f the huma n bod y wit h artists—ye t suc h modest y di d I mee t with, that I was never reminded b y word or look of my sex, of the absur d rules which make modesty a pharisaical cloak of weakness. And I am persuaded tha t i n the pursui t o f knowledge women would never be insulted by sensible men, and rarely by men of any description , if they did not by mock modesty remind the m that the y were women: actuated b y the same spirit a s the Portuguez e ladies , wh o woul d think thei r charm s insulted , if , when lef t alon e with a man, he did not , a t least, attempt t o be grossly familiar wit h their persons . Me n ar e not always men in the company of women, nor would women always remember tha t they are women, i f the wer e allowed to acquire more understanding .

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for al l that is human, instea d o f being narrowed b y selfish passions; and le t the min d frequentl y contemplate subjects that exercis e th e understanding, withou t heatin g th e imagination , an d artles s mod esty will give the finishin g touche s t o 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 , a s a sacre d temple , th e bod y tha t enshrine s suc h a n improvable soul . Tru e love, likewise , spreads thi s kind of mysterious sanctity round th e beloved object, making the lover most mod est when in her presence. 1 So reserved is affection that , receiving or returning persona l endearments , i t wishes , no t onl y t o shu n th e human eye , a s a kin d o f profanation ; but t o diffus e a n encirclin g cloudy obscurit y t o shu t ou t eve n th e sauc y sparklin g sunbeams . Yet, that affection doe s not deserve the epithet of chaste, which does not receiv e a sublime gloo m o f tender melancholy, tha t allows th e mind for a moment t o stand still and enjo y th e presen t satisfaction, when a consciousness o f the Divin e presence i s felt—for thi s mus t ever be th e foo d o f joy! As I have always been fon d o f 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, whic h gave birth to that respec t for relicks, so much abused by selfis h priests . Devotion , o r love, may be allowed to hallo w the garments a s well as the person ; fo r the love r must wan t fanc y wh o has no t a sor t o f sacre d respec t fo r th e glov e o r slippe r o f hi s mistress. H e coul d no t confoun d the m wit h vulga r thing s o f th e same kind . Thi s fin e sentiment , perhaps , woul d no t bea r t o b e analyzed b y th e experimenta l philosopher—bu t o f suc h stuf f i s human raptur e mad e up!— A shadow y phantom glide s befor e us , obscuring every other object; yet when the soft cloud is grasped, th e form melt s int o commo n air , leaving a solitary void, or swee t per fume, stole n fro m the violet , tha t memor y lon g holds dear . But , I have trippe d unaware s on fair y ground , feelin g th e balm y gale of spring stealing on me, though novembe r frowns . As a sex, women are more chaste than men, and as modesty is the effect o f chastity, the y may deserv e t o have this virtu e ascribed t o them i n rather an appropriated sense ; yet, I must be allowed to add 1

Mal e or female; for the worl d contain s man y modest men .

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an hesitatin g if:—fo r I doub t whethe r chastit y wil l produc e mod esty, though it may propriety o f conduct, when it is merely a respect for th e opinio n of the world, 1 and when coquetry an d the love-lor n tales o f novelists employ th e thoughts . Nay , fro m experience , an d reason, I shoul d b e le d t o expec t t o mee t wit h mor e modest y amongst me n tha n women , simpl y becaus e me n exercis e thei r understandings mor e tha n women . But, with respect t o propriety of behaviour, excepting one class of females, wome n hav e evidentl y the advantage . What ca n b e mor e disgusting than that impudent dross of gallantry, thought s o manly, which makes many men stare insultingly at every female they meet? Can it be termed respec t fo r the sex? No, this loose behaviour shews such habitua l depravity , suc h weaknes s of mind, tha t i t i s vai n t o expect much public or private virtue, till both men and women grow more modest—till men, curbing a sensual fondness for the sex, or an affectation o f manly assurance, more properly speaking, impudence, treat eac h othe r wit h respect—unles s appetit e o r passio n giv e th e tone, peculia r t o it , t o thei r behaviour . I mea n eve n persona l re spect—the modest respect of humanity, and fellow-feeling—not th e libidinous mockery o f gallantry, nor th e insolen t condescensio n o f protectorship. To carr y th e observatio n stil l further , modest y mus t heartil y disclaim, an d refuse to dwell wit h that debaucher y o f mind, whic h leads a ma n cooll y t o brin g forward , withou t a blush , indecen t allusions, or obscene witticisms, in the presence of a fellow creature ; women are now out of the question, fo r then i t is brutality. Respect for man , a s man, i s the foundatio n o f every noble sentiment. Ho w much more modest is the libertine who obeys the call of appetite or fancy, tha n th e lew d joker who sets th e tabl e in a roar! This is one of the many instances in which the sexual distinctio n respecting modesty ha s proved fata l t o virtue an d happiness . It is , however, carrie d stil l further , an d woman , wea k woman ! made b y her education the slave of sensibility, is required, on the most trying occasions, t o resist tha t sensibility . 'Ca n any thing,' says Knox, 'b e more absurd than keeping women in a state of ignorance, and yet so vehemently t o insis t o n their resistin g temptation?'*—Thus when 1 Th e immodes t behaviour of many married women, who are nevertheless faithfu l t o their husbands' beds , wil l illustrate this remark .

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virtue o r honou r mak e it prope r t o chec k a passion, th e burde n i s thrown o n the weaker shoulders, contrary t o reason an d true mod esty, which , a t least , shoul d rende r th e self-denia l mutual , t o say nothing of the generosity of bravery, supposed t o be a manly virtue. In th e sam e strai n run s Rousseau' s an d D r Gregory' s advic e respecting modesty, strangel y miscalled! for they both desire a wife to leav e it i n doub t whethe r sensibilit y or weaknes s led he r t o he r husband's arms.—The woman is immodest who can let the shadow of such a doubt remai n in her husband' s min d a moment. But t o state the subjec t in a different light.—Th e want of modesty, whic h I principall y deplore a s subversiv e of morality , arise s from th e stat e o f warfar e s o strenuously supporte d b y voluptuous men a s th e ver y essenc e o f modesty , though , i n fact , it s bane ; because i t i s a refinement on lust , tha t me n fal l int o wh o hav e not sufficient virtu e to relis h th e innocen t pleasure s o f love. A man o f delicacy carrie s hi s notion s o f modest y stil l further , fo r neithe r weakness nor sensibilit y will gratif y him—h e looks for affection . Again; me n boas t o f their triumph s ove r women , wha t d o the y boast of ? Trul y th e creatur e o f sensibilit y wa s surprise d b y he r sensibility int o folly—int o vice; 1 an d th e dreadfu l reckonin g fall s heavily o n he r ow n wea k head , whe n reaso n wakes . For wher e art thou to find comfort, forlorn and disconsolate one? He who ought to have directed thy reason, and supported thy weakness, has betrayed thee! I n a drea m o f passio n tho u consente d t o wande r throug h flowery lawns, and heedlessl y stepping ove r the precipic e to which thy guide , instea d o f guarding , lured thee , tho u startes t fro m th y dream onl y to fac e a sneering, frownin g world, an d t o fin d thysel f alone i n a waste , fo r h e tha t triumphe d i n th y weaknes s i s no w pursuing ne w conquests; bu t fo r thee—there is no redemptio n o n this sid e the grave!—An d wha t resource hast tho u i n an enervated mind to raise a sinking heart? But, i f the sexe s be reall y to liv e in a state o f warfare , i f nature have pointed it out, let them act nobly, or let pride whisper to them, that the victory is mean when they merely vanquish sensibility. Th e real conques t i s tha t ove r affectio n no t take n by surprise—when , like Heloisa,* a woman gives up al l the world, deliberately, for love. I do not now consider the wisdom or virtue of such a sacrifice, I only 1

Th e poo r mot h flutterin g round a candle, burns its wings.

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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 til l me n ar e mor e chast e wome n wil l b e immodest . Where , indeed, could modest women find husbands from who m they would not continuall y turn wit h disgust? Modesty mus t b e equally cultivated b y both sexes , o r i t wil l ever remain a sickly hothouse plant , whilst the affectation o f it, the fig leaf borrowed by wantonness, may give a zest to voluptuous enjoyments. Men wil l probabl y stil l insis t tha t woma n ough t t o hav e mor e modesty tha n man ; bu t i t i s not dispassionat e reasoner s wh o wil l most earnestl y oppose my opinion. No, the y are the me n o f fancy , the favourite s of the sex , who outwardly respect an d inwardl y despise th e wea k creature s who m they thus spor t with . They canno t submit to resign the highest sensual gratification, nor even to relish the epicuris m of virtue—self-denial. To tak e anothe r vie w of th e subject , confinin g m y remark s t o women. The ridiculou s falsities1 which are told to children, from mistaken notions o f modesty, ten d ver y early to inflam e thei r imagination s and set their little minds to work, respecting subjects, which nature never intende d the y shoul d thin k o f till th e bod y arrive d a t som e degree of maturity; then the passions naturally begin to take place of the senses , a s instruments t o unfol d th e understanding , an d for m the moral character. In nurseries , an d boarding-schools, I fear , girl s are first spoiled; particularly in the latter. A number of girls sleep in the same room, and wash together. And, though I should be sorry to contaminate an innocent creature' s min d by instilling false delicacy , or those inde cent prudish notions, whic h early cautions respecting the other sex naturally engender, I should be very anxious to prevent their acquir1 Childre n ver y earl y see cats with their kittens , bird s wit h their youn g ones, etc . Wh y then are they not to be told that their mothers carry and nourish them i n the sam e way? As there would then be no appearance of mystery they would never think of the subjec t more. Truth may always be told to children, if it be told gravely; but it is the immodesty of affected modesty, that does all the mischief; and this smoke heats the imagination by vainly endeav ouring to obscure certain objects . If, indeed, children could be kept entirely from imprope r company, we should never allude to any such subjects; but a s this is impossible, it is best to tell the m th e truth , especiall y a s suc h information , no t interestin g them , wil l mak e n o impression o h their imagination.

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ing nasty, or immodest habits ; an d as many girls have learned very nasty tricks , fro m ignoran t servants , th e mixin g the m thu s indiscriminately together, i s very improper . To sa y the trut h wome n are , i n general , to o familia r wit h eac h other, whic h lead s t o tha t gros s degre e o f familiarit y tha t s o fre quently render s th e marriag e stat e unhappy . Wh y i n th e nam e of decency ar e sisters , femal e intimates , o r ladie s an d thei r waiting women, to be so grossly familiar a s to forget the respec t whic h one human creatur e owe s t o another ? That squeamis h delicac y which shrinks from th e most disgusting offices whe n affection 1 o r human ity lead us to watch at a sick pillow, is despicable. But , wh y women in healt h shoul d b e mor e familia r wit h eac h othe r tha n me n are , when they boast of their superio r delicacy , is a solecism i n manners which I could neve r solve . In order t o preserve health and beauty, I should earnestly recommend frequent ablutions, to dignify my advice that it may not offen d the fastidious ear; and, by example, girls ought to be taught to wash and dres s alone , withou t an y distinctio n o f rank ; an d i f custo m should mak e the m requir e som e littl e assistance , le t the m no t re quire it till that part of the business is over which ought never to be done before a fellow-creature; because it is an insult t o the majesty of human nature. Not o n the score of modesty, but decency ; for the care whic h som e modes t wome n take , makin g a t th e sam e tim e a display o f tha t care , no t t o le t thei r leg s b e seen , i s a s childish a s immodest.2 I coul d procee d stil l further , til l I animadverte d o n som e stil l more nast y customs , which me n neve r fal l into . Secrets are told— where silence ough t t o reign; an d tha t regar d t o cleanliness, whic h some religiou s sect s have , perhaps , carrie d to o far , especiall y th e Essenes,* amongst the Jews, by making that an insult to God which is only an insult t o humanity, i s violated i n a beastly manner . Ho w can delicate wome n obtrud e o n notic e tha t par t o f th e anima l oeconomy, which is so very disgusting? And is it not very rational to 1 Affectio n would rather make one choose to perform thes e offices, t o spare the delicac y of a friend , b y stil l keepin g a vei l ove r them , fo r th e persona l helplessness , produce d b y sickness, i s of an humbling nature . 2 I remember t o have met with a sentence, i n a book of education, that made me smile. 'It would b e needles s t o cautio n yo u agains t puttin g you r hand , b y chance , unde r you r neckhandkerchief; fo r a modest woma n never did so! '

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conclude, that the women wh o have not been taught t o respect the human natur e o f their ow n sex , i n thes e particulars , wil l no t lon g respect th e mer e differenc e o f se x i n thei r husbands ? Afte r thei r maidenish bashfulnes s i s onc e lost , I , i n fact , hav e generall y ob served, tha t wome n fal l int o old habits; an d trea t thei r husband s as they di d thei r sister s o r femal e acquaintance . Besides, wome n from necessity , because thei r minds are not cul tivated, hav e recours e ver y ofte n t o wha t I familiarl y ter m bodil y wit; and their intimacies are of the same kind. In short, with respec t to both min d and body, they are too intimate. That decent persona l reserve which is the foundation of dignity of character, must be kept up betwee n woma n an d woman , o r thei r mind s wil l neve r gai n strength o r modesty . On thi s accoun t also , I objec t t o man y female s bein g shu t u p together in nurseries, schools , or convents. I cannot recollec t with out indignation , the joke s and hoide n tricks , whic h knots of young women indulg e themselve s in , whe n i n m y yout h acciden t thre w me, an awkward rustic, in their way. They were almost on a par with the double meanings, which shake the convivial table when the glass has circulated freely. But, it is vain to attempt to keep the heart pure , unless th e hea d i s furnishe d wit h ideas , an d se t t o wor k t o com pare them , i n orde r t o acquir e judgment , b y generalizin g sim ple ones ; an d modesty , b y makin g th e understandin g dam p th e sensibility. It may be thought that I lay too great a stress on personal reserve; but i t is ever the handmaid of modesty. S o that wer e I to name th e graces that ought to adorn beauty, I should instantly exclaim, cleanliness, neatness , an d personal reserve . I t i s obvious, I suppose, tha t the reserv e I mean , ha s nothin g sexua l i n it , an d tha t I thin k i t equally necessar y in both sexes . So necessary, indeed, is that reserv e and cleanliness which indolent wome n too often neglect , tha t I will venture t o affir m tha t whe n tw o o r thre e wome n liv e in th e sam e house, the one will be most respected b y the male part of the family , who reside with them, leaving love entirely out of the question, who pays this kin d of habitual respect t o her person . When domesti c friend s mee t i n a morning, ther e wil l naturally prevail an affectionate seriousness , especially, if each look forward t o the discharg e o f daily duties ; an d i t may be reckone d fanciful , bu t this sentimen t ha s frequentl y rise n spontaneousl y i n m y mind , I

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have been please d afte r breathin g the sweet-bracing mornin g air, to see the sam e kin d o f freshnes s i n th e countenance s I particularl y loved; I wa s glad t o se e them braced , a s it were , fo r th e day , and ready to run thei r course with the sun. The greeting s of affection i n the mornin g ar e by thes e mean s mor e respectfu l tha n th e familia r tenderness whic h frequently prolongs th e evening talk. Nay, I have often fel t hurt , no t t o sa y disgusted, whe n a frien d ha s appeared , whom I parted with full dressed th e evening before, with her clothes huddled on , because she chose to indulge herself i n bed till the last moment. Domestic affectio n ca n onl y b e kep t aliv e b y thes e neglecte d attentions; ye t if men an d wome n too k half as much pain s to dres s habitually neat, as they do to ornament, o r rather t o disfigure, thei r persons, muc h woul d be don e toward s th e attainmen t o f purity of mind. Bu t wome n onl y dres s t o gratif y me n o f gallantry ; for th e lover is always best pleased with the simple garb that fits close to the shape. There is an impertinence in ornaments that rebuffs affection ; because lov e always clings round the ide a of home. As a sex, women are habitually indolent; and every thing tends to make them so. I do not forget the spurts of activity which sensibility produces; bu t a s these flight s o f feelings only increase the evil, they are not t o be confounded with the slow , orderly wal k o f reason. S o great i n realit y i s their menta l an d bodil y indolence , tha t til l thei r body b e strengthene d an d thei r understandin g enlarge d b y activ e exertions, there is little reason to expect that modesty will take place of bashfulness. They may find it prudent t o assume its semblance ; but th e fai r vei l will only be worn o n gala days. Perhaps, ther e i s no t a virtu e tha t mixe s s o kindl y wit h ever y other a s modesty.—I t i s th e pal e moon-bea m tha t render s mor e interesting every virtue it softens, giving mild grandeur to the con tracted horizon . Nothin g ca n be mor e beautifu l tha n th e poetica l fiction, which makes Diana wit h her silve r crescent, th e goddes s of chastity. I have sometimes thought , tha t wandering with sedate step in som e lonel y recess, a modest dame of antiquity must hav e felt a glow of conscious dignit y when, afte r contemplatin g th e sof t shad owy landscape, sh e has invited with placid fervou r th e mil d reflec tion o f her sister's beams to turn t o her chast e bosom . A Christia n ha s still nobler motive s t o incite her t o preserve he r chastity an d acquir e modesty , fo r he r bod y ha s bee n calle d th e

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Temple o f th e livin g God; * o f th e Go d wh o require s mor e tha n modesty of mien. His eye searcheth the heart; and let her remember, that i f sh e hop e t o fin d favou r i n th e sigh t o f purit y itself , he r chastity must be founded on modesty, and not on worldly prudence; or veril y a good reputatio n wil l b e he r onl y reward; for tha t awfu l intercourse, tha t sacre d communication , whic h virtu e establishe s between man and his Maker, must give rise to the wish of being pure as he is pure! After th e foregoin g remarks, it is almost superfluous to add, that I consider al l those feminin e airs of maturity, which succeed bash fulness, to which truth is sacrificed, to secure the heart of a husband, or rather t o force him to be still a lover when nature would, had she not been interrupted i n her operations, have made love give place to friendship, a s immodest. The tendernes s whic h a man wil l fee l fo r the mother of his children is an excellent substitute for the ardour of unsatisfied passion ; but t o prolong that ardour it is indelicate, not to say immodest, fo r women to feig n a n unnatural coldness of constitution. Women as well as men ought to have the common appetite s and passion s of their nature , the y are only brutal when unchecked by reason: but th e obligation to check them i s the duty of mankind, not a sexua l duty . Nature , i n thes e respects , ma y safel y b e lef t to herself ; le t wome n onl y acquir e knowledg e and humanity , an d love wil l teac h the m modesty. 1 Ther e i s n o nee d o f falsehoods , disgusting as futile, fo r studie d rule s of behaviour only impose o n shallow observers; a man o f sense soo n see s through , an d despise s the affectation . The behaviou r o f youn g people , t o eac h other , a s me n an d women, is the last thing that shoul d be thought o f in education. In fact, behaviou r in most circumstance s i s now s o much though t of , that simplicity of character is rarely to be seen: yet, if men were only anxious t o cultivat e each virtue , an d le t i t tak e root firml y i n th e mind, the grace resulting from it , its natural exteriour mark, would soon strip affectatio n o f its flauntin g plumes ; because, fallaciou s a s unstable, is the conduc t tha t i s not founde d upon truth ! Would ye, O my sisters, reall y possess modesty, ye must remember that the possession of virtue, of any denomination, is incompat1 Th e behaviou r o f man y newl y married wome n ha s ofte n disguste d me . The y see m anxious never to let their husbands forget th e privilege of marriage; and to find no pleasure in his society unless he is acting the lover. Short, indeed, must be the reign of love, when the flame is thus constantl y blown up, withou t its receiving any solid fewel !

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ible wit h ignoranc e an d vanity ! ye must acquir e tha t sobernes s o f mind, whic h the exercis e of duties, an d th e pursui t o f knowledge, alone inspire, o r ye will still remain in a doubtful dependen t situa tion, and only be loved whilst ye are fair! The downcas t eye, the rosy blush, the retiring grace, are all proper in their season; but modesty , being the child of reason, canno t lon g exist with the sensibility that is no t tempere d b y reflection . Besides , whe n love , eve n innocen t love, is the whol e employ of your lives, your hearts wil l be too sof t to afford modest y that tranquil retreat, where she delights to dwell, in close union with humanity.

CHAPTER VII I MORALITY UNDERMINE D B Y SEXUA L NOTION S O F THE IMPORTANC E O F A GOO D REPUTATIO N

It ha s long since occurre d t o me that advic e respecting behaviour , and al l the variou s modes o f preservin g a good reputation , whic h have bee n s o strenuousl y inculcate d o n th e femal e world , wer e specious poisons , tha t incrustin g morality eat awa y th e substance . And, tha t thi s measurin g o f shadows produced a fals e calculation , because their length depends so much on the height of the sun, and other adventitiou s circumstances . Whence arise s the eas y fallacious behaviou r of a courtier? From his situation, undoubtedly: for standing in need of dependents, he is obliged t o lear n the ar t o f denying without giving offence, and , of evasively feeding hope with the chameleon's food: * thus does politeness sport wit h truth, an d eatin g away th e sincerit y an d humanity natural to man, produce the fine gentleman. Women likewis e acquire, fro m a supposed necessity , a n equally artificial mod e o f behaviour. Yet trut h i s not wit h impunit y t o b e sported with , for the practised dissembler , a t last, become the dupe of hi s ow n arts , lose s tha t sagacity , which ha s bee n justl y terme d common sense ; namely , a quic k perceptio n o f commo n truths : which are constantly receive d a s such by the unsophisticated mind, though i t migh t no t hav e ha d sufficien t energ y t o discove r the m itself, whe n obscure d b y loca l prejudices . The greate r numbe r o f people take their opinions on trust to avoid the trouble of exercising their ow n minds, an d these indolen t beings naturally adhere to the letter, rathe r tha n th e spiri t o f a law, divine or human . 'Women, ' says som e author , I canno t recollec t who , 'min d no t wha t onl y heaven sees. ' Why , indeed , shoul d they ? i t i s the ey e of man tha t they have been taugh t to dread—and i f they can lull their Argu s to sleep,* the y seldo m thin k o f heave n o r themselves , becaus e thei r reputation i s safe ; an d i t i s reputation, no t chastit y an d al l its fai r train, that they are employed to keep free fro m spot, not as a virtue, but t o preserve their statio n i n the world. 210

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To prov e th e trut h o f thi s remark , I nee d onl y adver t t o th e intrigues o f married women , particularl y in high life , an d i n countries wher e women are suitably married, accordin g to their respec tive ranks, by their parents. If an innocent girl become a prey to love, she is degraded fo r ever, thoug h he r min d wa s not pollute d b y th e arts which married women, under the convenient cloke of marriage, practise; no r has she violated any duty—but the dut y of respecting herself. The marrie d woman , on the contrary, breaks a most sacre d engagement, an d become s a crue l mothe r whe n sh e i s a fals e an d faithless wife . I f her husban d hav e still an affection fo r her, th e art s which sh e must practis e t o deceiv e him , wil l rende r he r th e mos t contemptible of human beings; and, at any rate, the contrivances necessary to preserve appearances, will keep her mind in that childish, or vicious , tumult , whic h destroy s al l its energy . Besides , i n time , like those people wh o habitually take cordials t o raise their spirits , she will want an intrigue to give life to her thoughts , havin g lost all relish fo r pleasures that ar e not highl y seasoned b y hope o r fear . Sometimes marrie d women act still more audaciously; I will men tion a n instance . A woman of quality, notorious fo r her gallantries , though a s she still lived with her husband , nobod y chose t o place her i n the clas s where she ought t o have been placed , made a point o f treating with the mos t insultin g contemp t a poo r timi d creature , abashe d b y a sense of her forme r weakness, whom a neighbouring gentleman had seduced an d afterward s married . Thi s woma n ha d actuall y con founded virtu e with reputation; and , I do believe, valued herself on the propriet y o f her behaviou r before marriage , thoug h whe n onc e settled to the satisfaction of her family, she and her lord were equally faithless,—so that the half alive heir to an immense estate came fro m heaven knows where! To vie w this subjec t in another light . I have^Known a number o f women who, if they did not lov e their husbands, love d nobod y else, giv e themselves entirel y u p t o vanity and dissipation , neglectin g ever y domestic duty ; nay , even squan dering awa y all the mone y whic h shoul d hav e been save d fo r thei r helpless younge r children , ye t hav e plume d themselve s o n thei r unsullied reputation, as if the whol e compass of their dut y as wives and mothers wa s only to preserve it. Whilst othe r indolen t women , neglecting ever y persona l duty , hav e though t tha t the y deserve d

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their husbands ' affection , because , forsooth , the y acte d i n this re spect wit h propriety. Weak minds are always fond of resting in the ceremonials of duty, but moralit y offers muc h simpler motives; and it were to be wished that superficia l moralist s ha d sai d les s respectin g behaviour , an d outward observances , fo r unles s virtue , o f an y kind , b e buil t o n knowledge, it wil l only produce a kind of insipid decency . Respec t for th e opinion of the world, has, however, been termed th e principal dut y o f woma n i n th e mos t expres s words , fo r Roussea u de clares, 'tha t reputatio n i s no les s indispensabl e tha n chastity.' * ' A man,' add s he , 'secur e in hi s own goo d conduct , depend s onl y on himself, and may brave the public opinion: but a woman, in behaving well, performs but hal f her duty ; as what is thought of her, is as important t o he r a s wha t sh e reall y is . I t follow s hence , tha t th e system o f a woman's educatio n should , i n thi s respect , be directly contrary t o tha t o f ours. Opinio n i s the grav e of virtue among th e men; but its throne among women.'* It is strictly logical to infer that the virtue that rests on opinion is merely worldly, and that it is the virtue of a being to whom reaso n ha s been denied . But, eve n with respect to the opinion of the world, I am convinced that this class of reasoners ar e mistaken. This regard fo r reputation, independen t o f its being on e of th e natural rewards of virtue, however, took its rise from a cause that I have already deplored a s the gran d source o f female depravity , the impossibility o f regainin g respectabilit y b y a retur n t o virtue , though me n preserv e their s durin g th e indulgenc e o f vice. It wa s natural for women then t o endeavour to preserve what once lost— was los t fo r ever , til l thi s car e swallowin g up ever y othe r care , reputation for chastity, became the one thing needful t o the sex. But vain is the scrupulosity of ignorance, for neither religion nor virtue, when the y resid e i n th e heart , requir e suc h a puerile attentio n t o mere ceremonies , becaus e th e behaviour must, upon th e whole , be proper, whe n the motive is pure. To suppor t my opinion I can produce very respectable authority; and th e authority of a cool reasoner ought to have weight to enforce consideration, thoug h no t to establish a sentiment. Speakin g of the general laws of morality, Dr Smit h observes,—'That by some very extraordinary and unluck y circumstance, a good ma n ma y come to be suspecte d o f a crime o f which he wa s altogether incapable , an d

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upon tha t account be most unjustl y expose d fo r the remaining par t of his lif e t o the horro r an d aversio n of mankind. By an accident of this kind he may be said to lose his all, notwithstanding his integrity and justice, in the same manner as a cautious man, notwithstanding his utmost circumspection , ma y be ruine d b y a n earthquak e or an inundation. Accident s o f the firs t kind , however , ar e perhap s stil l more rare , an d stil l more contrar y to the commo n cours e o f things than thos e o f the second ; an d it still remains true, that th e practic e of truth , justice , an d humanity , i s a certai n an d almos t infallibl e method o f acquirin g wha t thos e virtue s chiefl y ai m at , th e confi dence and love of those we live with. A person may be easily misrepresented wit h regard t o a particular action ; but i t is scarce possibl e that he should be so with regard to the general tenor of his conduct . An innocen t ma n may be believed t o have done wrong : this, how ever, will rarely happen. On the contrary, the established opinio n of the innocence of his manners will often lead us to absolve him where he ha s reall y bee n i n th e fault , notwithstandin g ver y stron g pre sumptions.'* I perfectly coincide in opinion with this writer, for I verily believe that fe w of either se x were ever despise d fo r certai n vice s withou t deserving to be despised. I speak not of the calumny of the moment , which hovers over a character, like one of the dense morning fogs of November, ove r this metropolis, til l it gradually subsides before th e common ligh t of day, I onl y contend tha t th e dail y conduc t o f the majority prevail s t o stam p thei r characte r wit h th e impressio n o f truth. Quietly doe s the clear light, shining day after day , refute th e ignorant surmise , or malicious tale, which has thrown dirt on a pure character. A fals e ligh t distorted , fo r a shor t time , it s shadow — reputation; bu t i t seldo m fail s t o becom e jus t whe n th e clou d i s dispersed tha t produce d th e mistake in vision. Many people , undoubtedly , i n severa l respect s obtai n a bette r reputation than , strictl y speaking, the y deserve ; fo r unremittin g industry will mostly reach its goal in all races. They who only strive for thi s paltry prize, like the Pharisees, wh o prayed at the corners of streets, t o the see n of men,* verily obtain the rewar d they seek ; for the hear t o f man canno t b e rea d b y man! Stil l th e fai r fam e tha t i s naturally reflected b y good actions, when the man is only employed to direct his steps aright, regardless of the lookers-on, is , in general, not only more true, bu t mor e sure .

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There are, it is true, trials when the good man must appeal to God from th e injustic e o f man ; an d amids t th e whinin g candou r o r hissings of envy, erect a pavilion in his own mind to retire to till the rumour b e overpast ; nay , th e dart s o f undeserve d censur e ma y pierce a n innocent tende r boso m throug h wit h many sorrows; bu t these ar e al l exception s t o genera l rules . An d i t i s accordin g t o common law s tha t huma n behaviou r ough t t o b e regulated . Th e eccentric orbit o f the come t never influence s astronomical calcula tions respecting the invariable order established in the motion of the principal bodies of the sola r system . I will then ventur e to affirm, tha t afte r a man is arrived at maturity, the general outline of his character in the world is just, allowing for th e before-mentioned exception s to the rule. I do not sa y that a prudent, worldly-wise man, with only negative virtues and qualities, may not sometime s obtain a smoother reputation tha n a wiser o r a better man . S o far from it , tha t I am apt t o conclud e fro m experi ence, tha t wher e the virtu e of two people is nearly equal, the mos t negative character will be liked best by the world at large, whilst the other ma y have more friends i n private life. But th e hills and dales , clouds and sunshine, conspicuous in the virtues of great men, set off each other; an d thoug h the y afford enviou s weakness a fairer mar k to shoot at, the real character wil l still work its way to light, though bespattered b y weak affection , o r ingenious malice. 1 With respec t t o tha t anxiet y t o preserv e a reputatio n hardl y earned, which leads sagacious people to analyze it, I shall not make the obviou s comment; bu t I a m afraid tha t moralit y is very insidi ously undermined , i n th e femal e world , b y th e attentio n bein g turned t o the she w instead of the substance. A simple thing is thus made strangely complicated; nay , sometimes virtu e and it s shadow are se t a t variance . W e shoul d never , perhaps , hav e hear d o f Lucretia,* ha d sh e die d t o preserv e he r chastit y instea d o f he r reputation. I f w e reall y deserv e ou r ow n goo d opinio n w e shal l commonly b e respecte d i n th e world ; but i f w e pan t afte r highe r improvement an d highe r attainments , i t i s no t sufficien t t o vie w ourselves as we suppose tha t w e are viewed by others, thoug h thi s has been ingeniousl y argued, as the foundatio n of our mora l sentiments.2 Because each bystander may have his own prejudices, beside 1

2

I allud e to various biographical writings, but particularl y to Boswell's Life of Johnson. Smith.*

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the prejudices of his age or country. W e should rathe r endeavour t o view ourselve s a s we suppose tha t Bein g view s us wh o seet h eac h thought ripe n into action, and whose judgment never swerves fro m the eterna l rul e o f right. Righteou s ar e al l his judgments—jus t a s merciful! The humbl e min d tha t seeket h t o find favou r i n Hi s sight , an d calmly examine s it s conduc t whe n onl y Hi s presenc e i s felt , wil l seldom form a very erroneous opinion of its own virtues. During th e still hour of self-collection the angry brow of offended justic e will be fearfully deprecated , or the tie which draws man to the Diety will be recognized i n th e pur e sentimen t o f reverentia l adoration , tha t swells the heart without exciting any tumultuous emotions. In thes e solemn moments ma n discovers the ger m of those vices , which like the Jav a tree * she d a pestiferou s vapou r around—deat h i s i n th e shade! and he perceives the m withou t abhorrence, becaus e h e feel s himself draw n by som e cor d of love to all his fellow-creatures , for whose follie s h e i s anxiou s t o fin d ever y extenuatio n i n thei r na ture—in himself . I f I , h e ma y thu s argue , wh o exercis e m y ow n mind, an d have been refine d b y tribulation, find the serpent' s egg * in some fold of my heart, and crush it with difficulty, shal l not I pity those wh o hav e stamped wit h les s vigour , o r wh o hav e heedlessly nurtured th e insidiou s reptil e til l i t poisone d th e vita l strea m i t sucked? Ca n I , consciou s o f m y secre t sins , thro w of f my fellow creatures, an d calml y se e them dro p int o th e chas m o f perdition , that yawn s to receive them.—No! no! The agonize d hear t wil l cry with suffocatin g impatience— I too am a man! and hav e vices, hid , perhaps, from human eye, that bend me to the dust before God, and loudly tel l me , whe n al l i s mute, tha t w e ar e forme d o f th e sam e earth, and breathe th e same element. Humanit y thu s rises naturally out o f humility, and twist s the cord s o f love that i n various convo lutions entangle the heart . This sympath y extend s stil l further , til l a man wel l pleased ob serves forc e i n arguments tha t d o not carr y convinction t o his own bosom, and he gladly places in the fairest light, to himself, the shews of reason that have led others astray , rejoiced to find some reason in all the errors of man; though before convinced that he who rules the day makes his sun to shine on all. Yet, shaking hands thus as it were with corruption , on e foo t o n earth , th e othe r wit h bol d strid e mounts t o heaven, and claims kindred with superiour natures . Vir tues, unobserve d b y man , dro p thei r balm y fragranc e a t thi s coo l

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hour, and the thirsty land, refreshed b y the pure streams of comfort that suddenly gush out, is crowned with smiling verdure; this is the living green o n whic h that ey e may loo k wit h complacency tha t i s too pure t o behold iniquity ! But my spirits flag; and I must silentl y indulge the reverie these reflections lea d to , unabl e t o describ e th e sentiments , tha t hav e calmed my soul, when watching the rising sun, a soft showe r drizz ling through th e leaves of neighbouring trees , seemed to fall o n my languid, yet tranquil spirits , t o cool the hear t tha t ha d been heate d by the passion s whic h reason laboure d t o tame . The leadin g principles whic h ru n throug h al l my disquisitions , would render i t unnecessary to enlarge on this subject, if a constant attention t o kee p th e varnis h o f th e characte r fresh , an d i n goo d condition, wer e not often inculcate d as the sum total of female duty; if rules to regulate the behaviour, and to preserve the reputation, di d not too frequently supersede moral obligations. But, with respect t o reputation, th e attentio n i s confined t o a single virtue—chastity. If the honou r o f a woman , a s i t i s absurdl y called , b e safe , sh e ma y neglect ever y social duty ; nay , rui n he r famil y b y gamin g an d ex travagance; ye t stil l presen t a shameless front—fo r trul y sh e i s an honourable women ! Mrs Macaula y ha s justl y observed , tha t 'ther e i s but on e faul t which a woman o f honour ma y no t commi t wit h impunity.' * Sh e then justly and humanely adds—'This has given rise to the trite and foolish observation, that the first fault against chastity in woman has a radica l power t o deprav e th e character . Bu t n o suc h frai l being s come out of the hands of nature. The huma n mind is built of nobler materials tha n t o b e easil y corrupted; an d wit h al l their disadvan tages o f situatio n an d education , wome n seldo m becom e entirel y abandoned til l the y ar e throw n int o a state o f desperation, b y th e venomous rancour o f their ow n sex.'* But, i n proportion a s this regard fo r the reputatio n o f chastity is prized by women, it is despised b y men: an d th e tw o extremes ar e equally destructive t o morality. Men ar e certainl y mor e unde r th e influenc e o f thei r appetite s than women ; an d thei r appetite s ar e mor e deprave d b y unbridle d indulgence an d th e fastidiou s contrivance s o f satiety . Luxur y ha s introduced a refinemen t i n eating , tha t destroy s th e constitution ; and, a degree o f gluttony whic h i s so beastly, tha t a perception of

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seemliness o f behaviour mus t b e wor n ou t befor e on e being coul d eat immoderately i n th e presenc e o f another, an d afterward s com plain o f the oppressio n tha t hi s intemperanc e naturall y produced . Some women , particularly French women, have also lost a sense of decency in this respect; for they will talk very calmly of an indiges tion. It were to be wished that idleness was not allowed to generate , on the rank soil of wealth, those swarms of summer insect s that fee d on putrefaction , w e should no t the n b e disguste d b y th e sigh t o f such bruta l excesses . There i s on e rul e relativ e t o behaviou r that , I think , ough t t o regulate ever y other ; an d i t i s simpl y t o cheris h suc h a n habitua l respect fo r mankin d a s ma y preven t u s fro m disgustin g a fellow creature fo r the sak e of a present indulgence . Th e shamefu l indo lence o f many married women , an d others a little advance d in life , frequently leads them to sin against delicacy. For, thoug h convinced that th e perso n i s th e ban d o f union betwee n th e sexes , yet , ho w often d o they from shee r indolence, or, to enjoy som e trifling indul gence, disgust? The depravit y of the appetite which brings the sexes together, has had a stil l mor e fata l effect . Natur e mus t eve r b e th e standar d o f taste, th e gaug e of appetite—yet ho w grossl y i s nature insulte d b y the voluptuary. Leaving the refinements of love out of the question ; nature, by making the gratificatio n o f an appetite, i n this respect, as well a s ever y other , a natura l an d imperiou s la w t o preserv e th e species, exalt s th e appetite , an d mixe s a littl e min d an d affectio n with a sensual gust . Th e feeling s o f a paren t minglin g wit h a n instinct merel y animal , giv e i t dignity ; an d th e ma n an d woma n often meetin g on account o f the child , a mutual interes t an d affec tion is excited by the exercise of a common sympathy . Women the n having necessaril y som e dut y t o fulfil , mor e nobl e tha n t o ador n their persons , woul d no t contentedl y b e th e slave s o f casua l lust ; which is now the situatio n o f a very considerable numbe r wh o are, literally speaking, standing dishes to which every glutton ma y have access. I ma y b e tol d tha t grea t a s thi s enormit y is , i t onl y affect s a devoted par t o f the sex—devote d fo r the salvatio n of the rest . But , false as every assertion might easily be proved, that recommends th e sanctioning a small evil to produce a greater good; the mischief does not sto p here , fo r th e mora l character , an d peac e o f mind, o f th e

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chaster par t o f the sex , i s undermined b y th e conduc t o f the ver y women to whom they allow no refuge fro m guilt : whom they inexorably consign to the exercis e of arts that lur e their husband s fro m them, debauc h thei r sons , an d forc e them , le t no t modes t wome n start, to assume, in some degree, the same character themselves. Fo r I will venture to assert, that all the causes of female weakness, as well as depravity, which I hav e already enlarged on , branc h ou t o f one grand cause—wan t of chastity in men . This intemperance, s o prevalent, depraves the appetite to such a degree, tha t a wanto n stimulu s i s necessar y t o rous e it ; bu t th e parental design of nature is forgotten, and the mere person, and that for a moment, alone engrosses the thoughts. So voluptuous, indeed, often grow s the lustfu l prowler , that h e refine s o n femal e softness . Something more soft than woman is then sought for; till, in Italy and Portugal, me n atten d th e levee s o f equivoca l beings,* t o sig h fo r more than femal e languor . To satisf y thi s genu s o f men , wome n ar e mad e systematicall y voluptuous, and thoug h the y may not al l carry their libertinis m t o the sam e height , ye t this heartles s intercours e wit h the sex , which they allow themselves, depraves both sexes, because the taste of men is vitiated; and women , of all classes, naturall y square their behav iour t o gratif y th e tast e b y whic h they obtai n pleasur e an d power . Women becoming , consequently , weaker , in min d an d body , than they ough t t o be, wer e one of the gran d end s o f their bein g taken into th e account , tha t o f bearin g an d nursin g children , hav e no t sufficient strengt h t o discharg e th e firs t dut y o f a mother ; an d sacrificing t o lasciviousnes s th e parenta l affection , tha t ennoble s instinct, eithe r destroy the embryo in the womb, or cast it off when born. Nature in every thing demands respect, and those who violate her law s seldom violat e them wit h impunity. The wea k enervate d women who particularly catch the attention of libertines, are unfit to be mothers, though the y may conceive; so that th e ric h sensualist , who ha s riote d amon g women , spreadin g depravit y an d misery , when he wishes to perpetuate his name, receives from hi s wife only an half-forme d bein g tha t inherit s bot h it s father' s an d mother' s weakness. Contrasting th e humanit y of the presen t ag e with the barbarism of antiquity , grea t stres s ha s bee n lai d o n th e savag e custo m o f exposing th e childre n who m thei r parent s coul d no t maintain ;

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whilst the man of sensibility, wh o thus, perhaps, complains , b y his promiscuous amour s produce s a mos t destructiv e barrennes s an d contagious flagitiousnes s of manners. Surel y nature never intende d that women , b y satisfyin g a n appetite , shoul d frustrat e th e ver y purpose fo r which it wa s implanted? I hav e before observed , tha t me n ough t t o maintain th e wome n whom the y hav e seduced ; thi s woul d b e on e mean s o f reforming female manners , an d stoppin g a n abus e tha t ha s a n equall y fata l effect o n population and morals. Another, no less obvious, would be to turn th e attentio n o f woman to the rea l virtue of chastity; fo r to little respec t has tha t woma n a claim , on the scor e of modesty , though her reputation may be white as the driven snow, who smiles on the libertine whilst she spurns the victims of his lawless appetites and thei r ow n folly . Besides, sh e ha s a tain t o f th e sam e folly , pur e a s sh e esteem s herself, whe n sh e studiously adorn s her perso n onl y to be see n b y men, t o excit e respectfu l sighs , an d al l the idl e homag e o f what is called innocen t gallantry . Di d wome n reall y respect virtu e fo r it s own sake, they would not see k for a compensation i n vanity, for th e self-denial which they are obliged to practise to preserve their reputation, no r woul d the y associat e wit h me n wh o se t reputatio n a t defiance. The tw o sexes mutually corrupt an d improve each other. Thi s I believe t o b e a n indisputabl e truth , extendin g i t t o ever y virtue . Chastity, modesty, public spirit, and all the noble train of virtues, on which socia l virtu e an d happines s ar e built, shoul d b e understoo d and cultivate d b y al l mankind, o r the y wil l b e cultivate d t o littl e effect. And , instead o f furnishing th e viciou s or idle with a pretex t for violatin g some sacred duty , by terming i t a sexual one, i t would be wise r t o she w that natur e ha s not mad e an y difference , fo r tha t the unchaste man doubly defeats the purpose o f nature, b y rendering women barren, an d destroying his own constitution, thoug h h e avoids the shame that pursue s th e crime in the other sex . These are the physica l consequences , th e mora l ar e stil l mor e alarming ; fo r virtue i s onl y a nomina l distinctio n whe n th e dutie s o f citizens , husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, an d directors of families, becom e merely the selfis h tie s o f convenience. Why the n d o philosopher s loo k fo r publi c spirit ? Publi c spiri t must be nurtured by private virtue, or it will resemble th e factitiou s

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sentiment whic h makes women careful t o preserve thei r reputation , and men their honour. A sentiment tha t often exists unsupported by virtue, unsupporte d b y tha t sublim e moralit y whic h make s th e habitual breach o f one duty a breach o f the whol e moral law.

CHAPTER I X OF TH E PERNICIOU S EFFECT S WHIC H ARIS E FROM TH E U N N A T U R A L DISTINCTION S ESTABLISHED I N SOCIET Y

From the respect paid to property flow, as from a poisoned fountain, most o f the evil s and vice s which render thi s worl d suc h a dreary scene t o th e contemplativ e mind . Fo r i t i s i n th e mos t polishe d society that noisome reptiles and venomous serpents lur k under th e rank herbage ; an d ther e i s voluptuousnes s pampere d b y th e stil l sultry air, which relaxes every good disposition before it ripens into virtue. One class presses on another; for all are aiming to procure respec t on accoun t of their property : an d property , onc e gained , wil l pro cure th e respec t du e onl y t o talent s an d virtue . Me n neglec t th e duties incumbent on man, yet are treated lik e demi-gods; religio n is also separated from moralit y by a ceremonial veil > ye t men wonde r that th e worl d i s almos t literall y speaking , a de n o f sharper s o r oppressors. There i s a homel y proverb , whic h speak s a shrew d truth , tha t whoever the devi l finds idle he will employ. And wha t but habitua l idleness ca n hereditar y wealt h an d title s produce ? Fo r ma n i s s o constituted tha t h e ca n onl y attain a proper us e o f his facultie s b y exercising them , an d wil l no t exercis e the m unles s necessity , o f some kind, first set the wheels in motion. Virtue likewise can only be acquired b y the discharg e of relative duties; but th e importanc e of these sacre d dutie s wil l scarcely be fel t b y th e bein g who is cajole d out o f his humanit y by th e flatter y o f sycophants. Ther e mus t b e more equalit y establishe d i n society , o r moralit y wil l neve r gai n ground, an d thi s virtuou s equalit y will not res t firml y eve n when founded o n a rock, if one half of mankind be chained t o its botto m by fate , fo r they will be continually undermining it through ignor ance or pride . It i s vai n t o expec t virtu e fro m wome n til l the y are , i n som e degree, independent of men; nay, it is vain to expect that strength of natural affection, whic h would make them good wives and mothers . 221

222 A

Vindication o f th e Rights of Woman

Whilst they are absolutely dependent on their husbands they will be cunning, mean, and selfish, and the men who can be gratified by the fawning fondnes s of spaniel-like affection, hav e not muc h delicacy, for lov e is no t t o b e bought , i n an y sens e o f th e words , it s silke n wings are instantly shrivelled up whe n any thing beside a return in kind is sought. Yet whilst wealth enervates men; and women live, as it were , b y thei r persona l charms , ho w ca n w e expec t the m t o discharge those ennobling duties which equally require exertion and self-denial. Hereditar y propert y sophisticate s th e mind , an d th e unfortunate victim s to it, i f I may so express myself, swathed fro m their birth , seldo m exer t th e locomotiv e facult y o f body o r mind ; and, thus viewing every thing through one medium, and that a false one, the y ar e unabl e t o discer n i n wha t tru e meri t an d happines s consist. False, indeed, must be the light when the drapery of situation hide s th e man , an d make s him stal k i n masquerade, dragging from on e scen e o f dissipatio n t o anothe r th e nerveles s limb s tha t hang with stupid listlessness, and rolling round the vacant eye which plainly tells us that ther e i s no mind at home . I mean, therefore, to infer tha t the society is not properly organized whic h doe s no t compe l me n an d wome n t o discharg e thei r respective duties, by making it the only way to acquire that countenance from thei r fellow-creatures, which every human being wishes some wa y t o attain . Th e respect , consequently , whic h i s pai d t o wealth an d mer e persona l charms , i s a tru e north-eas t blast , tha t blights th e tende r blossom s o f affectio n an d virtue . Natur e ha s wisely attached affection s t o duties, to sweeten toil, and to give that vigour to the exertions o f reason whic h only the heart can give. But, the affectio n whic h is put o n merely because it is the appropriate d insignia of a certain character, when its duties are not fulfilled, i s one of the empty compliments which vice and foll y are obliged to pay to virtue and the rea l nature of things. To illustrate my opinion, I need only observe, that when a woman is admired for her beauty, and suffer s hersel f to be so far intoxicated by the admiration she receives, as to neglect to discharge the indis pensable duty of a mother, sh e sins against herself by neglecting to cultivate an affection tha t would equally tend to make her useful and happy. True happiness , I mea n al l the contentment , an d virtuou s satisfaction, tha t can be snatched i n this imperfec t state, mus t arise from wel l regulate d affections ; an d a n affectio n include s a duty .

A Vindication o f the Rights o f Woman 22

3

Men ar e not aware of the misery they cause, and the viciou s weakness the y cherish , b y onl y incitin g wome n t o rende r themselve s pleasing; the y d o no t conside r tha t the y thu s mak e natura l an d artificial duties clash, by sacrificing the comfort and respectability of a woman's life to voluptuous notions of beauty, when in nature they all harmonize. Cold woul d b e th e hear t o f a husband , wer e h e no t rendere d unnatural b y earl y debauchery , wh o di d no t fee l mor e deligh t a t seeing his child suckled by its mother, tha n the most artfu l wanto n tricks could ever raise; yet this natural way of cementing the matrimonial tie , an d twistin g estee m wit h fonde r recollections , wealt h leads wome n t o spurn. * T o preserv e thei r beauty , an d wea r th e flowery crown of the day , which gives them a kind of right to reign for a short tim e over the sex , they neglect to stamp impressions o n their husbands ' hearts , tha t woul d be remembered wit h more ten derness whe n the sno w on the hea d began to chill the bosom, tha n even thei r virgi n charms. Th e materna l solicitud e o f a reasonable affectionate woma n i s ver y interesting , an d th e chastened dignit y with whic h a mothe r return s th e caresse s tha t sh e an d he r chil d receive from a father who has been fulfilling th e serious duties of his station, is not onl y a respectable, bu t a beautiful sight . S o singular, indeed, are my feelings , an d I have endeavoured not t o catch facti tious ones, tha t afte r havin g been fatigue d wit h the sigh t of insipid grandeur an d th e slavis h ceremonie s tha t wit h cumberou s pom p supplied th e plac e o f domesti c affections , I hav e turne d t o som e other scen e t o relieve my ey e by resting i t on th e refreshin g gree n every where scattered by nature. I have then viewed with pleasure a woman nursin g he r children , an d dischargin g th e dutie s o f he r station with , perhaps , merel y a servant maid to tak e off her hand s the servil e part o f the househol d business . I have seen he r prepar e herself and children, with only the luxur y of cleanliness, to receive her husband , wh o returnin g wear y hom e i n th e evenin g foun d smiling babes and a clean hearth. My heart has loitered in the midst of th e group , an d ha s eve n throbbe d wit h sympatheti c emotion, when th e scrapin g o f th e wel l know n foo t ha s raise d a pleasin g tumult. Whilst m y benevolence has been gratifie d b y contemplating thi s artless picture , I hav e though t tha t a coupl e o f thi s description , equally necessary and independen t o f each other, becaus e each ful -

224 A

Vindication o f th e Rights o f Woman

filled th e respectiv e dutie s o f thei r station , possesse d al l tha t lif e could give.—Raise d sufficientl y abov e abjec t povert y no t t o b e obliged to weigh the consequence o f every farthing they spend, an d having sufficien t t o preven t thei r attendin g t o a frigi d syste m o f oeconomy, which narrows both hear t and mind. I declare, so vulgar are my conceptions, tha t I know not wha t is wanted t o render thi s the happies t a s well a s the mos t respectabl e situatio n i n th e world , but a taste fo r literature, t o thro w a little variet y and interes t int o social converse , an d som e superfluou s money t o giv e to th e need y and to buy books. For i t is not pleasant when the heart is opened by compassion an d the head active in arranging plans of usefulness, to have a prim urchin continually twitching back the elbow to prevent the han d fro m drawin g out a n almos t empt y purse , whisperin g a t the sam e time some prudential maxim about the priorit y of justice. Destructive, however , as riches an d inherited honour s ar e to the human character , wome n ar e mor e debase d an d cramped , i f pos sible, b y them , tha n men , becaus e me n ma y still , i n som e degree , unfold thei r facultie s b y becoming soldier s an d statesmen . As soldiers, I grant, the y can now only gather, for the most part , vain gloriou s laurels , whils t the y adjus t t o a hai r th e Europea n balance, takin g especial car e that n o bleak northern noo k or soun d incline th e beam. * But th e day s o f true herois m ar e over , whe n a citizen fought for his country like a Fabricius or a Washington,* and then returne d t o his far m t o le t his virtuous fervou r ru n i n a more placid, bu t no t a less salutary , stream . No , ou r Britis h heroe s ar e oftener sen t fro m th e gamin g tabl e tha n fro m th e plow ; an d thei r passions have been rather inflamed b y hanging with dumb suspens e on the turn of a die, than sublimated b y panting after th e adventur ous march o f virtue in the histori c page . The statesman , it is true, might with more propriety quit the Faro Bank,* or card-table, t o guide the helm, for he has still but to shuffl e and trick . Th e whol e syste m o f Britis h politics , i f syste m i t ma y courteously b e called , consistin g i n multiplyin g dependent s an d contriving taxe s whic h grin d th e poo r t o pampe r th e rich ; thu s a war, or any wild goose chace, is, as the vulgar use the phrase, a lucky turn-up of patronage for the minister, whose chief merit is the art of keeping himself in place. It is not necessary then that he should have bowels* fo r the poor , s o he can secure fo r his famil y th e od d trick . Or shoul d som e she w of respect, fo r what i s termed wit h ignorant

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman 225 ostentation a n Englishman' s birth-right , b e expedien t t o bubble * the gruf f mastif f tha t h e ha s t o lea d b y th e nose , h e ca n mak e an empty shew, very safely, by giving his single voice, and suffering hi s light squadron t o file off to the othe r side . And whe n a question of humanity is agitated h e may di p a sop in the mil k of human kind ness,* to silence Cerberus,* and talk of the interest whic h his heart takes in an attempt t o make the earth no longer cry for vengeance as it sucks in its children's blood , though his cold hand may at the very moment rive t their chains , by sanctioning the abominable traffick. * A minister i s no longer a minister, tha n whil e he can carry a point, which h e i s determine d t o carry.—Ye t i t i s no t necessar y tha t a minister shoul d fee l lik e a man, whe n a bold pus h migh t shak e his seat. But, t o hav e don e wit h thes e episodica l observations , le t m e return t o th e mor e speciou s slaver y which chain s th e ver y soul of woman, keeping her fo r ever under th e bondag e o f ignorance. The preposterou s distinction s of rank, which render civilization a curse, b y dividing the world between voluptuou s tyrants, and cun ning enviou s dependents , corrupt , almos t equally , ever y clas s o f people, because respectability is not attached to the discharge of the relative duties of life, but t o the station, and when the duties are not fulfilled th e affection s canno t gai n sufficien t strengt h t o fortif y th e virtue o f whic h the y ar e th e natura l reward . Stil l ther e ar e som e loop-holes ou t of which a man may creep, and dare to think and act for himself ; but fo r a woman it is an herculean task, because she has difficulties peculia r t o he r se x to overcome , whic h requir e almos t superhuman powers . A trul y benevolen t legislato r alway s endeavour s t o mak e i t th e interest o f eac h individua l to b e virtuous ; an d thu s privat e virtu e becoming the cemen t o f public happiness, a n orderly whole is con solidated by the tendency of all the parts towards a common centre . But, the private or public virtue of woman is very problematical; for Rousseau, and a numerous list of male writers, insist that she should all her lif e be subjected to a severe restraint, tha t o f propriety. Wh y subject her to propriety—blind propriety, if she be capable of acting from a noble r spring , i f sh e b e a n hei r o f immortality ? I s suga r always t o b e produce d b y vita l blood ? I s on e hal f o f th e huma n species, lik e the poor African slaves , to be subject to prejudices that brutalize them , whe n principle s woul d b e a sure r guard , onl y t o

226 A

Vindication o f th e Rights of Woman

sweeten th e cu p o f man ? I s no t thi s indirectl y t o den y woma n reason? fo r a gift i s a mockery, if it b e unfi t fo r use. Women are, in common with men, rendered wea k and luxurious by the relaxing pleasures which wealth procures; but adde d to this they are made slaves to their persons, and must render them alluring that ma n ma y len d the m hi s reaso n t o guid e thei r totterin g step s aright. Or should they be ambitious, they must gover n their tyrants by sinister tricks, for without rights there cannot be any incumbent duties. Th e law s respecting woman, which I meant t o discus s in a future part, make an absurd unit of a man and his wife; and then, by the eas y transitio n o f onl y considerin g hi m a s responsible , sh e i s reduced t o a mere cypher.* The bein g who discharges the duties of its station is independent; and, speaking of women at large, their first duty is to themselves as rational creatures, and the next , in point of importance, a s citizens, is that, which includes so many, of a mother. The ran k in life which dispenses wit h their fulfillin g thi s duty , necessaril y degrades the m by making them mere dolls. Or, should they turn to something more important tha n merel y fittin g draper y upon a smooth block , thei r minds ar e only occupied b y some sof t platoni c attachment ; or, th e actual management o f an intrigue may keep their thought s i n mo tion; for when they neglect domestic duties, they have it not in their power to take the field and march and counter-marc h lik e soldiers , or wrangle in the senat e t o keep their facultie s fro m rusting . I know that, as a proof of the inferiorit y o f the sex , Rousseau has exultingly exclaimed , Ho w ca n the y leav e th e nurser y fo r th e camp!*—And th e cam p ha s b y som e moralist s bee n terme d th e school of the most heroic virtues; though, I think, it would puzzle a keen casuis t t o prov e the reasonablenes s o f the greate r numbe r o f wars that have dubbed heroes . I do not mean to consider this question critically ; because, havin g frequentl y viewe d thes e freak s o f ambition a s the first natural mode o f civilization, when the ground must be torn up, an d the woods cleared by fire and sword, I do not choose to call them pests; but surel y the present system o f war has little connection with virtue of any denomination, bein g rather th e school of 'finesse an d effeminacy , tha n o f fortitude. Yet, i f defensiv e war , th e onl y justifiabl e war , i n th e presen t advanced stat e o f society, where virtue can shew its fac e an d ripe n amidst the rigours which purify th e air on the mountain's top , were

A Vindication o f th e Rights of Woman 22

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alone t o be adopted a s just and glorious , the tru e heroism o f antiquity migh t agai n animat e femal e bosoms.—Bu t fai r an d softly , gentle reader, male or female, do not alarm thyself, for though I have compared th e characte r o f a modern soldier with that o f a civilized woman, I a m not goin g to advis e them t o tur n thei r distaf f int o a musket, though I sincerely wish to see the bayonet converted into a pruninghook. I only recreated a n imagination, fatigued by contemplating the vices and follies which all proceed fro m a feculent stream of wealt h tha t ha s muddie d th e pur e rill s o f natura l affection , b y supposing that society will some time or other be so constituted, tha t man mus t necessaril y fulfi l th e dutie s o f a citizen, o r b e despised , and tha t whil e he wa s employed in an y of the department s o f civil life, hi s wife , als o a n activ e citizen , shoul d b e equall y inten t t o manage her family, educate her children, and assist her neighbours . But, to render he r really virtuous and useful, sh e must not, if she discharge her civil duties, want, individually, the protection o f civil laws; she must no t b e dependen t o n he r husband' s bount y fo r her subsistence durin g his life, o r support afte r hi s death—for ho w can a being be generous who has nothing of its own? or virtuous, who is not free ? Th e wife , i n the presen t stat e of things, wh o is faithful t o her husband, and neither suckles nor educates her children, scarcely deserves the name of a wife, and has no right to that of a citizen. Bu t take away natural rights, an d dutie s become null . Women the n mus t b e considere d a s only th e wanto n solac e of men, when they become so weak in mind and body, that they cannot exert themselves, unless to pursue some frothy pleasure, or to invent some frivolou s fashion . What ca n be a more melancholy sight t o a thinking mind, tha n to look into the numerous carriages that drive helter-skelter abou t this metropolis i n a morning ful l o f pale-faced creatures who are flying from themselves . I have often wished , with Dr Johnson, to place some of them in a little shop with half a dozen children looking up to their languid countenances for support. I am much mistaken , i f som e laten t vigou r woul d no t soo n giv e health and spiri t t o thei r eyes , an d som e line s draw n b y th e exercis e o f reason o n th e blan k cheeks, whic h before were only undulated by dimples, might restore lost dignity to the character, or rather enable it to attain the true dignity of its nature. Virtue is not to be acquired even b y speculation , muc h les s b y th e negativ e supinenes s tha t wealth naturally generates.

228 A

Vindication o f th e Rights o f Woman

Besides, whe n poverty is more disgraceful tha n eve n vice, is not morality cut t o the quick ? Stil l t o avoid misconstruction, thoug h I consider tha t wome n in the commo n walk s of life are called to fulfi l the dutie s o f wives and mothers , b y religio n an d reason , I canno t help lamenting that women of a superiour cast have not a road open by whic h the y ca n pursu e mor e extensiv e plan s o f usefulness an d independence. I may excite laughter, by dropping an hint, whic h I mean t o pursue , som e futur e time , fo r I reall y think tha t wome n ought to have representatives, instea d o f being arbitrarily governed without having any direct share allowed them in the deliberations of government. But, as the whole system of representation is now, in this country, only a convenient handle for despotism, the y need not complain, for they ar e a s wel l represente d a s a numerou s clas s o f har d workin g mechanics, wh o pa y fo r th e suppor t o f royalt y whe n the y ca n scarcely sto p thei r children' s mouth s wit h bread . Ho w ar e the y represented whos e very sweat supports th e splendid stu d o f an heir apparent, o r varnishe s th e chario t o f som e femal e favourit e wh o looks down on shame? Taxes on the ver y necessaries of life, enabl e an endles s trib e o f idle prince s an d princesse s t o pas s wit h stupi d pomp befor e a gaping crowd, who almost worshi p th e ver y parade which costs them s o dear. This is mere gothi c grandeur, somethin g like the barbarous useless parade of having sentinels on horseback at Whitehall, which I could never view without a mixture of contempt and indignation . How strangely must th e mind b e sophisticated whe n thi s sor t of state impresses it ! But, till these monuments o f folly ar e levelled by virtue, simila r follie s wil l leave n th e whol e mass . Fo r th e sam e character, i n som e degree , wil l prevail in th e aggregat e o f society : and th e refinement s of luxury, or th e viciou s repinings o f envious poverty, wil l equall y banish virtu e fro m society , considere d a s th e characteristic of that society , or only allow it to appear as one of the stripes o f the harlequi n coat, wor n by the civilize d man. In th e superiou r rank s of life, ever y duty is done by deputies, a s if duties coul d eve r be waved, and th e vai n pleasures which consequent idlenes s force s th e ric h t o pursue , appea r s o enticing t o th e next rank , that th e numerou s scrambler s fo r wealth sacrific e ever y thing to tread on their heels. The most sacred trusts are then consid ered a s sinecures, becaus e they were procured b y interest, an d only

A Vindication o f the Rights o f Woman 22

9

sought to enable a man to keep good company. Women, in particular, all wan t t o b e ladies . Whic h i s simply t o hav e nothing t o do , bu t listlessly to g o they scarcely care where, for they cannot tel l what. But wha t have women t o d o i n society ? I ma y be asked , but t o loiter wit h eas y grace ; surel y you woul d not condem n the m al l to suckle fools and chronicle small beer!* No. Women might certainly study th e ar t o f healing, an d b e physician s as well as nurses. An d midwifery, decenc y seem s t o allo t t o them , thoug h I a m afrai d the wor d midwife , i n ou r dictionaries , wil l soo n giv e plac e t o accoucheur* an d on e proo f o f th e forme r delicac y o f th e se x b e effaced fro m th e language. They might, also , study politics, and settle thei r benevolence on the broades t basis ; fo r the readin g of history will scarcel y be mor e useful than the perusal of romances, if read as mere biography; if the character of the times, th e politica l improvements, arts , etc . be not observed. In short, if it be not considered as the history of man; and not o f particular men, who filled a niche in the templ e of fame, an d dropped into the black rolling stream of time, that silently sweeps all before it , into the shapeles s void called—eternity.—For shape, can it be called, 'that shap e hath none?'* Business o f variou s kinds , the y migh t likewis e pursue, i f the y were educate d i n a more orderl y manner, whic h might sav e many from commo n and legal prostitution. Women would not then marry for a support , a s me n accep t o f place s unde r government , an d neglect the implied duties ; nor would an attempt t o earn their own subsistence, a most laudabl e one! sink the m almos t t o th e leve l of those poo r abandone d creature s wh o live by prostitution. Fo r ar e not milliners and mantua-makers* reckone d the next class? The few employments open to women, so far from bein g liberal, are menial; and whe n a superiour educatio n enables them t o take charge of the education o f children a s governesses, the y ar e no t treate d lik e th e tutors o f sons, thoug h eve n clerical tutors ar e not alway s treated i n a manner calculated to render the m respectabl e in the eye s of their pupils, t o say nothing of the privat e comfort of the individual . But as wome n educate d lik e gentlewomen , ar e neve r designe d fo r th e humiliating situation which necessity sometimes force s them t o fill; these situations are considered in the light of a degradation; and they know little of the human heart, who need to be told, that nothing so painfully sharpen s sensibility as such a fall i n life .

230 A

Vindication o f th e Rights o f Woman

Some o f thes e wome n migh t b e restraine d fro m marryin g by a proper spiri t o r delicacy , an d other s ma y no t hav e had i t i n thei r power to escape in this pitifu l wa y from servitude ; is not tha t gov ernment the n ver y defective, and ver y unmindful o f the happines s of one half of its members, that does no t provid e fo r honest, independent women , b y encouragin g them t o fill respectable stations? But in order to render their private virtue a public benefit, they must have a civil existence i n th e state , marrie d o r single ; else w e shall continually se e som e worth y woman , whos e sensibilit y ha s bee n rendered painfull y acut e b y undeserved contempt , droop lik e 'the lily broken down by a plow-share.'* It i s a melancholy truth; ye t such i s the blesse d effec t o f civilization! th e mos t respectabl e wome n ar e th e mos t oppressed ; and , unless they have understandings far superiour to the common run of understandings, takin g in both sexes, they must, fro m bein g treated like contemptible beings, become contemptible. Ho w many women thus wast e life awa y the pre y of discontent, wh o might have practised a s physicians , regulate d a farm , manage d a shop, an d stoo d erect, supporte d b y thei r ow n industry , instea d o f hangin g thei r heads surcharge d wit h th e de w o f sensibility , tha t consume s th e beauty t o whic h i t a t firs t gav e lustre; nay , I doub t whethe r pit y and lov e ar e s o nea r aki n a s poet s feign , fo r I hav e seldo m see n much compassion excite d by the helplessness o f females, unless they were fair; then , perhaps , pit y was the sof t handmai d o f love, or th e harbinger of lust. How muc h mor e respectabl e i s the woma n wh o earn s he r ow n bread by fulfilling an y duty, than the most accomplishe d beauty! — beauty did I say?—so sensible am I of the beauty of moral loveliness, or th e harmoniou s propriet y tha t attune s th e passion s o f a well regulated mind, that I blush at making the comparison; yet I sigh to think ho w few women ai m at attaining this respectability b y withdrawing from th e gidd y whirl of pleasure, or the indolent calm that stupifies th e goo d sort of women it sucks in. Proud of their weakness, however, they must always be protected, guarded fro m care , and all the rough toil s that dignif y th e mind.— If this be the fiat of fate, if they will make themselves, insignifican t and contemptible, sweetly to waste 'life away,' let them not expect to be value d whe n thei r beaut y fades , fo r i t i s th e fat e o f th e faires t flowers to be admired and pulled to pieces by the careless hand tha t

A Vindication o f the Rights of Woman 23

1

plucked them. In how many ways do I wish, fro m th e purest benevolence, t o impres s thi s trut h o n m y sex ; yet I fea r tha t the y wil l not listen to a truth tha t dea r bought experience has brought hom e to man y a n agitate d bosom , no r willingl y resign th e privilege s of rank and se x for the privileges of humanity, to which those have no claim who do not discharg e its duties . Those writers are particularly useful, i n my opinion , wh o make man fee l fo r man, independent of the station he fills, or the drapery of factitious sentiments. I then would fain convinc e reasonable men of the importanc e o f some o f my remarks ; and prevai l on the m t o weigh dispassionatel y th e whol e tenor o f my observations.— I ap peal to their understandings; and, as a fellow-creature, claim, in th e name of my sex, some interest in their hearts. I entreat them to assist to emancipate their companion, t o make her a help meet fo r them ! Would men but generousl y snap our chains, and be content with rational fellowship instead o f slavish obedience, the y would find us more observan t daughters , mor e affectionat e sisters , mor e faithfu l wives, mor e reasonabl e mothers—i n a word , bette r citizens . W e should then lov e them wit h true affection, becaus e we should learn to respect ourselves ; and the peac e of mind of a worthy man would not be interrupted b y the idl e vanity of his wife, no r the babes sent to nestl e i n a strange bosom , havin g neve r foun d a home i n thei r mother's.

CHAPTER X PARENTAL AFFECTIO N

Parental affectio n is , perhaps, th e blindest modification of perverse self-love; for we have not, like the French, 1 two terms to distinguis h the pursui t o f a natura l an d reasonabl e desire , fro m th e ignoran t calculations o f weakness . Parent s ofte n lov e thei r childre n i n th e most bruta l manner , an d sacrific e ever y relativ e dut y t o promot e their advancemen t in the world.—To promote, suc h i s the perversity of unprincipled prejudices, the future welfar e of the very beings whose present existenc e the y imbitte r b y the most despoti c stretc h of power . Power , i n fact , i s eve r tru e t o it s vita l principle , fo r i n every shape it would reign without controul or inquiry. Its throne is built across a dark abyss, which no eye must dare to explore, lest the baseless fabric * should totte r unde r investigation . Obedience , un conditional obedience, is the catch-word of tyrants of every description, and to render 'assuranc e doubly sure,'* one kind of despotism supports another . Tyrant s woul d hav e caus e t o trembl e i f reaso n were to become the rule of duty in any of the relations of life, for the light migh t sprea d til l perfec t da y appeared. An d whe n i t di d ap pear, ho w woul d me n smil e a t th e sigh t o f the bugbear s a t whic h they starte d durin g th e nigh t o f ignorance, o r the twiligh t of timid inquiry. Parental affection , indeed , i n man y minds , i s bu t a pretex t t o tyrannize wher e i t ca n b e don e wit h impunity , fo r onl y goo d an d wise me n ar e conten t wit h th e respec t tha t wil l bea r discussion . Convinced tha t they have a right to what they insist on, they do not fear reason , o r drea d th e siftin g o f subject s tha t recu r t o natura l justice: becaus e the y firml y believ e tha t th e mor e enlightene d th e human mind becomes the deeper root will just and simple principles take. The y d o no t res t i n expedients , o r gran t tha t wha t i s metaphysically tru e ca n be practicall y false; bu t disdainin g the shift s o f the momen t the y calml y wai t til l time , sanctionin g innovation , silences th e his s of selfishness or envy. 1

L 'amour propre. L 'amour de sot meme*

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If the power of reflecting on the past, and darting the keen eye of contemplation int o futurity, b e the gran d privilege of man, it must be granted that some people enjoy thi s prerogative in a very limited degree. Ever y thin g ne w appear s t o the m wrong ; and no t abl e t o distinguish the possible from the monstrous, they fear where no fear should find a place, running from th e ligh t of reason, as if it were a firebrand; ye t the limit s of the possibl e hav e never been define d t o stop th e sturdy innovator's hand . Woman, however, a slave in every situation to prejudice, seldom exerts enlightene d materna l affection ; fo r sh e eithe r neglect s he r children, or spoils them by improper indulgence. Besides, the affec tion of some women for their children is, as I have before termed it, frequently ver y brutish; fo r i t eradicate s every spark o f humanity. Justice, truth, ever y thing is sacrificed b y these Rebekah's,* and for the sak e o f their ow n children the y violat e the mos t sacre d duties , forgetting th e commo n relationshi p that binds the whol e family o n earth together . Yet , reaso n seems t o say , that the y wh o suffe r on e duty, or affection, t o swallow up the rest, have not sufficient hear t or mind t o fulfi l tha t on e conscientiously. It the n lose s th e venerabl e aspect of a duty, an d assumes the fantasti c form of a whim. As the car e of children in their infanc y i s one of the gran d duties annexed t o th e femal e characte r b y nature , thi s dut y would affor d many forcible argument s for strengthening th e femal e understand ing, if it were properly considered . The formatio n of the min d mus t b e begu n ver y early, and th e temper, i n particular , require s th e mos t judiciou s attention—a n attention whic h wome n canno t pa y wh o onl y lov e thei r childre n because they are their children, and seek no further fo r the foundation of their duty, than in the feelings of the moment. It is this want of reason i n their affection s whic h makes women so often ru n int o extremes, and either be the most fon d o r most careless and unnatu ral mothers . To b e a good mother—a woman must have sense, an d that independence o f min d whic h fe w wome n posses s wh o ar e taugh t t o depend entirel y o n thei r husbands . Mee k wive s are , i n general , foolish mothers ; wantin g their childre n to love them best , an d take their part, in secret, against the father, who is held up as a scarecrow. When chastisemen t i s necessary , thoug h the y hav e offende d th e mother, th e fathe r mus t inflic t th e punishment ; h e mus t b e th e

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judge in all disputes: but I shall more fully discus s this subject when I treat o f private education,* I now only mean to insist, that unles s the understandin g o f woman b e enlarged , an d he r characte r ren dered mor e firm, by being allowed to govern her ow n conduct, sh e will neve r hav e sufficient sens e o r comman d o f temper t o manage her childre n properly . He r parenta l affection , indeed , scarcel y de serves th e name , whe n i t doe s not lea d he r t o suckle her children , because th e discharg e o f thi s dut y i s equall y calculate d t o inspir e maternal and filial affection: an d it is the indispensable duty of men and women to fulfil th e duties which give birth to affections tha t are the sures t preservative s agains t vice . Natura l affection , as it is termed, I believe to be a very faint tie , affection s mus t gro w out of the habitual exercise of a mutal sympathy; and what sympathy does a mother exercise who sends he r bab e to a nurse, an d onl y takes it from a nurse t o sen d i t to a school? In th e exercis e o f thei r materna l feeling s providenc e ha s fur nished wome n wit h a natura l substitut e fo r love , whe n th e love r becomes onl y a friend , an d mutua l confidenc e take s plac e o f overstrained admiration— a chil d the n gentl y twist s th e relaxin g cord, and a mutual car e produces a new mutual sympathy.—Bu t a child, though a pledge of affection, wil l not enliven it, if both fathe r and mothe r be content t o transfe r the charg e t o hirelings; fo r they who d o thei r dut y b y prox y shoul d no t murmu r i f they mis s th e reward o f duty—parental affectio n produce s filial duty.

CHAPTER X I DUTY T O PARENT S

There seems to be an indolent propensity in man to make prescription alway s take plac e o f reason , an d t o plac e ever y dut y o n a n arbitrary foundation. The right s of kings are deduced in a direct line from th e Kin g o f kings; and tha t o f parents fro m ou r first parent. Why d o we thus go back for principles that should always rest on the sam e base , an d hav e th e sam e weigh t to-da y tha t the y ha d a thousand years ago—and not a jot more? If parents discharg e their duty the y hav e a strong hol d an d sacre d clai m on th e gratitud e of their children ; but fe w parents ar e willing to receive the respectful affection o f thei r offsprin g o n suc h terms . The y deman d blin d obedience, becaus e the y d o no t meri t a reasonable service : and t o render thes e demand s of weakness and ignoranc e more binding , a mysterious sanctity is spread round the most arbitrary principle; for what other name can be given to the blind duty of obeying vicious or weak beings merely because they obeyed a powerful instinct? The simpl e definitio n o f th e reciproca l duty , whic h naturall y subsists between parent and child, may be given in a few words: Th e parent wh o pays proper attentio n to helpless infanc y ha s a right to require th e sam e attentio n whe n the feeblenes s of age comes upo n him. Bu t t o subjugat e a rational being to the mer e wil l of another, after h e is of age to answer to society for his own conduct, is a most cruel an d undu e stretc h o f power ; and , perhaps , a s injuriou s t o morality a s thos e religiou s system s whic h d o no t allo w righ t an d wrong to have any existence, but i n the Divine will . I never knew a parent who had paid more than common attention to hi s children , disregarded; 1 o n th e contrary , th e earl y habi t o f relying almost implicitly on the opinion of a respected paren t is not easily shook, even when matured reason convinces the child that his father i s no t th e wises t ma n i n th e world . Thi s weakness , fo r a weakness i t is , thoug h th e epithe t amiabl e ma y b e tacke d t o it , a reasonable man must stee l himself against; for the absurd duty , too 1

D r Johnson makes the sam e observation.*

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often inculcated , of obeying a parent only on account of his being a parent, shackles the mind, and prepares it for a slavish submission to any powe r but reason . I distinguis h betwee n th e natura l an d accidenta l dut y du e t o parents. The paren t wh o sedulousl y endeavour s t o for m th e hear t an d enlarge th e understandin g o f hi s child , ha s give n tha t dignit y t o the discharg e o f a duty, commo n t o th e whol e animal world, tha t only reaso n ca n give . Thi s i s th e parenta l affectio n o f humanity, and leave s instinctiv e natura l affectio n fa r behind . Suc h a paren t acquires al l th e right s o f th e mos t sacre d friendship , an d hi s advice, eve n whe n hi s chil d i s advance d i n life , demand s seriou s consideration. With respec t t o marriage, though afte r on e and twent y a parent seems to have no right t o withhold his consent o n any account; yet twenty year s of solicitud e cal l fo r a return , an d th e so n ought , a t least, t o promis e no t t o marr y fo r tw o o r thre e years , shoul d th e object o f his choic e no t entirel y meet wit h th e approbatio n o f his first friend . But, respec t fo r parent s is , generall y speaking , a muc h mor e debasing principle ; i t i s onl y a selfis h respec t fo r property . Th e father wh o i s blindl y obeyed , i s obeye d fro m shee r weakness , o r from motive s that degrad e the human character . A great proportion o f the misery that wanders, in hideous forms, around the world, is allowed to rise from th e negligence of parents; and stil l these ar e the peopl e wh o are most tenaciou s o f what they term a natural right , thoug h i t b e subversiv e of the birth-righ t o f man, the right of acting according to the direction of his own reason. I hav e already very frequently ha d occasio n t o observe , tha t vi cious o r indolen t peopl e ar e alway s eage r t o profi t b y enforcin g arbitrary privileges ; and, generally, in the sam e proportion a s they neglect the discharge of the duties which alone render the privileges reasonable. This is at the bottom a dictate of common sense , or the instinct o f self-defence, peculiar t o ignoran t weakness ; resembling that instinct , whic h makes a fish muddy th e wate r i t swim s in t o elude its enemy, instead o f boldly facing i t in the clea r stream . From th e clea r strea m o f argument , indeed , th e supporter s o f prescription, o f every denomination, fly; and, taking refuge i n th e darkness, which, in the languag e of sublime poetry , has been sup-

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posed to surround the throne of Omnipotence, the y dare to demand that implici t respec t whic h i s only du e t o Hi s unsearchabl e ways . But, let me not be thought presumptuous, th e darkness which hides our Go d fro m us , onl y respect s speculativ e truths—i t neve r ob scures mora l ones , the y shin e clearly , for Go d i s light, an d never , by the constitutio n o f our nature , require s th e discharg e of a duty, the reasonablenes s o f whic h doe s no t bea m o n u s whe n w e ope n our eyes. The indolen t parent of high rank may, it is true, extort a shew of respect fro m hi s child, and females on the continent are particularly subject to the views of their families , who never think of consulting their inclination, or providing for the comfort of the poor victims of their pride . Th e consequenc e i s notorious; thes e dutifu l daughter s become adulteresses , an d neglec t th e educatio n o f thei r chidren , from who m they, in their turn , exact the sam e kind of obedience. Females, i t i s true , i n al l countries , ar e to o muc h unde r th e dominion of their parents; and few parents think of addressing their children in the following manner, though it is in this reasonable way that Heave n seem s t o comman d th e whol e human race . I t i s your interest to obey me till you can judge for yourself; and the Almighty Father of all has implanted an affection i n me to serve as a guard to you whilst your reason is unfolding; but whe n your mind arrives at maturity, you must only obey me, or rather respect my opinions, so far a s they coincide wit h the ligh t tha t i s breaking in o n you r own mind. A slavis h bondage t o parent s cramp s ever y faculty o f the mind ; and Mr Locke very judiciously observes, that 'if the mind be curbed and humble d to o muc h i n children ; i f their spirit s b e abase d an d broken muc h b y to o stric t a n han d ove r them ; the y los e al l thei r vigour and industry.'* This strict hand may in some degree account for th e weaknes s of women; for girls, from variou s causes, are more kept dow n by their parents , i n every sense of the word , than boys. The dut y expected fro m the m is , like al l the dutie s arbitraril y imposed o n women , mor e fro m a sens e o f propriety , mor e ou t o f respect fo r decorum, tha n reason; and thus taugh t slavishly to sub mit to their parents, they are prepared fo r the slavery of marriage. I may be told that a number of women are not slaves in the marrriage state. True , bu t the y the n becom e tyrants ; fo r i t i s no t rationa l freedom, but a lawless kind of power resembling the authority exer-

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cised by the favourite s o f absolute monarchs, whic h they obtain by debasing means. I do not, likewise, dream of insinuating that either boys o r girl s ar e alway s slaves , I onl y insis t tha t whe n the y ar e obliged to submit to authority blindly, their facultie s are weakened, and thei r temper s rendere d imperiou s or abject. I als o lament tha t parents, indolentl y availin g themselve s o f a suppose d privilege , damp th e firs t fain t glimmerin g o f reason , renderin g a t th e sam e time the duty, which they are so anxious to enforce, an empty name; because they will not let it rest on the only basis on which a duty can rest securely : for unless it be founded on knowledge, it cannot gain sufficient strengt h t o resis t th e squall s o f passion , o r th e silen t sapping o f self-love. Bu t i t i s not th e parent s wh o hav e give n th e surest proo f o f their affectio n fo r their children , or , t o spea k more properly, who by fulfilling thei r duty , have allowed a natural parental affectio n t o tak e roo t i n thei r hearts , th e chil d o f exercise d sympathy and reason, and not the over-weening offspring o f selfish pride, wh o most vehementl y insist o n their childre n submittin g to their will merely because it is their will. On the contrary, the parent, who set s a good example , patientl y let s tha t exampl e work; and i t seldom fail s t o produce its natural effect—filial reverence . Children cannot be taught too early to submit to reason, the tru e definition o f tha t necessity , whic h Roussea u insiste d on , withou t defining it ; fo r t o submi t t o reaso n i s t o submi t t o th e natur e o f things, an d to that God , wh o formed them so , to promote ou r real interest. Why should the minds of children be warped as they just begin to expand, onl y t o favou r th e indolenc e o f parents , wh o insis t o n a privilege withou t being willin g to pa y the pric e fixed by nature ? I have before ha d occasio n to observe, tha t a right alway s includes a duty, and I think it may, likewise, fairly be inferred, that they forfei t the right , wh o do not fulfi l th e duty . It i s easier , I grant , t o comman d tha n reason ; bu t i t doe s no t follow fro m henc e that children cannot comprehend th e reason why they ar e mad e t o d o certai n thing s habitually : for, fro m a stead y adherence to a few simple principle s of conduct flows that salutary power which a judicious parent gradually gains over a child's mind. And thi s powe r become s stron g indeed , i f tempere d b y a n eve n display of affection brough t home to the child's heart. For, I believe, as a genera l rule , i t mus t b e allowe d that th e affectio n whic h w e

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inspire always resembles tha t we cultivate; so that natural affections , which hav e bee n suppose d almos t distinc t fro m reason , ma y b e found mor e nearl y connecte d wit h judgmen t tha n i s commonl y allowed. Nay , a s another proo f o f the necessit y o f cultivatin g th e female understanding , i t i s but jus t t o observe , tha t th e affection s seem t o hav e a kin d o f anima l capriciousnes s whe n the y merel y reside i n the heart . It i s the irregula r exercise o f parental authority tha t firs t injure s the mind, and to these irregularities girls are more subject than boys. The wil l of those wh o never allo w their wil l to be disputed, unles s they happe n t o be in a good humour , whe n the y relax proportion ally, is almost always unreasonable. To elude this arbitrary authority girls very early learn th e lesson s whic h they afterward s practic e on their husbands ; fo r I have frequently seen a little sharp-faced mis s rule a whole family , exceptin g tha t no w an d the n mamma' s angr y will burs t ou t o f som e accidenta l cloud;—eithe r he r hai r wa s ill dressed,1 or she had lost more money at cards, the night before, than she was willing to own to her husband; or some such moral cause of anger. After observin g sallies of this kind, I have been le d into a melan choly trai n o f reflectio n respectin g females , concludin g tha t whe n their first affection mus t lead them astray, or make their duties clash till the y res t o n mer e whim s an d customs , littl e ca n b e expecte d from the m a s they advanc e i n life . Ho w indee d ca n a n instructo r remedy this evil? for to teach them virtue on any solid principle is to teach them t o despise thei r parents . Childre n cannot , ough t not , to be taught t o make allowance for the fault s of their parents, becaus e every such allowance weakens the force of reason in their minds, and makes them stil l more indulgen t t o their own . It i s one of the mos t sublime virtues of maturity that leads us to be severe with respect to ourselves, an d forbearin g t o others ; bu t childre n shoul d onl y b e taught th e simpl e virtues, fo r if they begin too early to make allowance for human passions and manners, they wear off the fine edge of the criterion b y which they shoul d regulat e their own , and becom e unjust i n the sam e proportio n a s they gro w indulgent. 1 I myself heard a little girl once say to a servant, 'My mamma has been scolding me finely this morning, because her hair was not dressed t o please her.' Though this remark was pert, it was just. And wha t respect coul d a girl acquire for such a parent withou t doing violence to reason?

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The affection s o f children, an d wea k people, ar e alway s selfish ; they love their relatives , because they are beloved by them, and not on accoun t o f thei r virtues . Yet , til l estee m an d lov e ar e blende d together i n the first affection, an d reason made the foundation of the first duty, morality will stumble a t the threshold. But , til l society is very differently constituted , parents , I fear, will still insist o n being obeyed, becaus e the y wil l be obeyed , an d constantl y endeavou r t o settle tha t powe r on a Divine righ t whic h will not bea r th e investi gation of reason .

CHAPTER XI I ON NATIONA L EDUCATIO N

The goo d effect s resultin g from attentio n t o private education will ever be very confined, and the parent who really puts his own hand to the plow, will always, in some degree, be disappointed, till education becomes a grand nationa l concern. A man canno t retir e into a desert wit h his child, and if he did he could not bring himself back to childhood , an d becom e th e prope r frien d an d play-fello w of an infant o r youth . An d whe n childre n ar e confined to th e societ y of men an d women , the y ver y soo n acquir e tha t kin d o f prematur e manhood whic h stops the growt h of every vigorous power of mind or body. In orde r t o open thei r facultie s they shoul d b e excited t o think for themselves; and this can only be done by mixing a number of childre n together , an d makin g the m jointl y pursu e th e sam e objects. A chil d ver y soo n contract s a benumbin g indolenc e o f mind , which he has seldom sufficient vigou r afterwards to shake off, when he only asks a question instead of seeking for information, and the n relies implicitl y on th e answe r h e receives . Wit h hi s equal s i n age this could never be the case, and the subjects of inquiry, though they might b e influenced, woul d no t b e entirel y unde r th e directio n of men, wh o frequentl y damp , i f no t destroy , abilities , b y bringin g them forwar d to o hastily : an d to o hastil y the y wil l infallibl y b e brought forward , if the chil d b e confine d t o th e societ y o f a man, however sagacious that ma n may be. Besides, in youth the seeds of every affection shoul d be sown, and the respectfu l regard , whic h i s fel t fo r a parent , i s ver y differen t from th e social affections that are to constitute the happiness o f life as it advances . Of these equalit y is the basis , an d a n intercourse of sentiments unclogged by that observant seriousness whic h prevents disputation, though it may not inforce submission. Let a child have ever such an affection fo r his parent, he will always languish to play and prattl e wit h children ; an d th e ver y respec t h e feels , fo r 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 241

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which first ope n th e hear t t o friendshi p an d confidence , graduall y leading to more expansive benevolence. Added to this, he will never acquire that fran k ingenuousnes s o f behaviour, which young people can onl y attai n b y bein g frequentl y i n societ y wher e the y dar e t o speak wha t the y think ; neithe r afrai d o f bein g reprove d fo r thei r presumption, nor laughe d a t for their folly . Forcibly impresse d b y the reflection s which the sigh t o f schools, as the y ar e a t presen t conducted , naturall y suggested, I hav e for merly delivere d m y opinio n rathe r warml y i n favou r o f a privat e education; but furthe r experienc e ha s led me to view the subjec t in a differen t light . I still , however , thin k schools , a s the y ar e no w regulated, th e hot-bed s o f vic e an d folly , an d th e knowledg e o f human nature , suppose d t o b e attaine d there , merel y cunnin g selfishness. At schoo l boy s becom e glutton s an d slovens , and , instea d o f cultivating domesti c affections , ver y earl y rus h int o libertinis m which destroy s th e constitutio n befor e it i s formed; hardening th e heart a s it weakens the understanding . I should , i n fact , b e averse to boarding-schools, i f it were for no other reaso n than the unsettled state of mind whic h the expectation of the vacations produce. On these the children's thought s ar e fixed with eage r anticipatin g hopes, for , at least , t o spea k wit h modera tion, half of the time , an d whe n the y arriv e they ar e spent i n total dissipation an d beastly indulgence . But, on the contrary, whe n they are brought u p at home, thoug h they may pursue a plan of study in a more orderly manner than can be adopted whe n nea r a fourth par t of the yea r is actually spent in idleness, and as much more in regret and anticipation; yet they there acquire to o hig h a n opinio n o f thei r ow n importance , fro m bein g allowed t o tyrannize over servants, an d fro m th e anxiet y expressed by most mothers , o n the scor e o f manners, who , eager to teach th e accomplishments o f a gentleman, stifle , in their birth, the virtues of a man. Thus brought into company when they ought to be seriously employed, an d treate d lik e me n whe n the y ar e still boys, the y be come vai n and effeminate . The onl y way to avoid two extremes equally injurious to morality, would b e t o contriv e som e wa y of combining a public an d privat e education. Thu s t o make men citizen s tw o natural step s migh t b e taken, whic h see m directl y t o lea d t o th e desire d point ; fo r th e

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domestic affections , tha t first open th e hear t t o the various modifications o f humanity, would be cultivated, whilst the childre n wer e nevertheless allowe d to spen d grea t par t o f their time , o n terms o f equality, with other children . I still recollect, with pleasure, the country day school; where a boy trudged i n th e morning , we t o r dry , carryin g hi s books , an d hi s dinner, i f it wer e at a considerable distance ; a servant di d no t the n lead maste r b y th e hand , for , whe n h e ha d onc e pu t o n coa t an d breeches, h e was allowed to shift fo r 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 fondl y remembered ; nay, I appea l t o man y superiou r men , wh o wer e educate d i n thi s manner, whethe r th e recollectio n o f som e shad y lan e wher e the y conned thei r lesson : or, of some stile, where they sat making a kite, or mending a bat, ha s not endeare d thei r countr y to them? But, what boy ever recollected wit h pleasure the years he spent in close confinement, at an academy near London? unless , indeed , h e should, b y chance , remembe r th e poo r scare-cro w o f a n usher, * whom he tormented; or , the tartman, fro m who m he caught a cake, to devou r i t wit h a cattis h appetit e o f selfishness . A t boarding schools o f ever y description , th e relaxatio n o f th e junio r boy s i s mischief; and of the senior, vice . Besides, i n great schools, wha t can be more prejudicia l t o the mora l characte r tha n th e syste m o f tyr anny and abject slavery which is established amongs t the boys, to say nothing of the slaver y to forms, which makes religion worse than a farce? Fo r wha t good can be expected fro m th e yout h 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 o f the youths is to elude the necessity of attending public worship; and well they may, for such a constant repetitio n of the sam e thin g mus t b e a ver y irksom e restrain t o n thei r natura l vivacity. A s thes e ceremonie s hav e th e mos t fata l effec t o n thei r morals, an d a s a ritual performe d b y th e lips , whe n th e hear t an d mind ar e far away, is not no w stored u p b y our church a s a bank to draw on for the fee s of the poor souls in purgatory, why should they not b e abolished? But th e fea r o f innovation , i n thi s country , extend s t o ever y thing.—This i s onl y a cover t fear , th e apprehensiv e timidit y o f indolent slugs, who guard, by sliming it over, the snug place, which

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they consider in the light of an hereditary estate; and eat, drink, and enjoy themselves , instea d o f fulfillin g th e duties , exceptin g a few empty forms, for which it was endowed. These are the peopl e who most strenuousl y insis t on th e wil l o f the founde r being observed, crying out agains t all reformation, as if it were a violation of justice. I a m now alluding particularly to th e relick s of popery retaine d i n our colleges, when the protestant members seem to be such sticklers for th e establishe d church ; bu t thei r zea l neve r make s the m los e sight o f the spoi l of ignorance, which rapacious priests o f superstitious memory have scraped together. No, wise in their generation, * they venerate the prescriptiv e right o f possession, a s a strong hold , and stil l le t th e sluggis h bel l tinkl e to prayers , a s during th e days when the elevation of the hos t was supposed t o atone for the sins of the people , les t on e reformatio n shoul d lea d t o another , an d th e spirit kil l th e letter . Thes e Romish custom s hav e the mos t banefu l effect o n th e moral s o f our clergy ; for th e idl e vermin who tw o or three time s a da y perfor m i n th e mos t slovenl y manner a service which the y thin k useless , bu t cal l their duty , soo n los e a sense o f duty. A t college , force d t o atten d o r evad e publi c worship , the y acquire an habitual contempt fo r the ver y service, the performance of which is to enable them t o live in idleness. It is mumbled over as an affair o f business, as a stupid boy repeats his task, and frequentl y the college cant escapes from th e preacher the moment afte r h e has left th e pulpit , an d eve n whils t h e i s eatin g th e dinne r whic h h e earned i n such a dishonest manner . Nothing, indeed , can be more irreveren t than th e cathedra l ser vice as it is now performed i n this country, neithe r does it contain a set o f weake r men tha n thos e wh o ar e th e slave s o f thi s childis h routine. A disgusting skeleton of the forme r stat e is still exhibited; but al l the solemnit y tha t intereste d th e imagination , if it di d no t purify th e heart , i s stripped off . The performanc e of high mass on the continen t mus t impres s ever y mind , wher e a spar k o f fanc y glows, with that awful melancholy , that sublime tenderness, s o near akin t o devotion . I d o not sa y that thes e devotiona l feelings ar e of more use , i n a moral sense , tha n an y other emotio n o f taste; but I contend tha t the theatrical pomp which gratifies our senses, is to be preferred t o the cold parade that insults the understanding without reaching the heart . Amongst remark s on national education, such observation s can not b e misplaced , especiall y a s th e supporter s o f thes e establish -

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ments, degenerate d int o puerilities , affec t t o b e th e champion s o f religion.—Religion, pure source of comfort in this vale of tears! how has thy clear stream been muddie d b y the dabblers , wh o have pre sumptuously endeavoure d t o confin e i n on e narro w channel , th e living water s tha t eve r flo w toward s God—th e sublim e ocea n o f existence! What woul d life b e without that peac e which the lov e of God, whe n buil t o n humanity , alon e ca n impart ? Ever y earthl y affection turn s back, at intervals, to prey upon the heart that feeds it; and th e pures t effusion s o f benevolence, ofte n rudel y dampe d b y man, must mount as a freewill offerin g t o Him wh o gave them birth, whose bright imag e they faintly reflect. In publi c schools , however , religion , confounde d wit h irksom e ceremonies an d unreasonabl e restraints , assume s th e mos t ungra cious 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 abus e to live on the spoil . There i s not , perhaps , i n th e kingdom , a mor e dogmatical , o r luxurious se t of men, tha n th e pedanti c tyrant s who reside i n col leges and preside at public schools. The vacation s are equally injurious to the morals of the masters an d pupils , an d the intercourse , which th e forme r kee p up wit h th e nobility , introduce s th e sam e vanity and extravaganc e into their families , which banish domesti c duties an d comfort s fro m th e lordl y mansion, whos e state i s awkwardly aped. 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 retir e to plan some mischievous trick, or to ridicule the perso n or manners o f the ver y people they have just been cringing to, and whom they ought to consider as the representatives of their parents . Can it then b e a matter o f surprise tha t boy s become selfis h an d vicious who are thus shu t ou t fro m socia l converse? or that a mitre often grace s the bro w of one of these diligen t pastors? The desir e of living in the same style, as the rank just above them, infects eac h individua l and ever y class of people, and meannes s is the concomitant of this ignoble ambition; but thos e professions are most debasin g whose ladde r i s patronage; yet , ou t o f one o f thes e professions the tutors of youth are, in general, chosen. But, can they

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be expected to inspire independent sentiments , whose conduct must be regulated by the cautious prudence that i s ever on the watc h for preferment? So far, however, from thinking of the morals of boys, I have heard several masters o f schools argue , that the y only undertook to teach Latin an d Greek ; an d that the y had fulfille d thei r duty , by sending some goo d scholar s t o college. A few good scholars, I grant, may have been formed by emulation and discipline; but, to bring forward thes e clever boys, the health and morals o f a number hav e been sacrificed . The son s o f our gentr y and wealth y commoners ar e mostl y educate d a t thes e seminaries , and wil l any one pretend t o assert tha t th e majority , making every allowance, come under th e descriptio n o f tolerable scholars? It i s not fo r the benefi t o f society that a few brilliant men shoul d be brought forwar d a t the expence of the multitude. It i s true, tha t great me n see m t o star t up , a s grea t revolution s occur , a t prope r intervals, to restore order, and to blow aside the clouds that thicken over th e fac e o f truth ; bu t le t mor e reaso n an d virtu e prevai l i n society, an d thes e stron g wind s woul d no t b e necessary . Publi c education, of every denomination, shoul d b e directe d t o for m citi zens; but i f you wish to make good citizens, you must first exercise the affections of a son and a brother, This is the only way to expand the heart ; fo r public affections, a s well as public virtues, must ever grow ou t o f the privat e character, o r the y are merely meteors tha t shoot athwar t a dar k sky , and disappea r a s the y ar e gaze d a t an d admired. Few, I believe, have had much affection fo r mankind, who did not first love their parents, their brothers, sisters , and even the domestic brutes, who m they first played with. The exercis e of youthful sym pathies form s the mora l temperature ; an d i t i s th e recollectio n o f these firs t affection s an d pursuit s tha t give s lif e t o thos e tha t ar e afterwards more under the direction of reason. In youth, the fondest friendships are formed, the genial juices mounting at the same time, kindly mix ; or , rathe r th e heart , tempere d fo r th e receptio n o f friendship, i s accustome d t o see k fo r pleasur e i n somethin g mor e noble than th e churlis h gratificatio n of appetite. In orde r the n t o inspir e a love of home an d domesti c pleasures , children ough t t o b e educate d a t home , fo r riotou s holiday s only make the m fon d o f home fo r thei r ow n sakes . Yet, th e vacations ,

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which d o no t foste r domesti c affections , continuall y distur b th e course of study, and render any plan of improvement abortive which includes temperance ; still , wer e they abolished , childre n woul d be entirely separated fro m thei r parents , an d I questio n whethe r the y would becom e bette r citizen s b y sacrificin g th e preparator y affec tions, b y destroying th e forc e o f relationships tha t rende r th e mar riage stat e a s necessary a s respectable . But , i f a privat e educatio n produce self-importance , o r insulate a man i n his family, th e evi l is only shifted, not remedied . This trai n o f reasoning brings m e bac k to a subject, on whic h I mean t o dwell, the necessit y of establishing prope r day-schools . But, thes e shoul d b e nationa l establishments, fo r whilst schoolmasters are dependent on the capric e of parents, littl e exertion can be expected fro m them , mor e tha n i s necessary t o pleas e ignoran t people. Indeed , th e necessit y o f a master's givin g the parent s som e sample o f the boy s abilities, which during the vacatio n is shewn to every visitor, 1 is productive of more mischief than would at first be supposed. Fo r i t is seldom don e entirely, to speak with moderation, by the child itself; thus the master countenances falsehood , or winds the poor machine up to some extraordinary exertion, that injures the wheels, an d stop s th e progres s o f gradua l improvement . Th e memory i s loade d wit h unintelligibl e words , t o mak e a she w of , without th e understanding' s acquirin g any distinct ideas : but onl y that educatio n deserve s emphaticall y t o b e terme d cultivatio n o f mind, whic h teache s youn g peopl e ho w t o begi n t o think . Th e imagination shoul d no t b e allowe d t o debauc h th e understandin g before i t gaine d strength , o r vanit y wil l become th e forerunne r o f vice: fo r ever y wa y o f exhibitin g th e acquirement s o f a chil d i s injurious t o its moral character . How much time is lost in teaching them to recite what they do not understand? whilst , seate d o n benches , al l in thei r bes t array , th e mammas listen with astonishment t o the parrot-like prattle, uttere d in solemn cadences , wit h all the pom p o f ignorance and folly . Suc h exhibitions onl y serv e t o strik e th e spreadin g fibre s o f vanit y through th e whol e mind ; fo r the y neithe r teac h childre n t o speak fluently, no r behav e gracefully . S o fa r fro m it , tha t thes e frivolou s 1 I now particularly allude to the numerous academie s i n and about London, and to th e behaviour of the tradin g part o f this grea t city.

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pursuits might comprehensively be termed th e study of affectation ; for w e now rarel y see a simple, bashfu l boy , though fe w people of taste were ever disgusted by that awkward sheepishness so natural to the age , which schools an d a n early introduction int o society , have changed int o impudence and apis h grimace. Yet, ho w ca n thes e thing s b e remedie d whils t school-master s depend entirel y on parent s fo r a subsistence ; and , whe n s o many rival school s han g ou t thei r lures , t o catc h th e attentio n o f vain fathers an d mothers , whos e parenta l affectio n onl y lead s the m t o wish that thei r childre n should outshin e thos e of their neighbours? Without grea t goo d luck , a sensible , conscientiou s man , woul d starve before he could raise a school, if he disdained to bubble weak parents by practising the secre t trick s of the craft . In th e bes t regulate d schools , however , wher e swarm s ar e no t crammed together, man y bad habits must be acquired; but, at com mon schools , th e body , heart , an d understanding , ar e equall y stunted, fo r parents ar e often onl y in quest o f the cheapes t school , and th e maste r coul d no t live , i f h e di d no t tak e a muc h greate r number than he could manage himself; nor will the scanty pittance, allowed for each child, permit him to hire ushers sufficient t o assist in th e discharg e o f th e mechanica l par t o f th e business . Besides , whatever appearance the house and garden may make, the children do not enjoy th e comfort of either, for they are continually reminded b y irksom e restriction s tha t the y ar e no t a t home , an d th e staterooms, garden , etc . mus t b e kep t i n orde r fo r th e recreatio n of the parents; who, of a Sunday, visit the school, and are impressed by th e ver y parad e tha t render s th e situatio n o f thei r childre n uncomfortable. With wha t disgus t hav e I hear d sensibl e women , fo r girl s ar e more restrained an d cowed than boys, speak of the wearisom e con finement, whic h the y endure d a t school . No t allowed , perhaps, t o step out o f one broad walk in a superb garden , an d oblige d to pace with stead y deportment stupidl y backwards and forwards , holdin g up thei r head s an d turnin g ou t thei r toes , wit h shoulder s brace d back, instea d o f bounding, a s nature direct s t o complet e he r ow n design, i n th e variou s attitudes s o conducive to health. 1 Th e pur e 1 I remember a circumstance tha t onc e came under my own observation, and raise d my indignation. I went to visit a little boy at a school where young children wer e prepared fo r a larger one. The maste r took me into the school-room, etc . but whilst I walked down a broad

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animal spirits , whic h mak e bot h min d an d bod y shoo t out , an d unfold th e tender blossoms o f hope, ar e turned sour , an d vented in vain wishe s or per t repinings , tha t contrac t th e facultie s and spoi l the temper; els e they mount to the brain, and sharpening the understanding befor e i t gain s proportionabl e strength , produc e tha t pitiful cunning which disgracefully characterizes the female mind— and I fear will ever characterize it whilst women remain the slaves of power! The littl e respec t pai d t o chastit y i n th e mal e worl d is , I a m persuaded, the grand source of many of the physical and moral evils that torment mankind, as well as of the vices and follies that degrade and destro y women ; ye t a t school , boy s infallibl y los e tha t decen t bashfulness, whic h might hav e ripened int o modesty, a t home . And wha t nasty indecent trick s do they no t als o learn fro m eac h other, when a number of them pig together i n the same bedchamber, not t o speak of the vices , whic h render th e bod y weak, whilst the y effectually preven t th e acquisitio n o f an y delicac y of mind.* Th e little attentio n pai d t o th e cultivatio n o f modesty , amongst men , produces grea t depravity in all the relationship s o f society; for, not only love—love that ought to purify th e heart, and first call forth all the youthful powers, to prepare the man to discharge the benevolent duties o f life , i s sacrifice d t o prematur e lust ; but , al l th e socia l affections ar e deadened by the selfish gratifications, which very early pollute th e mind , an d dr y u p th e generou s juice s of the heart . I n what a n unnatura l manne r i s innocenc e ofte n violated ; an d wha t serious consequence s ensu e t o rende r privat e vice s a publi c pest . Besides, a n habi t o f personal order , whic h ha s mor e effec t o n th e moral character, tha n is, in general, supposed, ca n only be acquired at home, wher e that respectable reserv e is kept up which checks the familiarity, that sinking into beastliness, undermine s th e affection i t insults. I hav e alread y animadverte d o n th e ba d habit s whic h female s acquire whe n the y ar e shu t u p together ; and , I think , tha t th e gravel walk, I could no t hel p observin g that th e gras s grew very luxuriantly on each side of me. I immediatel y asked the chil d som e questions , an d foun d tha t th e poo r boy s were not allowed to stir of f the walk , and that the master sometime s permitted shee p t o be turned i n to cro p th e untrodde n grass . Th e tyran t o f thi s domai n use d t o si t b y a windo w tha t overlooked the prison yard, and one nook turning from it , where the unfortunate babes could sport freely , he enclosed, and planted it with potatoes. The wif e likewise was equally anxious to keep the childre n i n order, les t they shoul d dirt y o r tear thei r clothes .

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observation may fairly b e extended t o the othe r sex , till the natura l inference i s drawn which I hav e had i n vie w throughout—tha t t o improve both sexe s they ought, no t onl y in private families, bu t i n public schools, to be educated together. If marriage be the cement of society, mankind should all be educated after th e same model, or the intercourse o f the sexe s will never deserv e the nam e of fellowship, nor wil l women ever fulfi l th e peculia r duties of their sex , till they become enlightened citizens, till they become fre e by being enabled to ear n thei r ow n subsistence , independen t o f men ; i n th e sam e manner, I mean , t o preven t misconstruction , a s one man i s independent o f another . Nay , marriag e wil l neve r b e hel d sacre d til l women, b y bein g brough t u p wit h men , ar e prepare d t o b e thei r companions rather tha n their mistresses; fo r the mean doublings of cunning wil l eve r rende r the m contemptible , whils t oppressio n renders the m timid . S o convince d a m I o f thi s truth , tha t I wil l venture t o predic t tha t virtu e wil l neve r prevai l i n societ y til l th e virtues of both sexe s are founded o n reason; and, till the affection s common t o bot h ar e allowe d t o gai n thei r du e strengt h b y th e discharge of mutual duties . Were boy s an d girl s permitte d t o pursu e th e sam e studie s to gether, thos e gracefu l decencie s migh t earl y b e inculcate d whic h produce modest y withou t thos e sexua l distinction s tha t tain t th e mind. Lessons of politeness, and that formular y of decorum, which treads o n th e heel s o f falsehood , woul d b e rendere d useles s b y habitual propriety of behaviour. Not, indeed , put o n for visitors like the courtl y robe o f politeness, bu t th e sobe r effec t o f cleanliness of mind. Would no t this simple elegance of sincerity b e a chaste hom age pai d t o domesti c affections , fa r surpassin g th e meretriciou s compliments that shine with false lustre in the heartless intercours e of fashionabl e life? But , til l more understandin g preponderate s i n society, there will ever be a want of heart and taste, and the harlot' s rouge wil l suppl y th e plac e o f tha t celestia l suffusio n whic h only virtuous affections ca n give to the face . Gallantry, and what is called love, ma y subsis t withou t simplicit y o f character ; bu t th e mai n pillars o f friendship , are respec t an d confidence—estee m i s never founded o n it cannot tell what! A tast e fo r the fine arts requires grea t cultivation ; but no t mor e than a taste fo r the virtuou s affections ; an d bot h suppos e tha t en largement of mind which opens so many sources of mental pleasure.

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Why do people hurry to noisy scenes, and crowded circles? I should answer, because the y want activity of mind, because they have not cherished the virtues of the heart. They only, therefore, see and fee l in the gross , an d continuall y pine after variety , finding every thing that i s simple insipid. This argumen t ma y b e carrie d furthe r tha n philosopher s ar e aware of , fo r i f natur e destine d woman , in particular , fo r th e dis charge of domestic duties, she made her susceptible of the attached affections i n a grea t degree . No w wome n ar e notoriousl y fon d o f pleasure; and , naturall y mus t b e s o accordin g t o m y definition , because they cannot enter int o the minutiae of domestic taste ; lacking judgment, the foundation of all taste. For th e understanding, in spite of sensual cavillers, reserves to itself the privilege of conveying pure joy to the heart . With what a languid yawn have I seen an admirable poem thrown down, tha t a ma n o f tru e tast e return s to , agai n an d agai n wit h rapture; and, whilst melody has almost suspended respiration, a lady has aske d m e wher e I bough t m y gown . I hav e see n als o a n ey e glanced coldl y over a mos t exquisit e picture , rest , sparklin g with pleasure, o n a caricature rudely sketched ; an d whils t some terrifi c feature i n nature has spread a sublime stillness throug h m y soul, I have been desired to observe the pretty tricks of a lap-dog, tha t my perverse fat e force d me t o trave l with. I s i t surprisin g tha t suc h a tasteless being should rathe r cares s this dog than he r children ? Or, that sh e shoul d prefe r th e ran t o f flattery to th e simpl e accent s of sincerity? To illustrat e this remark I must b e allowed to observe, that men of the first genius, and most cultivated minds, have appeared to have the highes t relis h fo r the simpl e beauties of nature; and the y mus t have forcibl y felt , wha t the y hav e s o wel l described , th e char m which natural affections, an d unsophisticated feelings spread round the human character. It is this power of looking into the heart, and responsively vibratin g with eac h emotion , tha t enable s the poe t t o personify eac h passion , an d th e painte r t o sketc h wit h a pencil of fire. True tast e i s eve r th e wor k o f th e understandin g employe d i n observing natural effects; an d till women have more understanding, it i s vai n t o expec t the m t o posses s domesti c taste . Thei r livel y senses wil l ever be at work to harden their hearts, and the emotions

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struck out of them wil l continue to be vivid and transitory, unless a proper educatio n stor e thei r min d wit h knowledge. It i s th e wan t o f domesti c taste , an d no t th e acquiremen t o f knowledge, tha t take s wome n ou t o f thei r families , an d tear s th e smiling babe fro m th e breas t tha t ough t t o affor d i t nourishment . Women hav e bee n allowe d t o remai n i n ignorance , an d slavis h dependence, many , ver y many years , an d stil l w e hear o f nothin g but thei r fondnes s of pleasure an d sway , their preferenc e of rakes and soldiers , thei r childis h attachment t o toys, and th e vanit y that makes them valu e accomplishments more tha n virtues . History bring s forwar d a fearfu l catalogu e of th e crime s whic h their cunnin g has produced , whe n th e wea k slave s have had suffi cient addres s t o over-reac h thei r masters . I n France , an d i n ho w many othe r countries , hav e men bee n th e luxuriou s despots , an d women the crafty ministers?*—Doe s this prove that ignorance and dependence domesticate them? Is not their foll y th e by-word of the libertines, wh o rela x i n thei r society ; an d d o no t me n o f sens e continually lament that an immoderate fondness for dress and dissipation carrie s th e mothe r o f a famil y fo r eve r fro m home ? Their hearts hav e not bee n debauche d b y knowledge , or thei r mind s led astray by scientific pursuits; yet, they do not fulfil th e peculiar duties which a s women the y ar e calle d upo n b y natur e t o fulfil . O n th e contrary, th e stat e o f warfar e whic h subsist s betwee n th e sexes , makes them emplo y those wiles , that ofte n frustrat e the more open designs of force . When, therefore , I cal l women slaves , I mea n i n a political and civil sense ; for , indirectl y the y obtai n to o muc h power , an d ar e debased by their exertion s to obtain illicit sway. Let an enlightened nation1 then try what effect reaso n would have to bring them back to nature, and their duty ; and allowing them t o share th e advantage s of education an d governmen t wit h man, se e whether the y wil l becom e better , a s they gro w wise r an d becom e free. The y cannot be injured b y the experiment ; for it is not i n th e power o f man t o rende r the m mor e insignifican t than the y ar e a t present. To rende r thi s practicable , da y schools , fo r particula r ages , should be established by government, in which boys and girls might 1

France .

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be educate d together . Th e schoo l fo r th e younge r children , fro m five to nin e year s of age , ough t t o b e absolutel y fre e an d ope n t o all classes. 1 A sufficien t numbe r o f master s shoul d als o be chose n by a selec t committee , i n eac h parish , t o who m an y complain t of negligence, etc . migh t b e made , i f signe d b y si x of the children' s parents. Ushers would then b e unnecessary; for I believe experience will ever prov e tha t thi s kin d o f subordinat e authorit y i s particularly injurious to the morals of youth. What, indeed, can tend to deprave the character more than outward submission and inward contempt? Yet how can boys be expected t o treat a n usher wit h respect, whe n the maste r seem s t o conside r hi m i n th e ligh t o f a servant , an d almost to countenance the ridicule which becomes the chief amusement o f the boys during the pla y hours? But nothing of this kind could occur in an elementary day-school, where boys and girls, the rich and poor, should meet together . And to prevent any of the distinction s o f vanity, they should be dresse d alike, and al l obliged t o submit t o the sam e discipline, or leav e the school. The school-roo m ought to be surrounded by a large piece of ground, in which the children might be usefully exercised, for at this age they shoul d no t b e confine d t o an y sedentar y employment fo r more tha n a n hou r a t a time . Bu t thes e relaxation s migh t al l b e rendered a part o f elementary education, fo r many things improve and amus e th e senses , whe n introduce d a s a kin d o f show , t o th e principles of which, dryly laid down, children would turn a deaf ear. For instance , botany, mechanics, and astronomy. Reading, writing, arithmetic, natural history, and some simple experiments i n natural philosophy, migh t fill up th e day ; but thes e pursuit s shoul d neve r encroach on gymnastic plays in the ope n air . The element s o f religion, history, the history of man, and politics, migh t als o be taught by conversations, i n the socrati c form . After th e ag e o f nine , girl s an d boys , intende d fo r domesti c employments, o r mechanical trades, ough t t o be removed t o othe r schools, an d receiv e instruction, i n som e measur e appropriate d t o the destination of each individual, the two sexes being still together in th e morning ; bu t i n th e afternoon , th e girl s shoul d atten d a 1 Treatin g thi s par t o f th e subject , I hav e borrowed som e hint s fro m a ver y sensibl e pamphlet, writte n by the lat e bishop of Autun on Public Education.

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school, where plain-work, mantua-making, millinery, etc. would be their employment . The youn g peopl e o f superio r abilities , o r fortune , migh t no w be taught , i n anothe r school , th e dea d an d livin g languages, th e elements of science , and continu e the stud y of histor y and poli tics, on a mor e extensiv e scale , whic h woul d not exclud e polit e literature. Girls and boys still together? I hear some readers ask: yes. And I should no t fea r an y other consequenc e tha n that some early attachment migh t tak e place; which, whils t it ha d th e bes t effec t o n th e moral character of the young people, might not perfectly agree with the views of the parents, fo r it will be a long time, I fear, before the world will be so far enlightened that parents, only anxious to render their childre n virtuous, shall allow them t o choose companion s for life themselves . Besides, this would be a sure way to promote early marriages, and from earl y marriages th e mos t salutar y physical and mora l effect s naturally flow . Wha t a differen t characte r doe s a marrie d citize n assume fro m th e selfis h coxcomb , wh o lives , but fo r himself , an d who i s often afrai d t o marry lest h e shoul d no t b e abl e to liv e in a certain style. Great emergencies excepted, which would rarely occur in a societ y o f whic h equalit y wa s th e basis , a ma n ca n onl y b e prepared t o discharg e th e dutie s o f publi c life , b y th e habitua l practice o f those inferiou r ones which form th e man . In thi s pla n o f education th e constitutio n o f boys would no t b e ruined by the early debaucheries, which now make men so selfish, or girls rendered weak and vain, by indolence, an d frivolou s pursuits. But, I presuppose , tha t suc h a degree of equality should b e established between the sexe s as would shut out gallantr y and coquetry , yet allow friendship and love to temper the heart for the discharge of higher duties . These would be schools o f morality—and the happines s of man, allowed t o flo w fro m th e pur e spring s o f duty an d affection , wha t advances migh t no t th e huma n min d make ? Societ y ca n onl y be happy an d fre e i n proportio n a s i t i s virtuous ; bu t th e presen t distinctions, establishe d i n society, corrode all private, and blast all public virtue. I hav e already inveigned against the custo m o f confining girl s to their needle , an d shuttin g the m ou t fro m al l politica l an d civi l

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employments; for by thus narrowing their minds they are rendere d unfit t o fulfi l th e peculia r duties which nature has assigned them . Only employed about th e littl e incidents of the day , they necessarily grow up cunning . My very soul has often sickene d at observ ing the sl y tricks practised b y women to gain some foolish thin g on which their sill y hearts were set. No t allowe d to dispose of money, or call any thing their own, they learn to turn the market penny;* or, should a husband offend, b y staying from home, or give rise to some emotions of jealousy—a ne w gown, or any pretty bawble , smooth s Juno's angry brow.* But these littlenesses would not degrade their character, if women were led to respect themselves , i f political and mora l subjects were opened t o them; and, I wil l ventur e to affirm , tha t thi s i s the only way to make them properly attentive to their domestic duties.—An active mind embrace s th e whol e circle of its duties, an d finds time enough for all. It is not, I assert, a bold attempt to emulate masculine virtues; it is not the enchantmen t o f literary pursuits, o r the steady investigation o f scientifi c subjects , tha t lead s wome n astra y fro m duty. No , i t i s indolence an d vanity—th e love of pleasure and th e love o f sway,* that wil l reig n paramoun t i n a n empt y mind . I say empty emphatically , because th e educatio n whic h women no w re ceive scarcely deserves th e name. For the little knowledge that they are le d t o acquire , durin g the importan t year s of youth, i s merely relative t o accomplishments ; an d accomplishment s withou t a bot tom, fo r unles s th e understandin g b e cultivated , superficia l an d monotonous is every grace. Like the charms of a made up face , they only strike the sense s in a crowd; but a t home, wantin g mind, they want variety. The consequenc e i s obvious; in gay scenes of dissipation w e mee t th e artificia l min d an d face , fo r thos e wh o fl y fro m solitude dread, next to solitude, the domestic circle; not having it in their power to amuse or interest, the y feel thei r own insignificance , or find nothing to amuse or interest themselves . Besides, what can be more indelicate than a girl's coming out in the fashionable world ? Which , i n othe r words , i s to brin g t o marke t a marriageable miss, whose person i s taken fro m on e public place to another, richl y caparisoned. Yet , mixin g in th e gidd y circle unde r restraint, these butterflies long to flutte r a t large, for the firs t affec tion of their souls is their own persons, t o which their attention has been called with the most sedulous care whilst they were preparing

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for the period tha t decides their fate for life. Instead o f pursuing this idle routine , sighin g fo r tasteles s shew , an d heartles s state , wit h what dignity would the youths of both sexes form attachments in the schools that I have cursorily pointed out; in which, as life advanced, dancing, music, an d drawing , might b e admitted a s relaxations, for at these school s youn g people o f fortune ought t o remain, mor e or less, til l they were of age. Those, who were designed fo r particular professions, migh t attend , thre e o r fou r morning s i n the week , the schools appropriate d fo r their immediat e instruction . I only drop these observations at present, a s hints; rather, indeed , as an outline of the plan I mean, than a digested one; but I must add, that I highly approve of one regulation mentioned i n the pamphlet 1 already allude d to , tha t o f makin g th e childre n an d youth s in dependent o f th e master s respectin g punishments . The y shoul d be trie d b y thei r peers , whic h woul d b e a n admirabl e metho d o f fixing sound principle s o f justice in the mind , an d migh t hav e th e happiest effec t o n the temper, whic h is very early soured or irritated by tyranny , till it becomes peevishl y cunning, o r ferociousl y overbearing. My imaginatio n dart s forwar d wit h benevolent fervou r to gree t these amiable and respectable groups , in spite of the sneering of cold hearts, wh o are at liberty t o utter, wit h frigi d self-importance , th e damning epithet—romantic; the force of which I shall endeavour to blunt by repeating the words of an eloquent moralist.—'I know not whether th e allusion s o f a truly human e heart , whos e zeal render s every thin g easy , b e no t preferabl e t o tha t roug h an d repulsin g reason, which alway s finds an indifference for the publi c good, th e first obstacle t o whatever would promote it. ' I kno w tha t libertine s wil l als o exclaim , tha t woma n woul d b e unsexed b y acquiring strength o f body and mind, an d that beauty , soft bewitchin g beauty ! woul d n o longe r ador n th e daughter s o f men. I a m o f a ver y differen t opinion , fo r I thin k that , o n th e contrary, w e shoul d the n se e dignifie d beauty , an d tru e grace ; t o produce which , man y powerfu l physica l an d mora l cause s woul d concur.—Not relaxe d beauty , i t i s true , o r th e grace s o f help lessness; but suc h as appears to make us respect th e human body as 1

Th e Bisho p of Autun's.

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a majesti c pil e fit to receiv e a nobl e inhabitant , in the relic s of antiquity. I do not forget th e popular opinion that the Grecian statue s were not modelled afte r nature . I mean, not according to the proportion s of a particula r man ; bu t tha t beautifu l limb s an d feature s wer e selected fro m variou s bodies t o for m a n harmoniou s whole . Thi s might, in some degree, be true. Th e fine ideal picture of an exalted imagination might be superiour t o the materials which the statuary found i n nature, and thus it might with propriety be termed rathe r the mode l o f mankin d tha n o f a man . I t wa s not , however , th e mechanical selection o f limbs and features ; but th e ebullitio n o f an heated fanc y tha t burs t forth , an d th e fin e sense s an d enlarge d understanding of the artist selected the solid matter, whic h he drew into this glowin g focus. I observe d tha t i t was not mechanical , because a whole was produced—a model of that grand simplicity, of those concurring energies, whic h arres t ou r attentio n an d comman d ou r reverence . Fo r only insipi d lifeles s beaut y i s produce d b y a servil e copy o f eve n beautiful nature . Yet, independen t o f these observations, I believe that the human form must hav e been far more beautiful tha n it is at present, becaus e extreme indolence, barbarous ligatures, and many causes, which forcibly act on it, in our luxurious state of society, did not retard its expansion, or render it deformed. Exercise and clean liness appear to be not onl y the sures t mean s of preserving health , but o f promoting beauty, the physica l causes only considered; yet , this i s no t sufficient , mora l one s mus t concur , o r beaut y wil l b e merely o f that rusti c kin d whic h bloom s o n th e innocent , whole some, countenances of some country people, whose minds have not been exercised . T o rende r th e perso n perfect , physical and mora l beauty ough t t o b e attaine d a t th e sam e time ; eac h lendin g an d receiving forc e b y th e combination . Judgment mus t resid e o n th e brow, affection an d fanc y bea m in the eye, and humanity curve the cheek, o r vai n i s th e sparklin g o f th e fines t ey e o r th e elegantl y turned finis h o f th e faires t features : whils t i n ever y motio n tha t displays th e activ e limb s an d well-kni t joints , grac e an d modest y should appear . Bu t thi s fai r assemblang e is not t o b e brough t to gether by chance; it is the reward of exertions calculated to support each other; for judgment can only be acquire d b y reflection , affec -

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tion b y th e discharg e o f duties , an d humanit y b y th e exercis e o f compassion t o every living creature. Humanity to animals should be particularly inculcated as a part of national education, for it is not at present one of our national virtues. Tenderness fo r their humbl e dum b domestics , amongs t th e lowe r class, i s oftener to b e foun d in a savage than a civilized state. Fo r civilization prevents that intercours e whic h creates affectio n i n th e rude hut, or mud hovel , and leads uncultivated minds who are only depraved b y th e refinement s which prevai l i n th e society , wher e they are trodden unde r foo t b y the rich , t o domineer over them t o revenge th e insult s tha t the y ar e oblige d t o bea r fro m thei r superiours. This habitual cruelty is first caught a t school, wher e it i s one of the rare sports o f the boys to torment th e miserable brutes that fal l in thei r way . The transition , a s the y gro w up , fro m barbarit y t o brutes t o domesti c tyrann y over wives , children , an d servants , i s very easy. Justice, or even benevolence, will not be a powerful sprin g of action unles s it extend t o the whol e creation; nay , I believe tha t it ma y b e delivere d a s a n axiom , tha t thos e wh o ca n se e pain , unmoved, will soon lear n to inflict it . The vulga r are swayed by present feelings , and th e habits which they hav e accidentally acquired; bu t o n partia l feeling s much de pendence canno t be placed, though they be just; for, when they are not invigorate d b y reflection , custom weaken s them, til l the y ar e scarcely perceptible. The sympathie s of our nature are strengthened by ponderin g cogitations , an d deadene d b y thoughtles s use . Macbeth's heart smote him more for one murder, the first, than for a hundre d subsequen t ones , whic h were necessary to back it. But , when I used the epithet vulgar, I did not mean to confine my remark to the poor, for partial humanity, founded on present sensations , or whim, is quite as conspicuous, if not more so, amongst the rich . The lad y wh o shed s tear s fo r th e bir d starve d i n a snare , an d execrates the devil s in the shap e of men, wh o goad to madness th e poor ox, or whip the patient ass, tottering under a burden above its strength, will , nevertheless, kee p he r coachma n an d horse s whol e hours waitin g for her, whe n the shar p fros t bites , o r the rai n beats against the well-close d window s which do not admi t a breath of air to tell her how roughly the wind blows without. And she who takes her dogs to bed, and nurses them with a parade of sensibility, when

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sick, wil l suffe r he r babe s t o gro w u p crooke d i n a nursery. Thi s illustration o f m y argumen t i s draw n fro m a matte r o f fact . Th e woman whom I allude to was handsome, reckone d ver y handsome , by those who do not miss the mind when the fac e is plump and fair ; but he r understandin g ha d no t bee n le d fro m femal e dutie s b y literature, no r her innocence debauched by knowledge. No, she was quite feminine, according to the masculine acceptation of the word; and, s o fa r fro m lovin g thes e spoile d brute s tha t fille d th e plac e which he r childre n ough t t o hav e occupied, sh e onl y lispe d ou t a pretty mixtur e o f French an d English nonsense, t o please the me n who flocke d roun d her . Th e wife , mother , an d huma n creature , were all swallowed up by the factitious character which an improper education an d th e selfis h vanit y of beauty had produced . I do not like to make a distinction withou t a difference, an d I own that I hav e been a s much disguste d b y the fine lady wh o took he r lap-dog t o he r boso m instea d o f her child ; a s by th e ferocit y o f a man, who, beating his horse, declared , that he knew as well when he did wrong , a s a Christian . This broo d o f foll y shew s ho w mistake n the y ar e who , i f the y allow wome n t o leav e thei r harams , d o no t cultivat e thei r understandings, i n orde r t o plan t virtue s i n thei r hearts . Fo r ha d they sense, they might acquir e that domestic taste which would lead them to love with reasonable subordination their whole family, fro m their husband t o the house-dog; nor would they ever insult human ity in the perso n o f the mos t menia l servan t by paying more attention t o the comfor t of a brute, tha n t o that o f a fellow-creature. My observations on national education ar e obviously hints; but I principally wis h t o enforc e th e necessit y o f educatin g th e sexe s together t o perfect both, an d of making children slee p at home tha t they may learn to love home; yet to make private support, instea d of smothering, publi c affections, the y shoul d be sent t o school t o mix with a number o f equals, fo r only by the jostlings of equality can we form a just opinion o f ourselves. To rende r mankin d more virtuous , an d happie r o f course, bot h sexes mus t ac t fro m th e sam e principle ; bu t ho w ca n tha t b e ex pected whe n only one is allowed to see the reasonablenes s o f it? T o render also the social compact truly equitable, and in order to spread those enlightening principles, whic h alone can meliorate the fat e of man, wome n mus t b e allowed to foun d thei r virtu e on knowledge,

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which is scarcel y possibl e unles s the y be educate d by the sam e pursuits a s men. Fo r the y ar e now made s o inferiour b y ignorance and low desires, as not to deserve to be ranked with them; or, by the serpentine wriggling s of cunning they mount the tree of knowledge, and onl y acquire sufficien t t o lead men astray . It i s plain fro m th e histor y o f all nations, tha t wome n canno t b e confined t o merely domestic pursuits , fo r they will not fulfi l famil y duties, unles s thei r mind s tak e a wider range , an d whils t the y ar e kept in ignorance they become i n the same proportion th e slave s of pleasure a s they are the slave s of man. Nor ca n they be shut ou t of great enterprises, thoug h th e narrowness of their minds ofte n make them mar, wha t they are unable to comprehend . The libertinism , an d eve n th e virtue s o f superiou r men , wil l always giv e women, o f som e description , grea t powe r ove r them ; and these weak women, under the influence of childish passions and selfish vanity, will throw a false light over the objects which the very men vie w wit h their eyes , wh o ought t o enlighten thei r judgment . Men o f fancy, an d thos e sanguine character s wh o mostly hold th e helm of human affairs, i n general, relax in the society of women; and surely I nee d no t cit e t o th e mos t superficia l reade r o f history th e numerous example s o f vic e an d oppressio n whic h th e privat e in trigues o f femal e favourite s hav e produced ; no t t o dwel l o n th e mischief tha t naturall y arises fro m th e blunderin g interpositio n o f well-meaning folly . Fo r i n th e transaction s o f business i t i s muc h better t o hav e t o dea l wit h a knav e tha n a fool , becaus e a knav e adheres t o some plan ; and an y plan of reason ma y be seen throug h much sooner than a sudden flight of folly. The powe r which vile and foolish women have had over wise men, who possessed sensibility , is notorious; I shall only mention on e instance . Who ever drew a more exalted female character than Rousseau?* though i n the lump h e constantly endeavoure d t o degrade th e sex . And wh y wa s h e thu s anxious ? Trul y t o justif y t o himsel f th e affection whic h weakness and virtue had made him cherish fo r that fool Theresa. * He coul d no t rais e he r t o th e commo n leve l of her sex; an d therefor e h e laboure d t o bring woma n dow n t o her's. H e found he r a convenien t humbl e companion , an d prid e mad e hi m determine t o fin d som e superiou r virtue s i n th e bein g who m h e chose to live with; but di d not her conduct durin g his life, and afte r his death, clearly shew how grossly he was mistaken who called he r

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a celestial innocent.* Nay, i n the bitterness o f his heart, h e himsel f laments, tha t whe n his bodily infirmities made him no longer trea t her lik e a woman, she ceased t o hav e an affectio n fo r him.* And i t was ver y natural tha t sh e should , fo r havin g so fe w sentiments i n common, whe n the sexual tie was broken, what was to hold her? To hold her affection whos e sensibility was confined to one sex, nay, to one man, it requires sense to turn sensibilit y into the broad channe l of humanity; many women have not mind enough to have an affec tion for a woman, or a friendship for a man. But the sexual weakness that make s woma n depen d o n ma n fo r a subsistence , produce s a kind o f cattish affectio n whic h lead s a wife t o pur r abou t he r hus band a s she would about an y man wh o fed and caresse d her . Men are , however, often gratifie d by this kind of fondness, which is confined in a beastly manner t o themselves; bu t shoul d the y ever become mor e virtuous , the y wil l wish to converse a t their fire-sid e with a friend, afte r the y ceas e to play with a mistress. Besides, understandin g is necessary to give variety and interest t o sensual enjoyments , for low, indeed, i n the intellectua l scale , is th e mind tha t can continue t o love when neither virtu e nor sense give a human appearanc e t o a n anima l appetite . Bu t sens e wil l alway s preponderate; an d i f women be not, i n general , brough t mor e o n a level with men, som e superiou r women , like the Gree k courtezans , will assemble the men of abilities around them, an d draw from thei r families man y citizens , wh o woul d hav e staye d a t hom e ha d thei r wives had more sense , o r the grace s which result fro m th e exercis e of th e understandin g an d fancy , th e legitimat e parent s o f taste. A woman o f talents, if she be no t absolutel y ugly , wil l always obtain great power, raised by the weakness of her sex; and in proportion a s men acquire virtue and delicacy, by the exertion of reason, they will look for both in women, but the y can only acquire them i n the same way that me n do . In Franc e or Italy , hav e the wome n confine d themselves to domestic life ? thoug h the y have not hithert o ha d a political existence , yet, hav e the y no t illicitl y had grea t sway ? corruptin g themselves and the men with whose passions they played. In short, in whatever light I view the subject, reason and experience convince me that the only metho d o f leading women t o fulfi l thei r peculia r duties , i s to free the m fro m al l restrain t b y allowin g the m t o participat e th e inherent right s o f mankind.

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Make them free , and they will quickly become wise and virtuous, as men becom e mor e so ; for the improvemen t must be mutual, or the injustice which one half of the human race are obliged to submit to, retortin g o n thei r oppressors , th e virtu e of man wil l be worm eaten by the insec t who m he keeps under his feet . Let me n tak e their choice , ma n an d woma n were made for each other, though not to become one being; and if they will not improve women, they will deprave them ! I spea k of the improvemen t an d emancipatio n of the whol e sex, for I know that the behaviour of a few women, who, by accident, or following a strong bent of nature, have acquired a portion of knowledge superiour t o that o f the res t of their sex , has often bee n over bearing; bu t ther e hav e bee n instance s o f wome n who , attainin g knowledge, hav e not discarde d modesty , no r hav e they alway s pe dantically appeared to despise the ignorance which they laboured to disperse i n thei r ow n minds . Th e exclamation s the n whic h an y advice respectin g femal e learning , commonl y produces , especiall y from prett y women, often aris e from envy . When they chance to see that eve n th e lustr e o f their eyes , an d th e flippan t sportivenes s o f refined coquetr y wil l no t alway s secure the m attention , durin g a whole evening, should a woman of a more cultivated understanding endeavour t o give a rational turn t o the conversation , the commo n source o f consolatio n is , tha t suc h wome n seldo m ge t husbands . What arts have I not seen sill y women use to interrupt by flirtation, a ver y significan t wor d t o describ e suc h a manoeuvre , a rational conversation whic h mad e th e me n forge t tha t the y wer e prett y women. But, allowing what is very natural to man, that the possessio n of rare abilitie s is really calculated t o excit e over-weenin g pride , dis gusting in both men and women—in what a state of inferiority must the female faculties have rusted when such a small portion of knowledge a s thos e wome n attained , wh o hav e sneeringl y been terme d learned women , could be singular?—Sufficiently s o to puf f u p th e possessor, an d excit e envy in he r contemporaries , an d som e of the other sex . Nay, has not a little rationality exposed man y women to the severes t censure ? I adver t t o wel l known facts, for I hav e fre quently heard wome n ridiculed, and every little weakness exposed, only becaus e the y adopte d th e advic e of som e medica l men , an d deviated fro m th e beate n trac k i n thei r mod e o f treating thei r in -

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fants.* I hav e actually heard thi s barbarous aversio n t o innovation carried still further, and a sensible woman stigmatized as an unnatural mother , wh o ha s thu s bee n wisel y solicitou s t o preserv e th e health of her children, when in the midst of her care she has lost one by som e o f the casualtie s of infancy, whic h no prudenc e ca n ward off. He r acquaintanc e have observed, that this was the consequenc e of new-fangled notions—th e new-fangled notions of ease and cleanliness. And thos e wh o pretending to experience, though the y have long adhered to prejudices that have, according to the opinion of the most sagacious physicians, thinned th e human race, almost rejoiced at the disaste r afte r tha t gav e a kind of sanction t o prescription . Indeed, i f it were only on this account, the nationa l education of women is of the utmos t consequence , fo r what a number o f human sacrifices ar e mad e t o tha t moloch * prejudice ! And i n ho w many ways are children destroyed by the lasciviousness of man? The want of natural affection, i n many women, who are drawn from their duty by th e admiratio n o f men, an d th e ignoranc e of others, rende r th e infancy o f man a much more perilou s state than that o f brutes; yet men ar e unwillin g to plac e wome n i n situation s prope r t o enabl e them to acquire sufficient understandin g to know how even to nurse their babes . So forcibly doe s this truth strik e me, that I would rest the whole tendency of my reasoning upon it, for whatever tends to incapacitate the materna l character, takes woman out o f her sphere . But it is vain to expect the present race of weak mothers eithe r t o take that reasonable care of a child's body, which is necessary to lay the foundation of a good constitution, supposing that it do not suffe r for th e sin s o f its fathers; * or , t o manage its tempe r s o judiciously that th e chil d will not have , as it grow s up, t o throw off all that it s mother, it s first instructor, directl y or indirectly taught; and unless the mind have uncommon vigour, womanish follies will stick to the character throughou t life . Th e weaknes s of the mothe r wil l be vis ited on the children! And whilst women are educated to rely on their husbands for judgment, this must ever be the consequence, fo r there is no improving an understanding by halves, nor ca n any being act wisely from imitation , because in every circumstance o f life there is a kin d of individuality, which requires an exertio n o f judgment to modify genera l rules. The bein g who can think justly in one track, will soon exten d it s intellectual empire; an d sh e who has sufficien t

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judgment to manage her children , wil l not submit , righ t o r wrong, to her husband, o r patiently to the social laws which make a nonen tity o f a wife . In public schools women, to guard against the errors of ignorance, should be taught the elements of anatomy and medicine, not only to enable the m t o tak e proper car e o f their ow n health , bu t t o mak e them rationa l nurses of their infants, parents, an d husbands; fo r the bills o f mortality * ar e swelle d b y th e blunder s o f self-wille d ol d women, who give nostrums o f their own without knowing any thing of the human frame. I t is likewise proper only in a domestic view, to make women acquainted with the anatomy of the mind, by allowing the sexes to associate together i n every pursuit; and by leading them to observe the progress of the human understanding in the improve ment of the sciences and arts; never forgetting the science of morality, or the stud y of the politica l history of mankind. A man has been termed a microcosm; and every family might also be called a state. States, it is true, have mostly been governed by arts that disgrac e the characte r o f man; an d th e wan t of a just constitution, an d equa l laws , have so perplexed th e notion s o f the worldly wise, that they more than question the reasonableness of contending for th e right s of humanity. Thus morality, polluted i n the nationa l reservoir, send s off streams o f vice to corrupt th e constituen t part s of th e bod y politic ; bu t shoul d mor e noble , o r rather , mor e jus t principles regulat e the laws , which ought t o be th e governmen t of society, an d no t thos e wh o execute them , dut y migh t becom e th e rule of private conduct . Besides, by the exercise o f their bodies and minds women woul d acquire tha t menta l activit y so necessary i n the materna l character , united wit h th e fortitud e tha t distinguishe s steadines s o f conduc t from th e obstinat e perversenes s of weakness. For i t is dangerous to advise th e indolen t t o b e steady , becaus e the y instantl y becom e rigorous, and to save themselves trouble, punish with severity fault s that th e patien t fortitud e of reason migh t hav e prevented . But fortitud e presuppose s strengt h o f mind; an d i s strengt h o f mind t o b e acquire d b y indolen t acquiescence ? b y askin g advice instead o f exerting the judgment ? by obeying through fear , instea d of practisin g th e forbearance , whic h w e al l stand i n nee d o f our selves?—The conclusio n whic h I wis h t o draw , i s obvious ; mak e women rationa l creatures , an d fre e citizens , an d the y wil l quickly

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become goo d wives, and mothers; that is—if men do not neglect th e duties o f husbands and fathers. Discussing th e advantage s which a public and privat e educatio n combined, a s I have sketched, migh t rationall y be expected t o pro duce, I hav e dwelt most o n suc h a s are particularly relative t o th e female world , because I thin k th e femal e worl d oppressed ; ye t th e gangrene, whic h th e vice s engendere d b y oppressio n hav e pro duced, i s not confine d to th e morbi d part , bu t pervade s societ y at large: s o that whe n I wis h t o se e my se x become mor e lik e moral agents, m y heart bounds wit h the anticipation of the genera l diffu sion o f that sublim e contentment whic h only morality can diffuse .

CHAPTER XII I SOME INSTANCE S O F TH E FOLL Y WHIC H TH E IGNORANCE O F WOME N GENERATES ; WIT H CONCLUDIN G REFLECTIONS O N TH E MORA L IMPROVEMEN T THAT A REVOLUTIO N I N FEMAL E MANNER S MIGHT NATURALL Y B E EXPECTE D T O PRODUC E

There ar e man y follies , i n som e degree , peculia r t o women : sin s against reason of commission a s well as of omission; bu t al l flowing from ignoranc e or prejudice, I shall only point out such as appear to be particularl y injuriou s t o thei r mora l character . An d i n animadverting on them , I wis h especially to prove , tha t th e weak ness of mind an d body, which men hav e endeavoured, impelled by various motives, to perpetuate, prevent s their discharging the peculiar dut y o f thei r sex : fo r whe n weaknes s of body wil l not permi t them t o suckl e their children , an d weaknes s of mind make s the m spoil their tempers—i s woman in a natural state? Section I One glarin g instanc e o f th e weaknes s whic h proceed s fro m igno rance, first claims attention, an d call s for severe reproof . In thi s metropolis a number o f lurking leeches infamousl y gain a subsistence b y practising on the credulit y of women, pretending to cast nativities,* to use the technical phrase; an d many females who, proud o f thei r ran k an d fortune , loo k dow n o n th e vulga r wit h sovereign contempt , she w b y this credulity , tha t th e distinctio n i s arbitrary, and that the y have not sufficientl y cultivate d their mind s to rise above vulgar prejudices. Women, because they have not been led to consider th e knowledg e of their dut y as the on e thing necessary t o know , or, t o liv e i n th e presen t momen t b y th e discharg e of it, are very anxious to peep into futurity , t o learn what they have to expec t t o rende r lif e interesting , an d t o brea k th e vacuu m o f ignorance. I mus t b e allowe d t o expostulat e seriousl y wit h th e ladie s wh o follow these idle inventions; for ladies, mistresses of families, are not 266

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ashamed t o drive in their own carriages t o the doo r o f the cunnin g man.1 And if any of them should peruse this work, I entreat them to answer t o thei r ow n hearts th e followin g questions , no t forgetting that the y are in the presenc e o f God . Do you believe that there is but one God, an d that he is powerful, wise, and good ? Do yo u believe that al l things wer e created b y him, an d tha t all beings are dependent o n him? Do yo u rely on his wisdom, so conspicuous i n his works, and i n your ow n frame , an d ar e yo u convince d tha t h e ha s ordere d al l things which do not com e unde r th e cognizanc e of your senses, i n the sam e perfect harmony, t o fulfi l hi s designs? Do you acknowledge that the power of looking into futurity, an d seeing thing s tha t ar e riot , a s i f the y were , i s a n attribut e o f th e Creator? An d shoul d he , b y a n impressio n o n th e mind s o f hi s creatures, think fit to impart to them some event hid in the shades of time yet unborn, to whom would the secret be revealed by immediate inspiration? The opinio n of ages wil l answe r this question—t o reverend ol d men, t o people distinguished for eminent piety. The oracle s of old were thus delivered by priests dedicated to the service of the God wh o was supposed t o inspire them. Th e glar e of worldly pom p whic h surrounde d thes e impostors, an d the respec t paid to them by artful politicians, who knew how to avail themselves of thi s usefu l engin e t o ben d th e neck s o f th e stron g unde r th e dominion of the cunning, spread a sacred mysterious veil of sanctity over thei r lie s and abominations . Impresse d b y suc h solem n devo tional parade , a Greek , o r Roma n lad y migh t b e excused , i f sh e inquired of the oracle, when she was anxious to pry into futurity, o r inquire about some dubious event: and her inquiries, however contrary to reason, coul d not be reckoned impious.—But, can the pro fessors o f Christianit y war d of f tha t imputation ? Can a Christia n suppose tha t th e favourite s of the most High , the highly favoured , would be obliged to lurk in disguise, and practise the most dishonest tricks to cheat sill y women out o f the money—whic h th e poo r cr y for i n vain ? 1 I once lived in the neighbourhoo d o f one o f these men, a handsome man , and sa w with surprise an d indignation , women , whos e appearance an d attendanc e bespok e that ran k in which female s ar e supposed t o receive a superiour education , flock to his door .

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Say not that such questions are an insult to common sense—for it is your own conduct, O ye foolish women! which throws an odium on your sex! And these reflections should make you shudder at your thoughtlessness, an d irrationa l devotion.—Fo r I d o no t suppos e that all of you laid aside your religion, such as it is, when you entered those mysteriou s dwellings . Yet , a s I hav e throughou t suppose d myself talkin g to ignoran t women , fo r ignoran t y e are i n th e mos t emphatical sens e o f th e word , i t woul d b e absur d t o reaso n wit h you o n th e egregiou s foll y o f desiring t o kno w what th e Suprem e Wisdom ha s concealed. Probably yo u woul d no t understan d me , wer e I t o attemp t t o shew yo u tha t i t woul d b e absolutel y inconsisten t wit h th e gran d purpose o f life, tha t o f rendering huma n creature s wis e and virtu ous: and that, were it sanctioned by God, i t would disturb the order established i n creation; and i f it be not sanctione d b y God, d o you expect to hear truth? Can events be foretold, events which have not yet assumed a body to become subject to mortal inspection, can they be foresee n by a viciou s worldling, who pamper s hi s appetite s b y preying on the foolis h ones? Perhaps, however, you devoutly believe in the devil, and imagine, to shif t th e question , tha t h e ma y assis t hi s votaries ; but , i f really respecting the powe r of such a being, a n enemy to goodness and to God, ca n you go to church afte r havin g been under such an obligation t o him? From these delusion s to those stil l more fashionabl e deceptions, practised b y the whol e tribe o f magnetisers,* the transitio n is very natural. Wit h respect to them, it is equally proper to ask women a few questions . Do yo u know any thing of the construction o f the human frame ? If not, it is proper that you should be told what every child ought to know, tha t whe n it s admirabl e oeconom y ha s bee n disturbe d b y intemperance o r indolence, I speak not o f violent disorders, bu t o f chronical diseases, it must be brought into a healthy state again, by slow degrees , an d i f the function s of lif e hav e not bee n materially injured, regimen , another wor d for temperance, air , exercise, and a few medicines , prescribed b y persons who have studied the human body, are the only human means, yet discovered, of recovering that inestimable blessing health, that wil l bear investigation.

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Do you then believe that these magnetisers, who, by hocus pocus tricks, pretend t o work a miracle, are delegated by God, o r assisted by th e solve r of all these kin d of difficulties—the devil ? Do they, when they put t o flight, as it is said, disorders that have baffled th e power s o f medicine , wor k i n conformit y t o th e ligh t of reason ? or , d o the y effec t thes e wonderfu l cure s b y superna tural aid ? By a communication , a n adep t ma y answer , wit h th e worl d o f spirits. A noble privilege, it must b e allowed. Some o f the ancient s mention familia r daemons , wh o guarde d the m fro m dange r b y kindly intimating, we cannot guess in what manner, when any danger was nigh; or, pointed out what they ought to undertake. Yet the men wh o lai d clai m t o thi s privilege , ou t o f th e orde r o f nature , insisted tha t i t wa s the reward , or consequence, o f superiour tem perance and piety. But the present workers of wonders are not raised above thei r fellow s b y superiou r temperanc e o r sanctity . They d o not cur e fo r the lov e of God, bu t money . Thes e ar e the priest s o f quackery, though i t is true the y have not th e convenient expedient of selling masses for souls in purgatory, or churches where they can display crutches, an d model s of limbs made sound b y a touch o r a word. I am not conversant with the technical terms, or initiated into the arcana, therefore , I may speak improperly; but i t i s clear tha t me n who will not conform to the law of reason, and earn a subsistence in an hones t way , b y degrees , ar e ver y fortunat e i n becomin g ac quainted wit h such obligin g spirits. W e cannot, indeed , giv e them credit fo r eithe r grea t sagacit y o r goodness , els e the y woul d hav e chosen mor e nobl e instruments , whe n the y wished t o she w themselves the benevolent friends o f man. It is , however , littl e shor t o f blasphem y t o preten d t o suc h powers! From th e whol e tenou r o f th e dispensation s o f Providence , i t appears evident to sobe r reason , tha t certai n vices produce certai n effects; an d ca n any one so grossly insult the wisdo m of God, a s to suppose that a miracle will be allowed to disturb his general laws, to restore to health the intemperate and vicious, merely to enable them to pursu e th e sam e cours e wit h impunity ? Be whole , an d si n n o more, sai d Jesus.* And , ar e greate r miracle s t o b e performe d b y

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those who do not follow his footsteps, wh o healed the body to reach the mind? The mentionin g of the name of Christ, after suc h vile impostors, may displease some of my readers—I respect thei r warmth ; but le t them no t forget that the follower s of these delusions bear his name, and profes s to be the disciple s of him, wh o said, by their work s we should know who were the children of God or the servants of sin. I allow that it is easier to touch th e bod y of a saint, or to be magnet ised, tha n t o restrai n ou r appetite s o r gover n ou r passions ; bu t health of body or mind can only be recovered by these means, or we make the Suprem e Judge partial and revengeful. Is he a man that h e should change , or punish out of resentment? He—the common father , wounds but t o heal, says reason, and ou r irregularities producin g certai n consequences , w e ar e forcibl y shewn the nature of vice; that thus learning to know good from evil, by experience, we may hate one and love the other, in proportion to the wisdom which we attain. The poiso n contains the antidote; and we eithe r refor m ou r evi l habits an d ceas e t o si n agains t ou r ow n bodies, t o us e th e forcibl e language o f scripture , o r a prematur e death, th e punishmen t o f sin, snaps the threa d o f life . Here an awfu l sto p i s put t o ou r inquiries.—But , why should I conceal my sentiments? Considerin g the attributes of God, I believe that whatever punishment may follow, wil l tend, like the anguish of disease, t o she w the malignit y of vice, for th e purpos e o f reformation. Positive punishment appears so contrary to the nature of God, discoverable i n al l his works , and i n ou r ow n reason , tha t I coul d sooner believ e tha t th e Deit y pai d n o attentio n t o th e conduc t of men , tha n tha t h e punishe d withou t th e benevolen t desig n o f reforming. To suppos e onl y that a n all-wise and powerfu l Being , as good as he is great, should creat e a being foreseeing, that afte r fifty or sixty years of feverish existence , i t woul d be plunge d int o neve r ending woe—is blasphemy. On what will the worm feed that is never to die? On folly , on ignorance, say ye—I should blush indignantly at drawing th e natura l conclusion coul d I inser t it , an d wis h to withdraw myself fro m th e win g of my God ! O n suc h a supposition, I speak with reverence , h e woul d b e a consumin g fire . W e shoul d wish , though vainly, to fly from hi s presence when fear absorbed love, and darkness involved all his counsels !

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I know that many devout people boast of submitting to the Will of God blindly, as to an arbitrary sceptre o r rod, on the same principle as the Indians worship the devil . In othe r words , lik e people i n th e common concern s o f life , the y d o homag e t o power , an d cring e under th e foo t tha t ca n crus h them . Rationa l religion , o n th e contrary, i s a submissio n t o th e wil l o f a bein g s o perfectl y wise , that al l he will s must b e directe d b y th e prope r motive—mus t b e reasonable. And, if thus we respect God , ca n we give credit to the mysterious insinuations, which insult his laws? can we believe, though i t should stare u s i n th e face , tha t h e woul d wor k a miracl e t o authoriz e confusion b y sanctionin g a n error ? Yet w e must eithe r allo w thes e impious conclusions , o r trea t wit h contemp t ever y promis e t o re store health to a diseased body by supernatural means, or to foretell the incident s tha t ca n only be foreseen by God . Section II Another instance of that feminine weakness of character, ofte n pro duced b y a confine d education , i s a romanti c twis t o f th e mind , which has been ver y properly termed sentimental. Women subjecte d b y ignoranc e t o thei r sensations , an d onl y taught t o look for happiness i n love, refine o n sensual feelings , and adopt metaphysica l notion s respectin g tha t passion , whic h lea d them shamefull y to neglect th e dutie s of life, an d frequentl y in th e midst o f these sublim e refinements they plump int o actua l vice. These ar e th e wome n wh o ar e amuse d b y th e reverie s o f th e stupid novelists, who, knowing little of human nature, work up stale tales, an d describ e meretriciou s scenes , al l retailed in a sentimental jargon, which equally tend t o corrupt th e taste, an d draw the hear t aside fro m it s dail y duties . I d o no t mentio n th e understanding , because neve r havin g been exercised , lik e the lurkin g particles o f fire* which are supposed universall y to pervade matter . Females, in fact, denied all political privileges, and not allowed, as married women , excepting in criminal cases, a civil existence, hav e their attentio n naturall y drawn from th e interest o f the whole com munity to that o f the minute parts , thoug h th e privat e duty of any member o f society mus t b e ver y imperfectly performed whe n no t connected with the general good. The might y business of female lif e

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is to please, an d restrained fro m enterin g into more important con cerns b y politica l an d civi l oppression , sentiment s becom e events , and reflection deepens what it should, and would have effaced, i f the understanding ha d bee n allowe d to take a wider range. But, confine d t o triflin g employments , the y naturall y imbib e opinions whic h th e onl y kin d o f readin g calculate d t o interes t a n innocent frivolou s mind , inspires . Unabl e t o grasp any thing great, is it surprising tha t the y find the readin g of history a very dry task, and disquisition s addresse d t o th e understandin g intolerabl y tedi ous, and almost unintelligible? Thus are they necessarily dependen t on the novelist fo r amusement. Yet , whe n I exclaim against novels, I mean when contrasted wit h those works which exercise the under standing and regulat e the imagination.—Fo r an y kind of reading I think better tha n leaving a blank still a blank, because the mind must receive a degre e o f enlargemen t an d obtai n a littl e strengt h b y a slight exertion of its thinking powers; besides, even the production s that ar e only addressed t o the imagination , rais e th e reade r a little above the gros s gratification o f appetites, t o which the mind has not given a shade o f delicacy. This observatio n i s th e resul t o f experience ; fo r I hav e known several notable women, and on e in particular, who was a very good woman—as good as such a narrow mind would allow her to be, who took car e that he r daughter s (thre e i n number ) shoul d neve r se e a novel. As she was a woman of fortune and fashion , they had various masters to attend them, and a sort of menial governess to watch their footsteps. Fro m thei r master s the y learne d ho w tables, chairs , etc . were calle d i n French an d Italian ; bu t a s the fe w books throw n i n their way were far above their capacities, or devotional, they neithe r acquired idea s no r sentiments , an d passe d thei r time , whe n no t compelled t o repeat words, in dressing, quarrellin g with each other , or conversing with their maids by stealth, till they were brought into company as marriageable. Their mother, a widow, was busy in the mean time in keeping up her connections , a s she terme d a numerous acquaintance , les t he r girls shoul d wan t a proper introductio n int o th e grea t world . And these youn g ladies, wit h mind s vulga r in ever y sense o f the word , and spoile d tempers , entere d lif e puffe d u p wit h notion s o f thei r own consequence , an d lookin g down with contemp t o n thos e wh o could no t vi e with them i n dress an d parade.

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With respec t t o love , nature , o r thei r nurses , ha d take n car e t o teach the m th e physica l meaning of the word ; and, as they had few topics o f conversation , an d fewe r refinement s o f sentiment , the y expressed their gros s wishes not in very delicate phrases, whe n they spoke freely , talkin g of matrimony. Could thes e girl s hav e been injure d b y th e perusa l o f novels? I almost forgot a shade in the characte r o f one of them; she affected a simplicity borderin g o n folly , an d wit h a simpe r woul d utte r th e most immodes t remark s and questions , th e ful l meanin g of which she had learned whilst secluded fro m th e world, and afraid t o speak in her mother's presence, who governed with a high hand: they were all educated, as she prided herself, in a most exemplary manner; and read thei r chapter s an d psalm s befor e breakfast, never touchin g a silly novel. This is only one instance; but I recollect many other women who, not led by degrees to proper studies, and not permitted t o choose for themselves, have indeed been overgrown children; or have obtained, by mixing in the world, a little of what is termed common sense: that is, a distinct manne r o f seeing common occurrences , a s they stan d detached: bu t wha t deserve s th e nam e o f intellect , th e powe r o f gaining general or abstract ideas, or even intermediate ones, was out of the question . Thei r mind s wer e quiescent, an d whe n the y wer e not rouse d b y sensible object s and employment s o f that kind , they were low-spirited, woul d cry, or g o to sleep . When, therefore , I advise my sex not t o read suc h flims y works , it i s to induce the m t o read somethin g superiour ; fo r I coincid e in opinion wit h a sagaciou s man , who , havin g a daughte r an d niec e under hi s care, pursue d a very differen t pla n with each . The niece , who had considerable abilities, had, before she was left to hi s guardianship , bee n indulge d i n desultor y reading . He r h e endeavoured t o lead, and di d lea d to history and mora l essays ; bu t his daughter , who m a fon d wea k mothe r ha d indulged , an d wh o consequently wa s averse to every thing like application, h e allowed to read novels: and used to justify hi s conduct by saying, that if she ever attaine d a relish fo r reading them, h e should hav e some foun dation to work upon; an d that erroneou s opinion s wer e better tha n none a t all. In fact th e female mind has been so totally neglected, tha t knowledge wa s onl y t o b e acquire d fro m thi s mudd y source , til l fro m

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reading novels some women of superiour talent s learne d to despis e them. The bes t method , I believe , tha t ca n b e adopte d t o correc t a fondness fo r novel s i s t o ridicul e them : no t indiscriminately , fo r then it would have little effect; but , if a judicious person, wit h some turn fo r humour, woul d read severa l to a young girl, and point ou t both b y tones , an d ap t comparison s wit h patheti c incident s an d heroic character s i n history , ho w foolishl y an d ridiculousl y the y caricatured huma n nature , jus t opinion s migh t b e substitute d instead o f romantic sentiments . In one respect, however , the majority of both sexe s resemble, and equally shew a want of taste an d modesty. Ignorant women , force d to be chaste t o preserve their reputation , allo w their imaginatio n to revel in the unnatural and meretricious scenes sketched by the novel writers of the day, slighting as insipid the sober dignity, and matron graces of history,1 whilst men carr y the same vitiated taste into life , and fl y fo r amusemen t t o th e wanton , fro m th e unsophisticate d charms o f virtue, and th e grav e respectability of sense. Besides, th e readin g o f novel s make s women , an d particularl y ladies of fashion, very fond o f using strong expressions and superla tives in conversation; and, though the dissipated artificia l lif e which they lea d prevent s thei r cherishin g an y stron g legitimat e passion , the language of passion in affected tone s slips for ever from their glib tongues, an d ever y trifl e produce s thos e phosphori c burst s whic h only mimick in the dar k the flame of passion. Section III Ignorance an d th e mistake n cunnin g that natur e sharpen s i n wea k heads as a principle of self-preservation, render women very fond of dress, and produce al l the vanit y which such a fondness may naturally be expected to generate , to the exclusio n of emulatio n and magnanimity. I agree with Rousseau that the physical part of the art of pleasing consists i n ornaments, an d for that ver y reason I should guar d girls 1 I a m not no w alluding to tha t superiorit y o f mind whic h lead s to the creatio n o f ideal beauty, when he, surveyed with a penetrating eye, appears a tragi-comedy, i n which little can be seen t o satisf y th e hear t withou t th e hel p o f fancy .

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against th e contagiou s fondnes s fo r dres s s o commo n t o wea k women, that they may not rest in the physical part. Yet, weak are the women wh o imagin e tha t the y ca n lon g pleas e withou t th e ai d of the mind, or, in other words , without the moral art of pleasing. But the mora l art , i f it be no t a profanation to us e th e wor d art , whe n alluding to the grace which is an effect o f virtue, and not the motive of action, i s never t o b e foun d wit h ignorance ; th e sportivenes s o f innocence, s o pleasing to refine d libertine s of both sexes, i s widely different i n its essence fro m thi s superiou r gracefulness . A stron g inclinatio n for external ornaments eve r appears i n bar barous states , onl y th e me n no t th e wome n ador n themselves ; fo r where women ar e allowed to be s o far on a level with men, societ y has advanced, at least, on e step i n civilization. The attentio n to dress, therefore, which has been thought a sexual propensity, I thin k natura l t o mankind . Bu t I ough t t o expres s myself wit h mor e precision . Whe n th e min d i s no t sufficientl y opened t o take pleasure in reflection, the body will be adorned with sedulous care; and ambitio n wil l appear i n tattooing or painting it. So far is this first inclination carried, tha t even the hellish yoke of slavery cannot stifle the savage desire of admiration which the black heroes inheri t fro m bot h thei r parents , fo r al l th e hardl y earne d savings of a slave are commonly expende d i n a little tawdr y finery. And I hav e seldom know n a good mal e or femal e servan t tha t wa s not particularly fond o f dress. Their clothes were their riches ; and , I argue from analogy , that th e fondnes s for dress, s o extravagant in females, arise s fro m th e sam e cause—want o f cultivation of mind. When me n mee t the y convers e abou t business , politics , o r litera ture; but, says Swift, 'ho w naturally do women apply their hands to each other s lappet s an d ruffles.' * An d ver y natura l i s it—for the y have not any business to interest them, have not a taste for literature, and they find politics dry, because they have not acquired a love for mankind by turning their thought s t o the grand pursuit s tha t exal t the huma n race , an d promote genera l happiness . Besides, variou s are the path s t o power an d fam e whic h by acci dent o r choic e me n pursue , an d thoug h the y jostl e agains t eac h other, fo r men o f the sam e profession are seldom friends , yet ther e is a much greate r number of their fellow-creature s with whom they never clash. But women are very differently situate d with respect t o each other—for the y ar e all rivals.

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Before marriage it is their business to please men; and after, wit h a few exceptions, they follow the same scent with all the persevering pertinacity of instinct. Eve n virtuou s women neve r forge t their sex in company, fo r they are fo r ever tryin g to make themselves agreeable. A female beauty , and a male wit, appear t o be equally anxious to draw the attention of the company to themselves; and the animosity o f contemporary wit s is proverbial. Is i t the n surprisin g tha t whe n th e sol e ambitio n o f woma n centres i n beauty , an d interes t give s vanit y additiona l force , per petual rivalships should ensue? They are all running the sam e race, and woul d ris e abov e th e virtu e o f mortals , i f the y di d no t vie w each other wit h a suspicious an d eve n envious eye. An immoderat e fondnes s for dress , fo r pleasure , an d fo r sway, * are th e passion s o f savages; the passion s tha t occup y thos e uncivi lized beings who have not yet extended the dominion of the mind, or even learned to think with the energy necessary to concatenate tha t abstract trai n o f though t whic h produce s principles . An d tha t women fro m thei r educatio n an d th e presen t stat e o f civilized life , are in the same condition, cannot, I think, be controverted. To laugh at the m then , o r satiriz e th e follie s o f a being wh o i s neve r t o b e allowed to act freely fro m th e light of her own reason, i s as absurd as cruel; for , that the y wh o are taught blindl y to obe y authority , wil l endeavour cunningly to elude it, is most natura l and certain . Yet let it be proved that they ought to obey man implicitly, and I shall immediately agree that it is woman's dut y to cultivate a fondness for dress, in order to please, and a propensity to cunning for her own preservation. The virtues , however , whic h ar e supporte d b y ignoranc e mus t ever b e wavering—th e hous e buil t o n san d coul d no t endur e a storm. I t i s almost unnecessar y t o dra w the inference.—I f wome n are t o b e mad e virtuou s b y authority , whic h i s a contradictio n i n terms, let them b e immured i n seraglios and watched with a jealous eye.—Fear not that the iron will enter into their souls—for the souls that ca n bea r suc h treatmen t ar e mad e o f yieldin g materials , jus t animated enoug h t o give life t o the body . 'Matter too sof t a lasting mark to bear , And bes t distinguish' d b y black, brown, or fair.' *

The mos t cruel wounds will of course soo n heal, and they may still people th e world, and dress to please man—all the purposes whic h

A Vindication of the Rights of Woman 211 certain celebrate d writer s hav e allowe d tha t the y wer e create d t o fulfil. Section IV Women ar e suppose d t o posses s mor e sensibility , an d eve n hu manity, tha n men , an d thei r stron g attachment s an d instantane ous emotion s o f compassion ar e give n a s proofs ; bu t th e clingin g affection o f ignoranc e ha s seldo m an y thin g nobl e i n it , an d ma y mostly be resolved int o selfishness, as well as the affectio n o f children an d brutes . I hav e know n man y wea k women whos e sensibi lity wa s entirel y engrosse d b y thei r husbands ; an d a s fo r thei r humanity, it was very faint indeed , o r rather i t was only a transient emotion o f compassion. Humanit y doe s not consist 'i n a squeamish ear,' says an eminent orator . 'I t belongs t o the min d a s well as the nerves.' But thi s kin d of exclusive affection, thoug h i t degrades the indi vidual, should not be brought forwar d a s a proof of the inferiority of the sex , because it is the natural consequence o f confined views: for even women of superior sense , havin g their attention turne d to little employments, an d private plans, rarely rise to heroism, unless when spurred o n b y love ! an d love , a s a n heroi c passion , lik e genius , appears but onc e in an age. I therefore agree with the moralist who asserts, 'tha t women have seldom so much generosity as men;'* and that their narrow affections, to which justice and humanity are often sacrificed, rende r th e se x apparently inferior, especially, as they are commonly inspire d b y men ; bu t I conten d tha t th e hear t woul d expand a s the understandin g gaine d strength , i f wome n wer e no t depressed fro m their cradles . I know that a little sensibility, and great weakness, will produce a strong sexual attachment, an d that reaso n must cemen t friendship ; consequently, I allow that more friendship is to be found in the male than th e femal e world, and tha t men hav e a higher sens e of justice. The exclusiv e affections o f women seem indeed t o resemble Cato' s most unjust love for his country. He wished to crush Carthage,* not to save Rome, but t o promote it s vain-glory; and, in general, it is to similar principle s tha t humanit y i s sacrificed , fo r genuin e dutie s support eac h other . Besides, ho w can women be just or generous, whe n they are th e slaves of injustice ?

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As the rearin g of children, that is , the layin g a foundation of sound health bot h o f body an d min d i n th e risin g generation , ha s justl y been insisted on as the peculiar destination of woman, the ignorance that incapacitates them must be contrary to the order of things. And I contend tha t thei r mind s can take in much more, an d ought t o do so, or they will never become sensible mothers. Man y men attend to the breeding of horses, an d overlook the management o f the stable , who would , strang e wan t o f sens e an d feeling ! thin k themselve s degraded b y payin g an y attentio n t o th e nursery ; yet , ho w man y children ar e absolutely murdered b y the ignoranc e o f women! But when the y escape , an d ar e destroye d neithe r b y unnatura l negli gence no r blin d fondness , ho w fe w ar e manage d properl y wit h respect t o th e infan t mind ! S o tha t t o brea k th e spirit , allowe d t o become viciou s at home, a child i s sent t o school; an d th e method s taken there , whic h mus t b e taken t o kee p a number o f children i n order, scatte r th e seeds of almost every vice in the soil thus forcibl y torn up . I have sometimes compare d th e struggles of these poor children , who ough t neve r t o hav e fel t restraint , no r would , ha d the y bee n always hel d i n wit h a n eve n hand , t o th e despairin g plunge s o f a spirited filly, which I have seen breaking on a strand: its feet sinking deeper and deeper in the sand every time it endeavoured to throw its rider, til l at last it sullenly submitted . I have always found horses , animal s I am attached to , very tractable whe n treate d wit h humanit y an d steadiness , s o tha t I doub t whether the violent methods take n to break them, d o not essentially injure them; I am, however, certain that a child should never be thus forcibly tame d afte r i t ha d injudiciousl y been allowe d to ru n wild ; for ever y violatio n of justice and reason , in the treatmen t of children, weaken s their reason. And, so early do they catch a character, that th e bas e o f the mora l character , experienc e lead s me t o infer , is fixed before their sevent h year , the perio d durin g which women are allowe d th e sol e managemen t o f children . Afterward s i t to o often happen s tha t hal f th e busines s o f educatio n i s t o correct , and ver y imperfectl y i s i t done , i f don e hastily , th e faults , whic h they woul d neve r hav e acquire d i f thei r mother s ha d ha d mor e understanding.

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One strikin g instance o f the foll y o f women mus t no t b e omit ted.—The manner i n whic h they trea t servant s in th e presenc e o f children, permittin g the m t o suppos e tha t the y ough t t o wai t on them, an d bea r thei r humours . A child shoul d alway s b e mad e t o receive assistance from a man o r woman as a favour; and, as the first lesson o f independence , the y shoul d practicall y be taught , b y th e example o f their mother , no t t o requir e tha t persona l attendance , which i t i s an insul t t o humanit y t o require , whe n i n health ; an d instead o f being led to assume airs of consequence, a sense of their own weaknes s should firs t mak e them fee l th e natura l equalit y of man. Yet, how frequently hav e I indignantly heard servants imperiously called to put childre n t o bed, an d sen t awa y again and again, because master o r miss hun g about mamma, t o stay a little longer. Thus made slavishly to attend the little idol, all those most disgust ing humours wer e exhibited whic h characterize a spoiled child . In short , speakin g of th e majorit y o f mothers, the y leav e thei r children entirel y to th e car e of servants; or , becaus e they ar e thei r children, treat the m a s if they were little demi-gods, thoug h I have always observed , tha t th e wome n wh o thu s idoliz e their children , seldom shew common humanity to servants, or feel the least tenderness fo r any children but thei r own . It is, however, these exclusive affections, an d an individual manner of seeing things, produced by ignorance, which keep women for ever a t a stand, wit h respec t t o improvement , an d mak e many of them dedicat e thei r live s t o thei r childre n onl y t o weake n thei r bodies and spoil their tempers, frustrating also any plan of education that a more rationa l father ma y adopt; fo r unless a mother concur , the fathe r wh o restrains will ever be considered a s a tyrant. But, fulfillin g th e dutie s o f a mother , a woma n wit h a soun d constitution, may still keep her person scrupulousl y neat, and assist to maintain her family, if necessary, or by reading and conversations with both sexes, indiscriminately, improve her mind. For nature has so wisely ordered things, that did women suckle their children, they would preserve their own health, and there would be such an interval betwee n th e birt h o f eac h child , tha t w e shoul d seldo m se e a houseful o f babes. And di d the y pursue a plan of conduct, an d no t waste their tim e i n followin g th e fashionabl e vagaries of dress, th e management o f their househol d an d childre n nee d no t shu t the m out fro m literature , o r preven t thei r attachin g themselves t o a sci -

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ence, with that steady eye which strengthens th e mind, or practising one of the fine arts that cultivat e the taste . But, visitin g t o displa y finery , card-playing , an d balls , no t t o mention th e idle bustle of morning trifling, dra w women from thei r duty to render them insignificant, to render the m pleasing , accord ing to the presen t acceptatio n of the word, to every man, but thei r husband. Fo r a round o f pleasures i n whic h th e affection s ar e no t exercised, cannot be said to improve the understanding, though it be erroneously calle d seein g th e world ; yet the hear t is rendered col d and averse to duty, by such a senseless intercourse, whic h becomes necessary from habi t eve n when it has ceased to amuse. But, w e shal l no t se e wome n affectionat e til l mor e equalit y b e established i n society , till ranks are confounded and wome n freed , neither shal l w e see that dignifie d domestic happiness, th e simpl e grandeur of which cannot be relished by ignorant or vitiated minds; nor will the important task of education ever be properly begun till the perso n o f a woman is no longe r preferre d t o he r mind . Fo r i t would be as wise to expect corn from tares , or figs from thistles, * as that a foolish ignoran t woman should b e a good mother . Section VI It is not necessary to inform the sagacious reader, now I enter on my concluding reflections , tha t th e discussio n o f thi s subjec t merel y consists i n openin g a few simple principles, an d clearin g away th e rubbish which obscured them . But, as all readers are not sagacious, I mus t b e allowe d to ad d som e explanator y remarks t o brin g th e subject hom e t o reason—t o tha t sluggis h reason , whic h supinel y takes opinions on trust, and obstinately supports them to spare itself the labou r of thinking. Moralists hav e unanimously agreed, that unless virtue be nursed by liberty , it wil l neve r attai n du e strength—an d wha t they sa y of man I extend to mankind, insisting that i n all cases morals must be fixed on immutable principles; and, that the being cannot be termed rational or virtuous, wh o obeys any authority, bu t tha t of reason. To rende r wome n truly useful members o f society, I argue that they shoul d b e led , b y havin g their undertaking s cultivated o n a large scale, to acquire a rational affection fo r their country, founde d on knowledge , because it is obviou s tha t we are littl e intereste d

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about what we do not understand. And to render this general knowl edge o f due importance , I hav e endeavoured t o she w tha t privat e duties are never properly fulfilled unles s the understanding enlarges the heart; and that public virtue is only an aggregate of private. But, the distinction s establishe d i n societ y undermin e both , by beating out the solid gold of virtue, till it becomes only the tinsel-covering of vice; for whilst wealth renders a man more respectable tha n virtue , wealth will be sought before virtue; and, whilst women's persons are caressed, whe n a childis h simpe r shew s a n absenc e o f mind—th e mind wil l li e fallow . Yet , tru e voluptuousnes s mus t procee d fro m the mind—fo r wha t can equal th e sensation s produce d b y mutual affection, supporte d by mutual respect? What are the cold, or feverish caresses of appetite, but sin embracing death, compared with the modest overflowing s o f a pure heart an d exalte d imagination? Yes, let me tell the libertin e of fancy whe n he despises understanding in woman—that the mind, which he disregards, gives life to the enthusiastic affectio n fro m whic h rapture , short-live d a s it is , alon e can flow! And, that , withou t virtue , a sexua l attachment mus t expire , like a tallow candle i n th e socket , creatin g intolerabl e disgust . T o prove this, I need only observe, that men who have wasted great part of thei r live s wit h women , an d wit h who m the y hav e sough t fo r pleasure wit h eage r thirst , entertai n th e meanes t opinio n o f th e sex.—Virtue, true refiner o f joy!—if foolish men were to fright the e from earth , i n orde r t o giv e loose t o al l thei r appetite s withou t a check—some sensua l wigh t o f tast e woul d scal e th e heaven s t o invite thee back , to give a zest t o pleasure! That wome n a t presen t ar e b y ignoranc e rendere d foolis h o r vicious, is, I think, not t o be disputed; and , that th e mos t salutary effects tendin g to improve mankind might be expected from a REVOLUTION in female manners, appears, at least, with a face of probability, to rise out of the observation. For a s marriage has been terme d the paren t o f those endearin g charitie s whic h dra w man fro m th e brutal herd , th e corruptin g intercours e tha t wealth , idleness , an d folly, produc e betwee n th e sexes , i s more universall y injurious t o morality than all the other vices of mankind collectively considered. To adulterou s lus t the mos t sacre d dutie s are sacrificed , because before marriage , men , b y a promiscuou s intimac y wit h women , learned t o consider lov e as a selfish gratification—learne d t o sepa rate it not only from esteem , but fro m th e affectio n merel y built on

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habit, whic h mixes a little humanity with it. Justice an d friendship are als o se t a t defiance , and tha t purit y o f tast e i s vitiate d whic h would naturall y lead a man t o relis h a n artles s displa y of affectio n rather tha n affecte d airs . Bu t tha t nobl e simplicit y o f affection , which dares to appear unadorned, has few attractions fo r the libertine, thoug h i t be the charm, whic h by cementing the matrimonial tie, secures to the pledges of a warmer passion the necessary parental attention; fo r childre n wil l neve r b e properl y educate d til l friend ship subsist s betwee n parents . Virtu e flie s fro m a hous e divide d against itself—an d a whole legion of devils take up thei r residenc e there. The affectio n o f husbands an d wive s cannot be pure whe n they have so few sentiments i n common, and when so little confidence is established a t home, a s must be the case when their pursuit s are so different. Tha t intimac y fro m whic h tendernes s shoul d flow , wil l not, canno t subsis t betwee n the vicious. Contending, therefore , tha t th e sexua l distinctio n whic h me n have s o warml y insiste d upon , i s arbitrary , I hav e dwel t o n a n observation, that several sensible men, with whom I have conversed on the subject, allowed to be well founded; and it is simply this, that the little chastity to be found amongs t men, an d consequent disre gard o f modesty, ten d t o degrade both sexes ; and further , that th e modesty o f women , characterize d a s such , wil l ofte n b e onl y th e artful vei l of wantonness instea d o f being th e natura l reflectio n of purity, till modesty b e universally respected. From the tyranny of man, I firmly believe, the greater number of female follie s proceed ; an d th e cunning , whic h I allo w makes a t present a part of their character, I likewise have repeatedly endeavoured t o prove, i s produced b y oppression . Were no t dissenters , fo r instance , a class o f people , wit h stric t truth, characterize d a s cunning? And ma y I not la y some stress o n this fac t t o prove , tha t whe n an y powe r bu t reaso n curb s th e fre e spirit of man, dissimulation is practised, and the various shifts of art are naturall y called forth ? Grea t attentio n t o decorum , whic h was carried to a degree of scrupulosity, and all that puerile bustle about trifles an d consequentia l solemnity , whic h Butler's caricatur e o f a dissenter,* brings before the imagination , shaped thei r person s a s well as their mind s i n the moul d o f prim littleness . I spea k collectively, for I know how many ornaments to human nature have been enrolled amongst sectaries; yet, I assert, that the same narrow preju-

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dice for their sect, which women have for their families, prevailed in the dissentin g par t o f th e community , howeve r worth y i n othe r respects; an d als o tha t th e sam e timi d prudence , o r headstron g efforts, ofte n disgrace d th e exertion s o f both . Oppressio n thu s formed man y of the feature s of their character perfectly to coincide with tha t o f the oppresse d half of mankind; for is it no t notoriou s that dissenters were, like women, fond o f deliberating together, an d asking advice of each other, till by a complication o f little contriv ances, som e littl e en d wa s brought about ? A simila r attentio n t o preserve thei r reputatio n wa s conspicuou s i n th e dissentin g an d female world , and wa s produced b y a similar cause. Asserting the rights which women in common with men ought to contend for , I hav e not attempte d t o extenuate thei r faults ; but t o prove the m t o b e th e natura l consequenc e o f thei r educatio n an d station i n society . I f so , i t i s reasonabl e t o suppos e tha t the y wil l change their character, and correct their vices and follies, when they are allowed to be fre e i n a physical, moral, and civi l sense.1 Let woma n share th e right s an d sh e wil l emulat e th e virtue s of man, for she must gro w more perfect when emancipated, or justif y the authorit y tha t chain s suc h a weak being t o he r duty . I f th e latter, i t wil l b e expedien t t o ope n a fres h trad e wit h Russi a fo r whips;* a present whic h a father shoul d alway s make to his son-inlaw on his wedding day, that a husband ma y keep his whole family in orde r b y th e sam e means ; an d withou t an y violatio n of justice reign, wieldin g this sceptre , sol e master o f his house, becaus e he is the only being in it who has reason:—the divine, indefeasible earthly sovereignty breathed into man by the Master of the universe. Allow ing this position, women have not any inherent rights to claim; and, by th e sam e rule , thei r dutie s vanish , fo r right s an d dutie s ar e inseparable. Be jus t then , O y e men o f understanding ! an d mar k no t mor e severely what women do amiss, than the viciou s tricks of the hors e or th e as s fo r who m y e provid e provender—an d allo w he r th e privileges of ignorance, t o whom ye deny the rights of reason, o r ye will b e wors e tha n Egyptia n task-masters , expectin g virtu e wher e nature has not give n understanding! 1 I had further enlarged on the advantage s which might reasonably be expected t o result from a n improvement in female manners, towards the genera l reformation of society; but i t appeared t o me that suc h reflections would more properly clos e the last volume.*

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An Historical and Moral View of the Origin and Progress of the French Revolution

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BOOK I , CHAPTE R I When w e contemplat e th e infanc y o f man , hi s gradua l advanc e towards maturity, his miserable weakness as a solitary being, and the crudeness of his first notions respecting the nature of civil society, it will no t appea r extraordinary , tha t th e acquiremen t o f politica l knowledge has been s o extremely slow; or that public happiness has not bee n mor e rapidly and generall y diffused . The perfectio n attaine d b y th e ancients , i t i s true, ha s eve r af forded th e imagination of the poetical historian a theme to deck with the choices t flower s o f rhetoric ; thoug h th e coo l investigatio n o f facts seem s clearly to prove, that the civilization of the world, hitherto, has consisted rathe r i n cultivating the taste, than i n exercising the understanding. And were not these vaunted improvements also confined t o a small corner o f the globe , whilst, the politica l view of the wises t legislator s seldo m extendin g beyon d th e splendou r an d aggrandizement o f thei r individua l nation , the y trample d wit h a ferocious affectatio n o f patriotis m o n th e mos t sacre d right s o f humanity? When th e arts flourished in Greece, and literature began to shed it' s blandishment s o n society, the worl d was mostly inhabited by barbarians, who waged eternal war with their more polished neighbours, th e imperfectio n o f whose governmen t sappin g it' s foundation, the science of politics necessarily received a check in the bud—and when we find, likewise, the roman empire crumbling into atoms, fro m th e ger m o f a deadl y malady implanted i n it' s vitals ; whilse voluptuousnes s stoppe d th e progres s o f civilization, which makes th e perfectio n o f th e art s th e daw n o f science ; w e shal l be convinced, tha t i t demande d age s of improving reason an d experience in moral philosophy, to clear away the rubbish, and exhibit the first principles o f social order . We hav e probably derive d ou r grea t superiorit y ove r thos e na tions fro m th e discover y o f the pola r attractio n o f the needle , th e perfection which astronomy and mathematics have attained, and the fortunate invention of printing. For, whils t the revival of letters has added th e collecte d wisdo m o f antiquit y t o th e improvement s o f modern research , th e latte r mos t usefu l ar t ha s rapidly multiplied copies o f th e production s o f geniu s an d compilation s o f learning ,

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bringing the m withi n th e reac h o f all ranks of men : th e scientifi c discoveries also have not only led us to new worlds; but, facilitatin g the communicatio n betwee n differen t nations , th e frictio n o f art s and commerc e hav e give n t o societ y th e transcendentl y pleasin g polish of urbanity; and thus, by a gradual softening of manners, th e complexion o f socia l lif e ha s bee n completel y changed . Bu t th e remains of superstition, an d th e unnatura l distinction o f privileged classes, whic h had thei r origi n in barbarou s folly , stil l fettere d th e opinions o f man, an d sullie d hi s nativ e dignity; till severa l distinguished englis h writers discussed politica l subjects with the energy of men, who began to feel their strength; and , whilst only a rumour of these sentiments rouse d th e attention and exercised the minds of some men of letters in France, a number of staunch disputants, who had mor e thoroughl y digeste d them , fled fro m oppression , t o pu t them t o the tes t of experience in America. Locke, followin g th e trac k of these bold thinkers , recommended in a more methodical manner religiou s toleration, and analyzed the principles of civil liberty:* for in his definition of liberty we find the elements of Th e Declaration of the Rights of Man* which , in spite of the fata l errour s of ignorance, and the pervers e obstinacy of selfishness, is now converting sublime theories int o practical truths . The revolution , i t i s true, soo n introduce d th e corruption , tha t has ever since been corroding british freedom.—Still, when the rest of Europe groane d unde r th e weigh t o f the mos t unjus t an d crue l laws, the lif e an d propert y o f englishmen were comparatively safe ; and, if an impress-warrant* respected th e distinction of ranks, when the glor y of England was at stake, splendid victories hid this flaw in the best existing constitution; and all exultingly recollected, that the life or liberty of a man neve r depended o n the wil l of an individual. Englishmen wer e then, wit h reason, prou d o f their constitution ; and, if this nobl e pride hav e degenerated int o arrogance, when th e cause becam e les s conspicuous, i t i s onl y a venia l lapse o f huma n nature; to be lamented merely as it stops the progress of civilization, and leads the people to imagine, that their ancestors have done every thing possible to secure th e happines s of society, and meliorate th e condition o f man, because they have done much . When learnin g was confined t o a small number o f the citizen s of a state , an d th e investigatio n of it's privilege s was left t o a numbe r still smaller, governments see m to have acted, as if the peopl e were

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formed onl y fo r them ; and , ingeniousl y confoundin g their right s with metaphysica l jargon , th e luxuriou s grandeu r o f individuals has been supporte d b y the miser y of the bul k of their fello w crea tures, and ambition gorged by the butchery of millions of innocent victims. The mos t artfu l chai n o f despotism ha s ever been supporte d b y false notion s o f duty, enforce d by thos e wh o wer e to profi t b y th e cheat. Thus has the liberty of man been restrained; and the spontaneous flo w o f hi s feelings , which woul d hav e fertilize d hi s mind , being choke d a t th e source , h e i s rendere d i n th e sam e degre e unhappy as he is made unnatural. Yet, certain opinions, plante d by superstition and despotism, han d in hand, have taken such deep root in our habit s of thinking, it may appear daringly licentious, as well as presumptuous , t o observe , tha t wha t i s ofte n terme d virtue , i s only want of courage to throw off prejudices, and follow the inclina tions whic h fea r no t th e ey e o f heaven , thoug h the y shrin k fro m censure not founded on the natural principles of morality. But at no period ha s the scant y diffusion o f knowledge permitted th e body of the people to participate in the discussion of political science; and if philosophy at length hav e simplified the principle s of social union, so as to rende r the m eas y to b e comprehende d b y ever y sane and thinking being; i t appear s t o me , tha t ma n ma y contemplat e wit h benevolent complacency and becoming pride, the approaching reign of reason an d peace . Besides, i f me n hav e bee n rendere d unqualifie d t o judg e wit h precision of their civil and political rights, from th e involved state in which sophisticatin g ignoranc e ha s placed them , and thus reduce d to surrende r thei r reasonin g power s t o nobl e fools , an d pedanti c knaves, it i s not surprizing , tha t superficia l observers hav e formed opinions unfavourable to the degre e of perfection, which our intellectual faculties are able to attain, or that despotis m shoul d attemp t to check the spirit of inquiry, which, with colossian strides, seems to be hastening the overthrow of oppressive tyranny and contumelious ambition. Nature having made men unequal, by giving stronger bodil y and mental powers to one than to another, the end of government ought to be, t o destroy thi s inequalit y by protectin g th e weak . Instea d o f which, it has always leaned to the opposite side, wearing itself out by disregarding the first principle of it's organization.

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It appear s t o b e th e gran d provinc e o f government , thoug h scarcely acknowledged , so to hol d th e balance , tha t th e abilitie s or riches o f individuals may not interfer e with the equilibriu m o f the whole. For , a s i t i s vai n t o expect , tha t me n shoul d maste r thei r passions durin g the heat of action, legislators should hav e this per fection o f laws ever i n view , when, calml y grasping th e interes t o f humanity, reason assures them, that their own is best secured by the security o f the commonwealth . Th e firs t socia l system s wer e cer tainly founded by passion; individuals wishing to fence round thei r own wealt h or power, and mak e slaves of their brothers t o preven t encroachment. Thei r descendants hav e ever been a t work to solder the chain s they forged , and rende r th e usurpation s o f strength se cure, by the frau d o f partial laws; laws that can be abrogated only by the exertion s of reason, emancipating mankind, by making government a science, instea d o f a craft, an d civilizin g the gran d mass, by exercising thei r understanding s abou t th e mos t importan t object s of inquiry. After th e revolution in 1688, however, political questions were no longer discussed in England on a broad scale; because that degree of liberty was enjoyed, whic h enabled thinking men to pursue without interruption thei r ow n business; or , if some me n complained , the y attached themselve s t o a party, an d descante d o n th e unavoidabl e misery produced b y contending passions. But i n Franc e th e bitternes s o f oppressio n wa s mingled i n th e daily cup , an d th e seriou s foll y o f superstition , pampere d b y th e sweat o f labour , stare d ever y ma n o f sens e i n th e face . Agains t superstition the n did the writers contending fo r civil liberty principally direc t thei r force , thoug h th e tyrann y of the cour t increase d with it's viciousness . Voltaire leading the way,* and ridiculing with that happy mixture of satire and gaiety, calculated to delight the french, the inconsistent puerilities of a puppet-show religion, had the art to attach th e bells to the fool' s cap, which tinkled on every side, rousing the attentio n and piquin g the vanity of his readers. Rousseau also ranged himself on the same side; and, praising his fanciful stat e of nature, with that interesting eloquence, which embellishes reasoning with the charms of sentiment, forcibl y depicte d th e evil s of a priest-ridden society , and th e source s o f oppressive inequality, * inducin g the me n wh o were charmed wit h his language to consider hi s opinions.

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The talent s of these two writers were particularly formed to effec t a chang e i n th e sentiment s o f th e french , wh o commonl y rea d t o collect a fund fo r conversation; and their biting retorts, and flowin g periods, wer e retained in each head, and continually slipped of f the tongue i n numerous sprightl y circles. In France , indeed, new opinions fly from mout h t o mouth, wit h an electrical velocity, unknown in England; so that there is not suc h a differenc e betwee n th e sentiment s o f th e variou s rank s i n on e country, a s is observable in th e originalit y of character t o be foun d in th e other . A t ou r theatres , th e boxes , pit , an d galleries , relis h different scenes ; an d som e ar e condescendingl y born b y th e mor e polished par t of the audience, to allow the rest to have their portio n of amusement. I n France , on the contrary , a highly wrought sentiment o f morality, probably rather romanti c than sublime, produce s a burst o f applause, when one heart seem s t o agitate every hand. But men are not content merely to laugh at oppression, when they can scarcely catch from hi s gripe the necessarie s of life; so that fro m writing epigrams on superstition , th e galle d frenc h bega n t o com pose philippic s agains t despotism . Th e enormou s an d iniquitou s taxes, which the nobles, th e clergy, and the monarch, levied on the people, turne d th e attentio n o f benevolence to this main branch of government, an d th e profoun d treatise o f the human e M. Quesna i produced th e sec t o f th e economists* th e firs t champion s fo r civil liberty. On th e ev e of the america n war, the enlightene d administratio n of th e comptrolle r genera l Turgot, * a man forme d i n thi s school , afforded Franc e a glimpse of freedom, which, streaking the horizon of despotism , onl y serve d t o rende r th e contras t mor e striking . Eager to correct abuses, equally impolitic and cruel, this most excel lent man , sufferin g hi s clea r judgmen t t o b e cloude d b y hi s zeal, rouzed th e nes t o f wasps , tha t riote d o n th e hone y o f industr y in th e sunshin e o f court favour ; an d h e wa s obliged t o retir e fro m the office , whic h h e s o worthil y filled. Disappointed i n hi s nobl e plan o f freein g Franc e fro m th e fang s o f despotism , i n th e cours e of te n years , withou t th e miserie s o f anarchy , whic h mak e th e present generatio n pa y very dear for the emancipatio n of posterity, he ha s nevertheless greatl y contributed t o produce tha t revolutio n in opinion , which , perhaps , alon e ca n overtur n th e empir e o f tyranny.

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The idl e caprices of an effeminate court had long given the tone to the awe-struc k populace , who , stupidl y admiring what they did not understand , live d o n a vive le roi, whils t hi s blood-suckin g minions draine d ever y vein, that shoul d hav e warmed their hones t hearts. But the irresistible energy of the moral and political sentiments of half a century, a t las t kindle d into a glaz e the illuminatin g rays of truth, which, throwing new light on the mental powers of man, and giving a fres h sprin g t o hi s reasonin g faculties, completely under mined th e stron g holds of priestcraft and hypocrisy. At thi s gloriou s era , th e toleratio n o f religiou s opinion s i n America, whic h th e spiri t o f th e times , whe n tha t continen t wa s peopled with persecuted europeans , produced, aided, not a little, to diffuse thes e rational sentiments, an d exhibited the phenomenon of a governmen t establishe d o n th e basi s of reason an d equality . Th e eyes of all Europe were watchfully fixe d o n the practica l success of this experiment in political science; and whilst the crowns of the old world were drawing into their focus the hard-earned recompenc e of the toi l an d car e o f th e simpl e citizens , wh o live d detache d fro m courts, deprive d of the comfort s of life, th e just reward of industry, or, palsie d b y oppression, pine d i n dir t an d idleness ; th e anglo americans appeare d t o b e anothe r rac e o f beings, me n forme d t o enjoy the advantages of society, and not merely to benefit those who governed; th e us e t o whic h the y ha d bee n appropriate d i n almos t every state ; considere d onl y a s th e ballas t whic h keeps th e vesse l steady, necessary , ye t despised . S o conspicuou s i n fac t wa s th e difference, that , whe n frenchme n becam e th e auxiliarie s of thos e brave people, durin g their nobl e struggle against the tyrannical and inhuman ambitio n o f th e britis h court , i t imparte d t o the m tha t stimulus, whic h alone was wanting to giv e wings to freedom, who, hovering ove r France , le d he r indignan t votarie s t o wrea k thei r vengeance on the tottering fabri c of a government, the foundation of which had been laid by benighted ignorance, and it's walls cemented by th e calamitie s o f million s tha t moc k calculation—and , i n it' s ruins a system was entombed, th e most baneful t o human happiness and virtue . America fortunatel y foun d hersel f i n a situatio n ver y differen t from al l the res t of the world ; for she had i t in her powe r to lay the first stones o f her government , whe n reason wa s venturing to can -

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vass prejudice . Availing herself o f the degre e o f civilization of th e world, sh e ha s no t retaine d thos e customs , whic h wer e onl y th e expedients o f barbarism; o r though t tha t constitution s forme d b y chance, and continually patched up , wer e superiour t o the plan s of reason, at liberty to profi t b y experience. When societ y was first regulated, the law s could no t be adjuste d so a s t o tak e i n th e futur e conduc t o f it' s members , becaus e th e faculties o f man ar e unfolde d and perfecte d by th e improvement s made b y society : consequentl y th e regulation s establishe d a s cir cumstances require d wer e very imperfect. What the n i s to hinde r man, a t eac h epoc h o f civilization, from makin g a stand , an d ne w modelling the materials , that hav e been hastil y thrown int o a rude mass, whic h time alon e has consolidated an d rendere d venerable? When society was first subjugated to laws, probably by the ambi tion of some, and the desire of safety in all, it was natural for men t o be selfish, becaus e the y wer e ignoran t ho w intimatel y thei r ow n comfort wa s connecte d wit h tha t o f others ; an d i t wa s als o very natural, tha t humanity , rather th e effec t o f feelin g tha n o f reason , should hav e a very limited range. But, whe n men onc e see, clear as the light of heaven,—and I hail the glorious day from afar!—that on the genera l happiness depend s their own , reason will giv e strength to the flutterin g wing s of passion, and me n wil l 'do unto others, what they wish they should do unto them.'* What ha s hitherto bee n th e politica l perfection of the world ? I n the two most celebrated nations it has only been a polish of manners, an extension of that family love, which is rather the effect o f sympathy and selfish passions, tha n reasonable humanity. And in what has ended thei r s o much extolled patriotism? In vai n glory and barbar ity—every page of history proclaims. An d why has the enthusias m for virtue thus passed away like the dew of the morning, dazzling the eyes of it's admirers ? Why?—because it was factitious virtue. During th e perio d the y ha d t o comba t agains t oppression , an d rear an infant state , wha t instances of heroism d o not th e annal s of Greece and Rom e display ! But i t was merely th e blaz e o f passion, 'live smoke; ' fo r afte r vanquishin g their enemies , an d makin g the most astonishing sacrifices to the glory of their country, they became civil tyrants, and preyed on the very society, for whose welfare it was easier to die, than to practise the sober duties of life, which insinuate through i t th e contentmen t tha t i s rather fel t tha n seen . Lik e th e

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parents wh o forgo t al l the dictate s o f justice and humanity , t o ag grandize the very children whom they keep in a state of dependence, these heroes love d their country, because it was their country , ever showing by their conduct, tha t it was only a part of a narrow love of themselves. It i s time, that a more enlightened moral love of mankind should supplant, o r rather suppor t physica l affections. I t i s time, tha t th e youth approachin g manhoo d shoul d b e le d b y principles , an d no t hurried alon g b y sensations—an d the n w e ma y expect , tha t th e heroes of the present generation , still having their monsters t o cope with, wil l labou r t o establis h suc h rationa l law s throughou t th e world, that men wil l not res t i n the dea d letter, or become artificia l beings as they become civilized. We must ge t entirely clear of all the notions drawn from th e wild traditions o f origina l sin : th e eatin g o f th e apple , th e thef t o f Prometheus, the opening of Pandora's box, and the other fables , too tedious to enumerate, o n which priests hav e erected thei r tremen dous structures o f imposition, t o persuade us, that we are naturally inclined t o evil : we shall then leav e room fo r th e expansio n o f th e human heart, and, I trust, find, that men will insensibly render each other happier as they grow wiser. It is indeed the necessity of stifling many of it's mos t spontaneou s desires , t o obtain th e factitiou s virtues o f society , tha t make s man vicious , b y deprivin g him o f tha t dignity o f character, whic h rests onl y on truth . Fo r i t i s not para doxical t o assert , tha t th e socia l virtues ar e nipt i n th e bu d b y th e very laws of society. One principa l of action i s sufficient—Respec t thyself—whether i t b e terme d fea r o f God—religion; lov e o f jus tice—morality; or, self-love—the desire of happiness. Yet, how can a ma n respec t himself ; and i f not, ho w believ e in th e existenc e of virtue; whe n h e i s practisin g th e dail y shifts , whic h d o no t com e under th e cognisanc e o f th e law , i n orde r t o obtai n a respectabl e situation i n life ? I t seems , i n fact , t o b e th e busines s o f a civilized man, to harden his heart, tha t on it he may sharpen th e wit; which, assuming the appellatio n of sagacity, or cunning, in differen t char acters, i s onl y a proof , tha t th e hea d i s clear , becaus e th e hear t is cold. Besides, on e great cause of misery in the presen t imperfec t state of society is , that th e imagination , continually tantalized, become s the inflated we n of the mind, draining off the nourishment fro m th e vital parts. Nor would it, I think, be stretching the inference too far,

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to insist, that men become vicious in the same proportion a s they are obliged, by the defect s of society, to submit t o a kind of self-denial, which ignorance, not morals, prescribes . But thes e evil s are passin g away; a new spiri t ha s gon e forth, to organise the body-politic; an d where is the criterion to be found, to estimate th e means , b y whic h th e influenc e of thi s spiri t ca n b e confined, no w enthroned i n the hearts of half the inhabitants of the globe? Reason has, at last, shown her captivating face, beaming with benevolence; an d i t will be impossible for the dar k hand o f despotism again to obscure it's radiance , or the lurking dagger of subordinate tyrants to reach her bosom. The imag e of God implanted in our nature is now more rapidly expanding; and, as it opens, liberty with maternal win g seems t o b e soarin g to region s fa r above vulgar an noyance, promising to shelter al l mankind. It i s a vulga r errour , buil t o n a superficia l vie w of th e subject , though it seems to have the sanction of experience, tha t civilization can only go as far as it has hitherto gone , and the n must necessarily fall back into barbarism. Yet thus much appears certain, that a state will infallibly gro w old and feeble , if hereditary riches support her editary rank , under an y description . Bu t whe n court s an d primo geniture are done away, and simple equal laws are established, what is to prevent each generation fro m retainin g the vigou r of youth?— What ca n weake n the bod y o r mind , whe n th e grea t majorit y o f society mus t exercis e both , t o ear n a subsistence , an d acquir e respectability? The frenc h revolutio n is strong proo f how far things will govern men, whe n simple principles begin t o act with one powerful spring against the complicate d wheel s of ignorance; numerou s i n proportion to their weakness, and constantly wanting repair, because expedients o f the momen t ar e eve r the spaw n of cowardly folly, o r th e narrow calculations of selfishness. To elucidat e this truth , it is not necessary t o rak e among the ashe s of barbarous ambition ; t o show the ignorance and consequent foll y of the monarchs, wh o ruled with a ro d o f iron, when th e horde s o f european savage s began t o for m their governments ; thoug h th e revie w o f thi s portio n o f histor y would clearl y prove , tha t narrownes s o f min d naturall y produce s ferociousness o f temper. We may boast o f the poetr y of those ages, and of those charming flights of imagination, which, during the paroxysms of passion, flash out i n thos e singl e acts o f heroic virtue , tha t thro w a lustre ove r a

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whole thoughtless life ; bu t th e cultivatio n of the understanding , i n spite o f these norther n lights , appear s t o b e th e onl y way to tam e men, whos e restlessnes s o f spirit create s th e viciou s passions, tha t lead to tyranny and cruelty. When the body is strong, and the blood warm, men do not like to think, or adopt any plan of conduct, unless broken-in b y degrees : th e forc e tha t ha s ofte n spen t itsel f i n fata l activity becomes a rich sourc e o f energy of mind. Men exclaim , onl y noticin g th e evil , agains t th e luxur y intro duced with the arts and sciences; when it is obviously the cultivation of these alone , emphatically termed th e art s of peace, that ca n turn the swor d int o a ploughshare. Wa r i s the adventur e naturally pur sued by the idle, and it requires somethin g of this species, to excite the stron g emotion s necessar y t o rous e inactiv e minds . Ignoran t people, when they appear to reflect, exercise their imagination more than thei r understanding ; indulging reveries, instead o f pursuing a train of thinking; and thus grow romantic, like the croisaders; or like women, who are commonly idle and restless . If we turn the n wit h disgust fro m ensanguine d rega l pomp, an d the childis h raree-shows * tha t amuse th e enslave d multitude , w e shall fee l stil l more contemp t fo r the orde r o f men, wh o cultivated their faculties , only to enabl e the m t o consolidat e thei r power , b y leading the ignoran t astray; making the learnin g they concentrate d in their cells, a more polished instrumen t o f oppression. Strugglin g with s o many impediments , th e progres s o f usefu l knowledg e for several ages was scarcely perceptible; thoug h respec t fo r the publi c opinion, that great softner o f manners, and only substitute for moral principles, wa s gaining ground. The croisades , however, gave a shake to society, that changed it' s face; and the spirit of chivalry, assuming a new character during the reign of the gallant Francis the first,* began to meliorate the ferocit y of the ancien t gaul s and franks . Th e point d'honneur bein g settled, the characte r o f a gentleman, held eve r since so dear in France, was gradually formed; and thi s kind of bastard morality , frequently th e only substitute fo r all the ties that nature has rendered sacred , kept those men withi n bounds, wh o obeyed no other law. The sam e spiri t mixe d wit h th e sanguinar y treacher y o f th e Guises,* an d gav e suppor t t o th e manl y dignit y o f Henr y th e fourth,* on whom nature had bestowed that warmth of constitution, tenderness o f heart, and rectitude of understanding, which naturally

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produce an energetic character—A supple force, that, exciting love, commands esteem . During th e ministry of Richelieu,* when the dynast y of favouritism commenced , th e art s wer e patronized, an d th e italia n mode of governing b y intrigu e tende d t o weake n bodies , polishe d b y th e friction o f continua l finesse . Dissimulatio n imperceptibl y slide s into falshood , and Mazarin, * dissimulatio n personified , pave d th e way fo r th e imposin g pom p an d fals e grandeu r o f th e reig n o f the haughty and inflated Loui s 14th;* which, by introducing a taste for majesti c frivolity , accelerate d th e perfectio n o f tha t specie s o f civilization, whic h consist s i n th e refinin g o f th e sense s a t th e expence o f the heart ; th e sourc e o f all real dignity, honour, virtue , and every noble quality of the mind. Endeavouring to make bigotry tolerate voluptuousness , an d honou r an d licentiousnes s shak e hands, sight was lost of the line of distinction, or vice was hid under the mas k o f it's correlativ e virtue . Th e glor y o f France, a bubble raised b y the heate d breat h o f the king , was the pretex t fo r undermining happiness ; whils t politenes s too k plac e o f humanity , and create d tha t sor t o f dependance , whic h lead s me n t o barte r their cor n an d wine , for unwholesom e mixtures o f they kno w no t what, that , flatterin g a deprave d appetite , destro y th e ton e o f th e stomach. The feuda l tast e fo r tournament s an d martia l feast s wa s no w naturally succeede d b y a fondnes s fo r theatrica l entertainments ; when feat s o f valour became to o great an exertion of the weakened muscles to afford pleasure , and men foun d tha t resource in cultivation of mind, which renders activity of body less necessary too keep the strea m o f life fro m stagnating . All the piece s written at this period, excep t Moliere's,* reflected the manners of the court, and thus perverted the forming taste. That extraordinary ma n alon e wrot e o n th e gran d scal e o f huma n pas sions, fo r mankind at large, leaving to inferiour authors th e tas k of imitating the draper y of manners, whic h point s ou t th e costume of the age. Corneille,* lik e ou r Dryden, * ofte n totterin g o n th e brin k o f absurdity and nonsense , ful l o f noble ideas, which , crouding indistinctly on his fancy, he expresses obscurely, still delights his readers by sketchin g fain t outline s o f giganti c passions ; and , whils t th e charmed imagination is lured to follow him over enchanted ground ,

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the hear t i s sometimes unexpectedl y touche d b y a sublime o r pa thetic sentiment , tru e t o nature . Racine,* soon after , in elegant harmoniou s languag e painted th e manners o f his time , an d wit h grea t judgmen t gav e a picturesqu e cast t o man y unnatura l scene s an d factitiou s sentiments : alway s endeavouring to make his characters amiable , he is unable to render them dignified ; and the refined morality, scattered throughout , be longs to the code of politeness rathe r than to that of virtue.1 Fearing to stray from courtl y propriety of behaviour, and shoc k a fastidious audience, th e gallantr y of his heroes interest s onl y the gallant , an d literary people, whos e minds are open to different specie s of amusement. H e was , in fact , th e fathe r of the frenc h stage . Nothin g ca n equal th e fondnes s whic h th e frenc h suc k i n wit h thei r mil k fo r public places, particularly the theatre; and this taste, givin g the tone to thei r conduct , ha s produce d s o many stag e trick s o n th e gran d theatre o f th e nation , wher e ol d principle s vampe d u p wit h ne w scenes an d decorations , ar e continually represented . Their national character is, perhaps, mor e formed by their theatrical amusements, tha n is generally imagined: they are in reality the schools o f vanity. And, after thi s kind of education, i s it surprising , that almost ever y thing is said and done for stage effect? o r that cold declamatory extasies blaze forth, only to mock the expectatio n with a show of warmth? Thus sentiments spoute d from the lips come oftner from the head than th e heart . Indee d natura l sentiment s ar e onl y th e character s given by the imaginatio n t o recollecte d sensations ; bu t th e french , by th e continua l gratificatio n of thei r senses , stifl e th e reverie s o f their imagination , whic h alway s requires t o be acted upo n b y out ward objects ; an d seldo m reflectin g on thei r feelings , their sensa tions ar e ever lively and transitory ; exhaled by every passing beam, and dissipate d b y the slightes t storm . If a relish for the broad mirth of fun characteriz e the lower class of english, the french of every denomination are equally delighted with a phosphorical, sentimenta l gilding. This is constantly observable at the theatres. Th e passion s are deprived of all their radica l strength , to giv e smoothnes s t o th e rantin g sentiments , which , wit h moc k 1 Wha t els e coul d b e expecte d fro m th e courtier , wh o coul d writ e i n thes e term s t o madame de Maintenon : God has been so gracious to me, madam, that, in whatever company I find myself, I never have occasion to blush for the gospel or the king*

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dignity, lik e the party-coloure d rag s o n th e shrivelle d branche s o f the tre e o f liberty, stuc k up i n every village, are displayed as something ver y grand an d significant. The war s of Louis* were, likewise, theatrical exhibitions; and the business o f his lif e wa s adjusting ceremonials, o f which he himsel f became th e dupe , whe n hi s grandeu r wa s i n th e wane , an d hi s animal spirits wer e spent. 1 But, toward s the close even of his reign, the writings of Fenelon, and the conversation of his pupil, the duke of Burgundy,* gave rise t o differen t politica l discussions , o f which the theoretica l basi s wa s the happines s o f th e people—til l death , spreading a huge pal l over th e famil y an d glor y of Louis, compassion draw s his fault s unde r th e sam e awful canopy , and w e sympa thize with the ma n i n adversity, whose prosperity wa s pestiferous. Louis, by imposing on the sense s of his people, gav e a new tur n to th e chivalrou s humou r o f th e age : for , wit h th e tru e spiri t o f quixotism, th e frenc h mad e a point of honour o f adoring their king; and the glor y of the grand monarque became the national pride, even when i t cost the m mos t dear . As a proof of the perversio n o f mind a t that period , and th e fals e political opinion s whic h prevailed , makin g the unhapp y kin g th e slave of his own despotism , i t i s sufficient t o selec t on e anecdote . A courtie r assure s us, 2 tha t th e mos t humiliatin g circumstanc e that eve r happene d t o th e king , an d on e o f those whic h gav e him most pain , wa s the publicatio n o f a memorial circulate d wit h grea t diligence by his enemies throughou t France . I n thi s memoria l th e allies invited th e frenc h t o deman d th e assemblin g o f their ancien t states-general* They tell them, 'that the ambitio n an d pride of the king were the onl y causes of the war s during his reign; and that, t o secure themselve s a lasting peace, i t was incumbent o n them no t t o lay dow n their arm s till the states-genera l wer e convoked.'* It almos t surpasse s belie f t o add, that , i n spit e o f the imprison ment, exile, flight, or execution of two millions of french, thi s me morial produce d littl e effect . Bu t th e king , who was severely hurt , took care to have a reply written;3* though he might have comforted 1 Fo r example , the reception of a Portuguese adventurer, under the character of a persian ambassador. A farce mad e by the court to rouze the blunted senses of the king . 2 Memoire s du marecha l de Richelieu. 3 I n this reply will be found many of the reasons, that have been lately repeated; and some (a proof of the progress of reason), which no one had the audacit y to repeat, when standing up i n defence o f privileges.

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himself wit h the recollection , that , when they were last assembled , Louis XIII dismissed them with empty promises,* forgotten as soon as made. The enthusias m o f the french , which , i n general , hurrie s the m from on e extreme to another, at this time produced a total change of manners. During the regency,* vice was not only barefaced, but audacious; and the tide completely turned: th e hypocrites were now all ranged on the other side , the courtiers, labourin g to show their abhorrenc e of religious hypocrisy, se t decenc y at defiance , and di d violenc e to the modesty of nature, when they wished to outrage the squeamis h puerilities of superstition . In the character of the regent we may trace all the vices and graces of fals e refinement ; forming the tast e b y destroyin g the heart . De voted t o pleasure , h e s o soon exhauste d th e intoxicatin g cup o f all it's sweets, that his life was spent in searching amongst the dregs, for the novelt y tha t coul d giv e a gas p o f lif e t o enjoyment . The wit , which at first was the zest of his nocturnal orgies, soon gave place, as flat, t o th e grosses t excesses , i n whic h th e principa l variet y was flagitious immorality. An d wha t ha s h e don e t o rescu e hi s nam e from obloquy , bu t protec t a fe w debauche d artist s an d me n o f letters? His goodness of heart only appeared in sympathy. He pitied the distresse s o f th e people , whe n befor e his eyes ; an d a s quickly forgot thes e yearning s of heart i n his sensual stye. He ofte n related , with great pleasure, an anecdote of the prior de Vendome,* who chanced to please a mistress o f Charles II , an d th e king coul d onl y ge t ri d o f hi s riva l b y requestin g Loui s XI V t o recall him . At thos e moment s h e woul d bestow th e warmes t praise s o n th e english constitution; an d seemed enamoure d o f liberty, though au thorising a t th e tim e th e mos t flagran t violation s of property, an d despotic art s o f cruelty . Th e onl y goo d h e di d hi s country 1 aros e from thi s frivolou s circumstance ; fo r introducin g th e fashio n o f admiring the english, he led men to read and translate some of their masculine writers , which greatly contributed t o rouse th e sleepin g 1 I t is well known that for a long time he wished to convoke the states-general; and it was not without difficulty, tha t Dubois made him abandon this design. During the yea r 1789 , a curious memorial* has been reprinted, which he wrot e on this occasion; and i t is , like th e author, a model of impudence.

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manhood o f the french . Hi s lov e o f the fine arts, however , ha s led different author s t o stre w flower s ove r hi s unhallowe d dust—fi t emblem o f the brillian t qualities , tha t ornamente d onl y the soi l on which they grew. The latte r part of the reign of Louis XV is notorious fo r the same atrocious debaucheries , unvarnishe d b y wit , ove r whic h modest y would fai n dra w a veil, were it not necessary to give the last touche s to th e portrai t o f tha t vil e despotism , unde r th e las h o f whic h twenty-five million s o f peopl e groaned ; till , unabl e t o endur e th e increasing weigh t o f oppression, the y ros e lik e a vas t elephant , terrible i n his anger , treading dow n with blind fur y friend s a s well as foes . Impotence o f body, an d indolenc e o f mind, rendere d Loui s X V the slav e of his mistresses, wh o fough t to forge t hi s nauseou s em braces i n the arm s o f knaves, who found thei r accoun t i n caressin g them. Ever y corne r o f the kingdo m was ransacked t o satiat e thes e cormorants, wh o wrung the ver y bowels of industry, t o giv e a new edge t o sickl y appetites ; corruptin g th e moral s whils t breaking the spirit o f the nation .

BOOK I , CHAPTE R I I During this genera l depravation of manners, th e young and beauti ful dauphine* arrived ; an d wa s receive d wit h a kin d o f idolatrou s adoration, onl y t o b e see n i n France ; fo r th e inhabitant s o f th e metropolis, literall y speaking, could thin k an d tal k o f nothing else ; and in their eagernes s t o pay homage, o r gratify affectionat e curios ity, an immense numbe r wer e killed. In suc h a voluptuou s atmosphere , ho w coul d sh e escap e con tagion? Th e profligac y o f Louis XIV, whe n lov e and wa r were his amusements, wa s soberness, compare d wit h th e capriciou s intem perance o f th e inebriate d imaginatio n a t thi s period . Madam e d u Barry* wa s then i n the zenit h o f her power , whic h quickl y excited the jealousy of this princess, whos e strongest passio n was that intolerable famil y pride , whic h heate d th e bloo d o f the whol e house of Austria. A n inclinatio n fo r cour t intrigue , unde r th e mas k o f th e most profoun d dissimulation , t o preserv e th e favou r o f Louis XV , was instantly called into action; and it soon became the only business

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of her life , eithe r t o gratif y resentment , or chea t th e satiety , which the continua l and unrestrained indulgenc e of pleasure produced . Her characte r thu s formed , when she became absolut e mistress, the cour t o f th e passiv e Louis, * no t onl y th e mos t dissolut e an d abandoned tha t eve r displayed the foll y o f royalty, but audaciously negligent wit h respect t o that attentio n t o decency, whic h is necessary to delude the vulgar, was deserted b y all persons, wh o had any regard fo r thei r mora l character , o r th e decoru m o f appearances . Constrained b y the etiquette, which made th e principa l part o f the imposing grandeur of Louis XIV, th e quee n wishe d to throw aside the cumbersome brocade of ceremony, without having discernment enough t o perceive, that it was necessary to lend mock dignity to a court, where there was not sufficient virtue , or native beauty, to give interest o r respectability to simplicity. The harlo t i s seldom suc h a fool a s to neglect he r meretricious ornaments, unless she renounces her trade ; and th e pageantr y of courts is the sam e thing on a larger scale. The livel y predilection , likewise , of the quee n fo r her nativ e country, and love for her brother Joseph,* to whom she repeatedly sent considerable sums, purloined from th e public, tended greatly to inspire th e mos t ineffabl e contemp t fo r royalty , now strip t o f th e frippery whic h had concealed it' s deformity : and the sovereign dis gust excite d by her ruinou s vices, completely destroyin g all reverence for that majesty, to which power alone lent dignity , contempt soon produced hatred . The infamou s transaction of the necklace, in which she was probably the dup e o f the knave s she fostered, exasperated also both th e nobility and the clergy; and, with her messalinian feast s at Trianon* made her th e commo n mar k of ridicule and satire . The attentio n o f th e peopl e onc e rouse d wa s not permitte d t o sleep; for fresh cirumstance s dail y occurred, t o give a new spring to discussions, that the most iniquitous and heavy taxes brought home to every bosom; til l the extravagance of the royal family became th e general subject of sharpening execrations. The king , who had not sufficient resolutio n to support the administration o f Turgot, whom his disposition fo r moderation had cho sen, bein g a t a loss wha t measure s t o take , called t o th e hel m th e plausible Necker. He, only half comprehending the plans of his able predecessor, wa s led b y hi s vanit y cautiously to adop t them ; firs t publishing hi s Comte-rendu* t o clea r th e wa y to popularity . This

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work wa s read wit h astonishin g rapidit y b y al l ranks o f men; an d alarming the courtiers , Necke r was , in his turn, dismissed . H e re tired t o write his observations on the administration of the finances, which kep t aliv e th e spiri t o f inquiry , tha t afterward s brok e th e talisman o f courts , an d showe d th e disenchante d multitude , tha t those, whom they had been taught to respect as supernatural beings , were no t indee d men—bu t monsters ; deprive d b y thei r statio n of humanity, an d eve n sympathy. Several abortiv e attempt s wer e the n mad e b y tw o succeedin g ministers, t o kee p alive publi c credit , an d fin d resource s t o supply the expenditur e of the state, an d the dissipatio n o f the court, whe n the kin g was persuaded t o place the speciou s Calonne * a t the hea d of these embarrasse d affairs . During the prodiga l administration o f this man , wh o acted wit h an audacity peculiar t o the arroganc e common i n men of superficial yet brilliant talents , ever y consideration wa s sacrificed t o the court ; the splendid foll y an d wanton prodigality of which eclipsing all that has been related i n history, or told i n romance, t o amuse wondering fools, onl y served t o accelerate the destructio n o f public credit, an d hasten the revolution, by exciting the clamourous indignation of the people. Numberless destructiv e expedient s o f the moment brough t money int o th e stat e coffers , onl y t o b e dissipate d b y th e roya l family, an d it' s trai n o f parasites ; til l al l failing , th e wis h o f stil l supporting himsel f in a situation so desirable as that o f comptrolle r general of the finances , determine d hi m t o convene an assembly of notables:* whose ver y appellatio n point s the m ou t a s me n i n th e aristocratical interest . Louis XVI , wit h a considerable portio n of common sense , and a desire t o promot e usefu l reformation , thoug h alway s governe d b y those aroun d him , gav e without hesitatio n th e necessar y order s for calling together th e assembly , tha t afforde d th e wearie d natio n th e most pleasin g prospect, becaus e i t was a new one; bu t conveye d to their astonishe d mind s at the same time the knowledge of the enormity o f a deficit, whic h a serie s o f vic e an d foll y ha d augmente d beyond al l precedent . The immoralitie s o f Calonne , however , ha d create d a genera l distrust of all his designs: but with an overweening presumption, th e characteristic of the man, he still thought, tha t he could dexterously obtain th e supplie s wante d t o kee p th e wheel s o f governmen t i n

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motion, an d quie t th e clamour s o f th e nation , b y proposin g th e equalization o f taxes ; which , humblin g th e nobilit y an d dignifie d clergy, wh o wer e thu s t o b e brough t dow n fro m thei r privilege d height, to the level of citizens, could not fai l to be grateful t o the rest of the nation. And the parliaments, he concluded, would not dare to oppose his system, lest they should draw on themselves the distrus t and hatre d o f the public . Without canvassin g Calonne' s intentions , whic h th e mos t en larged charity , afte r hi s forme r extravagance, can scarcely suppos e to have been the interest of the people, moderate men imagined this project might have been productive of much good; giving the frenc h all the liberty they were able to digest; and, warding off the tumult s that hav e since produce d s o many disastrou s events , whils t coolly preparing the m fo r th e receptio n o f more , th e effervescenc e of vanity and ignorance would not have rendered their heads giddy, or their heart s savage . Yet som e sensibl e observers , o n th e contrary , rather adopte d th e opinion , tha t a s the peopl e ha d discovere d th e magnitude o f th e deficit, the y wer e no w persuaded , tha t a specifi c remedy was wanting, a new constitution', to cure the evils, which were the excrescences of a gigantic tyranny, that appeare d to be draining away the vital juices of labour, to fill the insatiable jaws of thousands of fawning slaves and idle sycophants. But though the people might, for th e present, have been satisfie d wit h this salutary reform, which would gradually have had an effect, reasonin g from analogy , that the financier did no t tak e into hi s account, th e nobilit y were not suffi ciently enlightened to listen to the dictates of justice or prudence. It had been , indeed , th e syste m o f ministers, eve r since Richelieu, t o humble th e nobles , t o increas e th e powe r o f the court ; an d a s the ministry, th e generals , an d th e bishops , wer e alway s noble , the y aided to support the favourite, who depressed th e whole body, only for th e chance of individual preferment. But this bare-faced attemp t to abolis h thei r privilege s raise d a nes t o f hornet s abou t hi s ears , eager t o secure the plunde r o n which they lived; for by what other name can we call the pensions, places and even estates of those who, taxing industry, rioted i n idleness dut y free? 1 1 Sinc e th e constituen t assembly equalized the impost , Calonn e ha s boasted , tha t h e proposed a mode of levying equal taxes; but tha t the nobilit y would no t liste n to any such motion, tenaciousl y maintaining their privileges . This blin d obstinacy of opposing all re form, that touched their exemptions, may be reckoned among the foremost causes, which, in

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An approachin g nationa l bankruptc y wa s th e ostensibl e reaso n assigned fo r th e convenin g o f th e notables i n 1787 ; bu t th e con vocation, i n truth , ough t t o b e ascribe d t o th e voic e o f reason , sounded throug h the organ of twenty-five millions of human beings , who, though unde r th e fetter s of a detestable tyranny , felt, that th e crisis wa s at hand , whe n th e right s o f man, an d hi s dignit y ascer tained wer e t o b e enthrone d o n th e eterna l basi s o f justic e an d humanity. The notables, once assembled , bein g sensibl e tha t thei r conduc t would b e inspecte d b y a n awakene d public , no w o n th e watch , scrupulously examine d int o ever y nationa l concern ; an d seriousl y investigated th e causes , tha t ha d produce d th e deficit, wit h some thing lik e th e independen t spiri t o f freemen . T o thei r inquiries , however, the minister gav e only the evasive reply, 'that he had acted in obedience t o the pleasur e o f the king:'* when it was notorious t o all Europe, tha t hi s majesty was merely a cypher a t Versailles; an d even th e accusatio n brough t agains t Calonne , b y L a Fayette, * of exchanging the national domains, an d appropriating million s of it' s revenue t o gratif y th e queen , th e coun t d'Artois, * and th e res t of the cabal, who kept him in place, was generally believed. In fact, th e state ha d been fleeced, to support th e unremittin g demand s o f the queen; wh o would hav e dismembere d France , t o aggrandiz e Aus tria, an d pamper he r favourites . Thus the court connivin g at peculation, th e ministe r playe d a sure game ; whils t th e hones t laboure r was groaning under a thousand abuses , and yielding the solace of his industry, o r th e hoards , whic h youthfu l strength ha d reserve d fo r times of scarcity or decrepit age , to irritate the increasing wants of a hurrying the removal of old abuses, tended to introduce violence and disorder.—And if it be kept i n remembrance , tha t a conduc t equall y illiberal and disingenuou s warped all thei r political sentiments , i t mus t b e clear , tha t th e people , fro m who m they considere d them selves as separated by immutable laws, had cogent grounds to conclude, that it would be next to impossibl e t o effec t a refor m o f th e greate r par t o f thos e perplexin g exemption s and arbitrary customs, the weight of which made the peculiar urgency, and called with the most forcible energ y for the revolution . Surely all the foll y o f the peopl e taken together wa s less reprehensible, tha n this total want of discernment, this adherence to a prejudice, the jaundiced perceptio n o f contumelious ignorance, in a class of men, wh o fro m th e opportunity they had o f acquiring knowledge, ought to have acted wit h more judgment. For the y were goaded int o action by inhuma n provocations, by act s of th e mos t flagran t injustice , whe n they ha d neithe r rule nor experienc e to direc t them , an d afte r thei r temperanc e ha d bee n destroyed b y year s of sufferings, an d a n endless catalogu e of reiterated an d contemptuou s privations.

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thoughtless, treacherou s princess , an d th e avaric e o f he r unprin cipled agents . This artful , thoug h weak , machiavelia n politicia n suffere d n o other perso n t o approach th e king; who, seduced int o confidence by his colloquial powers, could not avoi d being dazzled by his plausible schemes. H e had , nevertheless , a powerful enem y to contend with , in M. de Breteuil;* who, having gratified som e of the little passions of the dauphine , durin g he r firs t struggle s fo r dominion , wa s now protected b y th e absolut e powe r o f th e queen . Endeavourin g t o measure hi s strength wit h her's, the ministe r wa s discomfited; and the whol e swar m o f flatterers , wh o ha d partake n o f th e spoi l o f rapine, wer e instantl y aler t t o ope n th e eye s o f Louis, ove r whic h they ha d lon g been scatterin g poppies , an d soo n convince d hi m of the perfid y o f his favourite; whils t the tw o privileged order s joined their forces , to overwhelm their commo n enemy , attending to their vengeance at the ver y time the y followe d th e dictate s o f prudence. The accusation s of La Fayett e served , perhaps , a s the ostensibl e reason wit h the public , an d even with the king; yet it can hardly be supposed, tha t the y ha d an y effec t o n th e cabal , wh o invented , o r connived at the plans necessary to raise a continual supply for thei r pleasures. Th e fac t is , that, mos t probabl y being foun d unequa l t o the task, or no longer choosing to be a docile instrument o f mischief, he wa s thrown asid e as unfit fo r use . Disgraced, h e quickl y retire d t o hi s estate ; bu t wa s no t lon g permitted t o struggl e wit h th e malad y o f exile d ministers , i n th e gloomy silenc e o f inactivity ; for , hearin g tha t h e ha d bee n de nounced b y the parliament , he fled in a transport o f rage out of the kingdom,* covere d wit h th e execration s o f a n injure d people , i n whose hatred, o r admiration, th e mellowe d shades o f reflection are seldom seen . The extravaganc e of his administration exceeded that of any other scourge of France; yet it does not appear , that he was actuated by a plan, o r even desire, o f enriching himself. S o far from it , wit h wild prodigality h e seem s t o hav e squandere d awa y th e vas t sum s h e extorted by force or fraud, merely to gratify o r purchase friend s an d dependents; till , quite exhausted, he was obliged to have recourse to Necker's schem e o f loans . Bu t no t possessin g lik e him th e confi dence of the public, he could not with equal facility obtain a present supply, th e weigh t of which would be thrown forwar d t o become a

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stumbling-block t o hi s successors . Necker , b y th e advantageou s terms which he held out to money-holders, ha d introduced a pernicious syste m o f stock-jobbing , tha t wa s slowl y detected, becaus e those wh o coul d bes t hav e opene d th e eye s o f th e peopl e wer e interested to keep them closed.—Still Calonne could not induce the same bod y o f me n t o trus t t o hi s offers ; which , no t choosin g t o accept, they made a point of discrediting, to secure the interest and exorbitant premiums tha t wer e daily becoming due . With an uncommon quickness of comprehension, an d audacity in pursuing crude schemes, rendered plausibl e by a rhetorical flow of words, Calonne , a strong representativ e o f the nationa l character , seems rathe r t o hav e wanted principle s tha n feeling s o f humanity; and to have been led astray more by vanity and the love of pleasure, which imperceptibl y smoot h awa y mora l restraints , tha n b y thos e deep plan s of guilt, that forc e me n to see the exten t of the mischie f they ar e hatching , whils t th e crocodil e i s stil l i n th e egg . Yet , a s mankind ever judge by events, the inconsiderate presumption, if not the turpitude of his conduct, brought on him universal censure: for, at a crisi s whe n th e genera l groan s o f a n oppresse d natio n pro claimed the disease of the state, and even when the government was on th e verg e o f dissolution , di d h e no t wast e th e treasure s o f hi s country, forgetfu l no t onl y o f mora l obligations , bu t th e tie s o f honour, of that regard for the tacit confidence of it's citizens , which a statesman ough t t o hold sacred? since which he has been caresse d at almos t ever y cour t i n Europe , an d mad e on e o f th e principa l agents o f despotis m i n th e croisade s agains t th e infan t libert y of France. Reflecting on the conduct of the tools of courts, we are enabled in a grea t measur e t o accoun t fo r th e slaver y of Europe ; an d t o dis cover, that it' s miser y has not arisen more fro m th e imperfection of civilization, tha n fro m th e fallac y o f those politica l systems, whic h necessarily made the favourite s of the da y a knavish tyrant, eager to amass riche s sufficien t t o sav e himsel f fro m oblivion , whe n th e honours, s o hardl y wrestle d for , shoul d b e tor n fro m hi s brow . Besides, whils t ministers have found impunit y in the omnipotence , which th e sea l of power gav e them, an d i n th e cover t fea r o f those who hoped on e day to enjoy th e sam e emoluments, the y have been led b y th e prevalenc e of deprave d manners , t o th e commissio n o f every atrociou s folly . King s hav e bee n th e dupe s o f ministers , o f

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mistresses, an d secretaries , no t t o notic e sl y valet s an d cunnin g waiting-maids, wh o are seldom idle ; and thes e ar e most venal , be cause the y hav e least independenc e o f character t o support ; til l in the circle of corruption n o one can point out the first mover. Hence proceeds th e grea t tenacit y of courts t o support them ; hence origi nates thei r grea t objectio n t o republica n form s o f government , which oblige their ministers to be accountable for delinquency; and hence, likewise, might be traced their agonizing fears of the doctrine of civil equality.

BOOK I , CHAPTE R II I After th e dismissio n o f Calonne , M . d e Brienne, * a ma n whos e talents Turgot had overrated, was now chosen by the queen, because he ha d formerl y seconde d he r views , and wa s still th e obsequiou s slave of that power , which he had long been courting, t o obtain th e so much envie d place of minister. Havin g taken more pains to gain the post than to prepare himself to fulfil it' s functions , his weak and timid min d wa s in a continual tumult ; an d h e adopted wit h headlong confusio n th e taxe s propose d b y hi s predecessor ; becaus e money must be had, and he knew not where to turn to procure it by an unhacknied mode of extortion. The notables wer e no w dissolved; * an d i t woul d hav e bee n a natural consequenc e o f the dismissio n of the ministe r wh o assembled them , eve n i f thei r spirite d inquirie s ha d no t rendere d thei r presence vexatiou s to th e court . This , however , wa s an impoliti c measure; fo r the y returne d highl y disguste d t o thei r respectiv e abodes, t o propagat e th e fre e opinions , t o whic h resentmen t an d argumentation ha d give n birth. Before th e breakin g u p o f th e notables, the y wer e nevertheles s prevailed upo n t o recommend a land and stamp tax ; and the edict s were sen t t o th e parliamen t t o b e enregistered . Bu t thes e magis trates, neve r forgettin g that the y enjoyed , i n virtu e of their office , the privilege d exemption fro m taxes , to elude sanctioning the first, which wa s t o hav e bee n a n equa l impost , too k advantag e of th e public odiousnes s o f th e second ; thu s avoiding , wit h a sho w o f patriotism, a n avowed opposition t o the interest o f the people, tha t would clearl y have proved, how much deare r the y held thei r own.

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The gaud y an d meretriciou s pageantr y o f th e cour t wa s no w displayed, to intimidate the parliament, at what was termed a bed of justice, though in reality of all justice a solemn mockery; and, whilst pretending to consult them, the edicts were enregistered b y a mandate of state. Th e parliament , in the mea n time , makin g a merit of necessity, declared , tha t th e righ t o f sanctionin g th e impos t be longed onl y t o th e states-general , th e convocatio n o f whic h the y demanded. Provoked by their sturdy opposition, the court banished them t o Troyes ; an d the y compromise d fo r thei r recal l b y enre gistering th e prolongatio n o f th e deuxieme vingtieme* a cowardly desertion o f their forme r ground. A centur y befor e ( a proof of the progres s o f reason) th e people , digesting their disappointment , woul d have submitted, wit h brutal acquiescence, t o th e majesti c WIL L o f th e king , withou t darin g t o scan it' s import ; bu t now , recognizin g their ow n dignity, they in sisted, tha t al l authority, whic h di d no t originat e wit h them , was illegal and despotic, and loudly resounded th e grand truth—That it was necessary to convoke the states-general. Th e government , how ever, like a dying wretch cut of f by intemperance, whils t the lus t of enjoyment stil l remaining prompts hi m t o exhaus t his strengt h b y struggling with death , sough t som e tim e longe r inauspiciousl y for existence, dependin g o n th e succou r o f th e cour t empirics , wh o vainly flattered themselves , tha t the y could prevent it's dissolution . From the moment, indeed , that Brienne succeeded Calonne , all the machinery, which the demon o f despotism coul d invent, was put i n motion, t o divert the current o f opinion, bearing on it's fai r boso m the ne w sentiment s o f libert y wit h irresistibl e force , an d over whelming, a s i t swelled , th e perishin g monument s o f venerabl e folly, an d th e fragil e barrier s o f superstitious ignorance. But supplie s wer e still wanting ; and th e court , being fruitfu l i n stratagems t o procur e a loan, which wa s the necessar y lever o f it' s insidious designs, coalesced with some of the members of the parlia ment, an d th e agreemen t wa s t o hav e bee n ratifie d i n a seance royale* Yet , as the parliament had determined t o be governed by a clear majority, th e scheme of the keeper of the seals,* who intended to hav e th e busines s hurrie d ove r withou t tellin g th e votes , wa s completely defeated. The discover y of this unfai r attemp t mad e the indignan t magis trates, glad to seize an occasion to recover their popularity, maintain

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with boldnes s thei r ow n character, an d th e interes t o f the people . The duk e of Orleans,* also, somewhat tauntingly suggesting to the king, that this was only another bed of justice,* was exiled, with two other members, wh o had remonstrated wit h courage. These magistrates, now become the objects of public adoration, were considered by the grateful public as their only bulwark against the attacks of the ministry; which continued to harrass invention, to contrive means to counteract a concurrence of circumstances, that were driving before them all opposition. The court , fo r I conside r th e government , a t thi s period , com pletely a t a n end , continue d t o stumbl e ou t o f on e blunde r int o another, till at last they rested all their hopes on the popular reforms projected b y Brienne, i n conjunction with Lamoignon, a man with more strength of character, to cajole the people and crush the parliament. Severa l strokes, the feebl e blow s of angry men, wh o wished still t o retai n th e stole n sweet s o f office , wer e aimed a t thi s body, calculated to mislead the people, who were also promised a reformed code of penal laws. But th e tim e when partial remedies would have been eagerly swallowed was past, and the people saw distinctly, that their wil l would soon be law, and their powe r omnipotent. But th e minister, Brienne, not awar e of this, to steer clea r of further oppo sition, propose d the pla n of a cour pleniere:* an heterogeneou s assembly o f princes , nobles , magistrates , an d soldiers . A happ y substitute, a s he imagined , fo r th e parliament ; an d which , b y re storing th e ancien t form s o f th e king s of France , woul d aw e and amuse th e people . H e di d no t consider , tha t thei r mind s wer e now full o f other objects, and their enthusiasm turned int o another channel. This conduc t prove d mor e destructiv e t o th e cour t tha n an y former foll y it' s adviser s had committed. Imbecilit y now characterized every measure. The parliamen t however fell into the snare, and forfeited th e esteem and confidence of the people by opposing some popular edicts; particularly one in favour of the protestants,* which they themselves had demanded ten years before, and to which they now objected , only because it cam e fro m anothe r quarter . Ye t th e court, regardless of experience, endeavoured to restore it's credit by persecution; whilst , makin g all th e clashin g movement s tha t fea r could dictate to manifest it's power and overawe the nation, it united all parties, and dre w the whol e kingdom to one point of action.

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The despoti c and extravagant steps taken, to give efficiency t o the cour pleniere, awakened the sensibilit y of the mos t torpid ; an d th e vigilance o f twenty-five millions of centinels wa s roused, t o watch the movement s o f th e court , an d follo w it' s corrup t ministers , through al l the labyrinth s of sophistry an d tergiversation , int o th e very dens of their nefarious machinations. To preven t the differen t parliaments from deliberating, and forming in consequence a plan of conduct together, the edict to sanction this packed cabinet was to be presented to them all on the same day; and a considerable force was assembled, t o intimidat e th e members , wh o shoul d dar e t o prov e refractory. But , the y wer e forewarne d in time , t o avoid being sur prised int o acquiescence: for , having received a n intimatio n of th e design, a copy o f the edic t ha d bee n purloine d fro m th e press , by means o f the universa l engin e o f corruption, money . Warmed b y th e discover y of this surreptitiou s attemp t t o chea t them into blind obedience, they bound themselves by an oath, to act in concert ; an d no t t o enregiste r a decree, tha t ha d bee n obtaine d through a medium, which violated the privilege they had usurped of having a share in the legislation, by rendering their sanction of edicts necessary t o giv e them force : a privilege that belonged onl y to th e states-general. Still , as the governmen t ha d ofte n foun d i t conven ient t o make the parliament s a substitute fo r a power they dreaded to se e in action, thes e magistrate s sometime s availe d themselves of this weakness, to remonstrate agains t oppression; an d thus , cover ing usurpatio n wit h a respectabl e veil , th e twelv e parliament s were considere d b y th e peopl e a s th e onl y barrier s t o resis t th e encroachments o f despotism . Ye t th e sagaciou s chancellor L'Hopital,* not deceived by their accidental usefulness, guarded the french agains t thei r illega l ambition : fo r wa s i t no t a dangerou s courtesy o f th e people , t o allo w a n aristocrac y o f lawyers , wh o brought thei r places , t o b e a s i t wer e th e onl y representative s o f the nation? Still their resistance had frequently been an impediment in th e wa y of tyranny, and no w provoke d a discussion, whic h led to th e mos t importan t o f al l questions—namely , i n whos e hand s ought the sovereignt y t o rest?—who ought t o levy the impost, and make laws?—an d th e answe r wa s th e universa l deman d o f a fai r representation, t o mee t a t state d periods , withou t dependin g o n the capric e o f the executiv e power. Unable t o effec t thei r purpos e by ar t o r force , th e wea k ministry , stun g b y th e disappointment ,

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determined a t least to wreak their vengeance on two of the boldest of the members. Bu t the united magistrates disputing the authority of the arme d force , i t was necessary to send t o Versailles, to make the king sign an express order; and towards five o'clock th e next morning th e sanctuar y o f justic e wa s profaned , an d th e tw o member s dragged t o prison, * i n contemp t o f th e visibl e indignatio n o f th e people. Soo n after, t o fill up the measure of provocations, a deputation sen t b y th e provinc e o f Brittany , t o remonstrat e agains t th e establishment of the cour pleniere, were condemned t o silence in th e Bastille. Without money , and afrai d t o demand it , excepting in a circumlocutory manner, th e court, lik e mad men, spen t themselve s in idle exertions of strength: for , whilst the citizen s of Paris were burning in effig y th e tw o obnoxiou s ministers, wh o thu s outrage d the m i n the person of their magistrates, they were delivered up to the fury of the hire d slave s o f despotism , an d trample d unde r foo t b y th e cavalry; who were called in to quell a riot purposel y excited . Cries of horrour and indignation resounded throughou t the kingdom; and the nation, with one voice, demanded justice—Alas! justice had never been known in France. Retaliation and vengeance had been it' s fata l substitutes . An d fro m thi s epoc h w e ma y dat e th e commencement o f thos e butcheries , whic h hav e brough t o n tha t devoted country so many dreadful calamities, by teaching the people to avenge themselves wit h blood! The hope s of the nation , i t is true, were still turned toward s the promised convocation of the states-general; whic h every day became more necessary . Bu t th e infatuate d ministers , thoug h unabl e t o devise any scheme to extricate themselves out o f the crowd of diffi culties, int o which they had heedlessly plunged , coul d not thin k of convening a power, which they foresaw, without any great stretch of sagacity, would quickly annihilate their own . The ferment , mean time, continued, an d the blood that had been shed serve d onl y to increas e it ; nay , the citizen s o f Grenoble pre pared wit h calmness to resist forc e by force, an d th e myrmidons of tyranny might hav e found i t a serious contest, if the intelligence of the dismissio n o f th e minister s ha d no t produce d on e o f thos e moments o f enthusiasm , whic h b y th e mos t rapi d operatio n o f sympathy unites all hearts. Touched by it, the men who lived on the wages of slaughter threw down their arms, and melting into tears in

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the embrace s o f the citizen s who m the y cam e t o murder, remembered tha t the y wer e countrymen , an d groane d unde r th e sam e oppression: and , their conduct, quickl y applauded with that glow of sensibility whic h excite s imitation , serve d a s a n exampl e t o th e whole army , forcin g th e soldier s t o thin k o f thei r situation , an d might hav e proved a salutary lesson t o any court les s deprave d and insensible than tha t of Versailles.

BOOK I , CHAPTE R I V Such were the measures pursued to exasperate a people beginning to open their eyes, and now clamourously demanding the restitution of their long-estrange d rights ; whe n th e court , havin g i n vai n at tempted t o terrif y o r deceiv e them, foun d i t expedien t t o stil l th e storm by recalling Necker.* This man had the confidence of France, which he in some degree merited fo r the light he had thrown on the state o f the revenue , an d fo r th e syste m o f economy , tha t h e ha d endeavoured to adopt durin g his former administration: but unfor tunately he did no t posses s talent s or political sagacity sufficient t o pilot the stat e in this perilous season. Bred u p i n a counting-house , he acquired tha t knowledg e of detail, an d attention t o little advan tages, so necessary when a man desire s to amass riches wit h what is termed a fai r character : and , havin g accumulated a very large for tune by unremitting industry; or, to borrow the commercial phrase, attention to the main chance, his house became the resor t of the me n of letters o f his day. The foible s of a rich man are always fostered, sometimes perhap s insensibly, by his numerous dependent s an d visitants, who find his table amusing or convenient. It is not then surprizing, that, with the abilities of a tolerable financier, he was soon persuaded , that he was a grea t author, * an d consummat e statesman . Besides , whe n th e manners of a nation are very depraved, the men who wish to appear, and eve n to be, more mora l tha n th e multitude, i n general become pedantically virtuous; and, continually contrasting their morals with the thoughtless vices around them, the artificial, narrow character of a sectar y i s formed ; the manner s ar e rendere d stiff , an d th e hear t cold. The dupe s also of their flimse y virtue , many men ar e harshly called hypocrites, who are only weak; and popularity often turn s th e

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head giddy, that would have soberly fulfille d th e commo n dutie s of a man i n the shad e of private life . Having adopted with a timid hand many of the sagacious plans of his model, the clear headed, unaffected Turgot , Necker was considered b y th e greate r par t o f the natio n a s a consummate politician : neither wa s it surprizing, that th e people , snatche d fro m despond ency, shoul d hav e mistaken th e exten t o f his politica l knowledge, when they had estimated i t by that of the greates t statesman, whic h France, or, perhaps, an y other country , ever produced . Having written on a subject, that naturally attracted the attention of th e public , h e ha d th e vanit y to believe , tha t h e deserve d th e exaggerated applause he received, and the reputation of wise, when he wa s onl y shrewd . No t conten t wit h th e fam e h e acquire d b y writing on a subject, which his turn of mind and profession enabled him t o comprehend, h e wished to obtain a higher degre e of celebrity, b y formin g into a larg e book variou s metaphysical shred s o f arguments, whic h he ha d collecte d fro m th e conversatio n o f men , fond o f ingenious subtilties; and the style, excepting some declama tory passages, was as inflated an d confuse d a s the thought s were far fetched an d unconnected. 1 As it is from this period, that we must date the commencement of those great events, which, outrunning expectation, have almost ren dered observatio n breathless , i t becomes necessar y t o ente r o n th e task wit h caution ; a s i t ough t no t t o b e mor e th e objec t o f th e historian to fill up th e sketch, than t o trace the hidden springs and secret mechanism , which have put i n motion a revolution, the mos t important tha t ha s ever been recorde d i n th e annal s of man. Thi s was a crisis that demande d boldnes s an d precision ; an d n o man i n France, exceptin g Necker, ha d th e reputatio n of possessing exten sive political talents; because the old system of government scarcely afforded a field, in which the abilities of men could be unfolded, and their judgment matured by experience. Yet, whilst the kingdom was in the greates t fermentation , he seems t o have thought o f none bu t those timi d half-wa y measures , whic h alway s prov e disastrou s i n desperate cases, when the wound requires to be probed to the quick. The ol d governmen t wa s then onl y a vast ruin ; an d whils t it' s pillars were trembling on their baseless foundations, the eye s of all 1

Importanc e of religious opinions.*

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France wer e directed toward s their admired minister. I n this situa tion, with all his former empiricism he began his second career , like another Sangrado.* But the people could no longer bear bleeding— for thei r veins were already so lacerated, it was difficult t o find room to make a fresh incision ; and th e emollien t prescriptions, th e prac tice of former times, were now insufficient t o stop the progres s o f a deadly disease. In this situation, listening to the voice of the nation, because he was at a loss what step to take to maintain his popularity, he determined t o hasten th e convocation of the states-general : firs t recalling the exiled magistrates, and restoring the parliaments to the exercise of their functions . His next care was to dissipate all apprehension of a famine; a fear that had been artfully excited by the cour t agents, in order to have a pretext to form magazines of provision for an army , whic h the y ha d previousl y resolve d t o assembl e i n th e vicinity of Paris. Thus far he seems to have acted with some degree of prudence, at least; but, inattentiv e to the robust strengt h whic h the public opinion had then acquired, he wavered as to the mode of constituting the states-general, whilst the parliament passed a decree to prevent their assembling in any other manner than they did in 1614.* This obstinate pretention t o legislate for the nation was no longer to be tolerated, whe n the y oppose d th e wishe s o f th e people : yet , wit h th e common instinc t o f corporate bodies , the y wrapped themselve s u p in th e precedent s tha t prove d thei r winding-sheet , provokin g universal contempt ; fo r th e herculea n forc e o f the whol e empire wa s now clearing away every obstacle to freedom. At thi s critica l moment, th e minister, enjoyin g grea t popularity, had i t i n hi s power , coul d h e hav e governe d th e court , t o hav e suggested a system, which might ultimately have proved acceptable to al l parties ; an d thu s hav e prevente d tha t dreadfu l convulsion , which ha s shoo k th e kingdo m fro m on e extremit y t o th e other . Instead o f that , h e convene d a secon d tim e th e notables* t o tak e their opinio n on a subject, respecting whic h the publi c had already decided, no t daring himself to sanction it' s decision . The stronges t proof h e coul d give , tha t hi s min d wa s not sufficientl y elasti c t o expand wit h th e openin g views of the people ; an d tha t h e di d no t possess th e ey e o f genius , which , quickl y distinguishin g wha t i s possible, enable s a statesman to act with firm dignity, resting on his own centre .

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Carried awa y b y th e genera l impulsion , wit h th e inconsiderat e fervour o f men, whos e hearts alway s grow hard a s they cool, when they hav e bee n warme d b y som e sudde n glo w o f enthusias m o r sympathy, the notables showed, b y their subsequen t conduct , that , though they had been led by eloquence to support some questions of a patriotic tendency, they had not the principle s necessary to impel them t o giv e up loca l advantages, or persona l prerogatives , fo r th e good of the whole community, in which they were only eventually to share. Indee d romanti c virtue , o r friendship , seldom goe s furthe r than professions; because it is merely the effec t o f that fondness for imitating great , rathe r tha n acquirin g moderate qualities , commo n to vain people . The notables had now two essentia l point s to settle ; namely , to regulate th e electio n o f th e deputies , an d ho w the y wer e after wards t o vote . Th e populatio n an d wealt h o f severa l provinces , from commercia l advantage s an d othe r causes , ha d give n a ne w face t o th e countr y sinc e th e forme r election ; s o much so , that , i f the ancien t divisio n were adhered to , the representatio n coul d no t fail t o be very unequal. Yet if the natura l order o f population were followed, th e gran d question of voting by orders or by voices seemed t o b e prejudge d b y th e grea t increas e o f th e member s o f th e tiers-etat* The noble s and the clergy immediately rallied round the standard of privileges, insisting , that Franc e woul d be ruined , i f their rights were touched: an d so true were they now to their insulated interest , that all the committees int o which the notables were divided, excepting tha t o f which monsieur* wa s president, determine d agains t al lowing the tiers-etat that increase of power necessary to enable them to be useful. Whilst , however , these disputes an d cabal s seemed t o promise no speedy determination, the people, weary of procrastination, and disgusted wit h the obstacles continually thrown in the way of the meeting of the states-general, b y a court that was ever secretly at work , t o regai n th e triflin g privileges , whic h i t pretende d t o sacrifice to the genera l good, began to assemble, and even to decide the previou s question , b y deliberatin g togethe r i n severa l places . Dauphine* set the example; and the three orders uniting sketched a plan fo r the organizatio n of the whol e kingdom, which serve d a s a model for the other provincia l states, an d furnished grounds for the constituent assembl y t o wor k o n whe n formin g th e constitution .

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Though the rumour was spread abroad , the court, still so stupidly secure a s not t o see , tha t th e people , wh o a t thi s perio d dare d t o think fo r themselves , woul d no t no w b e noose d lik e beasts , whe n strength i s brought int o subjection by reason, beheld wit h wonder the arriva l of deputation s fro m differen t quarters , an d hear d wit h astonishment th e bold tones of men speaking of their rights, tracing society to it's origin , and painting with the most forcibl e colours the horrid depredation s o f the ol d government. Fo r afte r th e mind s of men ha d bee n fatigue d b y th e stratagem s o f th e court , th e feebl e measures of the minister, and the narrow, selfish views of the parliaments, the y examine d with avidity the production s o f a number of able writers, wh o were daily pouring pamphlets fro m th e press , t o excite the tiers-etat, to assert it's rights on enlarged principles, and to oppose vigorousl y the exorbitan t claim s o f th e privilege d orders , who stoo d u p fo r ancien t usurpations , a s if they wer e th e natura l rights o f a particular genus of man. Those of the abb e Sieves * and the marquis de Condorcet* were the most philosophical; whils t the unctuous eloquenc e o f Mirabeau * softene d thes e dr y researches , and fe d the flame of patriotism. In this posture of affairs, Necker , perceiving that the people were grown resolute, prevaile d on the council to decree, that the number of the deputie s o f the tiers-etat shoul d b e equa l t o tha t o f the tw o other order s take n together : bu t whethe r the y wer e t o vot e b y chambers, o r in the sam e body, was still lef t undetermined . The people , whos e patience ha d bee n wor n ou t b y injurie s an d insults, now only thought o f preparing instructions fo r their representatives.—But, instead o f looking for gradua l improvement, let ting one reform calmly produce another, they seemed determined t o strike at the roo t of all their misery at once: the unite d mischiefs of a monarchy unrestrained, a priesthood unnecessaril y numerous, and an overgrown nobility: and thes e hasty measures, become a subject worthy of philosophical investigation, naturally fall into two distinct subjects o f inquiry. 1st. If, from th e progress of reason, we be authorized to infer, that all governments will be meliorated, and the happiness of man placed on the solid basis, gradually prepared by the improvement of political science: if the degradin g distinctions of rank born i n barbarism, and nourishe d b y chivalry, be really becoming in the estimatio n of all sensible people so contemptible, that a modest man, in the course

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of fifty years woul d probabl y blus h a t being thus distinguished: if the complexio n of manners in Europe b e completely changed fro m what it was half a century ago, and th e libert y of it's citizen s tolerably secured: if every day extending freedom be more firmly established i n consequenc e o f th e genera l disseminatio n o f trut h an d knowledge: i t the n seem s injudiciou s fo r statesme n t o forc e th e adoption o f an y opinion , b y aimin g a t th e speed y destructio n o f obstinate prejudices ; because thes e prematur e reforms , instea d o f promoting, destro y th e comfor t o f those unfortunat e beings, wh o are under thei r dominion , affordin g a t the sam e tim e t o despotis m the stronges t argument s t o urg e i n oppositio n t o th e theor y o f reason. Besides, th e object s intended t o be forwarded are probably retarded, whils t the tumult o f internal commotion an d civil discord leads to the most dreadfu l consequence—th e immolating of human victims. But, 2dly, it is necessary to observe, that, if the degeneracy of the higher order s o f society be such , tha t n o remedy les s fraugh t wit h horrour ca n effect a radical cure; and i f enjoying th e fruit s o f usurpation, they domineer over the weak, and check by all the means in their powe r ever y humane effort , t o dra w ma n ou t o f the stat e o f degradation, into which the inequality of fortune has sunk him; the people are justified in having recourse t o coercion, to repel coercion . And, further, if it can be ascertained, that the silent sufferings o f the citizens of the worl d under th e iro n fee t o f oppression ar e greater , though les s obvious , tha n th e calamitie s produce d b y such violent convulsions a s hav e happene d i n France ; which , lik e hurricane s whirling over the fac e of nature, strip off all it's bloomin g graces; it may b e politicall y just, to pursu e suc h measure s a s were take n by that regeneratin g country , an d a t onc e roo t ou t thos e deleteriou s plants, which poison the better hal f of human happiness. For civilization hitherto , b y producin g th e inequalit y of conditions , whic h makes wealt h mor e desirabl e tha n eithe r talent s o r virtue , ha s s o weakened all the organs of the body-politic, an d rendered man such a beast o f prey, tha t th e stron g have always devoure d th e wea k till the ver y signification o f justice has been los t sigh t of , an d charity , the mos t speciou s syste m o f slavery, substituted i n it' s place . Th e rich hav e for ages tyrannized over the poor , teachin g them ho w to act whe n possessed o f power, and no w must fee l th e consequence . People ar e rendere d ferociou s by misery ; an d misanthrop y i s ever

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the offspring of discontent. Let not then the happiness of one half of mankind be built on the misery of the other, and humanity will take place o f charity , an d al l th e ostentatiou s virtue s o f a n universa l aristocracy. How, in fact, can we expect to see men live together like brothers, whe n w e only see master an d servan t i n society ? For til l men learn mutually to assist without governing each other, little can be done by political associations towards perfecting the condition of mankind. Europe wil l probabl y be , fo r som e year s t o come , i n a stat e o f anarchy; til l a chang e o f sentiments , graduall y underminin g th e strongholds of custom, alters the manners, without rousing the little passions o f men , a pac k o f yelpin g curs pampere d b y vanit y and pride. It is in reality these minor passions, which during the summer of idleness mantle on the heart , an d tain t the atmosphere , becaus e the understandin g is still. Several acts of ferocious folly hav e justly brought muc h obloquy on the grand revolution, which has taken place in France; yet, I fee l confident of being able to prove, that the people are essentially good, and tha t knowledg e is rapidly advancing to tha t degre e of perfect ibility, whe n th e prou d distinction s o f sophisticatin g fool s wil l b e eclipsed b y the mil d rays of philosophy, and ma n b e considered as man—acting with the dignit y of an intelligent being . From implicitly obeying their sovereigns, the french became suddenly all sovereigns; yet, because it is natural for men t o run ou t of one extrem e int o another , w e should guar d agains t inferring, that the spirit of the moment wil l not evaporate, and leave the disturbe d water mor e clea r fo r the fermentation . Men withou t principle ris e like foam during a storm sparkling on the top of the billow, in which it i s soo n absorbe d whe n th e commotio n die s away . Anarch y i s a fearful state , an d al l men o f sense an d benevolenc e have been anx iously attentive, to observe what use frenchmen would make of their liberty, when the confusion incident t o the acquisition should sub side: yet, whilst the hear t sickens over a detail of crimes and follies , and th e understandin g i s appalle d b y th e labou r o f unravellin g a black tissue of plots, which exhibits the human character in the most revolting point of view; it is perhaps, difficul t t o bring ourselves to believe, tha t ou t o f this chaoti c mas s a faire r governmen t i s rising than has ever shed the sweets of social life on the world.—But things must hav e time to find their level.

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FROM BOO K II , CHAPTE R I I With respect to the improvement of society, since the destruction of the roma n empire , Englan d seem s t o hav e led th e way , rendering certain obstinat e prejudice s almost null , b y a gradua l chang e o f opinion. This observation, which facts will support, may be brought forward, t o prove, that just sentiments gai n footing only in proportion as the understanding is enlarged by cultivation, and freedom of thought, instea d o f bein g crampe d b y th e drea d o f bastille s an d inquisitions. I n Ital y an d France , fo r example , wher e th e min d dared t o exercise itself only to for m th e taste , th e nobilit y were, in the strictest sense of the word, a cast, keeping aloof from th e people; whilst i n Englan d the y intermingle d wit h th e commercia l men , whose equa l or superiou r fortune s made the noble s overloo k their inequality o f birth: thu s givin g the first blow to the ignoran t pride that retarded the formatio n of just opinions respecting true dignity of character. Thi s monie d interest , fro m whic h political improve ment first emanates, was not ye t formed in France; an d the ridicu lous pride of her nobles, whic h led them t o believe, that th e purity of their familie s woul d be sullied , if they agreed to act in th e sam e sphere with the people, was a prevailing motive, that prevented their junction wit h th e commons . Bu t th e mor e licentiou s par t o f th e clergy, who followed wit h a truer scen t their ow n interest, though t it expedien t t o espouse , i n time , th e caus e o f th e power , fro m whence thei r influenc e derive d it s greates t force ; and fro m whic h alone they could hope for support. This schism proved, as it promised, dangerous to the view s of the court . The desertio n of the clergy rendered the nobility outrageous, and hastened the crisis when the important contest was to be brought to an issue.—Whe n i t wa s that th e kin g perceived ho w contemptibl e his undecide d conduc t ha d been , an d exclaiming , it i s sai d confidently, 'that he remained ALONE in the midst of the nation, occupied with th e establishmen t o f concord.'* Vain words! and thi s affecta tion wa s particularly reprehensible, because h e ha d alread y given orders for the assemblin g of the foreig n troops : the objec t of which was to establish concord wit h the poin t o f the bayonet. This tota l wan t o f characte r cause d hi m t o b e flattere d b y al l parties, an d truste d b y none . Insignificanc y ha d distinguishe d his

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manners in his own court. Action s without energy, and professions without sincerity, exhibiting a conduct destitute of steadiness, made the cabine t concer t al l thei r measure s regardles s o f hi s opinion , leaving to the queen the task of persuading him to adopt them. Th e evil did no t res t eve n here; fo r the differen t partie s followin g sepa rate views, the flexibility of his temper le d him to sanction things the most a t variance , an d mos t dangerou s t o hi s futur e honou r an d safety. For i t appears obvious, that whatever party had prevailed, he could only be considered as an instrument; which, becoming useless when th e objec t shoul d b e achieved , woul d be treate d wit h disre spect. Periods of revolution drawing into action the worst as well as the best o f men; and a s audacity, in general, triumphs ove r modest merit, when the political horizon is ruffled b y tempest; it amounted to a moral certainty , tha t th e lin e of conduct pursue d b y th e king would lea d to his disgrace and ruin . Seeing, however, that the people were unanimous in their appro bation o f the conduc t o f their representatives , an d watchfu l t o dis cover th e design s o f thei r enemies ; i t coul d no t bu t occu r t o th e cabinet, that th e onl y way to lull attention t o sleep, wa s to affec t t o submit t o necessity. Besides , fearing , i f they continued t o resort t o their differen t chambers , tha t thei r plo t woul d tak e win d befor e all th e agent s wer e assembled , a fres h instanc e o f dissimulatio n evinced, tha t thei r depravit y equalled thei r stupidity . For th e king was now prevailed on to write to the presidents o f the nobility, and the minorit y o f the clergy , requesting them , t o represen t t o thos e two orders the necessity of uniting with the third, to proceed t o the discussion o f his proposals, mad e a t the seance royale. The clerg y immediately acquiesced; but the nobility continued to oppose a junction so humiliating, till the court invented a pretext of honour t o sav e the credi t o f their moc k dignity, by declaring , tha t the lif e of the king would be in imminent danger, should the noble s continue to resist the desire of the nation. Pretending to believe this report, fo r the secre t o f the cabine t was buzzed amongst them , and appearing to wish to bury all rivalry in royalty, they attended a t the common hall , the 27th.* Yet even there, th e first step they took was to ente r a protest, i n orde r t o guar d agains t thi s concessio n bein g made a precedent. A genera l jo y succeeded th e terrou r whic h ha d bee n engender ed i n the mind s of the peopl e by their contumeliou s perverseness ;

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and th e parisians, cherishin g th e most sanguine expectations , reck oned, tha t a n unity of exertions would secure t o the m a redress o f grievances. It is perhaps unnecessary to dwell, for a moment, o n the insensi bility of the court, an d the credulity of the people; as they seem th e only clues, that will lead us to a precise discrimination of the causes, which completel y annihilate d all confidence in th e ministers , wh o have succeeded the directors of those infamous measures, that swept away the whole party; measures which involved thousands of innocent peopl e i n the sam e ruin, and have produced a clamour against the proceeding s o f th e nation , tha t ha s obscure d th e glor y o f he r labours. It is painful to follow, through all their windings, the crimes and follie s produce d b y wan t o f sagacity , an d jus t principle s o f action. For instance , the seance royale was held on the 23d, when the king, not deignin g to advise, commanded th e deputie s t o repair t o their differen t chambers ; an d onl y four day s after h e implore d th e nobility an d clerg y to wav e every consideration, an d acced e to th e wish of the people . Actin g in this contradictory manner, i t is clear, that th e caba l though t onl y o f renderin g sur e th e decide d blow , which wa s t o leve l wit h th e dus t th e power , tha t extorte d suc h humiliating concessions . But th e people , easy of belief, and glad to be light-hearted again, no sooner hear d that an union of the order s had taken place, by the desire o f the king , than the y hurried fro m al l quarters, wit h goodhumoured confidence , called for the kin g and queen , an d testified, in thei r presence , th e gratefu l jo y this acquiescenc e ha d inspired . How differen t wa s thi s franknes s o f th e people , fro m th e clos e hypocritical conduct o f the cabal! The courtly , dignifie d politenes s o f th e queen , wit h al l thos e complacent graces which dance round flattered beauty, whose every charm is drawn forth by the consciousness o f pleasing, promised all that a sanguine fancy had pourtrayed of future happiness and peace. From her fascinatin g smiles, indeed , wa s caught th e careles s hope , that, expanding the heart, makes the animal spirits vibrate, in every nerve, with pleasure:—yet, she smiled but t o deceive; or, if she fel t some touches o f sympathy, it was only the uniso n o f the moment . It i s certain, tha t education , an d th e atmospher e o f manners i n which a character i s formed, change the natura l laws of humanity; otherwise it would be unaccountable, ho w the huma n hear t can be

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so dead to the tender emotion s o f benevolence, which most forcibly teach us, that real or lasting felicity flow s only from a love of virtue, and th e practic e of sincerity. The unfortunat e queen of France, beside the advantages of birth and station, possesse d a very fine person; and her lovely face, spark ling with vivacity, hid the want of intelligence. Her complexio n was dazzlingly clear ; and , whe n sh e wa s pleased , he r manner s wer e bewitching; for she happily mingled th e mos t insinuatin g voluptuous softnes s an d affability , wit h a n ai r o f grandeur , borderin g o n pride, that rendered th e contrast mor e striking. Independence also, of whatever kind , always gives a degree o f dignity to th e mien ; so that monarch s an d nobles , wit h most ignoble souls, fro m believin g themselves superiou r t o others , hav e actuall y acquire d a loo k o f superiority. But her opening faculties were poisoned in the bud; for before she came to Paris, sh e had already been prepared , b y a corrupt, suppl e abbe,* for the par t sh e was to play; and, young as she was, became so firmly attached to the aggrandizement of her house, that, thoug h plunged deep in pleasure, she never omitted sending immense sums to her brother, o n every occasion. Th e perso n o f the king , in itself very disgusting , wa s rendere d mor e s o b y gluttony , an d a tota l disregard o f delicacy , an d eve n decenc y i n hi s apartments : and , when jealou s of th e queen , fo r who m h e ha d a kin d of devouring passion, h e treate d he r wit h great brutality, till sh e acquired suffi cient finess e t o subjugat e him . I s i t the n surprizing , tha t a very desirable woman , wit h a sanguin e constitution , shoul d shrin k ab horrent fro m hi s embraces; or that a n empty min d shoul d b e em ployed onl y t o var y th e pleasures , whic h emasculate d he r circea n court? And, added to this, the histories of the Julias and Messalinas* of antiquity, convincingly prove, that there is no end to the vagaries of the imagination , when power is unlimited, an d reputatio n set at defiance. Lost the n i n th e mos t luxuriou s pleasures , o r managin g cour t intrigues, th e quee n becam e a profound dissembler; an d he r hear t hardened b y sensual enjoyment s to suc h a degree , tha t whe n he r family an d favourites stood on the brink of ruin, her little portion of mind was employed only to preserve herself from danger . As a proof of the justness of this assertion, it is only necessary to observe, that , in th e genera l wreck, not a scrap o f her writin g has been foun d t o

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criminate her ; neithe r ha s sh e suffere d a wor d t o escap e he r t o exasperate the people, even when burning with rage, and contempt . The effec t tha t adversit y ma y hav e o n he r choke d understandin g time will show;1 but during her prosperity, the moments of languor, that glid e into the interstices o f enjoyment, wer e passed i n the most childish manner ; without the appearanc e of any vigour of mind, t o palliate the wanderings of the imagination.—Still she was a woman of uncommon address; and though her conversation was insipid, her compliments wer e s o artfull y adapte d t o flatte r th e perso n sh e wished t o please or dupe, and s o eloquent i s the beaut y of a queen, in the eyes even of superiour men, that she seldom failed to carry her point when she endeavoured to gain an ascendency over the mind of an individual. Over tha t o f the king she acquired unbounded sway, when, managing the disgus t sh e had fo r his person, sh e made hi m pay a kingly price for her favours . A court i s the bes t schoo l i n th e world fo r actors ; i t wa s ver y natura l the n fo r he r t o becom e a complete actress , an d a n adep t i n al l th e art s o f coquetr y tha t debauch th e mind, whils t they render th e perso n alluring. Had th e haples s Loui s possesse d an y decisio n o f character , t o support hi s glimmerin g sens e o f right, h e woul d fro m thi s perio d have chose n a lin e o f conduct , tha t migh t hav e save d hi s lif e by regulatin g hi s futur e politics. Fo r thi s returnin g affectio n o f the peopl e alon e wa s sufficien t t o prov e t o him , tha t i t wa s no t easy t o eradicat e thei r lov e for royalty ; because, whils t the y wer e contending fo r thei r right s wit h th e nobility , the y wer e happ y to receive them as acts of beneficence fro m th e king. But the education o f the hei r apparen t o f a crown mus t necessaril y destro y th e common sagacit y and feeling s of a man; an d th e educatio n o f thi s monarch, like that of Louis XV, only tended t o make him a sensual bigot. Priests have , i n general , contrive d t o becom e th e preceptor s o f kings; the more surel y to support th e church , b y leaning it against the throne . Besides ; kings , who without havin g their understand ings enlarged , ar e se t abov e attendin g t o th e form s o f morality , which sometimes produc e it's spirit , are always particularly fond of those religiou s systems, which , lik e a sponge, wip e out th e crime s that haun t th e terrified imagination of unsound minds . 1

Thi s was written some months before th e deat h of the queen. *

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It ha s been th e polic y of the court o f France, to throw an odium on the understandin g of the king , when it was lavishing praises on the goodnes s o f hi s heart . No w i t i s certain , tha t h e possesse d a considerable portion o f sense, an d discernment ; thoug h h e wanted that firmnes s o f mind , whic h constitute s character ; or , i n mor e precise words , th e powe r o f actin g accordin g t o th e dictate s o f a man's ow n reason . H e wa s a tolerabl e scholar ; ha d sufficien t pa tience to learn the english language; and was an ingenious mechanic. It is also well known, that in the council, when he followed onl y the light o f his ow n reason, h e ofte n fixe d o n th e mos t sag e measures , which he was afterwards persuade d t o abandon. But deat h seems to be th e spor t o f kings , and , lik e th e roma n tyrant , whos e solitary amusement was transfixing flies , this man, whose milkiness of heart has been perpetually contrasted wit h the pretended watrines s of his head, wa s extremely fon d o f seein g thos e grimaces , mad e b y tor tured animals , whic h rous e t o pleasur e sluggish , gros s sensations . The queen , however, prevailed on him not to attempt t o amuse her, or raise a forced laugh , in a polite circle, by throwing a cat down the chimney, o r shootin g a n harmles s ass . Taugh t als o t o dissemble , from hi s cradle, he daily practised the despicable shifts of duplicity; though le d by his indolence to take, rather tha n to giv e the ton e to his domineering parasites. The frenc h nobility , perhaps, th e most corrup t an d ignoran t set of men i n the world , except in those object s of taste, whic h consist in giving variety to amusement, had never lived under the control of any law, but th e authority of the king; and having only to dread the Bastille for a little time, should they commit any enormity, could not patiently broo k the restraints , th e bette r governmen t o f the whol e society required . Haughtil y the n disregardin g th e suggestion s o f humanity, an d eve n prudence , the y determine d t o subver t ever y thing, sooner tha n resign thei r privileges ; and this tenacity will not appear astonishing , i f w e cal l t o mind , tha t the y considere d th e people as beasts of burden, and trod them under foo t with the mud. This i s no t a figur e o f rhetoric ; bu t a melancholy truth ! Fo r i t i s notorious, that , i n th e narro w street s o f Paris, wher e ther e ar e no footways t o secur e th e walker s from danger , the y wer e frequently killed, without slackening, by the least emotion of fellow-feeling, th e gallop o f th e thoughtles s being , whos e manhoo d wa s buried i n a factitious character .

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I shal l no t no w recapitulat e th e feuda l tyrannies , whic h th e progress o f civilizatio n ha s rendere d nugatory ; i t i s sufficien t t o observe, that , a s neithe r th e lif e no r propert y o f th e citizen s wa s secured b y equa l laws , both wer e ofte n wantonl y sported wit h b y those wh o coul d d o i t wit h impunity . Arbitrar y decree s hav e to o often assume d th e sacre d majest y o f law ; an d whe n me n liv e i n continual fear , an d kno w not wha t the y hav e t o apprehend , the y always becom e cunnin g and pusillanimous . Thu s th e abjec t man ners, produced b y despotism o f any species, seem to justify them, in the eye s o f those wh o onl y judge of things fro m thei r presen t ap pearance. Thi s leads , likewise , to a n observation , tha t partl y ac counts for the want of industry and cleanliness in France; for people are ver y ap t t o spor t awa y their time , whe n the y canno t loo k for ward, with some degree of certainty, to the consolidation of a plan of future ease . Every precaution was taken to divide the nation, and prevent any ties of affection, suc h as ought always to unite man with man, in all the relationship s o f life, fro m bringin g the tw o ranks together wit h any thing like equality to consolidate them . If , for instance, th e son of a noblema n happene d s o fa r t o forge t hi s rank , a s t o marr y a woman of low birth; what misery hav e not thos e unfortunat e creatures endured!—confined i n prisons, o r hunted ou t of the commo n nest, as contagious intruders.* And if we remember also , that, while treated wit h contempt , onl y a twentiet h par t o f th e profi t o f hi s labour fell to the share of the husbandman, we shall cease to inquire, why th e noble s oppose d innovations , tha t mus t necessaril y hav e overturned th e fabri c of despotism. . . . [The Pari s crow d was arming itself and growing threatening; th e cour t wa s at Versailles]

. . . Different sound s excite d differen t emotion s a t Versailles ; fo r there th e heart, beatin g high with exultation, gave way to the mos t intemperate joy.—Alread y th e courtier s imagined , tha t th e whol e mischief was crushed, and that they had the assembly at their mercy. Intoxicated b y success, a little too soon reckone d on , the queen , the coun t d'Artois , an d thei r favourites , visite d th e haun t o f th e bribed ruffians , wh o wer e lurkin g i n ambush , read y t o fal l upo n their prey; encouraging them by an engaging affability o f behaviour, and more substantial marks of favour, to forget every consideration,

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but thei r commands . An d s o flattere d wer e the y b y th e honie d words, an d coquetis h smile s o f the queen , tha t the y promised , a s they drained the cup in her honour, no t to sheath thei r swords , till France wa s compelled t o obedience, an d the nationa l assembly dis persed. Wit h savag e ferocit y the y dance d t o th e soun d o f musi c attuned t o slaughter, whils t plans of death and devastation gave the zest to the orgies, that worked up their animal spirits to the highest pitch. Afte r thi s account , an y reflection s on th e banefu l effect s o f power, o r o n th e unrestraine d indulgenc e o f pleasure , tha t coul d thus banis h tendernes s fro m th e femal e bosom , an d harde n th e human heart, woul d be an insult t o the reader' s sensibility . How silen t i s no w Versailles!*—Th e solitar y foot , tha t mount s the sumptuous stair-case, rests on each landing-place, whilst the eye traverses the void, almost expecting to see the strong images of fancy burst int o life.—The trai n o f the Louises , lik e the posterit y o f the Banquoes,* pass i n solemn sadness , pointin g at the nothingnes s of grandeur, fading away on the cold canvass, which covers the naked ness of the spacious walls—whilst the gloominess of the atmosphere gives a deeper shad e to the giganti c figures, that seem to be sinking into the embrace s o f death. Warily entering the endless apartments, hal f shut up, the fleeting shadow of the pensive wanderer, reflected in long glasses, that vainly gleam in every direction, slacke n the nerves , without appalling the heart; though lascivious pictures, in which grace varnishes voluptuousness, n o longer seductive, strike continually home to the boso m the melanchol y moral, tha t anticipate s the froze n lesso n o f experience. Th e ver y ai r i s chill , seemin g t o clo g th e breath ; an d th e wasting dampness of destruction appear s to be stealing into the vast pile, on every side. The oppresse d hear t seeks for relief in the garden; but eve n there the sam e image s glide along the wid e neglected walks—al l i s fearfully still ; and , i f a little ril l creepin g throug h th e gatherin g mos s down th e cascade , ove r whic h i t use d t o rush , brin g t o min d th e description of the gran d wate r works, it is only to excit e a languid smile at the futil e attemp t t o equal nature. Lo! this was the palac e of the grea t king!—the abode of magnificence! Who has broken the charm?—Wh y does it now inspire only pity?—Why;—because nature, smiling around, presents t o the imagination materials to build farms, and hospitable mansions, where,

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without raisin g idl e admiration , tha t gladnes s wil l reign , whic h opens th e hear t t o benevolence , an d tha t industry , whic h render s innocent pleasur e sweet . Weeping—scarcely consciou s tha t I weep , O France ! ove r th e vestiges of thy former oppression; which , separating man fro m ma n with a fence o f iron, sophisticate d all , and mad e man y completel y wretched; I tremble , les t I shoul d mee t som e unfortunat e being , fleeing from th e despotis m o f licentious freedom, hearing the sna p of the guillotine a t his heels ; merel y because h e wa s once noble , o r has afforded a n asylum to those, whose only crime is their name— and, if my pen almost bound wit h eagerness to record th e day, that levelled th e Bastill e wit h th e dust , makin g th e tower s o f despai r tremble t o their base; the recollection, tha t stil l the abbey is appropriated t o hol d th e victim s o f reveng e an d suspicion , palsie s th e hand tha t woul d fai n d o justice to th e assault , which tumbled int o heaps o f ruin s wall s tha t seeme d t o moc k th e resistles s forc e o f time.—Down fell the temple of despotism; but—despotism has not been buried in it's ruins!—Unhapp y country!—when will thy children ceas e t o tea r th y bosom?—Whe n wil l a chang e o f opinion , producing a change of morals, rende r the e trul y free?—When wil l truth giv e life t o rea l magnanimity, and justic e place equality on a stable seat?—When wil l thy son s trust , because they deserv e to be trusted; an d privat e virtu e becom e th e guarante e o f patriotism ? Ah!—when wil l thy governmen t become th e most perfect, because thy citizen s are the most virtuous!

BOOK II , CHAPTE R I V The effec t produce d b y the duplicit y of courts mus t b e very great , when the vicissitudes, which had happened at Versailles, could no t teach every person o f common sense , that th e moment wa s arrived, when subterfuge and treachery could no longer escape detection and punishment; an d tha t th e onl y possibility of obtaining the durabl e confidence of the people was by that strict attention to justice, which produces a dignified sincerit y of action. For afte r th e unravellin g of the plot , contrive d t o chea t th e expectatio n o f th e people , i t was natural t o suppose , tha t the y woul d entertai n th e mos t wakefu l suspicion o f every person who had been priv y to it .

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It would have been fortunate for France, and the unhappy Louis, if his counsellors could have profited by experience. But, still pursuing the old track, bounding over the mine, the bursting of which had for a moment disconcerte d them , w e shall find , tha t th e continua l dissimulation of the king , and the stratagem s of his advisers , wer e the principal , thoug h perhap s no t th e sol e caus e o f hi s ruin . H e appears to have sometimes mistrusted th e cabal; yet, with that mix ture o f facility an d obstinac y in hi s character , th e concomitant s o f indolence o f mind, h e allowe d himself t o be governe d withou t at tempting to form any principle of action to regulate his conduct. Fo r if he had ever really desired to be useful t o his people, and to lighten their accumulated burdens, a s has been continually insisted, h e was astonishingly defectiv e i n judgmen t no t t o see , tha t h e wa s sur rounded with sycophants, who fattened on their hearts blood, using his ow n han d t o bran d hi s nam e wit h infamy . I t ma y possibl y b e urged i n reply , that thi s yieldin g temper wa s a proof o f the king' s benign desire to promote the felicity of his subjects, and prevent th e horrours of anarchy. To confute such remarks, it is only necessary to state, tha t th e preparation s whic h ha d bee n mad e t o dissolv e th e national assembly, and t o reduce the peopl e to entire subjection , if they wer e not hi s immediate contrivance, mus t hav e had hi s sanction, t o giv e the m efficiency ; an d tha t th e tergiversation , which he employed on this occasion, was sufficient t o make every other transaction of his reign suspected. And thi s will be found to be the case in al l the step s h e afterward s too k t o conciliat e th e people , whic h were little regarded after th e evaporation of the lively emotions they excited; whils t th e wan t o f moral s i n th e court , an d eve n i n th e assembly, mad e a prevailin g mistrust produc e a capriciousnes s o f conduct throughout th e empire. Perhaps, i t is vain to expect, that a depraved nation, whatever examples of heroism, and noble instances of disinterested conduct , it may exhibit on sudden emergencies , or at th e firs t statemen t o f a n usefu l reform , wil l eve r pursu e wit h steadiness th e grea t object s o f publi c good , i n th e direc t pat h o f virtuous ambition. If th e calamities , however , whic h hav e followe d i n Franc e th e taking of the Bastille , a noble effort , b e attribute d partl y to ignorance, or only to want of morals, the evil s are in no degree lessened ; neither doe s it justify th e conduct o f the virulen t opposers o f those manly exertion s inspired b y th e voic e of reason. Th e remova l of a

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thousand grindin g oppression s ha d bee n demanded;—an d prom ised, to delude the public; who finding, at last, that the hopes, which had softened thei r misery, were likely to be blasted by the intrigues of courtiers , ca n w e wonder , tha t th e wor m thes e courtier s wer e trying to crush, turned o n the foo t prepare d to stamp it to nothing. The complicatio n of laws in every country has tended to bewilder the understanding of man in the scienc e of government; and whilst artful politician s have taken advantage of the ignorance or credulity of their fellow citizens, i t was impossible t o prevent a degeneracy of morals, because impunity will always be a stimulus to the passions . This ha s been th e caus e o f the insincerity , which ha s so long dis graced th e court s o f Europe, an d pervadin g every class o f men i n their office s o r employ , ha s extende d it' s poiso n throughou t th e higher order s of society; an d it will require a simplification of laws, an establishment of equal rights, and the responsibility of ministers, to secur e a just and enlightene d policy . But til l thi s b e effected , i t ought not to surprize us, should we hear the mock patriots of the day declaiming about public reform, merely to answer sinister purposes ; or shoul d w e chance t o discover , tha t th e mos t extolle d character s have been actuated by a miserable selfishness, or prompted b y cor roding resentment, t o exertions for the publi c good; whilst historians have ignorantly attributed th e politica l advantages, which have been attained by a gradual improvement of manners, to their resolu tion, an d the virtuou s exercise of their talents . And we ought not to be discouraged from attemptin g this simpli fication, because no country has yet been able to do it; since it seems clear, tha t manner s an d governmen t hav e been i n a continual an d progressive state of improvement, an d that th e extension of knowledge, a truth capabl e of demonstration, wa s never at any period s o general as at present . If a t on e epoch a o f civilizatio n we know , that al l the improve ments whic h wer e made i n art s an d science s wer e suddenly over turned, bot h i n Greec e an d Rome , w e nee d no t inquire , wh y superficial reasoners have been induced to think, that there is only a certain degre e o f civilization t o which men are capable of attaining, without receding back to a state of barbarism, by the horri d conse quences of anarchy; though it may be necessary to observe, that th e causes whic h produce d tha t even t ca n neve r hav e th e sam e effec t again:—because a degree o f knowledge has been diffuse d throug h

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society by the invention o f printing, which no inundation of barbarians can eradicate. Besides, the improvement of governments do not now depen d o n th e geniu s o f particular men ; bu t o n th e impetu s given t o th e whol e societ y b y th e discover y of usefu l truths . Th e opposers the n o f popular government s ma y tel l us , i f they please , that Themistocle s ha d n o motiv e i n savin g hi s country , bu t t o gratify hi s ambition; that Cicer o wa s vain, and Brutus only envious of th e growin g greatnes s o f Caesar.*—Or , t o approac h ou r ow n times;—that, if the superciliou s Wedderburne* ha d no t offere d a n indignity to Franklin,* he never would have become an advocate for american independence;* and that, if Mirabeau had not suffere d i n prison,* he never would have written against the lettres de cachet, or espoused th e caus e o f th e people.—Al l o f whic h assertion s I a m willing to admit, because they exactly prove what I wish to enforce; namely, that—though bad morals , an d wors e laws, have helped t o deprave the passions of men to such a degree, as to make the benefits which society have derived from the talents or exertions of individuals to arise fro m selfis h considerations , stil l it has been i n a state of gradual improvement, and has arrived at such a pitch of comparative perfection, tha t th e mos t arbitrar y governments i n Europe, Russi a excepted, begin to treat thei r subject s as human beings, feelin g lik e men, an d wit h some power s o f thinking. The mos t high degree of civilization amongst the ancients, on the contrary, seems to have consisted i n the perfection the arts, includ ing language, attained; whilst the people, only domesticated brutes , were governed and amused by religious shows, that stand on record as the most egregiou s insult ever offered t o the human understand ing. Women wer e in a state of bondage; though th e men , wh o gave way to the most unbridled excesses, even to the outraging of nature, expected tha t the y shoul d b e chaste; an d too k the onl y method t o render them s o in such a depraved stat e of society, by ruling them with a rod o f iron; making them, excepting the courtezans , merely household, breedin g animals. The state o f slavery , likewise , o f a larg e proportio n o f men , tended probably , more than any other circumstance, t o degrade the whole circle of society. For whilst it gave that air of arrogance, which has falsel y bee n calle d dignity, to one class, the othe r acquire d th e servile mien that fea r alway s impresses on the relaxed countenance. It may be delivered, I should imagine, as an aphorism, that when one

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leading principle o f action i s founded o n injustice , it sophisticate s the whole character. In the systems of government of the ancients, in the perfection of the arts , an d in the ingeniou s conjectures which supplied th e place of science, w e see, however , all that th e huma n passion s ca n d o t o give grandeur t o the human character; but w e only see the herois m that wa s the effec t o f passion, i f we except Aristides. * For durin g this yout h o f th e world , th e imaginatio n alon e wa s cultivated , and th e subordinat e understandin g merel y exercise d t o regulat e the taste , withou t extendin g t o it' s gran d employ , th e formin g o f principles. The laws , mad e b y ambitio n rathe r tha n reason , treate d wit h contempt th e sacre d equalit y of man, anxiou s only t o aggrandize, first the state and afterwards individuals : consequently, the civilization neve r extende d beyon d polishin g th e manners , ofte n a t th e expence o f th e heart , o r morals ; fo r th e tw o mode s o f expressio n have, I conceive, precisely the sam e signification, though th e latte r may have more extent. To wha t purpose then do semi-philosopher s exultingly show , tha t th e vice s of one countr y ar e not th e vice s of another; a s if this woul d prove, that moralit y has no soli d founda tion; whe n all their example s are taken from nation s just emerging out of barbarism, regulating society on the narrow scale of opinions suggested by their passions, and the necessity of the moment? What, indeed, d o thes e example s prove ? Unles s the y b e allowe d t o sub stantiate m y observation , that civilizatio n has hitherto bee n onl y a perfection o f the arts; and a partial melioration of manners, tending more to embellish the superiour rank of society, than to improve the situation o f all mankind. Sentiments wer e often noble , sympathies just—yet th e lif e o f most me n o f th e firs t clas s wa s made u p o f a series o f unjust acts , becaus e th e regulation s though t expedien t t o cement society , did violence to natural justice. Venerable as age has rendered many of these regulations, cold substitutes for moral principles, it would be a kind of sacrilege not to strip them of their gothic vests. And where then will be found th e man who will simply say— that a king can do no wrong; and that, committing the viles t crimes to sully his mind, his person still remains sacred?—Who will dare to assert, tha t th e priest , wh o take s advantage of the dyin g fears o f a vicious man, to cheat hi s heirs, is not more despicable than a highwayman?—or tha t obedienc e to parent s shoul d g o one jo t beyond the deferenc e due t o reason, enforce d by affection?—And wh o will

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coolly maintain, that i t is just to deprive a woman, not t o insist on her being treated as an outcast of society, of all the rights of a citizen, because he r revoltin g heart turn s fro m th e man , whom, a husband only in name , an d b y the tyrannica l power he has over he r perso n and property , sh e can neither lov e nor respect, t o find comfort in a more congenia l o r human e bosom? These are a few of the leadin g prejudices, i n th e presen t constitutio n o f society , tha t blas t th e blossoms o f hope , an d rende r lif e wretche d an d useless—And , when such were tolerated, nay, reckoned sacred, who can find more than doubtful trace s of the perfection of man in a system of association pervaded with such abuses? Voluptuousness alone softened the character dow n to tendernes s o f heart; an d a s taste wa s cultivated, peace was sought, rather because it was convenient, than because it was just. But, whe n war could no t b e avoided, men wer e hired b y the rich to secure to them th e quie t enjoyment of their luxuries ; so that war , become a trade , di d no t rende r ferociou s all thos e wh o directly, or indirectly waged it. When, therefore , the improvement s o f civil life consiste d almos t entirely in polishing the manners, and exercising the transient sym pathies of the heart, it is clear, that this partial civilization must have worn itself out by destroying all energy of mind. And the weakened character would then naturally fall back into barbarism, because the highest degree of sensual refinement violates all the genuine feelings of the soul, making the understanding the abject slave of the imagination. But , whe n the advance s of knowledge shall make morality the rea l basi s o f socia l union , an d no t it' s shado w th e mas k o f selfishness, me n canno t agai n los e th e groun d s o surel y taken , o r forget principles , though the y may accomplishments . And that a civilization founded on reason and morality is, in fact , taking plac e in th e world , wil l appear clea r t o al l those, wh o have considered th e atrociou s vices and giganti c crimes, tha t sullie d th e polish of ancient manners. What nobleman, even in the states where they have the powe r of life an d death, after givin g an elegant entertainment, woul d no w attrac t th e detestatio n o f hi s company , b y ordering a domestic to be thrown into a pond t o fatten the fish.1— What tyran t woul d dare , a t thi s time , t o poiso n hi s brother a t his 1 Th e crueltie s o f the hal f civilized romans, combine d wit h their unnatura l vices, even when literatur e an d the art s wer e most cultivated, prove, that humanity is the offsprin g o f the understanding , an d tha t th e progres s o f th e science s alon e ca n mak e men wise r an d happier.

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own table ; o r sta b hi s enemy' s mother , no t t o mentio n hi s own , without colourin g ove r th e deed ? an d d o no t th e exclamation s against boxin g matches , i n England , als o prove , tha t th e amphi theatre woul d not now be tolerated, much les s enjoyed? I f the pun ishment o f death b e no t ye t abolished, torture s wors e than twenty deaths ar e exploded, merely by the melioratio n o f manners. A hu man being is not now forced t o feed th e lamp that consumes him; or allowed vainl y t o cal l for death , whils t th e fles h i s pinched of f hi s quivering limbs. Are not, likewise, many of the vices, that formerly braved th e fac e o f day, now oblige d t o lurk , like beasts o f prey, in concealment, til l night allows them to roam at large. And the odium which now forces severa l vices, that the n passe d as merely the play of th e imagination , t o hid e thei r heads , ma y chas e the m ou t o f society, when justice is common to all, and riches no longer stand in the plac e o f sens e an d virtue . Grantin g the n t o th e ancient s tha t savage grandeu r o f imagination , which , clashin g wit h humanity , does not exclud e tenderness o f heart, we should guar d against paying tha t homag e t o sentiment , onl y du e t o principle s forme d b y reason. Their tragedies , thi s i s still but a cultivation of the passion s an d the taste, have been celebrated an d imitated servilely; yet, touching the heart, the y corrupted it ; for many of the fictions, that produce d the most striking stage effect, wer e absolutely immoral. The sublim e terrour, with which they fill the mind, may amuse, nay, delight; but whence come s th e improvement ? Besides, uncultivate d minds ar e the mos t subjec t t o fee l astonishment , whic h is often onl y another name fo r sublim e sensations . Wha t mora l lesson , fo r example, can be drawn from th e story of Oedipus, the favourit e subjec t of such a number o f tragedies?—Th e god s impe l hi m on , and , le d imperi ously by blind fate , thoug h perfectl y innocent , h e is fearfully pun ished, wit h al l hi s haples s race , fo r a crim e i n whic h hi s wil l ha d no part. Formerly king s and grea t me n openl y despise d th e justic e they violated; but, at present, whe n a degree of reason, at least, regulates governments, me n fin d i t necessar y t o pu t a glos s o f moralit y on their actions, though it may not be their spring. And even the jargon of crud e sentiments , no w introduce d int o conversation , show s t o what sid e lean s vanity , th e tru e thermomete r o f th e times.—A n affectation o f humanity is the affectation o f the day; and men almost

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always affec t t o posses s th e virtue , o r quality , tha t i s risin g int o estimation. Formerly a man was safe only in one civilized patch o f the globe , and eve n ther e hi s lif e hun g b y a thread . Suc h wer e th e sudde n vicissitudes, which , keepin g th e apprehensio n o n th e stretch , warmed th e imagination , tha t cloude d th e intellect . A t presen t a man ma y reasonabl y expect t o b e allowe d tranquilly to follo w an y scientific pursuit ; and when the understanding is calmly employed, the heart imperceptibl y becomes indulgent . It i s not the sam e with the cultivation of the arts. Artists have commonly irritable tempers ; and, inflamin g thei r passion s a s the y war m thei r fancy , the y are , generally speaking, licentious; acquirin g the manners their produc tions ten d t o sprea d abroad , whe n taste , onl y th e refinemen t of weakened sensations , stifle s manl y ardour. Taste and refined manners , however, were swept away by hordes of uncivilized adventurers; and in Europe, wher e some of the seed s remained, the state of society slowly meliorating itself till the seven teenth century , natur e seeme d a s muc h despise d i n th e arts , a s reason i n th e sciences . Th e differen t profession s were much mor e knavish tha n a t present , unde r th e vei l o f solemn stupidity . Every kind of learning, as in the savag e state, consisted chiefl y in the art of tricking the vulgar, by impressing them wit h an opinion of powers, tha t di d no t exis t i n nature—Th e pries t wa s t o sav e thei r souls withou t morality ; the physicia n t o hea l thei r bodie s withou t medicine; an d justic e wa s t o b e administere d b y th e immediat e interposition o f heaven:—all was to be don e by a charm. Nothing , in short, was founded on philosophica l principles ; and the amuse ments bein g barbarous, th e manner s becam e forma l an d ferocious. The cultivatio n of the mind , indeed , consiste d rathe r i n acquiring languages, an d loadin g th e memor y wit h facts , tha n i n exercisin g the judgment ; consequently , reaso n governe d neithe r law , no r legislation; an d literatur e wa s equally devoi d o f taste. Th e peopl e were, strictl y speaking , slaves ; bound b y feuda l tenures , an d stil l more oppressiv e ecclesiastica l restraints ; th e lor d o f th e domai n leading them to slaughter, like flocks of sheep; and the ghostly father drawing th e brea d ou t o f thei r mouth s b y th e idles t impositions . The croisades , however, freed man y of the vassals; and the reformation, forcing the clergy to take a new stand, and become more moral, and even wiser, produced a change of opinion, that soon appeared in

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humanizing th e manners , thoug h no t i n improvin g th e differen t governments. But whilst all Europe was enslaved, suffering under the caprice or tyranny o f despots, whos e prid e an d restles s ambitio n continuall y disturbed th e tranquillity of their neighbours; the britons, i n a great degree, preserved the liberty that they first recovered. This singular felicity was not more owing to the insular situation of their country, than to their spirited efforts ; an d national prosperity was the reward of their exertions . Whilst, therefore , englishmen were the onl y fre e people in existence, they appear to have been no t only content, bu t charmed with their constitution; thoug h perpetually complaining of the abuses of their government. It was then very natural, in such an elevated situation, for them to contemplate with graceful prid e their comparative happiness; and taking for granted that it was the model of perfection, the y neve r see m t o hav e formed a n ide a of a system more simple, or better calculate d to promote and maintain the freedom o f mankind. That system, s o ingenious in theory, they thought th e most perfect th e huma n mind wa s capable of conceiving; and thei r conten tions fo r it's support contribute d mor e to persuade them, that the y actually possesse d a n extensiv e liberty, an d th e bes t o f all possibl e governments, tha n to secure the real possession. However , i f it had no specifi c basi s besid e magn a charta , til l th e habea s corpu s act * passed; or before the revolution of 1688, but th e temper of men; it is a sufficien t demonstration , tha t i t wa s a governmen t restin g o n principles emanatin g fro m th e consent , i f no t fro m th e sens e o f the nation. Whilst libert y had bee n consume d b y the lasciviou s pleasures of the citizen s of Venice and Genoa;*—corrode d i n Switzerlan d by a mercenary aristocracy;*—entombe d i n th e dyke s of th e covetou s Hollanders;*—driven ou t o f Swede n b y a n associatio n o f th e nobles;*—and hunte d dow n i n Corsic a b y th e ambitio n o f he r neighbours;*—France wa s insensible t o he r value;—Italy , Spain , and Portugal , cowerin g unde r a contemptibl e bigotry, * whic h sapped the remains of the rude liberty they had enjoyed, formed n o political plans;—an d al l German y wa s no t onl y enslaved , an d groaning beneath the weight of the most insulting civil tyranny, but it's shackle s wer e rivete d b y a redoubtabl e militar y phalanx.* — Despotism, i n fact , ha d existe d i n tha t vas t empir e fo r a greate r

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length of time tha n i n any other country;—whilst Russia stretche d out her arms with mighty grasp, embracing Europe and Asia. Sullen as th e amphibiou s bea r o f th e north ; an d s o chille d b y he r ic y regions, a s to be insensibl e to th e charm s o f social life , sh e threatened alternate destruction to every state in her vicinity. Huge in her projects of ambition, as her empire is extensive, the despotism of her court seem s a s insatiable, as the manner s o f her boor s ar e barbar ous.—Arrived a t tha t stag e o f civilization, when th e grandeu r and parade o f a palace ar e mistake n fo r th e improvemen t o f manners , and th e fals e glor y of desolating provinces for wisdom and magna nimity, the tzarina would sooner have abandoned her favourite plan of imitating the conduc t of Peter th e great,* in labouring to civilize her kingdom , than hav e allowed freedom to fin d a firm seat in he r dominions t o assis t her . Sh e ha s vainl y endeavoured , indeed , t o make the sweet flowers of liberty grow under the poisonous shade of despotism; givin g the russian s a fals e tast e fo r th e luxurie s of lif e before the attainment of it's conveniences. And this hasty attempt to alter the manners of a people has produced th e worst effect o n their morals: mixing the barbarism of one state of society, deprived of it's sincerity and simplicity, with the voluptuousness of the other, void of elegance and urbanity, the tw o extremes have prematurely met . Thus pursued an d mistaken, liberty , thoug h stil l existin g i n the small islan d o f England, ye t continuall y wounded by th e arbitrar y proceedings o f th e britis h ministry , bega n t o fla p he r wings , a s if preparing for a flight to more auspiciou s regions—And th e anglo americans havin g carrie d wit h the m t o thei r plac e o f refug e th e principles o f their ancestors , sh e appeare d i n th e ne w worl d wit h renovated charms , an d sobe r matro n graces . Freedom is , indeed, the natural and imprescriptible right of man; without the enjoymen t of which, it is impossible for him to become either a reasonable or dignified being . Freedom h e enjoys in a natural state, in it's ful l extent : but forme d by nature for a more intimate society, to unfold hi s intellectual powers, it becomes necessary , for carrying int o executio n th e mai n objects , whic h induce s me n t o establish communities , tha t the y shoul d surrende r a par t o f thei r natural privileges , more effectuall y t o guar d th e mos t important. * But fro m th e ignorance of men, during the infanc y o f society, it was easy fo r their leaders , b y frequen t usurpations, t o creat e a despotism, which choking up the springs that would have invigorated their

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minds, they seem to have been insensible to the deprivations under which they lived; and existing like mere animals, the tyrant s of the world hav e continue d t o trea t the m onl y a s machines t o promot e their purposes . In th e progres s o f knowledge, which however was very tardy in Europe, becaus e th e me n wh o studied wer e content t o se e nature through th e mediu m o f books, withou t makin g any actual experi ments themselves , th e benefit s o f civi l libert y bega n t o b e bette r understood: an d i n the sam e proportion w e find the chain s of des potism becomin g lighter . Stil l th e systematizin g o f pedants , th e ingenious fallac y o f priests , an d th e superciliou s meannes s o f th e literary sycophants of courts, who were the distinguished authors of the day , continued t o perplex and confoun d the understanding s of unlettered men . An d n o soone r ha d th e republic s o f Italy * rise n from th e ashe s o f th e roma n jurisprudence , tha n thei r principle s were attacke d by the apostle s o f Machiavel,* an d th e effort s mad e for th e reviva l of freedom wer e undermined by the insidiou s tenets which he gave to his prince . The arts , i t is true, wer e now recovering themselves, patronize d by th e famil y o f the Medicis: * but th e sciences , tha t is , whatever claimed the appellation, had still to struggle with aristotelean prejudices; til l Descarte s venture d t o thin k fo r himself ; an d Newton, * following hi s example , explaine d th e law s o f motio n an d gravity , displaying the mechanism of the universe with wonderful perspica city; fo r th e analysi s of ideas , whic h ha s sinc e diffuse d suc h ligh t through ever y branc h o f knowledge , wa s no t befor e thi s perio d applied eve n t o mathematics . Th e extensio n o f analytica l truths , including political , whic h a t firs t wer e onl y viewe d a s splendi d theories, no w began t o pervade every part o f Europe; stealin g into the ver y seminaries of learning in Germany , wher e formerly scho lastic, dry theology, laborious compilations of the wanderings of the human understanding , an d minut e collation s o f th e work s of th e ancients, ha d consume d th e fervou r o f youth, an d waste d th e pa tience of age. The colleg e and the court are always connected:—and literature beginning t o attrac t th e attentio n o f several o f the pett y sovereigns o f th e empire , the y wer e induce d t o patroniz e thos e daring men wh o wer e persecuted b y th e publi c fo r attackin g religious or politica l prejudices; and allowin g them a n asylum at thei r courts,* they acquire d a relish fo r their conversation . Th e amuse -

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ments o f th e chac e the n yieldin g t o th e pleasure s o f colloquia l disquisition on subjects of taste and morals, the ferocit y o f northern despotism bega n imperceptibly t o wear away, and th e conditio n of it's slave s to become mor e tolerable . Education, in particular, has been studied; and the rational modes of instructio n i n usefu l knowledge , whic h ar e takin g place o f th e exclusive attention formerl y pai d to the dead languages, promise t o render th e germans , i n th e cours e o f half a century, th e mos t en lightened people in Europe. Whilst their simplicity of manners, and honesty of heart ar e in a great degree preserved, even as they grow more refined, b y the situation of their country; which prevents that inundation o f riche s b y commercia l sources , tha t destroy s th e morals of a nation before it's reaso n arrives at maturity. Frederic the lid of Prussia,* with the most arden t ambition, was nevertheless a s anxious to acquire celebrity as an author, a s he was fame as a soldier. By writing an examination of Machiavel's Prince , and th e encouragemen t h e gav e to literar y talents an d abilities , he contributed ver y much to promote the acquirement of knowledge in his dominions; whilst, by granting his confidence to the philosophi cal Hertzberg,* the administratio n of his government gre w consid erably milder . His splendid reputatio n as a soldier continued t o awe the restles s ambition o f the prince s o f the neighbourin g states, whic h afforde d an opportunity to the inhabitants of the empire to follow, during the reign of tranquillity, those literar y pursuits, which became fashion able even at the half civilized court of Petersbourg.* It now, indeed, appeared certain , tha t German y woul d gai n i n futur e importan t political advantages ; for men wer e beginning to presum e t o think , and scanne d th e conduct o f the supercilious Joseph* with freedom, treating his vanity with contempt . It is by thus teaching men from their youth to think, that they will be enabled to recover their liberty; and usefu l learnin g is already so far advanced , that nothin g ca n stop it' s progress:— I sa y peremptorily nothing ; fo r thi s i s no t th e er a hesitatingl y t o add , shor t o f supernatural events. And though the unjustifiable proceedin g of the english court s o f justice , o r rathe r o f th e arbitrar y chie f judg e Mansfield,* wh o established i t a s a law precedent, tha t th e greate r the trut h th e greate r th e libel , tende d materiall y t o preven t th e authors of the american war from being attacked for those tyrannical

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steps, tha t ultimately tended t o stop the progress o f knowledge and the disseminatio n o f politica l truth ; ye t th e clamou r whic h wa s raised agains t tha t unpopula r wa r i s a proof , that , i f justic e slept, liberty of thought ha d no t forsake n th e island. The overweenin g presumption, however , of men ignorant of true political science; wh o beheld a nation prosperous beyon d example , whilst al l the neighbourin g state s wer e languishing, and kne w not how to account for it; foolishly endeavourin g to preserve this prosperity, by mad attempt s t o throw impediments i n the wa y of those very principles, which had raised Great Britai n to the elevated rank she has attained in Europe, served only to accelerate their diffusion . And Franc e bein g the first among the nations on the continent, tha t had arrived at a civilization of manners, which they have termed th e only art o f living, we find was the firs t t o throw of f the yok e of her old prejudices. It wa s at thi s crisi s of things, tha t th e despotis m o f France wa s completely overturned , an d twenty-fiv e millions o f huma n being s unloosed fro m th e odious bands, which had for centuries benumbe d their faculties , and made them crouc h unde r the most ignominious servitude*—And it now remains to observe the effect o f this important revolution , whic h ma y fairl y b e date d fro m th e takin g of th e Bastille.

FROM BOO K V , CHAPTE R I I On th e firs t o f October,* i n consequenc e o f these fres h machina tions, a magnificen t entertainment wa s give n i n th e nam e o f th e king's body-guards; but reall y by some of their principal officers, a t the opera-house o f the castle. The affectatio n o f excluding the dra goons,* distinguishe d fo r thei r attachmen t t o liberty , seeme d t o show, but too plainly, the end in view, rendered still more conspicu ous by the unusua l familiarity o f persons o f the firs t ran k with th e lowest soldiers . When thei r head s wer e heated b y a sumptuous banquet , b y th e tumult o f an immens e crowd , an d th e grea t profusion of delicious wines an d liqueurs, th e conversation , purposel y turne d int o on e channel, became unrestrained, and a chivalrous scene completed th e folly. Th e queen , t o testif y he r satisfactio n for the homag e pai d t o

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her, and the wishes expressed in her favour, exhibited herself to this half-drunken multitude ; carryin g the dauphi n i n he r arms , who m she regarded with a mixture of sorrow and tenderness, an d seeming to implore in his favou r th e affectio n an d zea l of the soldiers . This acting , for it is clea r tha t the whol e was a preconcerte d business, wa s still more intoxicating than the wine.—The exclamation vive le roi, vive la reine, resounded from al l sides, an d th e royal healths were drunk over drawn swords, whilst that of the nation was rejected wit h contempt b y the body-guards. Th e music , the choice could no t hav e been th e effec t o f chance , playe d th e wel l known air—O Richard! O my king! the universe abandons thee!1 and during this moment o f fascination some voices, perhaps bribed fo r th e occasion, mingle d execration s agains t th e assembly . A grenadie r even darted from the midst of his comrades, and accusing himself of having been unfaithfu l t o his prince, endeavoured, several times, to plunge hi s swor d int o hi s bosom . Hi s hel d ar m wa s no t indee d allowed to search for the disloyal heart; but som e blood was permitted to flow—and this theatrical display of sensibility, carried to the highest pitch , produce d emotion s almos t convulsiv e in th e whol e circle, o f whic h a n englis h reade r ca n scarcel y for m a n idea . Th e king, who i s always represented a s innocent, thoug h alway s giving proofs tha t h e mor e tha n connive d a t th e attempt s t o recove r hi s power, was likewise prevailed on to show himself at this entertain ment. And some of the same soldiery, who had refused t o second the former projec t of the cabal , were now induced t o utter insult s and menaces against the ver y authority, they then supported . 'Th e national cockade,' exclaimed Mirabeau, 'that emblem o f the defender s of liberty , ha s bee n tor n i n pieces , an d stampe d unde r foot ; an d another ensig n pu t i n it' s place.—Yes ; eve n unde r th e ey e of th e monarch, wh o allowed himself to be styled—Restorer o f the rights of his people, they have dared t o hoist a signal of faction.' * The sam e scen e wa s renewed tw o day s after , thoug h wit h les s parade; and invitation s for a similar treat were given for the following week. The rumou r respectin g them , whic h reache d Paris , containe d many exaggerate d circumstances ; an d wa s regarde d a s th e com 'O Richard , O mon roi, L'univers t'abandonne!'*

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mencement of fresh hostilities, on the part of the court. The cry now was, that the stunned aristocracy had again reared it's head ; and that a numbe r o f ol d officers , chevalier s o f S t Louis, * ha d signe d a promise t o join the body-guards i n a new attempt. This list was said to contai n thirt y thousan d signatures ; an d idl e a s th e tal e was , i t seemed to be confirmed by the appearance of white and black cockades, whic h inconsiderat e individual s displayed at th e ris k of their lives. These , sai d th e parisians , ar e th e firs t indication s o f a pro jected civi l war—the court wis h only to have the kin g safe t o head them before they speak out:—he ought, therefore , to be removed to Paris, inferred the politicians of the palais royal. The exasperatin g of the people in this manner was certainly the most absurd blunderin g folly tha t coul d have ruined a party, who apparently saw the necessity of dividing the people i n order t o conquer them . I t was, in fact , a species o f madness, an d ca n be accounted fo r only by recollectin g the ineffabl e contemp t reall y fel t b y th e cour t fo r th e canaille* which made them still imagine the revolution to be only a temporary convulsion, not believing it possible, in spite of the daily events, that they coul d b e crushed b y the mass the y despised . Thei r presumption proceede d fro m thei r ignorance , an d wa s incurable. The quee n wa s suppose d t o b e a t th e hea d o f thi s wea k con spiracy, to withdraw the soldier y from sidin g with the people . Sh e had presented colour s to the national guards of Versailles, and when they waite d o n he r t o expres s thei r thanks , sh e replied , wit h th e most winning affability, 'th e nation and the army ought to be as well affected t o th e kin g as we ourselves are . I wa s quite charme d wit h what passed o n thursday.'* This was the da y of the feast . A scarcit y o f bread , th e commo n grievance o f th e revolution , aggravated the vagu e fears o f the parisians , and made the peopl e so desperate, tha t i t wa s not difficul t t o persuad e the m t o undertak e any enterprize ; an d th e torren t o f resentment an d enthusias m re quired onl y to be directed t o a point t o carry every thing before it. Liberty wa s the constan t watc h word ; though fe w knew in what it consisted.—It seems, indeed , t o be necessary, tha t ever y species of enthusiasm shoul d b e fermente d b y ignoranc e t o carr y i t t o an y height. Mystery alone gives full pla y to the imagination, men pursuing wit h ardou r object s indistinctl y see n o r understood , becaus e each man shapes them t o his taste, and looks for something beyond even his own conception, whe n he i s unable to for m a just idea.

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The parisian s wer e no w continuall y broodin g ove r th e wrong s they had heretofor e only enumerated i n a song; and changin g ridicule int o invective , al l calle d fo r redress , lookin g for a degre e o f public happines s immediately , whic h coul d no t b e attained , an d ought not to have been expected, befor e an alteration in the national character seconde d th e ne w system o f government . From th e enjoymen t of more freedo m than th e wome n o f othe r parts o f the world , those o f France have acquired more independ ence of spirit than an y others; it has, therefore , been th e schem e of designing men very often sinc e the revolution, to lurk behind the m as a kind of safeguard, workin g them u p t o some desperate act , and then terming it a folly, because merely the rage of women, who were supposed to be actuated only by the emotions of the moment. Early then on the fifth of October a multitude of women by some impulse were collecte d together ; an d hastenin g to th e hotel-de-ville oblige d every femal e the y me t t o accompan y them , eve n enterin g man y houses t o forc e other s t o follo w i n their train . The concourse , a t first, consisted mostl y o f market women, and the lowes t refus e o f th e streets , wome n wh o ha d throw n of f th e virtues o f one se x without havin g power t o assum e mor e tha n th e vices of the other. A number of men also followed them, armed with pikes, bludgeons , an d hatchets; bu t the y wer e strictl y speakin g a mob, affixing all the odium to the appellation it can possibly import; and no t to be confounded with the hones t multitude , wh o took the Bastille.—In fact, such a rabble has seldom been gathered together ; and they quickly showed, that their movement wa s not the effec t o f public spirit . They first talked of addressing th e committe e appointe d b y th e municipality to superintend th e operations necessary to obtain pro vision for the city, and to remonstrate respecting their inattention or indifference t o the public calamity. Mean tim e a new cord was fixed to the notorious lamp-iron, where the amusement of death was first tolerated. Th e nationa l guards , formin g a hedg e o f bayonet s t o prevent the women fro m enterin g the hotel, kep t them i n suspense a fe w moments.—When , utterin g a lou d an d genera l cry , the y hurled a volley of stones at the soldiers, who, unwilling, or ashamed, to fire on women , thoug h wit h th e appearanc e o f furies , retreate d into the hall , and lef t th e passag e free. The y then sough t fo r arms; and breaking open the doors of the magazines, soon procured fusils ,

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cannons, and ammunition; and even took advantage of the confusion to carry off money and notes belonging to the public. In the interim some wen t to searc h fo r the volunteer s of the Bastille , and chos e a commander fro m amon g the m t o conduc t th e part y t o Versailles; whilst others tied cords to the carriages of the cannons to drag them along.—But these , bein g mostl y marin e artillery , di d no t follo w with the alacrity necessary to accord wit h their wishes ; they, therefore, stoppe d severa l coaches , forcin g th e me n t o ge t ou t an d th e ladies t o joi n them ; fastenin g th e cannon s behind , o n whic h a number of the most furious mounted, brandishing whatever weapon they ha d found , o r th e matche s o f th e cannons . Som e drov e th e horses, an d others charge d themselves wit h the car e of the powder and ball , fallin g int o rank s to facilitat e thei r march . The y took th e road b y th e Champs Elisees abou t noon , t o th e numbe r o f fou r thousand, escorted b y four o r five hundred men, arme d wit h every thing on which they could la y their hands . Mean tim e th e tocsin sounded fro m al l parts; th e frenc h guards , still urge d o n b y wounde d pride , loudl y declared , tha t th e kin g ought to be brought t o Paris; and many of the citizens, not on duty, concurred wit h the rest of the national guards in the same opinion, particularly those accustomed t o attend th e harangues at the Palais Royal. L a Fayette , refusin g t o accompany , endeavoure d t o cal m them. But finding, that the tumult increased, and that prayer s were giving place to menaces , h e offere d t o make known to th e king , at their head , th e wishe s of the capital , i f the municipalit y gave hi m orders to this effect. Thei r council was now assembled; yet prolonging th e deliberatio n till between fou r an d five o'clock i n th e after noon, th e peopl e becam e s o ver y impatient , tha t i t wa s though t prudent to allow them to set out: and the exclamations of the populace proved how easy it was to govern, or lead them astray, by every fresh hope . Few events have happened at Paris, that have not been attribute d by th e differen t partie s t o th e machination s o f the leader s o n th e other side ; t o blacken whose characters , whe n the y ha d th e uppe r hand, the most audacious falsehoods have been industriously circulated; th e detectio n o f which ha s induced man y calm observer s t o believe, tha t al l the account s o f plots an d conspiracie s wer e fabricated in the same manner; not considering , that even the universality of these suspicions was a proof of the intriguin g character o f the

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people, who from a knowledge of themselves became thus mistrustful o f others. It was currently reported, tha t very considerable sums had bee n distribute d amongs t th e mob , befor e it marche d t o Ver sailles; and, thoug h man y fabulous storie s o f showers of gold have since been retaile d by the credulous , thi s seems , fro m thei r subse quent conduct , to hav e had som e foundation : for nothin g lik e the heroism, th e disinterestedness , appeared , which, in most othe r ris ings of the parisians , has formed a striking contrast wit h their bar barity; sometimes sufficien t t o oblige us, lamenting the delusions of ignorance, to give the soft name of enthusiasm to cruelty; respecting the intention , thoug h detestin g th e effects . Now , o n the contrary , acting like a gang of thieves, they gave colour to the report—that the first instigator s o f th e rio t wer e hire d assassins.—An d hire d b y whom?—The publi c voic e repeats , o n ever y side , th e despicabl e duke o f Orleans, whos e immens e estate s ha d give n him a n undu e influence in the bailliages,* and who still exercised all the means that cunning coul d devise , and wealt h produce, t o reveng e himsel f o n the roya l family . H e wa s particularly incensed agains t the queen , who havin g treate d hi m wit h th e contemp t whic h h e doubtles s merited, an d eve n influence d th e kin g to banish him t o on e of his country seats, when he uttered som e popular sentiments, h e continued to nourish the most implacable hatred to her person, whils t the changing sentiments o f the nation respecting th e present branc h of his famil y excite d i n hi m hopes , tha t woul d at onc e hav e gratifie d both hi s revenge and his ambition. There is no calculating the mischief which may be produced by a revengeful cunnin g knave, possessing the forcibl e engine of gold t o move his projects, and acting by agency, which, like a subterraneous fire, that fo r a long time ha s been puttin g th e combustibl e matte r into a state o f fusion , burst s ou t unexpectedly , an d th e sudde n eruption spread s around terrou r an d destruction . The agent s of despotism, an d of vengeful ambition, employed the same mean s t o agitat e th e mind s o f th e parisians ; an d covere d a s they now are with foul stains, it is an acknowledgement du e to their original goo d disposition , t o note , tha t a t thi s perio d the y wer e so orderly it required considerable management to lead them int o any gross irregularit y o f conduct . I t was , therefore , necessar y fo r th e duke's instrument s t o pu t i n motion a body of the mos t desperat e women; some of whom were half famished fo r want of bread, which

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had purposely been rendered scarce to facilitate the atrocious design of murdering both th e king and queen in a broil, that woul d appear to be produced solel y by the rag e of famine . The shameles s manner in which the entertainment of the officer s of the body-guard s ha d bee n conducted ; th e indiscree t visi t of the queen to interest the army in the cause of royalty, coming in artfull y after th e rabble of soldiers had been allowed to enter; together with the impruden t expression s o f whic h sh e afterward s mad e use ; served a s pretexts, nay , may have been som e o f the cause s o f these women suspecting, that the dearth of bread in the capital was owing to the contrivance of the court, who had so often produce d th e same effect t o promote thei r siniste r purposes . The y believed then, tha t the onl y sur e wa y to remed y suc h a grievou s calamity , i n future , would b e t o implor e th e kin g to resid e a t Paris : an d th e nationa l militia, composed o f more orderly citizens, who thought th e report of a premeditated escape was not without foundation, imagined, that they shoul d ni p a civi l wa r i n th e bud , b y preventin g th e king' s departure, an d separat e hi m effectuall y fro m th e cabal , t o who m they attributed al l his misconduct . Whilst the multitude were advancing, the assembly were considering the king's reply to their reques t t o sanction the declaratio n of rights, and the first articles of the constitution, before the supplies were granted. The repl y was couched in terms somewhat vague, yet it's meanin g coul d no t b e misunderstood.—He observed , tha t th e articles of the constitutio n coul d be judged of only in their connection wit h the whole ; nevertheless h e thought i t natural , tha t a t th e moment th e natio n wa s called upo n t o assis t th e governmen t b y a signal ac t o f confidenc e and patriotism , the y shoul d expec t t o b e reassured respectin g thei r principa l interest.—'Accordingly, ' h e continues, 'takin g it for granted, that the first articles of the constitution, which you have presented t o me, united to the completion of your labours , wil l satisf y th e wishes of my people , an d secur e th e happiness an d prosperit y o f th e kingdom , conformabl y t o you r desire I accept them; but wit h one positive condition, fro m whic h I will neve r depart ; namely , tha t fro m th e genera l resul t o f you r deliberations the executiv e power shall have it's entir e effect i n th e hands o f th e monarch . Stil l i t remain s fo r m e t o assur e yo u wit h frankness, that , i f I giv e m y sanctio n o f acceptanc e t o th e severa l articles, whic h yo u hav e lai d befor e me , i t i s no t becaus e the y

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indiscriminately give me an idea of perfection; but I believe it laud able i n me t o pa y this respec t t o th e wishe s of the deputie s o f th e nation, and to the alarming circumstances, which so earnestly press us to desir e above all things the promp t re-establishmen t o f peace, order, an d confidence. 'I shall not delive r my sentiments o f respecting you r declaration of the right s o f man an d o f citizens. I t contain s excellent maxim s proper t o direc t you r deliberations ; bu t principle s susceptibl e o f application, an d eve n o f differen t interpretations , canno t b e justl y appreciated, and have only need of being so when their true sense is determined b y the laws , to which they ought to be the basis.'* In the subterfuge employed in this answer, the profound dissimu lation o f th e kin g appears; an d tha t 'pitifu l respec t fo r fals e hon our,'* whic h make s a ma n boggl e a t a nake d untruth , eve n whe n uttering a number o f contemptible prevarications . Thu s di d h e at first struggl e agains t ever y concession , agains t grantin g an y rea l freedom t o th e people ; ye t afterward s unabl e t o maintai n hi s ground, h e impotentl y gav e wa y before th e stor m h e ha d raised , every time losing a part of the authority which depended on opinion. The assembl y manifeste d an universa l discontent . One of the members remarked, * that th e kin g withhel d hi s acceptanc e o f th e declaration of rights; and only yielded to circumstances in accepting the constitutiona l articles : he , therefore , moved , tha t n o taxe s should b e levied, before the declaratio n of rights and th e constitu tion shoul d b e accepted , withou t an y reservation.—Anothe r as serted,* that the king's reply ought to have been counter-signed b y one of the ministers. What an absurdity! yet the inviolability of the king standin g i n thei r way , i t seeme d t o b e necessar y t o secur e ministerial responsibility, to render i t null; not onl y to prevent th e ministers fro m findin g shelte r behin d it , bu t t o mak e i t utterl y useless t o th e king , who wa s thus, literall y speaking, reduced t o a cipher. Mirabeau, however , after alludin g with energy to the entertainment, which , out o f derision, ha d been terme d patriotic , mad e three or four motions. One was, 'that no act emanating from th e king should b e declared without the signatur e of a secretary of state.'— So inconsistent wa s the man , wh o argued wit h such eloquenc e for the absolut e veto: —Another was , 'that hi s majesty woul d please to be explicit ; and no t b y a conditional consent, extorte d b y circum stances, leav e any doubt o f his sincer e concurrenc e i n the min d of

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the people.'* It wa s also noticed, to corroborate th e inference, tha t the kin g was only yielding, for the moment , t o opinion s whic h h e hoped t o se e exploded, that th e decre e fo r the circulatio n o f grain had been altered before the publication, and the usual preamble, for such is our pleasure^ forme d a strange contrast wit h an acknowledgement o f th e legislativ e rights o f th e nation . Robespierre , particu larly, maintained, that the nation had not any need of the assistance of the monarch to constitute itself—tha t th e king's reply was not an acceptance, but a censure; and, consequently, an attack on the rights of the people. * This seeme d virtuall y th e opinio n o f th e assembly , thoug h Mirabeau's sof t styl e o f expressin g thei r wil l wa s adopted. I t wa s particularly i n thi s decision , tha t th e deputie s displaye d a grea t degree o f the weakness , which mistake s temerity fo r courage , an d the shado w of justice for verity.—And affectin g t o say, to reconcile a contradiction, tha t the authorit y of kings is suspended a s often a s the sovereig n i s occupied i n framin g th e element s o f the constitu tion, or altering fundamental laws, they demonstrated the inconsist ency of their own system, and acknowledged it's absurdity ; which is still mor e flagrantl y show n i n Mirabeau' s irrationa l declaration , that, 'b y a pious fiction of the law, the kin g cannot himself deceive; but th e grievance s of the peopl e demandin g victims , thes e victim s are the ministers.'* At thi s junctur e o f th e debate th e tumultuou s concours e o f women arrived at Versailles: but it must not be unnoticed, that there was a numbe r o f me n wit h them , disguise d i n women' s clothes ; which proves , tha t thi s wa s not , a s ha s bee n asserted , a sudde n impulse o f necessity . There wer e beside s me n i n thei r ow n gar b armed lik e ruffians , wit h countenance s answerable , who , swearing vengeance agains t th e quee n an d th e body-guards , seeme d t o b e preparing to put their threats in execution. Some barbarians, volunteers in guilt , migh t perhap s hav e joined, spurred o n solel y by th e hope o f plunder , an d a lov e o f tumult ; bu t i t i s clear , tha t th e principal movers played a surer game . The wome n had taken two routes; an d one party, without arms , presented themselve s a t the gat e o f the assembly , whils t th e othe r clustered roun d th e palac e waitin g fo r them . Th e avenue s wer e already filled with body-guards, the flanders regiment was drawn up in ranks; in short, the soldiers were gathered together quickly in one

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quarter, thoug h th e peopl e o f Versailles were exceedingly alarmed, and particularl y by the appearanc e of the vagabonds , who followe d the femal e mob . With som e difficulty th e women were prevailed on to allow a few to enter orderly into the assembly, with a spokesman to make known their demand; whils t crowds, taking refuge i n the galleries from th e rain, presented ther e th e strang e sight o f pikes, fusils, an d tremendous stick s boun d wit h iron . Thei r orato r represente d th e griev ances o f the people , an d th e necessit y o f continually providing for their subsistence : h e expressed th e concer n o f the parisian s on account o f the slo w formation of the constitution , an d attributed thi s delay to the opposition o f the clergy. A bishop the n preside d in the absence of Mounier, th e president, wh o had been dispatche d by the assembly with their expostulatory petition to the king. A deputy, to spare him the embarrassment of a reply to the insinuation against his order, reprimanded the petitioner fo r calumniating that respectable body. H e accordingl y mad e a n apology , ye t justifie d himsel f b y declaring, that h e only reported th e purpor t o f the discontentmen t of Paris. They were informed, in reply, by the vice-president, tha t a deputation was already sent to the king, requesting his sanction of a decree t o facilitat e th e interiou r circulatio n of grain and flour : an d finding, that i t was impossible to attend t o the business o f the day, he adjourne d th e assembly , withou t waitin g for th e retur n o f th e president. The wome n abou t the palace entered int o conversation wit h the soldiers, som e o f whom said , 'tha t wer e the kin g to recove r al l his authority, th e people would neve r wan t bread!' This indiscreet in sinuation exasperated them; and they replied in the language, that is proverbial for being the most abusive. A fray als o ensuing , brought on by a dispute relative to the affair o f the cockades, one of the bodyguards dre w hi s sword , whic h provoke d a nationa l guar d o f Ver sailles to giv e him a blow with his musket, tha t brok e his arm. The nationa l troop s wer e eage r t o convinc e th e mob , tha t the y were equally offended a t the disrespec t pai d t o th e emble m o f lib erty; an d th e flemis h regiment , thoug h the y wer e i n battl e array , made the women let their rings drop into their guns, to be convinced that they were not charged: saying, 4It was true, they had drunk the wine of the body-guards; but what did that engage them to do? They had als o cried, vive le roi, as the peopl e themselve s di d ever y day;

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and i t wa s their intentio n t o serv e the m faithfully , bu t no t agains t the nation!'—with other speeches to the same effect;—adding, 'tha t one o f thei r officer s ha d ordere d a thousan d cockades ; an d the y knew not why they were not distributed! ' Enraged by the tenour of this discourse, a body-guard's ma n struck one of the soldiers talking thus, who , in return , fire d o n him , an d fracture d his arm . Al l was now confusion; and ever y thing tende d t o render th e body-guard s more odiou s to the populace . The kin g arrived in the midst of it from hunting , and admitted at the sam e tim e th e deputatio n fro m th e nationa l assembly , an d a n address from th e women. He received the latter with great affability , testified hi s sorrow on account of the scarcit y of bread at Paris, and immediately sanctioned the decree, relative to the free circulation of grain, which h e ha d jus t receive d fro m th e assembly . Th e woma n who spoke , attemptin g t o kis s hi s hand , h e embrace d he r wit h politeness, an d dismissed the m in the most gentleman-like manner. They immediatel y rejoined their companions , charme d b y the re ception the y ha d me t with ; and th e kin g sent order s t o the guard s not t o mak e us e o f thei r arms . Th e coun t d'Estaing, * th e com mander in chief, announced likewise to the militia of Versailles, that the body-guards would the next day take the oath of allegiance to the nation, and put on the patriotic cockade. 'They are not worthy,' was the indignan t growl of the multitude . Some wome n now returning t o Paris, t o report the graciou s behaviour of the king, were unfortunately maltreated by a detachment of body-guards, commande d by a nobleman; and th e volunteer s of the Bastill e coming to their assistance , tw o men, an d thre e horses , were killed on the spot. These same irritated wome n meeting, like wise, th e parisia n militia, on thei r wa y to Versailles , gav e them a n exaggerated descriptio n o f the conduc t o f the guards . The cour t now taking the alarm, fearing that their plan would be defeated, b y th e king' s bein g oblige d t o g o t o Paris , urge d hi m immediately t o se t ou t fo r Metz, * and th e carriage s were actually prepared. I t i s scarcel y credibl e tha t the y woul d hav e gone s o far without his concurrence . One loade d coac h had bee n permitte d t o g o out o f the gate ; bu t the nationa l troop s beginnin g to suspec t wha t wa s going forward , obliged it to re-enter. The kin g then, with his usual address, finding

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his escape at that time impracticable, and not wishing to shed bloo d in forcing his way, made a merit of necessity, and declared he would rather peris h tha n se e th e bloo d o f frenchme n streamin g i n hi s quarrel! So easy is it for a man, versed in the languag e of duplicity, to impose on the credulous; and to impress on candid minds a belief of an opinion that the y would gladl y receive without any doubting allay, di d no t othe r circumstance s mor e strongl y contradic t th e persuasion. Thi s declaration , however , whic h wa s re-echoed wit h great eagerness, wa s considered a s a manifest proof of the purit y of his intentions, an d a mark of his fixed adherence to the cause which he affecte d t o espouse. Yet , t o prove the contrary , i t is only necessary to observe, tha t h e put of f the acceptanc e of the declaratio n of rights, and the first articles of the constitution, til l after th e attemp t to escape was frustrated: for it was near eleven o'clock* when he sent for th e president, t o put int o his hands a simple acceptation, and to request hi m t o convok e the assembl y immediately , tha t h e migh t avail himsel f o f thei r counse l a t thi s crisis ; alarme d b y th e mo b without, who, exposed to all the inclemency of the weather, it being a very wet and stormy night, wer e uttering the most horrid impre cations against the quee n an d the body-guards . A drum instantly summoned th e assembly; and La Fayette arriv ing with his army in less than an hour after, th e president wa s again called for , who returned t o the assembly with the king's assurance, that h e ha d no t eve n though t o f leaving them, no r woul d h e ever separate himsel f fro m th e representative s o f the people . La Fayett e ha d previousl y assured th e kin g of the fidelity of the metropolis, an d that he had been expressly sent by the municipality of Paris t o guar d hi s august person . A rumour ha d prevailed , ever since the arrival of the women, that the parisian militia were coming to second them; but as the commune of Paris* had not determined till late in the afternoon , the messenge r fro m L a Fayett e t o the palace could no t hav e reache d Versaille s lon g befor e him : bu t th e cour t supposing tha t the y woul d come, an d havin g heard o f the wis h of the parisians to bring the king to Paris, where they had always spies to give them th e earlies t notice of what was going forward, presse d him to set out without loss of time; still they were actuated solely by the desire of getting him away, and not fro m an y apprehension tha t his lif e wa s in danger .

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After tranquilizing the king, La Fayette joined the parisian militia in th e avenue , t o infor m them , tha t th e kin g had sanctione d th e decree of the assembly for expediting the more speedy circulation of provisions; tha t h e accepted, withou t any reservation, o f the decla ration of rights, wit h the first articles of the constitution , declarin g at th e sam e tim e hi s unshake n resolutio n t o remai n amon g hi s people; an d tha t h e consente d als o t o hav e a detachmen t o f th e national troops o f Paris t o contribute t o guard his person . Joy now took place of dread at Versailles; and the citizens distributed thei r addresse s amongs t th e soldiers , offerin g the m lodgings ; they having been previously requested, by the beating of a drum, to receive a s many of the parisia n militi a as they possibl y could. Th e rest, after passing several hours in arms round the palace, sought for shelter, as the morning began to dawn, in the churches. Every thing appearing quiet, the harasse d kin g and quee n wer e prevailed on to seek th e repos e the y needed ; an d L a Fayette , abou t fiv e i n th e morning, retire d t o hi s chamber , t o writ e t o th e municipalit y an account o f hi s proceedings , befor e h e likewise endeavoure d t o snatch a little rest . Scarcely an hour after , th e restles s mob , grea t part o f which had taken refuge in the hall and galleries of the assembly, began to prowl about. Th e mos t decent of the women , wh o had been pressed into the service , stol e awa y durin g th e night . Th e rest , wit h the whole gang of ruffians, rushe d toward s the palace , and finding its avenues unguarded, entere d lik e a torrent ; an d som e amon g them , mos t probably, conceived , tha t thi s wa s the momen t t o perpetrat e th e crime fo r whic h the y ha d bee n draw n fro m thei r lurking-hole s in Paris . Insulting one of the body-guards who opposed their entrance, he fired, an d kille d a man . Thi s wa s a fres h pretex t fo r enterin g t o search fo r th e murderer , a s h e wa s terme d b y thes e rioters ; an d driving the guards before them u p th e gran d stair-case, they began to break into the different apartments , vowing vengeance against the body-guards, in which were mingled the bitterest curses , all levelled at the queen . Catching one unfortunate guard by himself, he was dragged down the stairs ; an d hi s head , instantl y severe d fro m hi s body , wa s mounted on a pike, which rather served to irritate than glut the fur y of the monsters , wh o were still hunting after bloo d o r plunder.

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The mos t desperate found thei r way to the queen's chamber, and left fo r dead the man who courageously disputed their entrance. But she had been alarmed by the tumult, though the miscreants were not long i n makin g their wa y good , and , throwin g a wrapping-gow n around her, ran, by a private passage, to the king's apartment, where she foun d th e dauphin ; bu t th e kin g was gone in ques t o f her: he , however, quickly returning, they waited together in a horrid state of suspence. Severa l of the guards , who endeavoured to keep back the mob, wer e wounded ; ye t al l thi s happene d i n a ver y shor t spac e of time. The promptitud e an d rapidit y o f thi s movement , takin g every circumstance int o consideration , afford s additiona l argument s i n support of the opinion, that there had been a premeditated desig n to murder th e roya l family . Th e kin g had grante d al l they aske d th e evening before; sending away great part o f the multitud e delighted with his condescension; an d they had received no fresh provocation to excite this outrage. The audacit y of the most desperat e mob has never led them, in the presenc e of a superiour force , to attempt to chastise thei r governors; an d i t i s not eve n probabl e tha t banditti , who had been moved by the commo n cause s of such insurrections , should have thought of murdering their sovereign, who, in the eyes of th e greate r numbe r o f frenchmen , wa s stil l shroude d b y tha t divinity, tacitly allowed to hover round kings, much less have dared to attempt it . La Fayette wa s quickly roused; and, sending his aides-de-camp t o assemble th e nationa l guards , h e followe d th e ruffian s wit h equa l celerity. They had actually forced the king' s apartment a t the mo ment h e arrived; and the royal family wer e listening to the increas ing tumult as the harbinge r of death,—when all was hushed,—and the doo r openin g a moment after , th e nationa l guard s entere d re spectfully, saying they came to save the king;—'and we will save you too, gentlemen,' added they, addressing the body-guards, wh o were in the chamber . The vagabond s were now pursued in their turn, an d driven fro m room t o room , i n th e mids t o f thei r pillage , fo r the y ha d alread y begun t o ransac k tha t sumptuousl y furnishe d palace . Fro m th e palace the y repaire d t o th e stables , stil l inten t o n plunder , an d carried awa y som e horses , whic h wer e a s quickl y retaken. Ever y where they pursued the body-guards, an d every where the generous

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Parisian troops, forgetting their piqued prid e and personal animos ity, hazarde d thei r live s t o sav e them.—Till, a t length , orde r wa s perfectly established . . . .

FROM BOO K V , CHAPTE R II I . . . The econom y o f governmen t ha d bee n s o ably treate d b y th e writers of the present age , that it was impossible for them, acting on the grea t scal e of public good , no t t o la y the foundation s of many useful plans , a s the y reforme d man y grievou s an d grindin g abuses.—Accordingly we find, though they had no t sufficien t pen etration t o forese e the dreadfu l consequence s o f years of anarchy, the probable result of their manner of proceeding, still by following, in som e degree , th e instruction s o f thei r constituents , wh o ha d digested, fro m th e brigh t line s of philosophical truths, th e promi nent rules of political science, they, in laying the main pillars of the constitution, establishe d beyon d a possibilit y o f obliteration , th e great principles of liberty and equality. It i s allowed by all parties, that civilizatio n is a blessing, so far as it give s security t o perso n an d property , an d th e milde r grace s of taste to society and manners. If, therefore, the polishing of man, and the improvemen t o f his intellect, become necessar y to secure thes e advantages, i t follows , o f course , tha t th e mor e genera l suc h im provement grows , the greate r the extensio n of human happiness . In a savag e stat e ma n i s distinguishe d onl y b y superiorit y o f genius, prowess, and eloquence. I say eloquence, for I believe, that in thi s stag e o f society h e i s most eloquent , becaus e mos t natural . For i t i s only in th e progres s o f governments, tha t hereditar y dis tinctions, cruell y abridgin g rationa l liberty , hav e prevente d ma n from risin g t o hi s jus t poin t o f elevation , b y th e exercis e o f hi s improveable faculties . That there is a superiority of natural genius among men does not admit o f dispute ; an d tha t i n countrie s th e mos t fre e ther e wil l always be distinctions proceeding from superiority of judgment, and the powe r o f acquirin g mor e delicac y o f taste , whic h ma y b e th e effect o f the peculia r organization, or whatever cause produces it, is an incontestibl e truth . Bu t i t i s a palpable errour t o suppose , tha t men o f every class are not equall y susceptible o f common improve -

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ment: if therefore it be the contrivanc e of any government, t o pre clude from a chance of improvement the greate r part of the citizens of the state , i t ca n be considere d i n n o othe r ligh t tha n a s a mon strous tyranny, a barbarous oppression, equall y injurious to the two parties, thoug h in different ways . For al l the advantage s of civilization cannot be felt, unles s it pervades the whol e mass, humanizing every descriptio n o f men—and the n i t is the firs t o f blessings, th e true perfectio n of man. The melioratio n o f the ol d governmen t of France arose entirely from a degree of urbanity acquired by the higher class, which insensibly produced, by a kind of natural courtesy, a small portion of civil liberty. But, as for political liberty, there was not the shadow of it; or could i t eve r hav e bee n generate d unde r suc h a system : because , whilst men wer e prevented no t onl y from arrivin g at public offices , or votin g for th e nominatio n o f others t o fill them, bu t eve n fro m attaining any distinct idea of what was meant by liberty in a practical sense, the grea t bulk of the people were worse than savages ; retaining much o f the ignoranc e of barbarians, after havin g poisoned th e noble qualities of nature by imbibing some of the habits of degener ate refinement . T o th e nationa l assembl y i t is , tha t Franc e i s in debted fo r having prepared a simple code of instruction, containin g all the truths necessary to give a comprehensive perception of political science ; whic h wil l enable th e ignoran t t o clim b th e moun t o f knowledge, whence they may view the ruins of the ingenious fabri c of despotism, tha t ha d s o long disgraced th e dignit y of man by it' s odious and debasin g claims. The declaratio n o f rights contains a n aggregate o f principles the most beneficial ; ye t so simple, tha t th e mos t ordinar y capacity cannot fai l t o comprehend thei r import. I t begins by asserting, tha t th e rights o f me n ar e equal , an d tha t n o distinction s ca n exis t i n a wholesome government , bu t wha t ar e founde d o n publi c utility . Then showing , that politica l associations are intended onl y for th e preservation of the natural and imprescriptible rights of man, which are his liberty, security o f property, an d resistanc e agains t oppression; an d assertin g also , that th e natio n i s the sourc e o f all sovereignty; i t delineates , i n a plai n an d perspicuou s manner , i n wha t these rights , an d thi s sovereignty , consist . I n thi s delineatio n men may learn, that, in the exercise of their natural rights, they have the power o f doin g whateve r doe s no t injur e another ; an d tha t thi s

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power ha s n o limits , whic h ar e no t determine d b y law—th e laws being at the sam e time an expression of the wil l of the community , because al l the citizen s o f th e state , eithe r personally , o r b y thei r representatives, hav e a right t o concur i n the formation. Thus, having taught the citizens the fundamenta l principles of a legitimate government, it proceeds to show how the opinion of each may be ascertained; which he has a right to give personally, or by his representatives, t o determine th e necessity o f public contributions, their appropriation , mode of assessment, an d duration. The simplicit y o f thes e principles , promulge d b y th e me n o f genius of the last and present ages, and their justness, acknowledged by every description of unprejudiced men, had not been recognised by an y senat e o r governmen t i n Europe ; an d i t wa s a n honou r worthy to be reserved for the representatives of twenty-five millions of men, risin g to the sens e and feelin g o f rational beings, t o be th e first to dare to ratify suc h sacred an d beneficial truths—truths , th e existence of which had been eternal; and which required onl y to be made known , t o b e generall y acknowledged—truths, whic h have been fostered by the geniu s of philosophy, whilst hereditary wealth and the bayonet of despotism have continually been opposed to their establishment. The publicit y of a government actin g conformably to th e prin ciples o f reason, i n contradistinctio n t o th e maxim s of oppression , affords th e people an opportunity, or at least a chance, of judging of the wisdo m and moderatio n o f their ministers ; an d th e ey e of dis cernment, whe n permitte d t o mak e known it' s observations , wil l always prov e a chec k o n th e profligac y or dangerou s ambitio n o f aspiring men.—S o tha t i n contemplatin g th e extensio n o f representative systems of polity, we have solid groun d on whic h to res t the expectation—that wars and their calamitous effects wil l become less frequent, in proportion a s the people , wh o are obliged t o sup port them with their sweat and blood, are consulted respecting their necessity and consequences . Such consultations can take place under representative system s of government only—under systems which demand the responsibility of their ministers, and secure the publicity of their political conduct. The mysterie s of courts, an d th e intrigue s o f their parasites , have continually deluged Europe with the blood of it's mos t worthy and heroic citizens , an d ther e i s no specifi c cur e fo r suc h evils , but b y

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enabling th e peopl e t o for m an d opinio n respectin g th e subjec t of dispute. The cour t o f Versailles , wit h power s th e mos t ample , wa s th e most bus y and insidiou s of any in Europe; an d th e horrour s whic h she has occasioned, a t different periods , were as incalculable, as her ambition was unbounded, and her councils base, unprincipled, and dishonourable. If, then, it were only for abolishing her sway, Europe ought t o b e thankfu l fo r a change , that , b y alterin g th e politica l systems of the most improve d quarter of the globe, must ultimately lead t o universal freedom, virtue, and happiness . But i t i s t o b e presumed , whe n th e effervescence , which no w agitates the prejudices of the whole continent, subsides, the justness of the principle s brought forwar d i n the declaratio n of the rights of men and citizens will be generally granted; and that governments, in future, acquirin g reason and dignity, feeling for the sufferings o f the people, whilst reprobating the sacrilege of tyranny, will make it their principal object, to counteract it' s banefu l tendency , by restraining within just bounds th e ambitio n of individuals.

BOOK V , CHAPTE R I V People thinkin g fo r themselve s hav e mor e energ y i n thei r voice , than an y government , whic h i t i s possibl e fo r huma n wisdo m t o invent; and every government not aware of this sacred truth will , at some period, be suddenly overturned. Whilst men i n a savage state preserve their independence, the y adopt no regular system of policy, nor ever attempt to digest their rude code of laws into a constitution, to ensur e politica l liberty . Consequently w e find in ever y country, after it' s civilizatio n has arrived at a certain height, tha t the people , the momen t the y ar e displeased wit h their rules, begi n t o clamour against them; and , finally rejecting all authority but thei r ow n will, in breaking the shackle s of folly o r tyranny, they glu t their resent ment b y th e mischievou s destructio n o f th e work s o f ages , onl y considering them a s the moment s o f their servitude . From the socia l disposition of man, in proportion a s he become s civilized, h e wil l mingl e mor e an d mor e wit h society . Th e firs t interest h e take s in th e business o f his fellow-me n is in tha t o f his neighbour; nex t h e contemplate s th e comfort , misery , an d happi -

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ness o f the natio n t o whic h h e belongs , investigate s th e degre e o f wisdom an d justic e in th e politica l system , unde r whic h h e lives , and, striding into the region s of science, hi s researches embrac e all human kind . Thus h e is enabled t o estimate th e portio n o f evil o r good whic h th e governmen t o f hi s countr y produces , compare d with tha t o f others ; an d th e comparison , grantin g hi m superio r powers of mind, lead s him to conceiv e a model of a more perfec t form. This spiri t o f inquiry first manifests itself i n hamlets ; whe n hi s views o f improvemen t ar e confine d t o loca l advantages : bu t th e approximation o f differen t district s leadin g to furthe r intercourse , roads of communication are opened, until a central or favourite spo t becomes th e vorte x o f me n an d things . The n th e risin g spires , pompous domes , an d majesti c monuments, poin t ou t th e capital ; the focu s o f information, the reservoi r of genius, the schoo l of arts, the sea t o f voluptuou s gratification , an d th e hot-be d o f vic e an d immorality. The centrifuga l ray s o f knowledg e an d scienc e no w stealin g through th e empire , th e whole intellectual faculties o f man partake of their influence , an d on e genera l sentiment govern s the civi l and political body . I n th e progres s o f thes e improvement s th e stat e undergoing a variety of changes, the happines s or misery produce d occasions a diversity of opinions; and to prevent confusion, absolute governments hav e been tolerate d b y th e mos t enlightene d par t o f the people . But , probably , thi s toleratio n wa s merely th e effec t o f the strong social feelings of men; who preferred tranquillity, and the prosperity of their country, to a resistance, which, judging from th e ignorance of their fello w citizens , the y believed would bring mor e harm than good in it's train. In short, however long a combination of tyranny has retarded the progress, it has been one of the advantages of the large cities of Europe, t o light up the sparks of reason, and to extend th e principle s of truth. Such i s the goo d and evi l flowing from th e capitals of states, tha t during the infancy of governments, though they tend to corrupt and enervate the mind, the y accelerate the introductio n o f science, an d give the ton e t o the nationa l sentiments an d taste . But thi s influenc e i s extremel y gradual ; an d i t require s a grea t length o f time, fo r the remot e corner s o f the empir e t o experience either th e one, or the other o f these effects. Henc e we have seen th e

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inhabitants o f a metropoli s feebl e an d vitiated , an d thos e o f th e provinces robust and virtuous. Hence we have seen oppositions in a city (riot s a s the y ar e called ) to illega l government s instantl y de feated, an d their leader s hanged or tortured; becaus e th e judgment of the stat e wa s not sufficientl y mature d t o suppor t th e struggl e of the unhapp y victim s i n a righteou s cause . An d henc e i t ha s hap pened, tha t th e despot s o f th e worl d hav e foun d i t necessar y t o maintain large standing armies, in order to counteract th e effect s o f truth an d reason . The continuatio n o f th e feuda l system , however , fo r a grea t length o f time, b y givin g an overgrown influence t o th e nobilit y of France, had contributed, i n no small degree, to counteract th e des potism of her kings. Thus it was not until after th e arbitrary administration o f Richelieu , wh o ha d terrifie d th e whol e orde r b y a tyranny peculia r to himself, that th e insidiou s Mazarine broke the independent spirit of the nation by introducing the sale of honours;* and tha t Loui s XIV , b y th e magnificenc e o f hi s follies , an d th e meretricious decoration s o f stars, crosses , an d othe r mark s of dis tinction, o r badges o f slavery , drew th e noble s fro m thei r castles ; and, b y concentratin g th e pleasure s an d wealt h of the kingdo m in Paris, the luxury of the court became commensurate t o the produc t of the nation. Besides, the encouragement given to enervating pleasures, an d th e vebalit y o f titles , purchase d eithe r wit h money , o r ignoble services, soon rendered th e nobility as notorious fo r effemi nacy a s the y ha d bee n illustriou s fo r herois m i n th e day s o f th e gallant Henry.* The art s ha d alread y formed a school , an d me n o f scienc e an d literature wer e hurryin g fro m ever y par t o f th e kingdo m t o th e metropolis, i n searc h o f employment an d o f honour; an d whils t i t was giving it's ton e t o the empire , th e parisia n taste wa s pervading Europe. The vanit y of leading the fashions, in the higher orders of society, is no t th e smalles t weaknes s produce d b y th e sluggishnes s int o which peopl e o f qualit y naturally fell . Th e depravit y of manners , and th e samenes s o f pleasure, whic h compose a life o f idleness, ar e sure t o produc e a n insupportabl e ennui\ and , i n proportio n t o th e stupidity of the man, or as his sensibility becomes deadened , he has recourse t o variety , findin g a zes t onl y fro m a ne w creatio n o f charms; an d commonl y th e mos t unnatura l ar e necessary t o rous e

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sickly, fastidious senses. Still in the same degree as the refinement of sentiment, an d th e improvemen t o f taste advance , the compan y of celebrated literar y characters i s sought afte r wit h avidity; and fro m the prevalenc e o f fashion, th e empir e o f wit succeed s th e reig n of formal insipidity , afte r th e squeamis h palat e ha s bee n rendere d delicate even by the nauseou s banquet s o f voluptuousness . This is the natural consequence o f the improvement o f manners, the harbinge r o f reason ; an d fro m th e rati o o f it' s advancemen t throughout society, we are enabled to estimate the progress of political science . Fo r n o soone r ha d th e disquisitio n o f philosophica l subjects become genera l in the select parties of amusement, extend ing by degrees to every class of society, than the rigour of the ancient government o f France began t o soften ; til l it's mildnes s becam e so considerable, tha t superficia l observer s hav e attributed th e exercis e of lenity in the administratio n t o the wisdo m an d excellenc e of the system itself . A confederac y o f philosophers , whos e opinion s furnishe d th e food o f colloquia l entertainment , gav e a tur n fo r instructiv e an d useful readin g t o th e leader s o f circles, an d dre w th e attention s o f the nation to the principles of political and civil government. Whils t by th e compilatio n o f th e Encyclopedia, * th e repositor y o f thei r thoughts, as an abstract work, they elude d th e dangerou s vigilanc e of absolut e ministers ; thu s i n a bod y disseminatin g thos e truth s in th e econom y o f finance , which , perhaps , the y woul d no t hav e had sufficien t courag e separatel y t o hav e produce d i n individua l publications; or , i f they had , the y woul d most probabl y have bee n suppressed. This is one of the few instances of an association of men becomin g useful, instea d of being cramped b y joint exertions. And the cause is clear:—the work did not require a little party spirit; but eac h had a distinct subjec t of investigation to pursue wit h solitary energy. Hi s destination was traced upon a calm sea, which could not expose him to the Scyll a or Charybdis * of vanity or interest . The economists, * carrying away the palm fro m thei r opponents , showed tha t th e prosperit y o f a state depend s o n th e freedo m o f industry; that talents should be permitted t o find their level; that the unshackling of commerce i s the onl y secret t o render i t flourishing , and answe r mor e effectuall y th e end s fo r whic h i t i s politicall y necessary; an d tha t th e impost s shoul d b e lai d upo n th e surplu s

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remaining, afte r th e husbandma n ha s bee n reimburse d fo r hi s labour and expences . Ideas so new, and yet so just and simple, could not fai l to produce a grea t effec t o n th e mind s o f frenchmen ; who , constitutionall y attached t o novelt y an d ingeniou s speculations , wer e sur e t o b e enamoured wit h a prospect of consolidating the grea t advantages of such a nove l an d enlightene d system ; an d withou t calculatin g th e danger o f attacking old prejudices ; nay , withou t eve r considering , that i t wa s a much easie r tas k t o pull dow n tha n t o build up , the y gave themselves little trouble to examine the gradual steps by which other countrie s hav e attained thei r degree of political improvement . The man y vexatious taxes, whic h unde r th e frenc h governmen t not only enervated the exertions of unprivileged persons, stagnating the live stream of trade, but wer e extremely teasing, inconveniences to every private man, who could not travel from one place to another without being stopped a t barriers, and searched b y officers o f differ ent descriptions , wer e almost insuperabl e impediment s i n th e way of the improvements o f industry: and the abridgment o f liberty was not more grievou s in it's pecuniar y consequences , tha n i n the per sonal mortificatio n o f bein g compelle d t o observ e regulation s a s troublesome a s they wer e at variance with sound policy . Irritations o f th e tempe r produc e mor e poignan t sensation s o f disgust tha n seriou s injuries. Frenchmen , indeed, ha d been s o long accustomed t o thes e vexatiou s forms, that, like the o x who is daily yoked, the y wer e no longe r galle d in spirit , o r exhaled thei r angr y ebullitions i n a song. Stil l i t migh t hav e been supposed , tha t afte r reflecting little , an d talkin g much, abou t th e sublimit y an d super iour excellenc e o f th e plan s o f french writer s abov e thos e o f othe r nations, the y woul d becom e a s passionat e fo r liberty , a s a ma n restrained b y som e idl e religiou s vo w i s t o posses s a mistress , t o whose charms th e imaginatio n has lent al l it's ow n world of graces. Besides, th e very manner of living in France gives a lively turn t o the characte r o f th e people ; fo r b y th e destructio n o f th e anima l juices, i n dressin g thei r food , the y ar e subject t o non e o f that dul ness, th e effec t o f more nutritiv e die t i n othe r countries ; an d thi s gaiety i s increase d b y th e moderat e quantit y o f wea k wine , whic h they drin k at their meals , biddin g defianc e t o phlegm. Th e peopl e also living entirely in villages and towns are more social ; so that th e tone of the capital, the instant i t had a note distinct fro m tha t of the

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court, becam e th e ke y of the nation ; thoug h th e inhabitant s o f the provinces polishe d thei r manner s wit h less dange r t o their morals , or natura l simplicit y o f character . Bu t thi s mod e o f peoplin g th e country tended mor e to civilize the inhabitants, than t o change the face o f the soil , o r lea d t o agricultura l improvements. Fo r i t i s by residing in the midst of their land, that farmers make the most of it, in every sense of the word—so that the rude state of husbandry, and the awkwardness of the implements used by these ingenious people, may be imputed solel y to this cause . The situatio n of France was likewise very favourabl e fo r collecting th e information , acquire d i n othe r part s o f th e world . Paris, having been mad e a thoroughfare to all the kingdom s on the continent, received in it's boso m strangers fro m ever y quarter; and itself resembling a full hive , the ver y drones buzzed into every corner all the sentiments of liberty, which it is possible for a people to possess , who have never been enlightened by the broad sunshine of freedom; yet more romanticall y enthusiastic, probably , fo r that ver y reason. Paris, therefore, having not only disseminated information, but pre sented hersel f a s a bulwark to oppos e th e despotis m o f the court , standing th e brun t o f th e fray , seem s wit h som e reason , t o prid e herself o n being the autho r o f the revolution . Though the liberty of the press had not existed in any part of the world, England an d Americ a excepted, stil l th e disquisitio n o f political question s ha d lon g occupied th e intelligen t part s o f Europe ; and i n France, more than i n any other country , books written with licentious freedo m wer e hande d fro m hous e t o house , wit h th e circumspection that irritates curiosity. No t to lay great stress on the universality o f th e language , whic h mad e on e genera l opinio n o n the benefit s arisin g fro m th e advancemen t o f scienc e an d reaso n pervade th e neighbourin g states , particularl y Germany ; wher e original compositions* bega n t o tak e place of that laboriou s erudition, which being employed only in the elucidation of ancient writers, th e judgmen t lies dormant , o r i s merely calle d int o actio n t o weigh th e impor t o f word s rathe r tha n t o estimat e th e valu e of things. In Paris, likewise, a knot of ingenious, if not profound writers,* twinkled their light into every circle; for being caressed by the great, they did not inhabi t the homel y recesses o f indigence, rusticating their manners as they cultivated their understandings; on the contrary, th e finess e require d t o conve y thei r fre e sentiment s i n

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their books , broke n int o th e smal l sho t o f innuendoes , gav e a n oiliness to their conversation , an d enable d them t o take the lea d at tables, th e voluptuousnes s o f whic h wa s gratefu l t o philosophers , rather o f the epicurean tha n th e stoi c sect. It ha d lon g been th e fashio n t o tal k o f liberty, an d t o disput e o n hypothetical and logica l points of political economy; and these dis putations disseminated gleam s of truth, and generate d mor e demagogues than ha d eve r appeared i n any modern city.—Th e numbe r exceeded, perhaps, an y comparison wit h that o f Athens itself. The habi t also of passing a part of most of their evenings at some theatre gav e them a n ear fo r harmony of language, and a fastidiou s taste fo r shee r declamation , i n whic h a sentimenta l jargo n extinguishes al l the simplicit y and fir e o f passion: th e grea t numbe r o f play-houses,1 and the moderate prices of the pit and different range s of boxes, bringing it within the compass of every citizen to frequen t the amusemen t s o much belove d by the french . The arrangemen t of sounds, and the adjustment of masculine and feminine rhymes , bein g th e secret s o f thei r poetry , th e pom p o f diction give s a semblance of grandeur to common observation s and hackneyed sentiments; because the french language , though copious in th e phrase s tha t giv e each shad e o f sentiment, ha s not, lik e th e italian, the english, the german, a phraseology peculiar to poetry; yet it's happ y turns, equivocal , nay even concis e expressions , an d nu merous epithets , which , whe n ingeniousl y applied, conve y a sen tence, o r affor d matte r fo r hal f a dozen, mak e it bette r adapte d t o oratorical flourishes than that of any other nation. The frenc h therefore are all rhetoricians, and the y have a singular fund o f superficial knowledge, caugh t i n th e tumul t o f pleasur e fro m th e shallo w stream of conversation; so that if they have not the depth of thought which is obtained only by contemplation, the y have all the shrewd ness o f sharpene d wit ; an d thei r acquirement s ar e s o nea r thei r tongue's end , that they never miss an opportunity of saying a pertinent thing , o r trippin g up , b y a smart retort , th e argument s wit h which they have not strengt h fairl y t o wrestle. Every political good carried to the extreme must be productive of evil; yet every poison has it's antidote ; and there is a pitch of luxury and refinement, which, when reached, will overturn all the absolute 1

Ther e are upwards of thirty scattered throughout the city .

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governments in the world. The ascertainmen t o f these antidotes is a task the most dificult ; an d whils t it remains imperfect, a number of men wil l continue t o be th e victim s of mistaken applications. Like the empirics, who bled a patient t o death to prevent a mortification from becomin g fatal , th e tyrant s o f the eart h hav e had recours e t o cutting off the heads, or torturing th e bodies, of those persons who have attempte d t o chec k thei r sway , or doub t thei r omnipotence . But, though thousands have perished the victims of empirics, and of despots, ye t th e improvement s mad e bot h i n medicin e an d mora l philosophy hav e kep t a sure , thoug h gradua l pace.—And, i f me n have not clearl y discovered a specific remed y fo r every evil, physical, moral, and political, it is to be presumed, tha t the accumulation of experimental fact s wil l greatl y tend t o lessen the m i n future . Whilst, therefore , th e sumptuou s gala s o f th e cour t o f Franc e were the grand source of the refinement of the arts, taste became the antidote of ennui; and when sentiments had taken place of chivalrous and gothi c tournaments, th e reig n of philosophy succeeded tha t of the imagination . An d thoug h th e government , envelope d i n pre cedents, adjuste d stil l th e idl e ceremonials , whic h wer e n o longe r imposing, blind to the imperceptible change of things and opinions, as if their facultie s were bound by an eternal frost, th e progress was invariable; till, reaching a certain point, Paris , whic h fro m th e par ticular formatio n of the empir e ha d been suc h an useful hea d to it , began t o be th e caus e of dreadful calamities , extending fro m indi viduals to the nation, and from th e nation to Europe. Thus it is, that we are led to blame those, who insist, that, because a state of things has been productive o f good, it is always respectable; when, on th e contrary, th e endeavourin g to kee p alive an y hoary establishment , beyond it' s natura l date, i s often perniciou s and alway s useless . In th e infanc y o f governments , o r rathe r o f civilization , court s seem t o b e necessar y t o accelerat e th e improvemen t o f art s an d manners, to lead to that of science and morals. Large capitals are the obvious consequence s o f th e riche s an d luxur y o f courts ; bu t as , after the y have arrived at a certain magnitude and degre e of refinement, the y becom e dangerou s t o th e freedo m o f th e people , an d incompatible with the safet y o f a republican government, it may be questioned whethe r Pari s wil l no t occasio n mor e disturbanc e i n settling the ne w order o f things, tha n i s equivalent to the goo d sh e produced b y accelerating the epoch a o f the revolution.

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However, i t appear s ver y certain, that shoul d a republican gov ernment be consolidated, Paris must rapidly crumble into decay. It's rise an d splendou r wer e owin g chiefly , i f no t entirely , t o th e ol d system o f government; an d sinc e th e foundatio n of it's luxur y has been shaken , an d i t i s no t likel y tha t th e dispartin g structur e wil l ever agai n res t securel y o n it' s basis , w e ma y fairl y infer , that , i n proportion as the charm s of solitary reflection and agricultura l recreations are felt, th e people , by leaving the village s and cities , wil l give a new complexion to the fac e of the country—and we may then look fo r a tur n o f min d mor e solid , principle s mor e fixed , an d a conduct mor e consisten t an d virtuous. The occupation s and habit s of life have a wonderful influenc e o n the forming mind; so great, that the superinductions of art stop the growth o f th e spontaneou s shoot s o f nature , til l i t i s difficul t t o distinguish natura l fro m factitiou s morals an d feelings ; and a s th e energy o f thinking wil l alway s proceed, i n a grea t measure , eithe r from ou r educatio n or manne r o f living, the frivolit y o f the frenc h character ma y b e accounte d for , without takin g refug e i n th e ol d hiding place of ignorance—occult causes . When i t is the objec t of education to prepare the pupi l to please every body, and of course t o deceive, accomplishments ar e the on e thing needful; and the desir e t o be admired ever being uppermost , the passion s ar e subjugated , o r al l draw n int o th e whirlpoo l o f egotism.1 This give s to each person, howeve r different th e temper , a tinctur e o f vanity, and tha t wea k vacillatio n of opinion, whic h is incompatible with what we term character . Thus a frenchman , lik e mos t women , ma y b e sai d t o hav e n o character distinguishabl e fro m tha t o f th e nation ; unles s littl e shades, and casual lights, be allowed to constitute an essential characteristic. Wha t the n coul d hav e been expected , whe n thei r ambi tion was mostly confined to dancing gracefully, entering a room with easy assurance, and smiling on and complimenting the very persons whom they meant to ridicule at the next fashionable assembly? The learning to fence with skill, it is true, was useful t o a people, whose false notions of honour required tha t at least a drop of blood should atone fo r th e shado w o f a n affront . Th e knac k als o o f utterin g 1 I use this word according to the french acceptation , because we have not one to express so forcibly th e sam e signification.*

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sprightly repartee s becam e a necessary art , t o suppl y th e plac e o f that real interest onl y to be nourished in the affectionate intercours e of domestic intimacy , where confidence enlarges the heart it opens . Besides, the desir e of eating dis h at table , no matte r if there wer e fifty, an d th e custo m o f separatin g immediatel y afte r th e repast , destroy th e socia l affections , remindin g a strange r o f th e vulga r saying—'every ma n fo r himself , an d Go d fo r u s all.' * After thes e cursory observations , i t i s no t goin g to o fa r t o advance , tha t the french wer e in some respects th e most unqualifie d o f any people in Europ e t o undertak e th e importan t wor k i n whic h the y ar e embarked. Whilst pleasur e wa s the sol e objec t o f living among th e highe r orders of society, it was the business o f the lower to give life to their joys, an d convenienc e t o thei r luxury . This cast-lik e division , by destroying all strength o f character i n the former , and debasin g th e latter t o machines, taugh t frenchme n t o be more ingeniou s in thei r contrivances fo r pleasur e an d show , tha n th e me n o f an y othe r country; whilst , wit h respec t t o th e abridgmen t o f labou r i n th e mechanic arts, or to promote th e comfort of common life , they were far behind . They had never , i n fact , acquire d a n idea of that independent, comfortabl e situation , i n whic h contentmen t i s sough t rather tha n happiness ; because th e slave s of pleasure or power can be rouse d onl y b y livel y emotion s an d extravagan t hopes . Indee d they hav e n o wor d i n thei r vocabular y t o expres s comfort* — that stat e o f existence, i n whic h reaso n render s seren e an d usefu l the days , whic h passio n woul d onl y chea t wit h flyin g dream s o f happiness. A chang e o f characte r canno t b e s o sudde n a s som e sanguin e calculators expect: yet by the destruction of the rights of primogeniture, a greater degree of equality of property is sure to follow; and as Paris canno t maintai n it' s splendour , bu t b y th e trad e o f luxury, which can never be carried t o the sam e height i t was formerly, the opulent havin g strong motive s t o induc e the m t o liv e more i n th e country, the y mus t acquir e ne w inclination s an d opinions.—A s a change also of the system of education and domestic manners will be a natura l consequence o f the revolution , th e frenc h wil l insensibl y rise to a dignity of character fa r above that o f the presen t race ; and then th e frui t o f their liberty , ripening gradually , will have a relish not to be expected durin g it's crud e an d forced state .

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7

The lat e arrangement o f things seem s t o have been th e commo n effect o f an absolute government , a domineering priesthood, an d a great inequalit y of fortune; and whils t it completel y destroye d th e most important end of society, the comfort and independence of the people, i t generate d th e mos t shamefu l depravit y and weaknes s of intellect; s o that w e have seen th e frenc h engage d i n a business th e most sacre d t o mankind, giving, by their enthusiasm , splendi d ex amples o f their fortitud e at on e moment , an d a t another , b y thei r want o f firmnes s an d deficienc y o f judgment , affordin g th e mos t glaring and fata l proof s of the jus t estimate, whic h all nations have formed o f their character . Men s o thoroughly sophisticated, i t wa s to b e supposed , woul d never conduc t an y business wit h steadiness an d moderation : but i t required a knowledg e of th e natio n an d thei r manners , t o for m a distinct idea of their disgusting conceit and wretched egotism; so far surpassing all the calculations of reason, that, perhaps, should not a faithful pictur e b e no w sketched , posterit y woul d be a t los s t o ac count fo r thei r folly ; an d attribut e t o madness , wha t aros e fro m imbecility. The natura l feelings of man seldom become so contaminated and debased a s not sometimes t o let escape a gleam of the generou s fire, an ethereal spark of the soul; and it is these glowing emotions, in the inmost recesses o f the heart, which have continued t o feed feelings , that on sudden occasions manifest themselves with all their pristin e purity an d vigour . But, b y th e habitua l slothfulness of rusty intel lects, o r th e depravit y o f th e heart , lulle d int o hardnes s o n th e lascivious couc h o f pleasure , thos e heavenl y beam s ar e obscured , and man appears either an hideous monster, a devouring beast; or a spiritless reptile , withou t dignity or humanity. Those miserable wretches who crawl under the fee t o f others ar e seldom to be found amon g savages, where men accustomed t o exercise and temperance are, in general, brave, hospitable, and magnanimous; an d i t i s onl y a s they surrende r thei r rights , tha t the y los e those noble qualities of the heart . The ferocit y o f the savag e is of a distinct natur e fro m tha t o f th e degenerat e slave s of tyrants . On e murders fro m mistake n notion s o f courage ; ye t h e respect s hi s enemy i n proportio n t o hi s fortitude , an d contemp t o f death : th e other assassinate s without remorse, whils t his trembling nerves betray th e weaknes s o f hi s affrighte d sou l a t ever y appearanc e o f

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danger. Amon g th e former , me n ar e respecte d accordin g t o thei r abilities; consequently idle drones are driven out of this society; but among th e latter , me n ar e raise d t o honour s an d employment s i n proportion a s a talen t fo r intrigue , th e sur e proo f o f littlenes s o f mind, ha s rendered the m servile . The mos t melancholy reflection s are produced b y a retrospective glanc e over the rise and progress of the government s of different countries , whe n we are compelled t o remark, tha t flagran t follie s an d atrociou s crime s hav e been mor e common under the government s of modern Europe , tha n in any of the ancien t nations , i f w e excep t th e jews . Sanguinar y tortures , insidious poisonings , an d dar k assassinations , hav e alternately ex hibited a rac e o f monster s i n huma n shape , th e contemplatio n o f whose ferocity chills the blood, and darkens every enlivening expectation of humanity: but we ought to observe, to reanimate the hopes of benevolence, that the perpetration o f these horid deeds has arisen from a despotism i n the government, which reason is teaching us to remedy. Sometimes , i t i s true , restraine d b y a n iro n police , th e people appea r peaceable , whe n the y ar e onl y stunned ; s o that w e find, whenever the mob ha s broken loose, the fur y o f the populac e has been shocking and calamitous. These considerations accoun t for the contradiction s i n th e frenc h character , whic h mus t strik e a stranger: fo r robberies ar e ver y rar e i n France , wher e dail y fraud s and sl y pilfering prove, that th e lowe r class have as little honesty as sincerity. Besides, murde r an d cruelty almost alway s show the das tardly ferocity o f fear i n France; whilst in England, where the spirit of liberty has prevailed, it is useful fo r an highwayman, demanding your money, not only to avoid barbarity, but to behave with humanity, and eve n complaisance. Degeneracy o f morals , wit h polishe d manners , produce s th e worst of passions, which floating through the social body, the genial current o f natura l feeling s ha s bee n poisoned ; and , committin g crimes with trembling inquietude, the culprits have not only drawn on themselve s th e vengeanc e of the law , but throw n a n odiu m o n their nature, that has blackened the face of humanity. And whilst it' s temple ha s bee n sacrilegiousl y profane d b y th e drop s o f blood , which hav e issued fro m th e ver y hearts o f the sa d victims of their folly; a hardness o f temper, unde r th e vei l o f sentiment, callin g it vice, has prevented ou r sympath y from leadin g us to examine into

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9

the source s o f th e atrocit y o f ou r species , an d obscure d th e tru e cause of disgraceful an d viciou s habits. Since th e existenc e o f courts , whos e aggrandisemen t ha s bee n conspicuous i n th e sam e degre e a s th e miserie s o f th e debase d people have accumulated, the convenience and comfort of men have been sacrifice d t o th e ostentatiou s displa y of pomp an d ridiculou s pageantry. For ever y order of men, from th e beggar to the king, has tended t o introduc e tha t extravaganc e into society , whic h equally blasts domesti c virtu e an d happiness . Th e prevailin g custo m o f living beyond thei r incom e has had th e mos t banefu l effec t o n th e independence o f individuals of every class in England, as well as in France; so that whilst they have lived in habits of idleness, they have been drawn into excesses, which, proving ruinous, produced consequences equally pernicious to the community, and degrading to the private character . Extravaganc e force s th e pee r t o prostitut e hi s talents an d influenc e fo r a place, t o repai r hi s broken fortune ; and the country gentleman becomes venal in the senate , t o enable him self to live on a par with him, or reimburse himself for the expences of electioneering, into which he was led by sheer vanity. The profes sions, on the same account, become equally unprincipled. Th e one , whose characteristi c ough t t o b e integrity , descend s t o chicanery ; whilst anothe r trifle s wit h th e health , o f whic h i t know s al l th e importance. Th e merchan t likewis e enter s int o speculation s s o closely borderin g o n fraudulency , tha t commo n straigh t forwar d minds can scarcely distinguish the deviou s art o f selling any thing for a price fa r beyon d tha t necessar y to ensur e a jus t profit , fro m sheer dishonesty, aggravate d by hard-heartedness, when it is to take advantage of the necessitie s o f the indigent . The destructiv e influenc e o f commerce, i t i s true, carrie d o n by men wh o ar e eage r b y overgrow n riche s t o partak e of the respec t paid t o nobility , i s fel t i n a variety of ways. The mos t pernicious , perhaps, i s it's producin g an aristocracy of wealth, which degrades mankind, by making them only exchange savageness for tame servility, instea d o f acquirin g th e urbanit y o f improve d reason . Com merce also, overstocking a country with people, obliges the majorit y to becom e manufacturer s rather tha n husbandmen ; an d the n th e division of labour, solely to enrich the proprietor, render s the mind entirely inactive. The tim e which, a celebrated writer says,* is saun-

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tered away, in going from on e part of an employment to another, is the very time that preserves the man from degenerating into a brute; for every one must have observed how much more intelligent are the blacksmiths, carpenters , an d masons i n the country, tha n th e jour neymen i n great towns; and, respecting morals, ther e i s no making a comparison. The ver y gait of the man, who is his own master, is so much mor e steady than th e slouchin g step of the servan t of a servant, that i t is unnecessary to ask which proves by his actions he has the mos t independenc e o f character. The acquirin g of a fortune is likewise the leas t arduou s road t o pre-eminence, an d th e mos t sure ; thu s ar e whol e knot s o f me n turned int o machines , t o enabl e a kee n speculato r t o becom e wealthy; and every noble principle of nature is eradicated by making a man pass his life in stretching wire, pointing a pin, heading a nail, or spreadin g a shee t o f pape r o n a plai n surface . Besides , i t i s allowed, that al l associations of men render the m sensual , and con sequently selfish; and whilst lazy friars are driven out of their cells as stagnate bodie s tha t corrup t society , i t ma y admi t o f a doub t whether larg e work-shop s d o no t contai n me n equall y tending t o impede tha t gradua l progress o f improvement, whic h lead s to th e perfection o f reason, an d th e establishmen t o f rational equality. The deprivatio n o f natural, equal , civi l and politica l rights , re duced th e mos t cunnin g of the lowe r orders t o practice fraud , an d the rest to habits of stealing, audacious robberies, and murders. And why? because the rich and poor were separated into bands of tyrants and slaves , an d th e retaliatio n of slaves is always terrible. I n short , every sacred feeling, moral and divine, has been obliterated, and the dignity of man sullied , b y a system o f policy and jurisprudenc e as repugnant t o reason, a s at variance with humanity. The onl y excuse that can be made for the ferocity of the parisians is then simpl y to observe , tha t the y ha d no t an y confidence in th e laws, whic h they ha d alway s found t o be merel y cobweb s t o catc h small flies. Accustomed t o be punishe d themselve s fo r every trifle , and ofte n fo r onl y being i n th e wa y of the rich , o r thei r parasites ; when, i n fact , ha d th e parisian s see n th e executio n o f a noble , o r priest, thoug h convicte d o f crime s beyon d th e darin g o f vulga r minds?—When justice, or the law , is so partial, the da y of retribution wil l com e wit h th e re d sk y o f vengeance , t o confoun d th e innocent wit h th e guilty . Th e mo b wer e barbarou s beyon d th e

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1

tiger's cruelty : fo r ho w coul d the y trus t a court tha t ha d s o ofte n deceived them, or expect to see it's agent s punished, when the same measures were pursuing? Let u s cast our eyes over the history of man, and we shall scarcely find a pag e tha t i s no t tarnishe d b y som e fou l deed , o r blood y transaction. Le t u s examin e the catalogu e of the vice s of men i n a savage state, and contrast them with those of men civilized; we shall find, tha t a barbarian , considere d a s a mora l being , i s a n angel , compared wit h the refine d villai n of artificial life . Le t u s investigate the cause s which have produced thi s degeneracy, and w e shall dis cover, that the y ar e those unjust plan s of government, whic h have been formed by peculiar circumstances in every part of the globe.— Then le t us coolly and impartially contemplate th e improvements , which ar e gainin g ground i n th e formatio n of principles o f policy; and I flatter mysel f it will be allowed by every humane and considerate being , tha t a political syste m mor e simpl e tha n ha s hithert o existed woul d effectuall y chec k thos e aspirin g follies , which , b y imitation, leading to vice, have banished from government s the very shadow of justice and magnanimity . Thus ha d Franc e grow n up, an d sickene d o n th e corruptio n o f a state diseased . But, a s in medicine there i s a species of complaint in th e bowel s whic h work s it' s ow n cure , and , leavin g th e bod y healthy, give s a n invigorate d ton e t o th e system , s o ther e i s i n politics: an d whils t the agitatio n of it's regeneratio n continues , th e excrementitious humours exuding from th e contaminated body will excite a general dislike and contempt fo r the nation; and it is only the philosophical eye , which looks into the nature and weighs the con sequences o f human actions , tha t wil l be able to discer n th e cause , which has produced s o many dreadful effects .

THE EN D

EXPLANATORY NOTE S 3

5

Reflections o n the French Revolution: Edmun d Burke, Reflections o n the Revolution i n France (1790) ; eleve n edition s ha d appeare d withi n a year. Not having leisure: Burke's Reflections appeared on 1 November and Wollstonecraffs repl y wa s published befor e th e en d o f th e month . William Godwin in Memoirs of the Author of a Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1798), ch. 6, recounts that the manuscript sheets were sent to the press as they wer e written. raised hi m t o notice i n th e state: Burk e (1729-97 ) wa s no t onl y a n eminent orator and statesman but author of many pamphlets as well as more substantia l work s suc h a s Th e Vindication o f Natural Society (1756), A Philosophical Inquiry into th e Origin o f ou r Ideas o f th e Sublime and the Beautiful (1757) , and An Account of the European Settlement in America (1757); he was the edito r o f and main contribu tor to the Annual Register (1758-91). rights o f men: se e Burke, Reflections, 86-92 .

7

his eloquence: onc e fame d fo r hi s eloquence , Burk e wa s becomin g notorious fo r his long-winded speeche s i n the Hous e o f Commons . 'horse-way an d foot-path': King Lear, iv. i. 55 . sixty years: Burke' s ag e in 1790 . Chinese erection: pagoda s wer e ver y fashionabl e i n Englan d i n th e 1770s and 1780s .

9

that compact: cf . John Locke, Tw o Treatises o f Government (1690), ii. 95, 97: 'The only way whereby any one devests himself of his Natural Liberty, an d puts on the bonds o f Civil Society is by agreeing with other men t o joy n and unit e into a community, fo r their comfortable , safe , and peaceable living one amongst another;' 'every Man, by consenting with others t o make one Body Politick unde r on e Government, put s himself unde r an obligation t o every one of that Society, to submit t o the determinatio n o f the majority, an d t o be conclude d b y it; or els e this original Compact, whereb y h e wit h other s incorporate s int o one Society, woul d signif y nothing , an d b e no Compact.' a former grant: Burke , Reflections, 45 . Burke cites th e famou s jurists Sir Edward Coke and Sir William Blackstone in support o f his theory of the connectio n o f Magna Cart a (1215 ) with the charter o f Henry I (1100), and of both with the ancient laws of the kingdom. As opposed

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Explanatory Notes 37

3

to natura l right s h e suggest s tha t th e 'mos t sacre d right s an d fran chises' are 'a n inheritance^ (emphasi s original). 10 certain

or undisputed rights: 'certai n undisputed rights ' i n the original .

'he was a prince . . . weakest of the whole': Davi d Hume, The History o f England (1778) , i. xvi. 499-500. 11 Wicklijfe . . . Rome: John Wycli f (1324P-84 ) launched hi s fullest at tack on the Church i n a series of lectures in Oxford (1379-80), and in De Eucharistia (U%\). 12 a

pension: Wollstonecraft' s accusatio n was unfounded at the time . I n 1794, when Burke was heavily in debt and Pitt granted him an annual pension o f £2,500 p.a. fo r thirty years ' servic e to the country , ther e was a predictably hostil e reaction fro m hi s political enemies . Mr Burke s Bills: Burke' s Speech . . . to the House o f Commons on the llth of February 1780 (1780), introducin g his pla n of five economic reform bills , bega n an d ende d wit h a n appea l fo r th e virtu e an d independence require d fo r reform.

13 defend American independence: Burke' s Speech o n Conciliation with America (2 2 Mar . 1775 ) consider s th e America n Revolutio n a s a n assertion o f traditional English liberties . pressing me n for th e sea service: th e impressmen t o f able-bodie d bu t unwilling men int o th e Nav y continued unti l th e en d o f the Napo leonic wars in 1815 . 14 nervous: Samue l Johnson , Dictionary (1755) : 'wel l strung , strong , vigorous.' steals a few pounds: th e thef t o f a s little a s five shillings coul d incu r capital punishment unti l 1813 . 'The tears . . . possess': Rousseau , A M. d'Alembert (1758) , 31-2 ; 'E n donnant des pleurs a ces fictions, nous avons satisfait a tous les droits de Phumanite, sans avoir plus rien a mettre d u notre.' 16 game laws. . .press-warrants: fro m 138 9 t o 183 1 th e gam e law s re stricted th e righ t to kill game to substantial landowners or long-leas e holders; impres s warrant s wer e issue d durin g wa r t o compe l able bodied me n int o service . a decoy field : a field of unguarded crop s designe d t o lur e game. your attack on Dr Price: Burk e in Reflections too k issue with Richard Price, the distinguishe d Dissentin g minister , who , in his Discourse on the Love o f ou r Country (1789) , celebrate d th e Frenc h Revolution' s promise o f civil and religiou s liberty. the pulpit is not the place for political discussions: Burke , Reflections, 14 :

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'politics and the pulpit are terms that have little agreement. No sound ought t o b e hear d i n th e churc h bu t th e healin g voice o f Christia n charity.' Price's Discourse was delivered as a sermon to the Revolution Society on 4 November 1789, a society commemorating the Glorious Revolution of 1788. To th e Dissenters, campaignin g for the repeal of the Test and Corporation Act s which required offic e holder s to subscribe to the established religion , th e settlement of 1688 had signified a great advance towards freedom and equality . Full equalit y was not granted unti l 1871 . 17 moral

excellence: se e note on D r Pric e abov e and Introduction .

a great Lady's eyes: se e Burke , Reflections, 111-13 , fo r th e prais e o f Marie Antoinette . 1now see . . . matured wisdom: whe n Wollstonecraft lived in Newington Green (1783-5 ) Pric e wa s th e lecture r a t th e Presbyteria n chape l which sh e occasionally attended; the y became close friends. 18 a n apology: Augustu s Henry Fitzroy , Duk e o f Grafton' s Hints, etc. Submitted to the Serious Attention of the Clergy, Nobility and Gentry, Newly Associated, by a Layman (1789) called for a revision of the liturgy. establish one for themselves: Price , Discourse, 18: 'those who dislike that mode o f worship which i s prescribed b y publi c authority , ough t (i f they can find no worship out of the church which they approve) to set up a separate worshi p for themselves.' contradictions: Burke , Reflections: 'Hi s zea l i s o f a curiou s characte r . . . It i s no t fo r th e diffusio n o f truth , bu t fo r th e spreadin g o f contradiction.' 19 great

deference: ibid . 45.

'The doctrine. . . the king': Blackstone , Commentaries on the Laws of England (1765) , i. iii. 188 (emphasis original) . Aristotle: Burke , Reflections, 185-6 , quote s Aristotle , Politics, iv. iv: 'that a democrac y ha s man y strikin g points o f resemblanc e wit h a tyranny.' OUR SOVEREIGN LORD TH E KING: cf . Price , Discourse, 23-6 : 'mor e properly th e servant than th e sovereign o f you r people' , an d Burke , Reflections, 40-2 : 'Th e law , which know s neithe r t o flatte r no r t o insult, call s thi s hig h magistrate , no t ou r servant , a s thi s humbl e Divine calls him, but "Our sovereign Lord the King"? 20 th e dregs o f th e people: Burke , Reflections, 82 , quote s Price, Discourse, 42, where political representation i n England i s described a s 'chosen principally by the Treasury, and a few thousand dreg s of the people , who are generally paid for their votes' .

Explanatory Notes 37

5

electioneering interest: th e securit y o f balanced powe r wa s sought b y 'influence'; accordingl y th e Crow n hel d swa y inparliamen t throug h its disposal of civil, military, and ecclesiastica l office , an d o f pensions and honour s raise d b y taxation , whils t th e aristocrac y cas t simila r influence ove r count y an d boroug h election s i n orde r t o protec t th e interests o f the Lords in the House of Commons. Refor m to curb th e abuse of'influence' bega n i n 1762 . 21 a

summer's fly : Burke , Reflections, 141 , argues that withou t constitutional continuit y 'Me n woul d become littl e better tha n th e flies of a summer.' legal prostitution: Th e phras e wa s used b y Defo e i n Conjugal Lewdness; or, Matrimonial Whoredom (1727) . violations o f liberty: cf . Hele n Mari a Williams , Letters Written i n France i n th e Summer o f 1790 (1790), chs . xvi-xxii , whic h tell s th e story o f the d u Fosses , wh o suffere d thi s ver y violation. Until 179 1 one French citizen could imprison anothe r withou t trial by means of a lettre de cachet obtained fro m th e monarch .

22 Hymen:

in Greek mytholog y the god of fruitfulness and marriage .

contemplation: Plato , Phaedrus, 274 : 'a n immoderat e desir e t o please . . . immerges . .. the sou l in matter, til l i t becomes unabl e to mount o n the win g of contemplation.' 23 'grew . . . strength': Alexande r Pope , An Essay o n Man (1732-4) , ii. 135-6: 'Grows with his growth, an d strengthens wit h his strength.' overpower talents an d depress virtue: cf . Locke , Tw o Treatises o f Government, ii. 25—51 . 24 'loses . . , grossness': Burke , Reflections: 'Never , neve r more , shal l w e behold tha t generou s loyalt y t o ran k an d sex , tha t prou d sub mission, tha t dignifie d obedience , tha t subordinatio n o f th e heart , which kep t alive , eve n i n servitud e itself , th e spiri t o f a n exalte d freedom. . . . It i s gone , tha t sensibilit y o f principle , tha t chastit y of honour , whic h fel t a stai n lik e a wound , whic h inspire d courag e whilst i t mitigate d ferocity , whic h ennoble d whateve r i t touched , and unde r whic h vic e itsel f los t hal f it s evil , b y losin g al l it s grossness.' is . . . romance: th e emphasi s i s Wollstonecraft's i n both quotations . 'Regicide. . . homicide': Burke , Reflections, 14-15 ; 'parricide ' i s also included i n the original . misrepresent D r Price's meaning: se e ibid . 96ff. , an d Price , Discourse, 49-50; in the preface to the 4th edn. (1790 ) Price insiste d upo n what

376 Explanatory

Notes

Wollstonecraft here states, and the context of the sermon implies, that he was celebrating the event s of July 178 9 when the kin g voluntarily submitted t o the wil l o f his people, 'a s the restore r o f their liberty' , and not to the violent abduction of the royal family fro m Versailles on 6 October 1789 . 25 King of the British: Burke , Speech . . , to the House o f Commons on the 9th of February 1789 (1789); the origina l uses the phras e 'King of the Britons!' a mote . . . the beam: Matt . 7: 3: 'Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest no t the beam that is in thine own eye?' a late melancholy occasion: Burke , Speech . . . to the House o f Commons on the 6th o f February 1789 (1789), opposed th e grantin g of an allowance t o Quee n Charlotte , followin g he r husband' s insanity , o n the ground s tha t i t woul d 'creat e a fun d fo r bribin g member s o f parliament'. you personally aggravated: Burke , Reflections, 10 5 ff. When George II I was declare d insan e i n Novembe r 1788 , th e Princ e o f Wale s at tempted t o become king , winning Burke's suppor t wit h the offe r o f the post of Paymaster-General. Th e Prime Minister, Pitt, introduced a Regency Bill to limit the Prince's powers. Burke hurriedly collected statistics fro m menta l institution s o n th e unlikelihoo d of the King' s recovery at the advance d age of 55. This undignified displa y of selfinterest mad e him a figure of ridicule in the press, an d nearly ruined his career when, despite statistics, the King recovered before the bill was completed, no t t o suffe r anothe r attac k until 1801 . 26 Marius . . . Carthage: Gaiu s Mariu s (155-8 6 BC) wa s a Roman gen eral who was defeated by Sulla in 88 BC. Marius fled to Carthage, but was refused entr y by the governo r Sextilius . Mariu s pu t hi s case by sitting as a fugitive amon g the ruin s o f Carthage t o demonstrat e hi s subjection t o changes of fortune. strip hi m of al l his hereditary honours: Burke , Speech . . . on the 9t h of February 1789. hurled hi m from hi s throne: ibid. : 'di d the y recollec t tha t the y wer e talking of a sick king, of a monarch smitte n b y the han d of Omnipotence, an d tha t th e Almight y had hurle d hi m fro m hi s throne , an d plunged hi m int o a condition whic h drew upon hi m th e pit y of th e meanest peasan t i n hi s kingdom . Ought the y t o mak e a mockery of him, t o pu t a crown o f thorns o n hi s head , a reed i n hi s hand , an d dressing hi m i n a raimen t o f purple , t o cry , "Hail , kin g o f th e Britons!".'

Explanatory Notes 37

7

27 no t exact: Burke , Reflections, 11-12 : 'Everything seems out o f nature in this strang e chaos of levity and ferocity , and o f all sorts o f crimes jumbled togethe r wit h all sorts o f follies. I n viewin g this monstrou s tragi-comic scene , th e mos t opposit e passion s necessaril y succeed , and sometime s mix with each othe r i n the mind ; alternate contemp t and indignation ; alternat e laughte r an d tears ; alternat e scor n an d horror.' 28 wi t and madness: Joh n Dryden , Absalom and Achitophel (1681), i. 164: 'Great wits are sure to madness near allied.' 'finephrensy': A Midsummer Night's Dream, v. i. 12 : 'The poet's eye, in a fine phrenzy rolling.' rodomontade: Samue l Johnson, Dictionary: 'a n empty noisy bluster or boast; a rant'; after Rodomonte , th e warrio r in the poem s of Ariosto. 29 a

ruling passion: th e psychological concep t of the ruling passion originated i n the theorie s o f Bacon and Montaigne, wh o understood i t as the sourc e o f self-contro l a t th e centr e o f th e huma n personality ; Pope, who most full y propounde d th e concept, treate d i t as the forc e that provides the individual with direction, stability , protection fro m chaos, whic h can be channelle d toward s either goo d or evil . In the scheme of providence it s function is to differentiate the objective s of individuals so that the world' s wor k can be accomplished. Se e Alexander Pope, An Essay on Man (1733-4), ii. 11. 123-44; On the Use of Riches, A n Epistle to... Lord Bathurst (1732) , 1 . 154 ; A n Epistle to... Lord Visct. Cobham (1733), 11. 17 4 ff.

30 eternal fitness of things: Henr y Fielding , Tome Jones (1749), n . iv . 4 , p. 20. 'who . . . rights o f men': Burke , Reflections, 120 : 'Poets, wh o hav e to deal with an audience not ye t graduated in the schoo l of the right s of men, and who must apply themselves to the moral constitution of the heart would not dare to produce such a triumph [th e French Revolution] as a matter o f exultation.' 'in . . . glance': ibid . 121 . ignorant, consequently innocent: cf . Rousseau, Emile; ou, De I 'education (1762), i. 112 : 'La raison seule nous apprend a connoitre l e bien et le mal. L a conscienc e qu i nou s fai t aime r 1'u n e t hai r 1'autre , quoiqu'independante d e l a raison, n e peu t don e s e developper san s elle. Avan t 1'ag e d e raiso n nou s faison s l e bie n e t l e ma l san s l e connoitre; et il n'y a point de moralite dans nos actions.' (Translation: Reason alone teaches us to know good and evil. Conscience therefore, which makes us love the on e and hate the other, althoug h independ -

378 Explanatory

Notes

ent o f reason, canno t develo p withou t it . Befor e reaching th e ag e of reason, w e do goo d an d evi l without knowin g it; an d ther e i s abso lutely n o moralit y in ou r actions.) , an d Locke , Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693) , 1-2 : ' I think I may say, that o f all the Me n we mee t with , Nin e Part s o f Ten ar e wha t the y are , Good o r Evil , useful o r not, by their Education . . .. I imagin e the Minds o f Children a s easily turned thi s o r that way , a s Water i t self. ' 32 'because they were prejudices': Burke , Reflections: 'instea d o f castin g away al l our ol d prejudices , we cherish the m t o a very considerabl e degree, and , to tak e mor e sham e t o ourselves , w e cherish the m be cause they are prejudices.' phlogiston: a hypothetical substanc e regarde d a s the principl e o f fire, which separate d fro m matte r i n th e proces s o f burning ; Samue l Johnson, Dictionary: 'th e inflammable part o f any body.' 33 untaught

feelings: Burke , Reflections, 128—9 .

We fear God ... nobility': Burke , Reflections', th e emphasi s i s Wollstonecraft's. 34 'under the auspices . . . piety': Burke , Reflections, 133 , says of the English constitution 'Th e whole has been done under the auspices, and is confirmed b y the sanction s o f religion and piety. ' 'emanating . . . understanding': ibid . 133-4: 'The whole has emanated from th e simplicity of our national character, and from a sort of native plainness an d directnes s o f understanding , whic h fo r a lon g tim e characterized thos e me n wh o hav e successfull y obtaine d authorit y amongst us.' we make a clergyman o f him: Wollstonecraf t her e contradict s Burke , Reflections, 135 : 'We are protestants , no t fro m indifferenc e but fro m zeal.' He r emphasi s o n 'we ' implie s th e commo n scor n o f Burke' s claim to represent Englis h Protestants ; h e was an Irishman bor n o f a Roman Catholi c mother, thoug h he was educated a s a Protestant an d lived i n England fro m th e ag e of 20. 'the paltry pelf o f the moment': ibid. : 'Such sublime principles ought to be infused int o persons of exalted situations;' 'they should not look to the paltr y pelf of the moment.' 'very high. . . destination': ibid . 136-7 : 'al l who administe r in the government o f men, i n which they stan d i n the perso n o f God himself, shoul d hav e hig h an d worth y notion s o f thei r functio n an d destination'. 35 electioneering frolic: se e second not e to p. 20 above; in 1762 fines were introduced t o curb election bribery, but investigation s of 1771, 1775,

Explanatory Notes 37

9

and 178 2 revealed tha t corruption was increasing . 36 'habitually . . . good*: Burke , Reflections, 140-1 : 'Whe n the y ar e ha bitually convinced tha t n o evil can be acceptable, eithe r i n the ac t or the permission, t o him whose essence is good, they will be better abl e to extirpate out of the minds of all magistrates, civil, ecclesiastical, or military, anythin g tha t bear s th e leas t resemblanc e t o a prou d an d lawless domination.' fee-simple: fee-simple was originally a feudal term for an estate of inheritance hel d i n return fo r service to a superior lord . Art thou there, True-penny: Hamlet, i . v. 159 . the property o f the church: Wollstonecraf t is referring to Burke's sup port of American independence. The protectio n o f church property is a majo r concer n o f his Reflections, se e e.g. p . 80 . 37 Lord George Gordon: Gordo n (1751-93 ) le d th e anti-Catholi c Gordon riot s which caused much disruptio n i n 1780 . I n 178 7 he was imprisoned fo r the rest of his life in Newgate for the libel of criticizing the severity of British justice and accusing Marie Antoinette of persecuting the innocen t Cagliostro , wh o had fled to England afte r bein g implicated i n the Diamon d Necklac e Affair . 38 I t ha s been observed: e.g . b y Rousseau , i n Emile (1762) , wher e th e passions are seen as the greatest threat to individual liberty and moral ity; i . iv. 248, the pupi l implore s his tutor: 4 rendez-moi libr e en me protegeant contr e me s passions qu i me fon t violence ; empechez moi d'etre leu r esclave , e t forcez-mo i d'etr e mo n propr e maitr e e n n'obeissant poin t a mes sen s mai s a ma raison' . (Translation: se t m e free b y protecting m e from m y passions which assail me; prevent m e from bein g their slav e and forc e m e t o b e m y ow n master , showin g obedience not to my senses but t o my reason.) 40 censure 43 senatorial

. . . of th e National Assembly: se e Burke, Reflections, 58ff . virtues: ibid . 287-8.

eloquence . . . judgment: Joh n Locke , An Essay o n Human Understanding (1690), m. x. 34; cf. Burke, Reflections, 245: 'eloquence may exist without a proportionable degre e of wisdom.' 44 Cicero: the Roman politician Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) was famed fo r his grea t oratory . Richard i s himself again: Richard III, ed . Colle y Gibber (1700), v. iii: ( Richard's himself again? church establishments: Burke, Reflections, 136-57. public will: th e emphasi s i s Wollstonecraft's .

380 Explanatory

Notes

44 live i n obscurity: Wollstonecraf t i s referrin g t o Rousseau' s posthu mously published autobiograph y Le s Confessions (1782) . 45 such bitter sarcasms: i n fact Burke's attack on Price never stoops to th e kind o f personal abus e that Wollstonecraf t levels at Burke. Enquiry. . . Beautiful: A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful (1757), ra. ix; and m. xvi. 'learn. . . creatures': Hamlet, m . i . 146-8 : 'Yo u ji g and amble , an d you lisp , yo u nickname God's creature s an d mak e your wantonnes s your ignorance.' Cf. Burke, Sublime and Beautiful, m . ix: 'they learn to lisp, to totter in their walk, to counterfeit weakness and even sickness.' 46 th e mussulman 's creed: th e ver y low status of women in Muslim coun tries gav e rise t o the widesprea d Christia n misconceptio n tha t Isla m denied tha t wome n had souls . Plato and Milton: Plato , Symposium, 178-85; Paradise Lost, viii. 58992: 'love refines | The thoughts, and heart enlarges, hath his seat | In reason, and is judicious, is the scale | By which to heavenly love thou may'st ascend. ' Spartan regulations: th e Sparta n Stat e hel d a n absolut e clai m t o th e services o f it s citizens , whos e obedienc e i t sough t t o establis h b y rigorous training from childhood . 47 your ow n definition o f virtue: Burke , Reflections, 118 : 'Alread y ther e appears a poverty of conception, a coarseness an d vulgarit y in all the proceedings o f th e Assembly' ; M . d e Menonville , a conservativ e member o f the Nationa l Assembly , complaine d o f Burke's denigra tion, and receive d an apology : Letter to a Member of the National Assembly (1791) . I n A Vindication o f Natural Society (1765) Burke aligns virtue with naturalness . a dozen people o f quality: Burke , Reflections, 76-7 : ' A governmen t o f five hundred countr y attornie s an d obscur e curate s i s not goo d fo r twenty-four millions of men, though it were chosen by eight and fort y millions; nor is it the better fo r being guided by a dozen of persons of quality, who have betrayed their trus t i n order t o obtain that power. ' 48 'deceitfulness

o f riches': Matt . 13 : 22 .

some honourable exceptions: fo r example : Louis-Marie , vicomt e d e Noailles, propose d th e abolitio n o f feudal due s an d interests ; h e was seconded b y Armand-Desir e Vignore t d u Plessi s Richelieu , du e d'Aiguillon. daring sacrilege: se e Burke, Reflections, 72 . 51 your bitterest animadversions: ibid . 206—27 .

Explanatory Notes 38

1

Page 210: 'Th e archbishop o f Paris, whose function was known to his people onl y by his prayers and benedictions , an d hi s wealt h only by his alms, is forced to abandon his house, an d t o fly from hi s flock (as from ravenou s wolves ) because, truly , i n th e sixteent h century , th e cardinal of Lorraine wa s a rebel and a murderer.' all their ideas, an d al l their habits t o it : th e emphasi s i s Woll stonecraft's. 55 Some

celebrated writers: se e notes to p . 56 .

56 Sterne: th e publicatio n o f th e extremel y popula r Th e Beauties o f Sterne: Including All his Pathetic Tales, and most Distinguished Observations on Life Selected for the Heart of Sensibility (1782 ) confirme d Laurence Sterne's name as almost synonymou s with sensibility . Judgment is sublime, wit beautiful: see Immanue l Kant , Critik der Urteilskraft (1790) , i . ii . according t o your ow n theory: Burke , A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin o f ou r Ideas o f th e Sublime an d Beautiful (2n d edn. 1759) , 'Introduction on Taste', 18 : 'a perfect union of wit and judgemen t is one o f th e rares t thing s i n th e world. ' Havin g assigne d wi t t o th e power of the imagination (p. 16), he declares (p. 35): 'the judgement is for the greate r par t employe d i n throwing stumbling-blocks i n th e way of the imagination , i n dissipating the scene s o f its enchantment , and i n tying us down to the disagreeabl e yoke of our reason. ' 57 They

. . .justice: th e emphasi s i s Wollstonecraft's .

ah! there's th e rub: Hamlet, m . i. 65 . Arcadia: th e Peloponnesia n regio n o f idylli c rusti c contentmen t according t o classical mythology. 58 a

despotic country: Portugal , whic h Wollstonecraf t visite d durin g 1785-6, before and afte r th e deat h o f Fanny Blood . enclosed: i n 170 0 hal f th e lan d i n Englan d wa s common lan d culti vated by the open-fiel d system ; by 183 0 the developmen t o f farming methods whic h made large farms more feasible had le d to the enclosure of almost al l agricultural land.

59 la y u p a treasure i n heaven: Matt . 6 : 20 : 'Bu t la y u p fo r yourselve s treasures i n heaven, wher e neither mot h no r rus t dot h corrupt , an d where thieves do not break through no r steal. ' 60 a

hell beyond th e grave: se e Burke , Reflections, 114-15 ; 117 ; 170 ; 202-27.

61 blame

. . . insult them: ibid . 25 4 ff.

In theory i t appears more promising: th e vot e was given to 'active' male

382 Explanatory

Notes

citizens, i.e . thos e wh o pai d taxe s equivalen t t o a t leas t thre e days ' labour. Ther e wer e two level s of representation; t o b e eligibl e as an elector in the first a candidate had to pay taxes of at least 1 0 livres p.a.; a national deputy had to pay more substantial taxes, and to own land. This fel l shor t o f th e universa l mal e suffrag e envisage d i n L a Declaration des droits d e Vhomme e t du citoyen (1789) . 62 a s Shakespeare makes a frantic wretch exclaim: King Lear, iv. i. 36-7 : 'As flie s t o wanton boys, are we to the gods; | The y kil l us for their sport.' the sincerity o f many modern philosophers: se e Reflections, 93-5 ; Burk e accuses Republican thinker s of hypocrisy. 65 M . Talleyrand-Perigord: Charle s Mauric e d e Talleyrand-Perigord , prince de Benevento (1754-1838) , was Bishop of Autun fro m 178 8 to 1791, whe n h e resigne d t o concentrat e o n politica l activit y and wa s excommunicated thre e month s late r fo r ordaining new bishops afte r his resignation . H e serve d i n th e Estates-General , th e Constituen t Assembly, and the National Assembly, advocating the confiscation of church propert y t o mee t governmen t expenses . Afte r 179 2 h e wa s involved i n Frenc h foreig n affair s a s bot h envo y an d minister . Wollstonecraft me t Talleyran d i n London betwee n th e tw o edition s of Th e Rights of Woman. a pamphlet: Rapport sur Instruction publique, fait au nom du Comite de constitution (1791 ) calle d fo r fre e intellectual , physical , an d mora l education fo r both sexe s at all ages. I t fall s shor t o f Wollstonecraft's ideal i n it s concurrenc e wit h Rousseau' s Emile; ou , D e Veducation (1762) tha t th e educatio n o f wome n shoul d b e directe d toward s a subservient role . / dedicate . . . humanity: th e first edition reads : 'On National Educa tion, I dedicate this volume to you, the first dedication tha t I have ever written, t o induce you to read i t with attention; and , becaus e I think you wil l understand me , whic h I do not suppos e man y pert witlings will, who may ridicule th e arguments the y are unable to answer. But , Sir, I carry my respect fo r your understanding still farther; so far, that I a m confiden t that yo u wil l no t thro w m y wor k aside , an d hastil y conclude that I am in the wrong, because you did not view the subject in th e sam e light yourself.—And , pardo n m y frankness , but I mus t observe, tha t yo u treate d i t i n to o cursor y a manner , contente d t o consider i t a s i t ha d bee n considere d formerly , whe n th e right s o f man, not to advert to woman, were trampled on as chimerical—I call upon you , therefore, no w to weig h what I have advanced respectin g the rights of woman, and national education—and I call with the firm tone of humanity. Fo r . . .'

Explanatory Notes 38

3

your admirable constitution: th e French constitution o f 1791 excluded women fro m al l areas of political life , conferrin g citizenship onl y on men ove r 25 . (Olymp e d e Gouges , Le s Droits de l a femme (1791) , which Wollstonecraf t apparentl y di d no t know , mad e th e sam e de mand for political rights for women for the sake of the moral improvement o f humanity. Women go t the vot e in France in 1944. ) 66 'that t o see . . . impossible t o explain': cf . Rapport su r Instruction publique, 116 : 'Un e moitie du genr e humain exclu e par Pautr e de tout e participation a u gouvernement . . . ce son t l a des phenomene s poli tiques, qu'e n principe abstrait, i l paroit impossibl e d'expliquer.' Bu t he continues: 'Si Pexclusion des emplois publics prononcee centre les femmes es t pour le s deux sexes un moye n d'augmenter l a somme de leur bonheu r mutuel , c'es t des-lor s un e lo i qu e toute s le s Societie s ont d u reconnoitr e e t consacrer. ' (Translation: 'On e hal f o f th e human rac e exclude d b y th e othe r hal f fro m an y participatio n i n government. . . these ar e politica l phenomen a which , accordin g t o abstract principles , i t would seem impossibl e to explain.' 'I f th e de barring of women from publi c positions is a means for the tw o sexe s of increasing their mutual well-being, it follows tha t it is a law which all societies shoul d recogniz e and sanction.' ) 67 NE W CONSTITUTION: th e first edition add s the word s 'the first constitution founde d o n reason'. 68 'wise in their generation': Luk e 16 : 8: 'the children of this world are in their generatio n wiser than the childre n of light.' 69 a

second volume: onl y one volum e was published .

71 Mahometanism: a reference to th e widesprea d Christia n misconcep tion that Isla m denied tha t wome n had souls. subordinate beings: th e first edition reads 'only considered as females'. 72 A

degree o f physical superiority: th e firs t editio n emphasize d mal e superiority mor e emphatically ; th e passag e 'i n poin t o f strength . . . therefore' reads: 'in general, is inferior to the male. The mal e pursues, the femal e yields—this is the la w of nature; and it does not appear to be suspended or abrogated in favour of woman. This physical superiority cannot. . .' Sandford an d Merton: Thoma s Day , Th e History o f Sandford an d Merton (1783-9) ; didactic children' s book, influenced by Rousseau' s Emile, which contraste d th e wealthy , spoilt Merto n wit h th e poor , honest Sandford .

74 These pretty superlatives: th e first edition reads 'nothings—these caricatures of the rea l beauty of sensibility'.

384 Explanatory 74 a

Notes

seraglio: a harem.

75 Let men . . . understandings: the first editio n replace s thi s sentenc e with 'Do not foste r these prejudices , and the y wil l naturally fall int o their subordinate , ye t respectable statio n i n life. ' 77 'must hide its diminished head': Paradise Lost, iv. 34-5: 'al l the stars | Hide their diminishe d heads' . the triple crown: th e papa l crown. 78 Pandora's pent up mischiefs: a s a punishment fo r Prometheus' theft o f fire from heaven , Zeus sent into the world Pandora, the first woman, with a jar from which all evils flew out; hope alone remained within it. Rousseau became enamoured of solitude: Jean-Jacque s Roussea u (1712 — 78), Discours sur Vongine e t lesfondemens d e rinegalite parmi les hommes (1755); th e autho r assert s th e solitar y natur e o f humankind ; in Les Confessions (1782) , ix, he describe s hi s ow n lov e of solitude. God. . . creature: Rousseau , Emilius and Sophia; or, A Ne w System of Education (1762 , 1763 ) trans. William Kenrick; I. i. 1 : 'All things ar e good a s their Creato r mad e them, bu t everythin g degenerates in th e hands of man.' Wollstonecraft seems to be quoting from th e English edition. 79 Rousseau

. . . disputes: ibid . i. ii. 286; n. iv. 133-64.

Fabricius . . . the brutal Spartans: Roussea u in Discours qui a remporte le prix a VAcademic de Dijon en Vannee 1750. Sur cette question . . . Si le retablissement des sciences et des arts a contribue a epurer le s mceurs (1750) invokes Gaius Luscinu s Fabriciu s (d . afte r 27 5 BC), the Roma n gen eral, who urged his fellow citizens to devote themselves to conquering the world ; th e autho r praise s th e Sparta n regim e fo r banishin g th e arts, and criticizes Athens for nurturing them. Thucydides, Th e History o f the Peloponnesian War, 4. 80. 3-4, tells how the Spartan s tested the loyalt y of helots, wh o were attached t o one of the force s fighting against Athens , b y declarin g that thos e wh o claimed t o hav e fough t most bravel y would be made free men ; they then proceede d t o mas sacre the 2,000 men who made the claim, because these woul d be the most likel y to lead a rebellion. citizen o f Geneva: Roussea u was born in Geneva but spen t little time there afte r th e ag e o f 16 ; none th e les s h e like d t o us e th e epithe t citoyen de Geneve. 80 th e detestable Dubois: a lit de justice was a session held by monarch and parliament i n which all authority rested wit h the Crown ; durin g the infancy o f Louis X V crow n authorit y wa s in th e hand s o f Cardina l Guillaume Duboi s (1656-1723) , th e tuto r an d chie f adviso r o f

Explanatory Notes 38

5

Philippe, due d'Orleans, who governed Franc e as regent 1715-23 . figs from thistles'. Matt . 7: 16: 'Ye shall know them b y their fruits . D o men gathe r grape s o f thorns, or figs of thistles?'; also Luke 6 : 44. 81 D r Price: Richar d Pric e (1723-91), friend of Wollstonecraft an d th e famous Nonconformist ministe r o f Newington Green where she lived in 1784 . His speec h A Discourse on the Love of our Country (1789) was criticized fo r it s celebratio n o f th e Frenc h Revolutio n b y Burk e i n Reflections o n the Revolution in France (1790), to which Wollstonecraf t replied i n A Vindication o f th e Rights of Men (1790) . 83 ha d Rousseau mounted on e step higher: se e especiall y Rousseau , Discours sur I'origine et lesfondemens de I'inegalite parmi les hommes. 84 th e true Mahometan strain: se e note t o p . 7 1 above. contemplation: Paradise Lost, iv . 297-8: 'Fo r contemplatio n h e an d valour formed | For softness she and sweet attractive grace' is quoted in Jame s Fordyce , Sermons t o Young Women (3r d correcte d edn . 1766), xiii . 221. 85 'Certainly ... creature': Franci s Bacon , Essays (1625) , xi v 'O f Atheism', 89. 'To whom . . . praise': Paradise Lost, iv. 634-8; the emphasi s is Wollstonecraft's. 86 'Hast thou . . . delight': ibid . viii . 381-92 ; th e emphasi s i s Woll stonecraft's. 87 Rousseau's opinion: se e Emilius, I. i. 76: 'Reason only teaches u s good from evil' ; see also the confessio n o f faith o f the Savoyar d curate , in . iv. 16-154 . from Rousseau t o D r Gregory: ibid , v ; Joh n Gregor y (1724-73) , a Scottish professo r of medicine, wrot e A Father's Legacy to his Daughters (1774) , whic h Wollstonecraf t quote d extensivel y i n Th e Female Reader. to reason o n Rousseau's ground: Emilius, iv . v . 74—5 , whic h Woll stonecraft quotes , pp . 106- 7 above. 89 a

passion for a scarlet coat: se e Swift , Works, 'Th e Furnitur e o f a Woman's Mind', 1. 2.

90 Sophia:

se e Emilius, v ; Sophia i s the 'idealized ' submissiv e heroine .

91 Milton's

pleasing picture: see Paradise Lost, iv .

He carries the arguments . . . still further: se e Emilius, iv. v. 31—3 . 92 sober,

th e firs t editio n ha s 'subordinate' .

Moses's poetical story: Gen . 2 : 18-22; Genesis i s traditionally ascribed to Moses .

386 Explanatory

Notes

92 th e whole creation . . . pleasure: th e firs t editio n read s 'she , as well as the brute creation , wa s created t o do his pleasure'. Yet n e 'er. . . hate: Alexande r Pope, O f th e Characters o f Women: A n Epistle t o a Lady (1735) , 11. 51-2 . 93 t o out Quixote Cervantes: Migue l d e Cervantes Saavedra , El ingenioso hidalgo Do n Quixote d e l a Mancha (1605) , a popula r wor k i n th e eighteenth century , especiall y amon g thos e wh o mocke d romanti c novels. to render them pleasing: Emilius, iv. v . 19-20. 94 Th

e worthy Dr Gregory: Gregory , Legacy.

Dr Gregory goes much further: ibid . 57-8 . Out o f th e abundance . . . speaketh: Matt . 12 : 34. a wiser than Solomon hath said: Luk e 11 : 31-41. 95 h e advises . . . affection: Gregory,

Legacy, 87-8 .

96 th e philosophery s stone: a hypothetical substance, sought by alchemists , which could transfor m base metals into gold and produce an elixir to prolong life . 'that. . . rarer': L a Rochefoucauld , Reflexions; ou, Sentences et maximes morales (1664), no . 473: 'Quelque rar e qu e soi t qu e l a veritabl e amour, i l Tes t encor e moin s qu e l a veritable amitie.' 98 Rousseau . . . St Preux: Rousseau , Lettres de deux amants . . . Julie; ou, La Nouvelle Helo'ise (1761) ; o n he r death-be d Julie , wh o ha s bee n a faithful wif e to Wolmar, declares that her real and lasting passion has been fo r her forme r lover St Preux . Dr Gregory's advice respecting delicacy o f sentiment: Gregory , Legacy ', 119. 100 Rousseau, an d Swedenborg: se e Emilius, iv . v . 48 , whic h Woll stonecraft quotes, pp. 160-1. For Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772), the Swedis h scientis t an d mystic , th e ful l developmen t o f huma n potential require d th e marriag e o f woman's innat e capacit y fo r love and man' s natura l wisdom; see especially Delitiae sapientiae d e amore coniugali (1768). 'submissive charms': Paradise Lost, iv. 497-9: 'he in delight | Bot h of her beaut y and submissive charm s | Smile d wit h superior love. ' neither marrying no r giving in marriage: se e Matt. 22: 30 : 'For i n th e resurrection, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angel s in heaven.' Also Mark 12 : 25; Luke 20: 35. See the en d of Mary: A Fiction.

Explanatory Notes 38

7

fair defects, amiable weaknesses: cf . Paradise Lost, x . 891-2: 'this fai r defect | Of nature'; and Wollstonecraft's misquotation of Pope, Of th e Characters o f Women, 1 . 44, o n p . 132 . Mahomet's coffin: accordin g to legend Muhammad's coffi n wa s magically suspended i n the centr e o f his tomb . 101 conjecture respecting Newton: Si r Isaa c Newto n (1642-1727) ; thi s i s possibly a reference to James Thomson, A Poem, Sacred to the Memory of Sir Isaac Newton (1727), 11. 161-5: 'can a soul | Of such extensive, deep, tremendous powers, | Enlarging still, be but a finer breath | Of spirits dancin g thro' thei r tube s awhile , | An d then fo r ever los t in vacant air?' 102 'If

weak women . . . they': Matthe w Prior , 'Han s Carvell' .

104 China . . . God: Chines e emperor s wer e considere d t o b e divine ; cf. Gottfried Leibniz , Novissima Sinica historiam nostri temporis illustratura (n.p., 1697) , preface: 'Quis vero non miretur Monarcha m tanti Imperii , qu e pene humanu m fastigium magnitudine excessit, et mortalis quidam Deus habetur.' (Translation: Who indeed would not be amaze d a t th e monarc h o f suc h a n empire , wh o almos t exceed s human condition in grandeur, and a mortal is considered t o be a god.) 105 almost proverbial: cf . Rousseau, Le s Confessions, n . v. 86 : 'L'epee us e le fourreau , dit-on quelquefois. ' (Translation: The swor d wear s ou t the scabbard , a s it is sometimes said. ) Dr Priestley ha s remarked: Josep h Priestle y (1733-1804) , A Description o f a Chart of Biography (1765) , 25-6 . the baseless fabric o f a vision: cf . Th e Tempest, IV . i. 151 . 106 Shakspeare

. . . hand: se e Macbeth, n. i. 33-49.

Milton . . . prison: Paradise Lost, ii. 'in a fine phrenzy': A Midsummer Night's Dream, v. i. 12 : 'The poet's eye, in a fine phrenzy rolling. ' 107 bashaws: o r pashas : high-rankin g Turkis h officers , proverbia l fo r their imperiousness . Rousseau's Emilius: iv . v . 74-5 . 108 Sandford an d Merton: Day , Th e History ofSandford an d Merton (6th, corrected, edn . 1791) , iii. 207-9. 109 Chinese bands: th e fee t o f Chinese femal e infants were bound to keep them dainty . Rousseau's remarks: Emilius, iv. v. 21; 25; 45.

388 Explanatory 109 a 110 a

Notes

favourite paradox: ibid . iv. v. 21 . man . . . the soul: ibid . m . iv . 16-98 : 'Th e professio n o f fait h o f a Savoyard curate. ' the learned pig: th e learne d pi g wa s a performin g animal displayed around Englan d i n th e earl y 1780s ; se e Sara h Trimmer , Fabulous Histories (1786) , ch . ix ; an d Jame s Boswell , Th e Life o f D r Johnson (1791), ii. 552. Rousseau s Emilius: iv . v . 29 .

111 th e Sybarites', th e inhabitant s o f th e sixth-centur y Gree k colony o f Sybaris in Italy were proverbial for their luxuriou s life-style. that destructive blast: refer s both t o th e 'simoom' , a fierce sand wind which sweeps across the African and Asiatic deserts during spring and summer, an d t o th e notoriou s despotis m o f th e Ottoma n Empir e which continued unti l 1908 . 112 seeking whom h e should devour: 1 Pet. 5 : 8 : 'B e sober , b e vigilant ; because you r adversar y th e devil , a s a roarin g lion , walket h about, seeking whom he may devour.' 113 justify th e ways o f Providence: i . 25—6 : ' I ma y asser t Eterna l Provi dence, | An d justify th e ways of God to men.' 114 a

matter of sentiment or taste: Gregory , Legacy ', 13 : 'Religion is rather a matter o f sentiment tha n reasoning.'

115 'be

pure as your heavenly Father in pure': 1 John 3:3: 'And every man that hat h this hope i n him purifiet h himself , even as he is pure.' thus far. . . be stayed: Jo b 38 : 11 : 'Hithert o shal t tho u come , bu t n o further: an d her e shal l thy prou d wave s be stayed.'

116 Rousseau's

Emilius: iv. v. 3-4.

117 Th e serpent's tooth: cf . King Lear, I. iv. 297-8: 'Ho w sharpe r tha n a serpent's toot h it is | T o have a thankless child!' mint and cummin: cf . Matt. 23: 23: 'Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites ! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgement, mercy and faith.' 118 no t a s other women are: cf. Luk e 18 : 11 : 'Th e Pharise e stoo d an d prayed thu s wit h himself, God, I thank thee, tha t I am not a s other men are.' Rousseau's Emilius: iv . v. 128. 119 talents:

fo r the parabl e of the talent s see Matt. 25: 14-30 .

121 yet. . . tomorrow we die: cf . Ps. 72: 9: 'His enemies shall lick the dust.'

Explanatory Notes 38

9

Heb. 12 : 16: 'Esau wh o fo r on e morsel o f meat sol d hi s birthright. ' 1 Cor. 15: 32: 'Let u s eat and drin k for tomorrow w e die.' 'absolute in loveliness': cf . Paradise Lost, viii. 546-8: 'when I approach | He r loveliness, so absolute she seems | An d in herself complete' . 122 'The brutes. . . upon them': Jame s Burnett , Lor d Monboddo , O f the Origin an d Progress o f Language (Edinburgh, 1774) , i . x . 137 ; the emphasis i s Wollstonecraft's . Milton: Paradise Lost, viii. 57-8: 'O when meet now | Suc h pairs , in love and mutua l honour joined? ' 'Pleasure's. . . design'd': Ann a Laetiti a Aikin , late r Barbauld , Poems (1773), 47, 'To Mrs. P , with some drawings of birds and insects'; the emphasis is Wollstonecraft's. Barbaul d is referring to birds as 'th' inferior kind ' and usin g 'man' in the generi c sense . 123 'To a Lady. . . PLEASE': Aikin , Poems, 95 ; th e emphasi s i s Woll stonecraft's. generalizing ideas: se e John Locke, An Essay o n Human Understanding (1689), ii. xi. 9 and 10 : 'the having of general Ideas, is that which puts a perfect distinctio n betwix t Man an d Brutes.' 125 Saturnalia: th e ancien t Gree k feas t o f Saturn , go d o f agriculture , which laste d seve n day s ove r th e winte r solstice , durin g whic h all distinctions o f rank were suspended . 'But what. . . sovereigns': Davi d Hume, Essays and Treatises on Several Subjects (1777) , ii, 'A Dialogue', 386. 'in th e noon o f beauty's power': cf . Analytical Review, 1 (June, 1788) , art. xxxvi, where Wollstonecraft uses the same phrase in her review of Adam Beuvius, Henrietta ofGerstenfeld(\l$l, 1788) , apparently paraphrasing ii . 27: 'the beauty o f Henrietta obscures tha t of her mothe r as much a s the meridia n splendour s o f the su n outshin e th e ligh t of the moon.' neither toil nor spin: cf . Matt. 6 : 28: 'An d wh y tak e you though t fo r raiment? Consider th e lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil no t neither d o they spin', and Luk e 12 : 23 and 27. 'In beauty's empire . . . ador'd': Aikin , Poems, 70, song v, 11. 16-18 . 126 Lewis

the XlVth: Loui s XIV (1638-1715) .

T have endeavoured. . . given a fig for': Phili p Dormer Stanhope , Ear l of Chesterfield, Letters . . . to his Son (1774) , n. Ixxii. 299: 'my vanity has ver y often mad e m e tak e great pain s t o mak e many a woman in love with me, i f I could , fo r whose person I would not hav e given a pinch o f snuff. '

390 Explanatory

Notes

127 'To b e observed. . . advantages which they seek': Ada m Smith , Th e Theory o f Moral Sentiments (6th correcte d edn . 1790) , I . i. m. 2. 122 ; Smith's sentence ends : 'are all the advantage s which we can propose to derive from it. ' 129 'he surpassed. . . superiority': Voltaire , Siecle d e Louis XI V (Berlin , 1751), ii. 24, pp. 22-3 ; th e translatio n i s Adam Smith's. 'Do the great. . . before them': Ada m Smith, Th e Theory o f Moral Sentiments, n. i. m. 2, pp. 130-3 ; Wollstonecraft abridges slightly. 'in herself complete': Paradise Lost, viii. 546-8. 'That what she wills . . . wait': ibid . viii. 549-54; the emphasis is Wollstonecraft's. 130 legally prostituted: th e phras e 'lega l prostitution' was used b y Defoe , Conjugal Lewdness; or , Matrimonial Whoredom (1727) . See also p. 21 . 132 'Fine b y defect, an d amiably weak': Pope , O f th e Characters of Women, 1. 44: Tine by defect , and delicatel y weak.' 133 'Educate women . . . over us': Emilius, iv. v. 17 : 'Educate them, i f you think proper , lik e the men ; w e shall readily consent t o it. Th e mor e they resemble our sex, the less power will they have over us; and when they once become like ourselves, w e shall then be truly their masters.' Dr Johnson: Johnson, Dictionary: 'Quicknes s of sensation. Quicknes s of perception.' seventy times seven: Matt . 18:21-2 . 134 'He that hath . . . childless man': Franci s Bacon , Th e Essays (1625) , v, 'Of Marriage an d singl e life' . 135 'The power, . . sensibility': cf . the discussio n o f blushing in Gregory , Legacy, 27 : 'Tha t extrem e sensibilit y whic h i t indicates , ma y b e a weakness and incumbrance in our sex . . . but i n yours it is peculiarly engaging . . . Nature has made you to blush when you are guilty of no fault, an d ha s forced us to love you because yo u do so.—' 140 Cowley, Milton, an d Pope: Abraha m Cowley (1618-67) produced hi s first collectio n o f poems, Poetical Blossoms, in 1633 , claiming to have written on e o f th e piece s a t th e ag e o f 10 . John Milto n (1608-74 ) wrote verse in both Latin an d English in his youth, of which the most famous is 'On the Morning o f Christ's Nativity' , written in 1629, first published i n Poems (1645) . At th e ag e of 1 4 Alexander Pope (1688 1744) wrot e an epic poem, 'Alexander' , which he later destroyed; and recalls in An Epistle from Mr , Pope t o Dr. Arbuthnot (1734-5), 11. 1278: 'As yet a child, nor yet a fool to fame, | I lisp'd i n numbers, fo r the numbers came. '

Explanatory Notes 39

1

twenty, e.g . Georges Buffon , Natural History, trans. William Smellie (1780), ii. 436: 'A woma n at twent y years is as perfectly formed as a man at thirty.' 142 If

this be applied. . . females: Joh n Reinhold Forster, Observations Made during a Voyage Round th e World (1778) , 425-6 , bu t th e followin g paragraph is not his.

143 Asylums and Magdalens: thes e were homes for reforming prostitutes. shunned the light of day: Edwar d Young, Busiris, King of Egypt (1719) , I. i: 'So black a story well might shun th e day. ' Clarissa . . . honour: Samue l Richardson, Clarissa (1747-8), v. 250. 'Errors . . , errors': Gottfrie d Wilhelm von Leibnitz, Essais de Theodicee (1710), preface: 'les erreurs memes out leur utilite quelque fois: mais c'est ordinairement pour remedier a d'autres erreurs? 144 pleasure o r sway: Alexande r Pope , O f th e Characters of Women , 11. 207-10: 'In Men, w e various Ruling Passions find, | I n Women, two almost divid e the kind; | Those , only fix'd, they first or last obey, | The Lov e of Pleasure, an d the Lov e of Sway.' 145 some

eloquent writers: Emilius, in. iv. 89-90.

146 'scale t o heavenly': Paradise Lost, viii . 589-92 : 'Lov e refine s | Th e thoughts, an d heart enlarges , hat h hi s seat | I n Reason, and is judicious, is the scale | B y which to heav'nly Love tho u mais t ascend.' thy paradise: paradis e not of the individual soul but of the united man and woma n which Rousseau considere d a higher mora l unit. 147 lappets:

th e part s o f a head-dress tha t hang loose.

148 Ranger: Benjami n Hoadly , Th e Suspicious Husband (1747 ) i . i : Ranger, a rake, reads fro m Willia m Congreve , 'Poem s upon Severa l Occasions', Works (1710) , iii. 193 , 'Song': 'You think she's false, I' m sure she's kind, | I take her body, you her mind; | Which has the better bargain? ' Knox 's Essays: Vicesimu s Knox, Essays, Moral and Literary (1782), i. 5, p. 21. 149 Sappho . . . Madame d'Eon: Sapph o (seventh-sixth centuries BC), the Greek poet , heade d a great schoo l of poetry on the islan d of Lesbos. Heloise (c . 1101-64), a Frenchwoman o f noble birth , wa s the secre t wife o f th e mor e lowl y scholar Pete r Abelard , who m he r guardia n uncle castrated whe n he discovered th e liaison . Her correspondenc e to Abelar d reveal s great strengt h o f character an d selfles s devotion . Their stor y inspire d Pope , 'Elois a t o Abelard' , Works (1717) . Catherine Macaulay (1731-91), liberal historian and controversialist.

392 Explanatory

Notes

Catherine th e Grea t (1729-96 ) depose d he r husban d i n 176 2 to be come Empres s o f Russia . Charle s d e Beaumont , Chevalie r d'Eo n (1728-1810), wa s a French secre t agen t wh o disguise d himsel f a s a woman. His tru e se x only became known at his death . 150 Sophia . . . sex: Emilius, iv. v. 2. 151 'Hence w e deduce . . . expedient': ibid . iv. v. 7—8; the emphasis is Wollstonecraft's. the fall o f man: Gen . 3 . 153 'It being once demonstrated. . . decorate themselves': Emilius, iv. v . 15 ; 18-22; 25-7 . 154 th e first years . . . to form th e body: mor e precisely , Roussea u want s Emile's early years to be devoted to the education o f the senses (ibid , i. ii . 234) ; th e chil d shoul d b e encourage d t o draw , t o sing , an d t o articulate. Specifically intellectual abilities will have been absorbed (i. ii. 197): C I am almost certain that Emilius will know perfectly well how to read and write before he is ten years old, because I give myself very little trouble whethe r h e learn i t or not befor e he is fifteen.' 155 'Girls . . . hath caused us': ibid . iv. v . 30. 'The common attachment. . . obedience': ibid . iv . v. 31. 'These dogs . . . beauty': Buffon , Th e Natural History o f the Dog (1762), ch. iv , associate s th e droop y ear s o f a certai n kin d o f do g wit h th e 'gentleness, docility, and even . . . timidity . .. he has acquired by the long and carefu l educatio n bestowe d o n him b y man'. 'For th e same reason . . . boys': Emilius, iv. v . 31. 156 'There results . . . superiority': ibid . iv . v. 32-3 . 157 'Each se x . . . triumph over him': ibid . iv. v. 33. 158 'Daughters . .. abuse': ibid . 'Whatever is, is right': ibid . iv. v. 35; in his translation Kenric k follow s the expressio n of Pope, Essay o n Man (1733-4) , i. 294: 'One truth i s clear, "Whatever is, is right".' Rousseau's original sentence, Emile, iv. v. 55 , was: 4 Ce qui est , es t bien.' 'The superiority . . . cultivate both': Emilius, iv. v. 35-6 . 159 'Beauty . . . Eastern bashaw': ibid . iv. v. 42; 46. The peopl e of Circassia, NW Caucasus, were notorious for selling their young daughters to the harems o f the Turkish nobility. 'The tongues of women . . . untruth': ibid . iv . v. 45-6 . how few speak: cf . Matt. 12 : 34: 'out of the abundance of the heart th e mouth speaketh. ' 161 'It i s easy ... infidelity': Emilius, iv . v . 48-50 ; th e emphasi s i s Wollstonecraft's.

Explanatory Notes 39

3

'Her dress. . . imagination': ibid . iv . v. 91. 'that with her ... neatly': ibid . iv . v . 94 ; th e emphasi s i s Wollstonecraft's. ' Your husband will instruct you in good time': ibid . iv. v. 97; the empha sis is Wollstonecraft's . 162 Tully ' s offices: Marcu s Tullius Cicer o (106-43 BC) examined virtue in De ojficiis. 'Besides. . . amiable': Emilius, iv. v. 124-5. 163 'Sensualpleasures

. . . ideal': ibid . iv. v. 214.

'Emilius. . . reason': ibid . iv. v. 288-9. Rousseau's Emilius: ibid . iv. v. 289-90. 164 'The charm o f life . . . our ow n breast': Smith , Th e Theory o f Moral Sentiments, i. i. i. 2, p. 15 : 'But whatever may be the caus e of sympathy, o r howeve r it ma y be excited, nothin g please s u s mor e tha n t o observe in other men a fellow-feeling with all the emotions of our own breast.' 165 th e shade , . . contemplation: accordin g to tradition Newto n firs t con sidered gravit y in 166 5 sitting in the shad e of an apple tree . Dryden: Joh n Dryden , Th e State o f Innocence: an d Fall o f Ma n (1677), v. i: 'Curs'd vassallag e of all my future kind : | Firs t idolis'd , till love s ho t fire be o'er, | The n slave s t o those wh o courted u s before.' 166 Telemachus: Fran£oi s d e Saligna c de La Moth e Fenelon , Le s Aventures de Telemaquefils d'Ulysse (1699) . Sophia, th e heroin e of Emilius, reads this work as part of her educational programme, falling madly in love with its hero. Dr Fordyce's sermons: Jame s Fordyce, Sermons to Young Women (1765). 168 'Behold . . . vengeance': Fordyce , Sermons (3rd corrected edn . 1766) , i. iii. 99-100. Hervey ' s Meditations: Jame s Hervey , Meditations and Contemplations (1745-7) was in its 26th edition by 1792; the most popular of its pieces was the morbid 'Meditation s among the Tombs.' leading-strings: strap s to prevent children fro m fallin g who are learning to walk . dress and needle-work . . . the fair: se e Fordyce, Sermons, i. ii. 69 ff. (on dress) an d i . vi . 149-5 3 (o n needlework) . Like Rousseau , Fordyc e advocates modesty in dress; he repeatedly addresses the reader as 'the Fair.'

394 Explanatory 169 'Never

Notes

. . . kindred angels': ibid . n . ix. 163.

'As a small degree . . . beauty 1: ibid . n. xiii . 248. 170 'Let

i t be observed. . . gentle': ibid . n. xiii. 224-5.

'Iam astonished. . . domestic bliss': ibid . n. xiv. 264-5; the emphasis is Wollstonecraft's. 171 'that they mil hear. . . deceiving them ': Gregory , Legacy, 6: 'You will hear, at least fo r once in your lives, the genuin e sentiments o f a man who has no interest i n flattering or deceiving you.' 172 th e lady. . . blood: cf . Arthu r Willia m Costigan , Sketches of Society and Manners i n Portugal (1787), i. 400-3; whic h tells of two cousins , rivals i n love . On e o f them , a widower , has th e other , a n officer , horsewhipped. The office r late r kill s the widower , who i s travelling with hi s sister, 'thi s being done, h e asked a thousand pardon s of the lady, for having so incommoded her, and begged to know whither she wished to be conducted'. Wollstonecraft reviewed Costigan's book in the Analytical Review, 1 (Aug. 1788), 451-7. 'Be even cautious . . . understanding': Gregory , Legacy, 31-2. 173 under a bushel: se e Matt. 5:15 : 'Neithe r d o me n ligh t a candle, an d put i t under a bushel, but o n a candlestick.' Also Mark 4: 21, Luke 11 : 13, and Matt. 25: 25: 'And I was afraid, an d wen t and hi d th y talen t in the earth.' Hamlet: Hamlet, I. ii. 76 and 85 : 'Seems, madam? Nay, it is. I know not "seems"' ; 'But I have that withi n which passes show. ' 174 'The

me n . . , not aware of: Gregory , Legacy, 36-7.

'The sentiment. . . your sex': ibid . 43—4. 'The power . .. conceives': ibid . 42. delicacy o f constitution: ibid . 50-1: 'W e so naturally associate the idea of female softness and delicac y with a corresponding delicacy of constitution, tha t whe n a woma n speak s o f he r grea t strength , he r ex traordinary appetite, her ability to bear excessive fatigue, w e recoil at the descriptio n i n a way she is little aware of.' 175 Ho w long. . . men: Prov. 1 : 22: 'Ho w long , y e simpl e ones , wil l y e love simplicity? and th e scorner s delight i n their scorning , an d fool s hate knowledge?' on an elephant. . . earth: accordin g to ancient belief the worl d was a disc, surrounde d b y water , supporte d b y a hug e creature , eithe r a tortoise o r a mammoth ; i n Gree k mytholog y Atla s supporte d th e world o n his shoulders .

Explanatory Notes 39

5

176 Cowper: Willia m Cowper , Th e Task (1785) , v . 733 ; the emphasi s i s Wollstonecraft's. peace 'which passeth understanding': Phil . 4 : 7 : 'th e peac e o f God, which passeth al l understanding.' Mrs. Piozzi: Heste r Lynch Thrale Piozzi (1741-1821), the writer and friend o f Samuel Johnson, whos e most famous wor k was Anecdotes of the Late Samuel Johnson (1786) . 177 ^Seek not. . . husband*: Piozzi , Letters t o an d from th e Late Samuel Johnson (1788) , letter Ixxii , pp. 98-100 . Me dice an: a reference to the Venu s de' Medici, a standard o f femal e beauty in the eighteent h century . The Baroness d e Staeh Germaine , l a baronn e d e Stael-Holstei n (1766-1817), autho r o f Lettres sur les ecrits e t le caractere d e J.-J. Rousseau (1788) . 178 'Though Rousseau . . . adoration': d e Stael , Letters on the Works an d Characters ofJ.-J. Rousseau, trans. (1789) , 15-16 . 'he admits th e passion o f love': ibid . 16 . 'What signifies if. . . theirs': ibid . 179 Madame Genlis: Stephanie-Felicit e Brular t d e Genlis , marchiones s de Sillery (1747-1830); Adelaide an d Theodore (1782 ; London, 1783) . She tells a story: Genlis , Tales o f th e Castle, trans. Thoma s Holcrof t (1785), ch. m, 'Theophilus and Olympia' . an accomplished young woman: se e Genlis , Adelaide an d Theodore (1783), iii. 237-8. 180 Mr s Chapone 's Letters: Hesto r Chapone , Letters on the Improvement o f the Mind (1773) . without sufficient respect being paid to her memory: Catherin e Macaulay, the historia n an d polemica l writer , wa s generall y deride d afte r he r marriage at the ag e of 47 to the 21-year-ol d Willia m Graham. 181 th e worm in the bud: cf . Twelfth Night, n. iv. 111-13 : 'She never told her love | Bu t let concealment, like a worm i' the bud | Fee d o n her damask cheek.' For every thing . . . there is a season: Eccles . 3:1: 'To every thing there is a season.' / have already observed: p . 88 above. 183 H e wh o loves. . . men: 1 John 4 : 20 : 'he tha t lovet h no t hi s brothe r whom he hath seen , how can he love God who m he hath not seen?'

396 Explanatory

Notes

183 al l that is done under the sun is vanity: Eccles . 1 : 14:'I have seen all th e works tha t ar e don e unde r th e sun ; and , behold , al l i s vanit y and vexation of spirit.' 185 Inkle: Richar d Steele , Spectator, 1 1 (13 Mar. 1711) , tells of Thomas Inkle wh o sail s t o th e Wes t Indie s t o mak e his fortune ; hi s shi p i s attacked by Indians, on the American mainland, but Inkl e is saved by an Indian woman, Yarico, who hides him i n a cave until she is able to communicate wit h a passing shi p boun d fo r Barbados . They trave l there together, but o n arrival Inkle sells her as a slave, only raising her price whe n sh e pleads tha t sh e i s pregnant. Wollstonecraft include s the story in Th e Female Reader, i. 29-31. Steele give s his source as A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbados (by Richard Ligon) (1657). Sidney: Si r Phili p Sidney , Th e Countess o f Pembroke's Arcadia (1590), i . 18 : 'I fin d indee d tha t al l is but lip-wisdom , whic h wants experience.' 186 'pursuing th e bubble fame i n the cannon's mouth': A s Yo u Like It, n. vii. 152-3: 'Seeking the bubble reputation | Even in the cannon's mouth.' Pantaloon's tricks: Pantaloon , stoc k characte r o f sixteenth-centur y Italian commedia dell'arte an d o f th e harlequinad e i n eighteenth century London, was a devious and rapacious Venetian merchant who was constantly fooled. 187 Dean Swift's . . . Houyhnhnm: Jonatha n Swift , Travels into Several Remote Nations of th e World, b y Lemuel Gulliver (1726), pt. iv . 189 Burke: Burke , Reflections o n the Revolution in France (1790) , 129-30: 'Prejudice renders a man's virtu e his habit,' and 'is of ready application i n the emergency' ; Burke argues that ther e i s more 'laten t wis dom' in a long-standing prejudic e than i n the individual' s reason. 'Convince . , . still': Samue l Butler, Hudibras: The Third and Last Part (1678), canto m, p. 226: 'He that complies against his Will, | I s of his own opinio n still.' 190 cannot serve God and mammon: Matt . 6: 24: 'Ye cannot serve God an d mammon'; also Luke 16 : 13. Miscellaneous Pieces in Prose: J . an d A . L. Aikin , Miscellaneous Pieces, in Prose (1773) , 59, 'Against Inconsistenc y i n Our Expectations' . 191 materialists: th e work of Rene Descartes (1596-1650), Pierre Gassend i (1592-1655), and Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679 ) led to the establish ment o f the classica l theory that physical reality is entirely composed of particles of matter in motion; in the eighteenth century the theory was developed by Julien Offro y d e la Mettrie (1709-51) , Paul, baron d'Holbach (1723-89), and David Hartle y (1705-57) .

Explanatory Notes 39

7

192 grows 'with our growth': Pope, Essay o n Man (1733-4) , ii. 136 : 'Grows with his growth, and strengthens wit h his strength.' 193 Egyptian bondage: probabl y referenc e t o th e Musli m bondag e o f women; but Egyp t was also under th e bondage of Turkish rul e fro m the sixteenth unti l the nineteenth century . 'a set of phrases learnt by rote': Jonatha n Swift , Works (1735) , ii, 'The Furniture o f a Woman's Mind' , 1. 1. 'highest praise i s to obey, unargued': i n Paradise Lost, iv. 635-8 , Ev e addresses Adam : 'M y Autho r an d Disposer , wha t tho u bids t | Unargu'd I obey; so God ordains, | Go d is thy Law, tho u mine : to know no more | I s Woman's happies t knowledg e and her praise.' 'a passion for a scarlet coat': Swift , Works, 'The Furniture o f a Wom an's Mind' , 1. 2. 'that every woman i s a t heart a rake': Pope , O f th e Characters o f Woman, 1 . 216: 'But every woman is at hear t a rake.' 195 Where love . . .pride': Joh n Dryden , Fables Ancient an d Modern; Translated into Verse (1700) , 'Palamon an d Arcite' , iii . 231-2. 196 Lovelace: th e rak e wh o rape s th e virtuou s heroin e i n Samue l Richardson's Clarissa (1747 , 1748) . 197 a

universal blank: se e Paradise Lost, iii. 48. 'Whose service is perfect freedom': Th e Book of Common Prayer (1549) , Morning Prayer , Secon d Collect , fo r Peace ; origina l refer s to God , not reason .

198 Modesty!. . . sleep life away: cf . Paradise Lost, iii. 1-55 . a prophecy: Milto n implie s hi s futur e fam e i n 'A d Patrem ' (P1632) , Poems o f Mr. John Milton: Both Latin an d English (1645) . General Washington... forces: George Washington (1732—99) was made commander-in-chie f o f the arme d force s of the Unite d Colo nies, t o fight the British , on 1 5 June 1775 . 199 Gay:

Joh n Gay , Fables (1727), no. xiii, 'The Tame Stag'.

200 'The lady . . . cannot': Joh n Berkenhout, A Volume of Letters to his Son at the University (1790) , no. xxxii , p. 307 . 202 'Can an y thing. . . temptation': Knox , Essays (Moral an d Literary) (expanded edn . 1782) , i. 34. p. 154 . 203 Heloisa:

se e note t o p. 14 9 above.

205 Essenes:

Jewis h order practisin g elaborate ritual bathing.

208 th e Temple o f the living God: 2 Cor. 6 : 16: 'for ye are the templ e of th e living God.'

398 Explanatory

Notes

210 th e chameleon's food: th e chameleo n wa s popularl y though t t o liv e on air. lull their Argus to sleep: accordin g t o Gree k mythology , whe n Zeus , the kin g of the gods , fel l i n love with lo, a priestess o f Hera his wife , he transforme d he r int o a heifer t o protec t he r fro m Hera' s wrath . Hera se t th e many-eye d Argu s t o guar d lo , an d preven t he r retransformation, bu t Zeu s sen t Herme s t o lul l Argu s t o slee p b y playing the flute and the n t o cut off his head, and releas e lo. 212 'that reputation. . . chastity': cf . Rousseau , Emilius, iv . v . 19 : 'their glory lies not onl y in their conduct , bu t i n their reputation ; an d i t is impossible for any, who consents to be accounted infamous, to be ever virtuous.' 'A ma n . . . women': ibid . iv. v. 19. 213 'That. 17.

. .presumptions': Smith , Moral Sentiments, I. iii . 5 , pp . 416 -

the Pharisees. . . seen o f men: Matt . 6 : 5 : 'An d whe n tho u prayest , thou shal t not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogue s and i n the corner s o f the streets , that the y may be seen o f men.' 214 Lucretia: a Roma n lad y (d . 51 0 BC) wh o wa s raped b y Sextu s Tar quinius, th e so n o f th e king ; befor e stabbin g hersel f t o deat h sh e exacted a n oath o f vengeance from he r husban d an d he r father. Smith: Smith , Moral Sentiments, I. iii. 2, p. 285. 215 Java tree: Eugenia jambolana, th e Jav a plu m tree , wa s incorrectl y believed t o be poisonous in the eighteent h century . serpent's egg: cf . Julius Caesar, II. i. 32 . 216 'there is ... impunity': Catherin e Macaulay , Letters o n Education (1790), 210 ; 'le t he r onl y tak e car e tha t sh e i s not caugh t i n a love intrigue, an d she may lie, she may deceive, she may defame, she may ruin her family wit h gaming, and the peace of twenty others with her coquettry, an d yet preserve both he r reputatio n an d her peace.' 'This has . . . their own sex': ibid . 212 . 218 levees o f equivocal beings: accordin g t o Ne d Ward , A Compleat an d Humourous Account of All the Remarkable Clubs and Societies in the Cities o f London an d Westminster (1749) , homosexual levees occurred in London a s well. 223 wealth leads women t o spurn: i n Englan d th e practic e o f wet-nursin g continued t o be common throughou t th e eighteent h century .

Explanatory Notes 39

9

224 A s soldiers . . . incline the beam: a reference to the wa r of intervention against revolutionar y Franc e whic h wa s to las t fo r twent y year s (in 1792 th e norther n Europea n countrie s an d Russi a wer e no t ye t in volved). Fabricius. . . Washington: Fabriciu s die d i n quie t poverty . Georg e Washington wa s brought u p o n a farm, Mount Vernon, t o which he returned afte r his military success in 1755, and at the end of his public life i n 1796 . Faro Bank: a complicated car d game , playe d fo r money , whic h was very fashionable at the cour t o f Louis XIV . bowels: compassion . 225 bubble:

t o cheat .

the milk of human kindness: Macbeth, I. v. 17 . Cerberus: i n Gree k mytholog y th e three-heade d do g guardin g th e entrance t o hell. the abominable traffick: th e slav e trade. 226 Th e laws . . . cypher: se e Willia m Blackstone , Commentaries o n th e Laws of England (1765), I. xv. 430:'By marriage, the husband and wif e are one person i n law: that is , the ver y being or legal existence of the woman i s suspended durin g the marriage , o r at least i s incorporate d and consolidated into that of the husband: under whose wing, protection an d cover, she performs everything.' leave th e nursery fo r th e camp: Rousseau , Emilius, iv. v . 13 : 'Ca n a woman be one day a nurse, an d th e nex t a soldier?' 229 suckle fools an d chronicle small beer: Othello, n. i. 160 ; lago's description o f the activit y o f a praiseworthy woman . accoucheur: mal e midwife. 'that shape hath none ': Paradise Lost, ii . 667 : 'I f shap e i t migh t b e called tha t shap e had none.' mantua-makers: dressmakers . 230 'the lily broken down b y a plow-share': Fenelon , Th e Adventures o f Telemachus, trans. Isaac Littlebury (1699) , i. 152: 'As a beautiful Lilly in the midst of the Field, cut up from th e Root by the Plowshare, lies down and languishe s on the Ground.' 232 baseless

fabric: se e Th e Tempest, iv . i . 151 .

232 'assurance doubly sure 1: Macbeth, iv. i. 83: 'But yet I'll mak e assurance double sure.'

400 Explanatory 232 L

Notes

'amour propre, Uamour d e soi-meme: se e J.-J. Rousseau , Discours stir rinegalite, i , n . 12 . pp . 252-3 : 'I I n e fau t pa s confondr e 1'Amou r propre e t PAmou r d e soi-meme ; deu x passion s tre s differente s pa r leur nature et par leurs effets. L'Amou r d e soi-meme es t un sentiment naturel qui porte tout anima l a veiller a sa propre conservation et qui, dirige dan s Phomm e pa r l a raiso n e t modifi e pa r l a pitie , produi t Phumanite et la vertu. L'Amou r propre n'est qu'un sentiment relatif, factice, et ne dans la societe, qui porte chaque individu a faire plus de cas de so i que d e tou t autre , qu i inspir e au x hommes tou s le s maux qu'ils s e fon t mutuellement , e t qu i es t l a veritabl e sourc e d e Phonneur.' (Translation: On e mus t no t confus e self-love an d self esteem; two passions which are very different bot h in their nature and in their effects . Self-lov e is a natural emotion whic h leads all animals to striv e fo r self-preservatio n an d whic h i n man , directe d b y reaso n and modifie d by pity , produce s humanit y and virtue . Self-estee m i s no more tha n a subordinate emotion, a n artificial produc t o f society, which lead s each individual to pay more attention t o himself than t o anyone else, which alone drives men to harm each other and which is the tru e sourc e o f honour.)

233 Rebekah's: Rebekah , mothe r o f Esau an d Jacob, throug h he r lov e of Jacob, tricke d her eldest so n Esau out of his rightful blessing from hi s dying father, Isaac. 234 when

I treat of private education: se e Ch. XII .

235 th e same observation: Samue l Johnson, Th e Rambler (17 Aug. 1751) , no. 148 : 'tendernes s onc e excite d wil l b e hourl y encrease d b y th e natural contagio n o f felicity , b y th e repercussio n o f communicate d pleasure.' 237 'if

the mind. . . industry': Joh n Locke, Some Thoughts Concerning Education (1693) , 45, p. 2 .

243 usher: 244 wise

under-teacher . i n their generation: cf . Luk e 16 : 8.

249 vices . . . delicacy o f mind: masturbatio n wa s regarde d a s physicall y and morall y harmful; see, fo r example , th e widel y read Onania; or, The Heinous Sin of Self Pollution, and All its Frightful Consequences in Both Sexes Considered with Spiritual and Physical Advice to those who have Already Injured themselves by this Abominable Practise (1710). 252 men . . . ministers: probabl y refers to Diane de Poitiers (1499-1566) , who held great influence over her lover Henry I I throughout his reign (1547-59); Catherin e de ' Medic i (1519-89) , th e wif e o f Henr y II , who effectively rule d France during the reign s of her son s Francis I I

Explanatory Notes 40

1

(1559-60), Charle s I X (1560-74) , an d Henr y II I (1574-89) ; an d Marie de ' Medic i (1573-1642) , th e wif e o f Henry IV , wh o became regent durin g the minorit y of her so n Louis XII I (1610-17) against the expres s wishes in her husband' s will . 255 market

penny: OED: 'a perquisite made by one who buys for another.'

Juno's angry brow. Juno , th e wif e o f Jupiter, wa s traditionally por trayed a s a nagging wife . the love o f pleasure an d th e love o f sway: Pope , O f th e Characters o f Women, 1 . 210. 260 Rousseau:

probabl y refers to Julie, in La Nouvelle Helo'ise.

Theresa: Mari e Therese Le Vasseur (1721-1801), French seamstress and Rousseau' s lifelon g companion. 261 celestial innocent: se e Les Confessions, pt . n (Neuchatel, 1790) , iv. viii. 190: 'L e coeu r d e m a Theres e etai t celu i d'u n ange. ' Theres e wa s widely rumoured t o be both simpl e and a n alcoholic. Nay . . . affection fo r him: se e ibid. pt. n, vi. xii. 123: Rousseau's guilt about placin g hi s childre n i n a foundlin g hospital, hi s fea r o f th e financial necessit y of doing the sam e with any further children, an d his illness owing to a congenital defect of the urinary tract le d him t o decide to abstain from sexua l intercourse in 1762: Vetait aussi depuis cette epoque, que j'avois remarque du refroidissement dans Therese: elle avai t pou r mo i l e meme attachement pa r devoir , mai s ell e n'e n avait plu s pa r amour. ' (Translation: i t wa s fro m thi s perio d tha t I noticed a coldness in Therese; she had the same attachment to me out of duty but no t ou t o f love.) 263 treating their infants: a referenc e to wome n wh o suckle d thei r chil dren; among the eighteenth-century medica l advocates of the practice was Ben Lara , An Essay o n the Injurious Customs of Mothers no t Suckling their own Children (1791) , which Wollstonecraft reviewed in th e Analytical Review, 10 (July, 1791) , 275-6; see Works o f Wollstonecraft, vii. 385-6. moloch: a Canaanite idol to who m children wer e sacrificed. suffer fo r th e sins of its fathers: se e Exod. 20: 5: 'I the Lord th y Go d a m a jealou s God, visitin g the iniquit y of the father s upon th e childre n unto the thir d an d fourt h generation o f them tha t hat e me; ' se e also Exod. 34 : 7; Num. 14 : 18; Deut. 5: 9. 264 bills of mortality: record s of death s kep t in Londo n fro m 159 2 onwards. 266 nativities:

horoscopes .

402 Explanatory

Notes

268 magnetisers: healin g and performin g magnetizers became popular i n the lat e eighteenth century; an influential practitione r wa s Friedric h Mesmer (1733-1815) , wh o believe d tha t disease d bodie s coul d b e cured b y magnets and wh o later advocated hypnotism. 269 Jesus: Joh n 5 : 14 : 'Behold, thou ar t mad e whole: sin n o more ^ les t a worse thing come unto thee.' 271 particles of fire: phlogiston, th e hypothetica l inflammabl e element o f matter, was named at the start of the eighteenth centur y and, though discredited as a theory by Lavoisier by 1790, was firmly believed in by Joseph Priestley . 275 ho w naturally . . . ruffles: Jonatha n Swift , Miscellanies i n Verse an d Prose (1727) , ii. 330 , ' A Lette r t o a Young Lady o n Her Marriage' : 'And whe n yo u ar e among yourselves, ho w naturally , after th e firs t Complements, d o you apply your hands to each others Lappet s an d Ruffles an d Mantra's, as if the whol e business of your Lives, an d th e publick concer n o f the World , depende d upo n th e Cu t o r Colour of your Dresses.' 276 pleasure

. . . sway: se e Pope, O f th e Characters o f Women, 1. 210.

'Matter. . .fair': ibid. , 11. 3-4. 277 'that women . . . men': Smith , Moral Sentiments, I. iv. 2, p. 428: 'Humanity i s the virtu e of a woman, generosity o f a man. Th e fair-sex , who hav e commonly much mor e tendernes s tha n ours , hav e seldom so much generosity. ' Cato's... Carthage: Marcu s Porciu s Cat o (234-14 9 BC) , Roman statesman, was sent to Carthage in 157 BC to arbitrate between the Carthaginians and the Numidians; he became convinced that Roman supremacy require d th e annihilatio n o f Carthage . Se e Smith , Th e Theory o f Moral Sentiments, n. vi . 2 , pp . 97-8 : 'Th e sentenc e wit h which the elder Cato is said to have concluded every speech which he made i n th e senate , whateve r might b e th e subject , "z > is my opinion likewise that Carthage ought to be destroyed", was the natural patriotism of a strong but coars e mind.' 280 fig s from thistles: se e Matt. 7: 16 ; Luke 6: 44. 282 Butler's caricature o f a dissenter: a referenc e eithe r t o th e pompou s Puritan knight who is the eponymous protagonist of Samuel Butler's Hudibras (1662-3) , o r t o th e 'Hypocritica l Nonconformist' , Th e Genuine Remains in Verse an d Prose (1759), ii. 35 . 283 trade with Russia for whips: Russian s were notorious fo r wife-beating and fo r the flogging of peasants and convicts . last volume: ther e wer e no furthe r volumes published.

Explanatory Notes 40

3

288 Locke . . . civil liberty: Joh n Lock e (1632-1704 ) wrote An Essay Concerning Toleration (1667), fou r letter s Concerning Toleration (1689 , 1690, 1692 , 1714) , and a n essa y O n the Reasonableness o f Christianity (1695); hi s Tw o Treatises o f Government (1690) oppose d th e divin e right o f kings. The Declaration of the Rights of Man: La Declaration des droits de I'homme e t du citoyen (1789 ) wa s announced b y th e Frenc h Nationa l Assembly o n 26 Aug. 1789 . impress-warrant: th e Britis h wartim e practic e o f 'impressing ' able bodied me n into the army and navy against their wil l was long established. Poo r me n wer e always most vulnerable . 290 Voltaire leading th e way: Voltair e (Francois-Mari e Arouet , 1694 — 1778) repeatedl y criticize d th e superstitiou s natur e o f conventiona l religion. Se e e.g. Lettres anglaises ou philosophiques (1734) ; L a Pucelle d'Orleans (1755); L 'Essai sur I'histoiregenerale et sur les mceurs et I'esprit des nations depuis Charlemagne jusqu'd no s jours (1756) ; Dictionnaire philosophique (1764); Le Sermon des cinquante (1749 [1762?]); Droits des hommes et les usurpations de s papes (1768) ; L e Cr i des nations (1769). Rousseau . . . inequality: Jean-Jacque s Roussea u (1712-78 ) make s these attacks most explicitly in Du contrat social (1762), and in Discours sur 1'origine e t lesfondemens d e Hnegalite parmi le s hommes (1755). 291 Quesnai ... economists: Francoi s Quesna i (1694-1774 ) establishe d the physiocratic theory of economics through hi s contributions t o the Encyclopedic o u dictionnaire universel des arts e t des sciences (1751-65), and hi s books such a s Physiocratie (1768). Considere d th e first scientific schoo l o f economists , th e physiocrat s advocate d refor m o f a taxation syste m whic h weighed mos t heavil y on the poor . Turgot: Anne-Robert-Jacque s Turgot , baro n d e PAuln e (1727-81), the controller-general o f finance (1774-6), was also a physiocrat. Hi s attempts t o establish a rigid economy an d to reform feudal privileges alienated member s o f the court , wh o contrived hi s downfall. 293 'do unto others. . . do unto them': Matt . 7 : 12 : 'Therefore al l thing s whatsoever y e woul d tha t me n shoul d d o t o you , d o y e even s o t o them: fo r this i s the la w and th e prophets. ' 296 raree-shows: Samue l Johnson , A Dictionary o f th e English Language (1755): 'A show carried i n a box.' Francis th e first : Franci s I (1494-1547 ) rule d Franc e 1515-47 ; i n foreign policy he abandoned the traditional Christian crusade s against the Turks. the Guises: a powerful ducal famil y o f Lorraine, traditionall y i n en mity with the French Crown .

404 Explanatory 296 Henry

Notes

th e fourth: th e firs t Bourbo n kin g of France (1553-1610) .

297 Richelieu: Arman d Jea n d u Plessis , du e d e Richelie u (1585-1642) , governed Franc e a s the chie f minister o f Louis XII I (1624-43). Mazarin: th e Italian-bor n Giuli o Mazzarin i [Mazarin ] (1602-61 ) succeeded Richelieu as chief minister in 1642, and was retained by the Queen Regent Ann e of Austria after th e deat h o f Louis XIII in 164 3 until his own death. Louis 14th: Loui s XI V 1638-1715 . Moliere's: Jean-Baptist e Poqueli n (1662-73) , French dramatist . Corneille: Pierr e Corneill e (1606-84), French tragi c dramatist. Dryden: Joh n Dryde n (1631-1700) , English poe t an d dramatist . 298 Racine: Jea n Racine (1639-99), French dramatist . He was an accom plished courtie r an d a s roya l historiographe r h e produce d severa l highly flattering plans of histories of Louis XIV (reigned 1643-1715). madame d e Maintenon. . . king: Francois e d'Aubigne , marquis e d e Maintenon (1635-1719) , marrie d Loui s XI V privatel y i n 1685 . Racine's lette r i s collecte d i n Recueil de s lettres d e Jean Racine (1750?), 317. 299 Louis:

Loui s XIV .

Fenelon . . . Burgundy: Francoi s d e Saligna c d e L a Moth e Fenelo n (1651-1715) wa s employe d i n 168 9 a s tuto r t o Louis , du e d e Bourgogne (1682-1712) , th e grandso n o f Loui s XI V an d fathe r o f Louis XV . Le s Aventures d e Telemaque fil s d'Ulysse (1699 ) wa s a fictional work i n which national difficulties ar e solve d by the exil e of a king from hi s people . states-general: 'Le s Etats Generaux' constitute d a national assembl y first convened in 1302 . It was composed o f three orders: th e nobility, the clergy, and the commons, who were summoned to grant subsidies or to advise the Crown. As absolute monarchy was established during the seventeent h centur y th e practic e o f convoking the assembl y was abandoned. I t las t met before the Revolutio n i n 1614 . publication. . . convoked: Loui s Fra^oi s Armand d u Plessis, du e de Richelieu (1696-1788) , describe s thi s inciden t i n hi s Memoires d u Marechalde Richelieu (1790-3), i. 81-8 . a reply written: Richelie u refer s t o severa l 'memoire s clandestins ' written anonymously. 300 empty promises: a s a result o f the disturbance s followin g the deat h of Henry IV , Louis XII I convoked the Estates-General betwee n Octo-

Explanatory Notes 40

5

her 161 4 and Marc h 1615 . The kin g undertook to abolis h the pur chase and sal e of offices, t o reduce the numbe r of state pensions, an d to bring recent state financiers to trial. Only the first of these promises was carried out , an d that only briefly . regency: durin g the minorit y of Louis XV , Philippe, du e d'Orleans , acted as regent (1715-23) . the prior de Vendome: Philipp e d e Vendome (1655-1727) wa s Gran d Prior o f France , an d a notoriou s rake . H e visite d Englan d i n th e spring o f 168 3 an d wooe d Louis e d e Kerouall e (1652-1725) , th e French mistres s of Charles II. Vendome refused t o leave when asked, and Louis XIV intervened to preserve good relations between the two countries. Dubois. . . memorial: Guillaum e Duboi s (1656-1723 ) wa s the tuto r of Philippe , du e d'Orleans , becomin g hi s privat e secretary i n 171 5 when the duke became regent. He acted as virtual ruler of the country until hi s death , bein g appointe d chie f ministe r i n 1722 . Wollstonecraft i s referring here to his Memoire du Cardinal au Regent sur les Etats Generaux qu e ce prince avoit envie de convoquer (1789). 301 dauphine: bor n Mari a Antoni a Josef a Johanne , Mari e Antoinett e (1753-93) wa s the daughte r o f Empress Mari a Theres a o f Austria ; she marrie d th e futur e Loui s XV I i n 1770 , an d becam e quee n o f France i n 1774 . Madame d u Barry: Mari e Jeann e Becu , comtess e D u Barr y (1743 7 46P-93), became the mistress of Louis XV in 176 8 and influenced th e court unti l his death in 1774 . 302 Louis:

Loui s XVI .

Joseph: Empero r Joseph I I of Austria (1741-90), who became king of Germany in 176 4 and Hol y Roma n Emperor i n 1765 . necklace. . . Trianon: i n 178 5 Boehmer , th e cour t jeweller , offere d Marie Antoinett e a diamon d necklac e fo r 56,00 0 livre s whic h sh e declined becaus e o f the vas t expense . However , th e comtess e d e la Motte forge d th e queen' s signature , obtaine d th e necklace , an d ab sconded wit h it. Sh e wa s caught, tried , an d sentence d i n 1786 , bu t escaped t o London . A t th e tim e th e Frenc h publi c suspecte d th e queen of involvement in the fraud. Valeria Messalina (c. AD 22-48), the third wif e of Emperor Claudius , was notorious for her licentious ness. Loui s XI V buil t tw o pleasur e palace s a t Trianon , 4 le gran d Trianon' and 'le petit Trianon' ; Louis XV I gav e the latte r t o Mari e Antoinette. 302 Necker.

. . Comte-rendu: Jacque s Necke r (1732-1804) was controller-

406 Explanatory

Notes

general of finance after Turgot (1776-81). Wollstonecraft i s referring to his Compte rendu au Roi par M. Necker . . . au mots de Janvier 1781 (1781), which publicly presented th e detail s of state finances for th e first time. 303 Calonne: Charle s Alexandre de Calonne (1734-1802) was controllergeneral of finance (1783-7), succeeding Jean Frangois Joly de Fleury (1718-1802) an d Henri-Frangoi s d e Paul e L e Fevr e d'Ormesso n (1751-1807), who both hel d th e pos t briefly . assembly o f notables: th e 'assemble e d e notables ' wa s a n assembl y of notables, bishops, knights, and lawyers, equivalent to the aristocratic sections of the order s of the Estates-General . Calonn e summoned it for thre e month s i n Februar y 178 7 t o tackl e th e stat e finances, and again in Novembe r 1788 . 305 'that h e ha d acted. . . king': cf . J . P . Rabau t Saint-Etienne , Precis historique de la Revolution Franc, aise (1792), i. 41. accusation . . . La Fayette: Mari e Joseph Pau l Yves Roch Gilber t d u Motier, marqui s d e Lafayett e (1757-1834), mad e this accusatio n at the assembl y o f notable s o n 1 5 Apri l 1787 ; se e th e Ne w Annual Register (1789), 4-5 . count d'Artois: Charle s Philippe , comt e d'Artoi s (1757-1836) , wa s Louis XVI' s younge r brother and , wit h Marie Antoinette, leade r of the reactionary party at the Frenc h court . During th e Revolution he toured th e European court s soliciting suppor t fo r the royalist cause . 306 M. de Breteuil: Loui s Auguste le Tounelier, baron de Breteuil (17301807), was a politician and diplomat and a supporter of the autocracy of monarchy. His retur n t o offic e o n 1 2 July 178 9 was an immediate cause of the Bastill e riots. fled. . . out of th e kingdom: Calonn e lived in exile in England (17879); he was forbidden to return t o France durin g the Revolutio n and joined th e comt e d'Artois in leading emigre opposition. 308 M . d e Brienne: Etienn e Charles Lomenie d e Brienne (1727-94) suc ceeded Calonn e as controller-general o f finance in 1787 , to be force d out o f office b y public opposition in Aug. 1788 . dissolved: 2 5 May 1787 . 309 deuxieme vingtieme: th e 'vingtieme' , a 5 pe r cen t incom e ta x pai d mainly by peasants, ha d been double d in 1756 . seance royale: a royal session o f the Estates-General . keeper o f th e seals: Frangoi s d e Lamoigno n (1735-89 ) wa s keeper of the seal s 1787-8 . 310 duke

of Orleans'. Loui s Philippe Joseph, due d'Orleans (1747-93), was

Explanatory Notes 40

7

nicknamed 'Philippe Egalite' because of his revolutionary sympathies, which Wollstonecraft believes to have stemmed mainl y from hi s an tipathy t o th e roya l family . H e wa s elected deput y fo r Pari s t o th e convention i n 1792 , but wa s guillotined in 1793 . bed o f justice: a 'li t d e justice ' wa s a plenar y sessio n o f th e Pari s parlement preside d ove r by the monarch , whos e presence automati cally secured th e registratio n of any edicts he wanted. cour pleniere: thi s wa s another aristocrati c assembl y designed t o by pass the obstructive Paris parlement i n order to register taxes . It was summoned by Brienne and Lampignon on 8 May 178 8 but suspende d on 8 August. in favour oftheprotestants: thi s edict was proposed by Louis Alexandre, due de la Roche-Guyon e t d e la Rochefoucault d'Enville (1743-92) . From th e revocatio n o f the Edic t o f Nantes (1685 ) unti l 178 8 thos e who refused th e Catholic sacraments had no legal rights, including no right of inheritance. 311 L

'Hopital: Miche l d e L'Hopital (1507-73) was chancellor of France 1560-8.

312 th e tw o members dragged t o prison: Duva l d'Epremesni l an d Goislar t de Montasbert wer e arrested a t 5.0 0 a.m., 6 May 1788 . 313 recalling

Necker: 2 5 August 1788 .

a great author: Necke r wa s a prolific writer . Concerned mainl y with finance, hi s CEuvres completes (1820-2 ) ran t o 2 0 vols. 314 Importance o f religious opinions: Jacque s Necker , D e Hmportance de s opinions religieuses (1788) , wa s translate d int o Englis h b y Woll stonecraft i n the sam e year. 315 Sangrado: i n Alai n Rene Le Sage , Histoire d e Gil Bias de Santillane (1715-35), Dr Sangrad o (Sp. 'sangrar' , to bleed) believes bleeding to be th e bes t cur e fo r al l ills ; althoug h score s o f hi s patient s die , h e refuses t o change his method. 7674: the decre e was passed on 25 Septembe r 178 8 tha t the thre e orders b e represented i n equal numbers (though the number s which they represente d wer e by no mean s equal) , and tha t the y deliberat e separately, as they had a t the las t meetin g of the Estates-Genera l in 1614. convened a second time th e notables: 6 November 1788 . 316 tiers-etat:

th e commons , o r third order , i n the Estates-General .

monsieur: th e king' s younge r brother Loui s Stanisla s Xavier , comt e de Provence (1755-1824) .

408 Explanatory 316 Dauphine:

Notes

a province i n SE France.

317 th e abbe Sieyes: Emmanuel-Joseph , comt e d e Sieve s (1748-1836) , was author o f Qu'est-ce qu e le Tiers-Etat (1789) , which called fo r th e doubling of the numbe r of representatives o f the commons ; he was a member o f the Nationa l Assembly in 1789 . the marquis d e Condorcet: Marie-Jean-Antoine-Nichola s d e Caritat , marquis de Condorce t (1743-94) , lik e Sieyes , produce d man y pamphlets; Wollstonecraf t i s probabl y referrin g t o Lettres d'un gentilhomme a messieurs du Tiers-Etat (1789). Mirabeau: Honor e Gabrie l Victo r Riqueti , comt e d e Mirabea u (1749-91), wa s a grea t orato r wh o le d th e moderat e phas e o f th e Revolution, until his death. Wollstonecraft makes extensive use of his accounts of the proceeding s of the Nationa l Assembly. 320 'that he remained. . . concord': cf . Thomas Christie, Letters, 80: 'The king, according to his own declaration, remained alone in the midst of the nation , occupied i n the re-establishmen t o f concord.' 321 th e 27th: Jun e 1789 . 323 a

corrupt, supple abbe: abb e Matthieu Jacque s d e Vermon d (b . 1735 ) was recommende d b y th e Bourbon s t o teac h Frenc h t o Mari e Antoinette i n preparation fo r her marriage . circean . . . Julias an d Messalinas: i n Greek legen d Circe wa s the sor ceress wh o surrounde d he r palac e wit h huma n being s who m sh e turned into beasts by means of drugs and incantations. Wollstonecraft is probabl y referrin g t o Juli a (d . A D 28), wif e o f Luciu s Aemiliu s Paulus, who was banished for an alleged affair wit h the poe t Ovid in AD 9 . Her mothe r Julia (3 9 BC-AD 14) , daughter o f Augustus Caesar and Scribonia , wa s als o banishe d b y th e empero r fo r profligacy . Valeria Messalina (see third not e to p. 302) , third wif e o f the Roman emperor Claudius, was notorious for her profligacy and ambition; she was executed at the ag e of 26.

324 death o f th e queen: sh e wa s guillotine d o n 1 6 Octobe r 1793 , nin e months afte r Louis . 326 th e so n o f a nobleman . . . intruders: Hele n Mari a Williams' s Letters Written i n France i n th e Summer o f 1790 (1790) , letter s xvi-xxn , describes exactly this situatio n in the stor y of the d u Fosses . 327 Ho w silent i s now Versailles: Versaille s had remaine d empt y sinc e 6 Oct. 1789 , whe n th e mo b ha d force d th e roya l famil y t o retur n t o Paris. the posterity o f th e Banquoes: se e Macbeth, in. iv .

Explanatory Notes 40

9

331 Themistocles . . . Caesar \ Themistocle s (^.527—460 BC) was an Athen ian statesman and general; Marcus Tullius Cicero (106-43 BC) was a Roman statesma n and orator ; Marcu s Junius Brutu s (85-4 2 BC) wa s the Roma n politicia n wh o instigated Julius Caesar' s assassination in 44 BC. Wedderburne: Alexande r Wedderburne, first Baron of Loughborough and firs t Ear l o f Rosslyn (1733-1805) , wa s Solicitor-General unde r Lord Nort h i n 1771 . Franklin: Benjami n Frankli n (1706-90 ) was the America n diplomat and statesma n wh o wa s the principa l negotiato r o f America n inde pendence bot h befor e an d afte r th e war. if th e supercilious . . . independence: i n 177 4 Franklin expose d an anti American correspondenc e betwee n two governor s of the Massachu setts Assembl y an d th e Britis h government ; defendin g th e two , Wedderburne launche d an attack on Franklin wh o subsequently lost his post a s Deputy Postmaster-Genera l fo r North America . in prison: followin g an amatory scandal, Mirabeau was imprisoned for six months in 1767 on the authority of a lettre de cachet obtained by his father. 332 Aristides: Aristides 'the Just' (d. 468 BC) was an Athenian statesman committed t o conservative , moderat e policie s i n oppositio n t o Themistocles. 336 magna chart a. . . habeas corpus act: th e Magn a Cart a wa s seale d i n 1215; the Habea s Corpu s Ac t was passed i n 1679 . Venice an d Genoa: i n the secon d half of the eighteent h centur y these cities were booming as pleasure resorts. a mercenary aristocracy: th e ris e of the privilege d and close d clas s of the burghers was a central feature of Swiss politics in the seventeenth and eighteent h centuries . covetous Hollanders: th e Dutch , 'covetous ' o f colonia l possessions , fought Britai n for naval supremacy (1781-3). an association of the nobles: afte r th e humiliatin g Stockholm Treaty o f 1719 a new political party of nobles sough t to restore th e primac y of Sweden under a strengthened monarchy . the ambition o f he r neighbours: betwee n 156 8 an d 176 8 Corsic a wa s under th e increasingl y stric t contro l o f Genoa ; a serie s o f revolt s throughout the eighteenth centur y and periodic French intervention culminated in the sal e of the islan d to the French . a contemptible bigotry: Roma n Catholi c inquisitoria l measures con tinued i n these countrie s unti l the en d o f the eighteent h century .

410 Explanatory

Notes

336 military phalanx: unde r th e autocrati c rule of Maria Theresa (1740 — 80) an d he r so n Joseph I I (1780-90 ) Austri a wa s a t wa r wit h he r neighbours throughout th e eighteenth century . 337 tzarina . . . Peter the great: a s empress of Russia (1762-96), Catherine II (1729-96 ) followe d th e expansionis t exampl e o f Pete r I (1672 1725), who reigned 1689-1725 . formed b y nature . . . most important: cf . Locke, Tw o Treatises o f Government, ii. 95: 'The only way whereby any one devests himself of his Natural Liberty , an d puts on the bonds o f Civil Society is by agreein g with other men to joyn and unite into a community, for their comfortable, safe, an d peaceable living one amongst another;' An Essay Concerning Toleration; th e letter s O n Toleration; an d Rousseau' s D u contrat social. 338 republics o f Italy: th e fiv e republic s o f Ital y wer e constituted i n th e mid-fifteenth century . apostles o f Machiavel: th e politica l theorie s o f Niccol o Machiavell i (1469-1527), autho r o f II principe (1513) , were also perpetuated b y Trajano Boccalin i (1556-1613) , Giovann i Boter o (1540-1617) , Filippo Parut a (1540-98) , and Scipion e Ammirat o (1531-1601). Medicis: th e rulin g family o f Florence fro m 143 4 until 1737 . Among the mos t famou s o f its patrons of the arts were Lorenzo the Magnificent (1449-92 ) and Cosimo I (1519-74). Descartes . . . Newton: i n Principia philosophiae (1644) Rene Descartes (1596-1650) establishe d a theor y o f vortice s t o explai n motion, re placing th e Aristotelia n explanation . Thi s wa s supplante d b y th e theory o f gravity which Sir Isaa c Newto n (1642-1727 ) presente d i n Principia mathematica (1687). their courts: i n th e seventeent h centur y th e court s o f Brunswick , Kassel, Dresden, Heidelberg , Munich, Stuttgart , an d Vienna were all renowned a s literary centres. Th e eighteent h centur y saw the ris e of an intellectual bourgeoisie through whic h the ideas of German classi cism and liberalis m could spread . 339 Frederic th e Hd o f Prussia: Frederic k I I o f Prussia (1712-86) reigned 1740-86 and was the autho r of the critica l Ex amen du Prince de Machiavel (\14V). Hertzberg: Coun t Ewal d Friedric h vo n Hertzberg (1725-95 ) rose to prominence durin g the Seven Years War of 1756-63; he lectured on administration and politics, but wa s mainly involved in the formation of foreig n policy according to hi s visio n o f Prussia a s the arbite r o f Europe.

Explanatory Notes 41

1

literary pursuits. . . Petersbourg: Catherin e I I (1729-96 ) wrot e plays and pamphlet s and corresponded with Voltaire and Diderot . the supercilious Joseph: Josep h I I o f Austria (1765-90) was notorious for hi s confidenc e in hi s ow n reasoning , i n th e powe r o f th e Stat e when directe d b y reason , an d i n hi s righ t t o spea k fo r th e State , uncontrolled b y laws. Mansfield: Si r Jame s Mansfiel d (1733-1821) wa s Solicitor-Genera l 1780-2. 340 ignominious servitude: cf . Richard Price, A Discourse on the Love of our Country (1789) , 49-51. the firs t o f October: 1789 . excluding th e dragoons: th e dragoon s gained the approva l of the con stitutionalists an d survived the Revolution . 341 '0 Richard. . . t'abandonne': Michel-Jea n Sedaine , Richard , Cceurde-Lion, trans . (1786) , I . iii . 'Ariette' , 11 . 1-2; cf . Rabaut , Precis historique, iv. 145 , and L e Courrier , 50 : 5. 'The national cockade . . .faction': cf . Le Courrier, 50: 5. 342 chevaliers o f St Louis: knight s of an honorar y military order created by Louis XI V i n 169 3 which served until 1830 . canaille: literall y ' a pac k o f dogs, ' canaille ha d bee n use d sinc e th e 17th centur y to refer t o the populace, the mob. 'The nation . . . thursday': cf . Rabaut, Precis historique, iv. 146 . 345 bailliages:

district s ru n b y bailiffs .

347 'Accordingly . . . basis': cf . Journal des debats e t des decrets, 55 : 2; an d Le Courrier, 50 : 8. 'pitiful respect for false honour ': cf . Lettres a M. le comte de $*** (1789), ii. 145-7 . One o f th e members remarked: cf . L e Courrier, 50 : 9 ; an d Journal des debats e t decrets, 55 : 3 , whic h repor t th e speec h o f M . Mugue t d e Mantoue. Another asserted: ibid. , 50: 10 ; and Journal de s debats et des decrets, 55 : 4, which quote M. Duport . 348 'that

his majesty . . . the people': ibid. , 50 : 15.

Robespierre. , . the people: ibid. , 50 : 10. 'by a pious fiction . . . ministers': cf . Le Moniteur, no . 68. 350 count d'Estaing: Jean-Baptist e Charle s Henri Hector, comte d'Estaing (1729-94), wa s a French nava l commander who became Admiral of France i n 1792 .

412 Explanatory

Notes

350 Metz:

a town i n Lorraine .

351 eleven

o'clock: 1 1 p.m., 5 Oct.

the commune o f Paris: i n 178 9 the revolutionar y committe e whic h replaced th e cit y counci l too k th e nam e 'commun e o f Paris' , wit h Petrion a s Mayor; i t fel l wit h Robespierre o n 1 7 July 1794 . 359 introducing

th e sale o f honours: i n th e 1640s .

the gallant Henry: Henr y I V of France. 360 th e Encyclopedia: se e note t o p. 29 1 above. Scylla o r Charybdis: i n the Odyssey Scyll a and Charybdi s wer e monsters inhabiting a reef and a whirlpool, between which travellers could only pass with the greatest difficulty . The economists: Quesna i and Turgo t wer e the leadin g economists o f the Encyclopedic. Se e note to p. 291 above. 362 original compositions: e.g . Immanuel Kan t (1724-1804) , Kritik de r reinen Vernunft (1781); Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), Die Leiden de s jungen Werthers (1774) ; Johann Christop h Friederic h Schiller (1759-1805) , Die Rauber (1781). ingenious, i f no t profound writers: afte r th e death s o f th e grea t 'philosophes', Voltair e in 1778, Condillac in 1780, Diderot i n 1784, a breed o f young writer s aros e wh o survive d b y th e patronag e o f th e wealthy bourgeoisie. These imitative writers included the poet JeanFrancois Marmonte l (1723-99) ; th e poe t an d historia n Claud e Carloman Rulhiere (1735-91); and the critic Jean-Fra^ois La Harp e (1739-1803). 365 egotism . . . signification: Johnson , Dictionary: 'Th e faul t committe d in writing by the frequent repetition of the word ego or /; too frequent mention of a man's self , in writing or conversation.' Wollstonecraft is confused; 'egotism ' was an English word used in French according to its Englis h signification ; th e Frenc h wor d 'egoism ' mean t excessiv e self-love. 366 'every man . . . all': firs t recorde d in J. Hey wood, A Dialogue Containing the Number in Effect o f All th e Proverbs in the English Tongue (1546). comfort: th e Frenc h wor d confort mean t assistanc e unti l the moder n English meanin g wa s adopte d a t th e beginnin g o f th e nineteent h century. 369 a

celebrated writer says: Ada m Smith, A n Inquiry into the Nature and Causes o f th e Wealth o f Nations (1776) , i . i : 'The habit o f saunterin g and o f indolen t careles s application , whic h i s naturally , o r rathe r

Explanatory Notes 41

3

necessarily, acquire d b y ever y countr y workma n wh o i s oblige d t o change his work and hi s tools ever y half hour, an d t o apply his hand in twent y differen t way s almost ever y da y o f hi s life ; render s hi m almost always slothful and lazy and incapable of any vigorous application eve n o n th e mos t pressin g occasions. ' Smit h i s arguing for th e division of labour, an d goe s on in i. i i to argue that th e abilit y to co operate i n divided labour distinguishe s human s fro m brutes .

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A SELECTIO N O F

OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSIC S

THOMAS AQUINA S

Selected Philosophical Writings

GEORGE BERKELE Y

Principles of Human Knowledge and Three Dialogues

EDMUND BURK E

A Philosophical Enquiry into the Origin of Our Ideas of the Sublime and Beautiful Reflections on the Revolution in France

THOMAS CARLYL E

The French Revolution

CONFUCIUS

The Analects

FRIEDRICH ENGEL S

The Condition of the Working Class in England

JAMES GEORG E FRAZE R

The Golden Bough

THOMAS HOBBE S

Human Nature and De Corpore Politico Leviathan

JOHN HUM E

Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion and The Natural History of Religion Selected Essays

THOMAS MALTHU S

An Essay on the Principle of Population

KARL MAR X

Capital The Communist Manifest o

J. S . MILL

On Liberty and Other Essays Principles of Economy and Chapters on Socialism

FRIEDRICH NIETZSCH E

On the Genealogy of Morals Twilight of the Idols

THOMAS PAIN E

Rights of Man, Common Sense, and Other Political Writings

JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEA U

Discourse on Political Economy and The Social Contract Discourse on the Origin of Inequality

SIMA QJA N

Historical Records

ADAM SMIT H

An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations

MARY WOLLSTONECRAF T Politica

l Writings

A S E L E C T I O N O F OXFOR

D WORLD'S CLASSIC S

The Bhagavad Gita The Bible Authorize d King James Version With Apocrypha The Koran The Pancatantra Upanisads AUGUSTINE

The Confessions On Christian Teaching

BEDE

The Ecclesiastical History

HEMACANDRA

The Lives of the Jain Elders

SANTIDEVA

The Bodhicaryavatara

A SELECTIO N O F

OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSIC S Classical Literary Criticis m Greek Lyric Poetry Myths from Mesopotami a

APOLLODORUS

The Library of Greek Mythology

APOLLONIUS O F RHODE S

Jason and the Golden Fleece

APULEIUS

The Golden Ass

ARISTOTLE

The Nicomachean Ethics Physics Politics

CAESAR

The Civil War The Gallic War

CATULLUS

The Poems of Catullus

CICERO

The Nature of the Gods

EURIPIDES

Medea, Hippolytus, Electra, and Helen

GALEN

Selected Works

HERODOTUS

The Histories

HESIOD

Theogony and Works and Days

HOMER

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HORACE

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The Satires

LIVY

The Rise of Rome

LUCAN

The Civil War

MARCUS AURELIU S

The Meditations

OVID

The Love Poems Metamorphoses Sorrows of an Exile

A S E L E C T I O N O F OXFOR

D WORLD'S CLASSICS

PETRONIUS TheSatyrico PLATO Defenc

PLAUTUS Fou PLUTARCH Selecte PROPERTIUS Th

n e of Socrates, Euthyphro, and Crito Gorgias Phaedo Republic Symposium r Comedie s d Essays and Dialogue s e Poems

SOPHOCLES Antigone STATIUS Thebai TACITUS Th VIRGIL TheAenei

, Oedipus the King, and Electra d e Histories d The Eclogues and Georgics

A SELECTIO N O F

OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSIC S

JANE AUSTE N

Catharine an d Other Writings Emma Mansfield Park Northanger Abbey, Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sanditon Persuasion Pride and Prejudice Sense and Sensibility

ANNE BRONT E

Agnes Grey The Tenant of Wildfell Hall

CHARLOTTE BRONT E

Jane Eyre The Professor Shirley Villette

EMILY BRONT E

Wuthering Heights

WILKIE COLLIN S

The Moonstone No Name The Woman in White

CHARLES DARWI N

The Origin of Species

CHARLES DICKEN S

The Adventures of Oliver Twist Bleak House David Copperfield Great Expectations Hard Times Little Dorrit Martin Chuzzlewit Nicholas Nickleby The Old Curiosity Shop Our Mutual Frien d The Pickwick Papers A Tale of Two Cities

A SELECTIO N O F

OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSIC S

GEORGE ELIO T

Adam Bede Daniel Deronda Middlemarch The Mill on the Floss Silas Marner

ELIZABETH GASKEL L

Cranford The Life of Charlotte Bronte Mary Barton North and South Wives and Daughters

THOMAS HARD Y

Far from the Madding Crowd Jude the Obscure The Mayor of Casterbridge A Pair of Blue Eyes The Return of the Native Tess of the d'Urbervilles The Woodlanders

WALTER SCOT T

Ivanhoe Rob Roy Waverley

MARY SHELLE Y

Frankenstein The Last Man

ROBERT Louis STEVENSON

Kidnapped and Catriona The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde and Weir of Hermiston Treasure Island

BRAM STOKE R

Dracula

WILLIAM MAKEPEAC E THACKERAY

Barry Lyndon Vanity Fair

OSCAR WILD E

Complete Shorter Fiction The Picture of Dorian Gray

A SELECTIO N O F

OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSIC S Oriental Tales

WILLIAM BECKFOR D

Vathek

JAMES BOSWEL L

Boswell's Life of Johnson

FRANCES BURNEY

Camilla Cecilia Evelina The Wanderer

LORD CHESTERFIEL D

Lord Chesterfield's Letter s

JOHN CLELAN D

Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure

DANIEL DEFO E

Captain Singleto n A Journal of the Plague Year Memoirs of a Cavalier Moll Flanders Robinson Cruso e Roxana

HENRY FIELDIN G

Joseph Andrews and Shamela A Journey from This World to the Next and

The Journal of a Voyage to Lisbon Tom Jones The Adventures of David Simpl e

WILLIAM GODWI N

Caleb Williams StLeon

OLIVER GOLDSMIT H

The Vicar of Wakefield

MARY HAY S

Memoirs of Emma Courtney

ELIZABETH HAYWOO D

The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless

ELIZABETH INCHBALD

A Simple Story

SAMUEL JOHNSO N

The History of Rasselas

CHARLOTTE LENNO X

The Female Quixot e

MATTHEW LEWI S

The Monk

A SELECTIO N O F

OXFORD WORLD'S CLASSIC S

ANN RADCLIFF E

The Castles of Athlin and Dunbayne The Italian The Mysteries of Udolpho The Romance of the Forest A Sicilian Romance

FRANCES SHERIDA N

Memoirs of Miss Sidney Bidulph

TOBIAS SMOLLET T

The Adventures of Roderick Random The Expedition of Humphry Clinker Travels through France and Italy

LAURENCE STERN E

The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman A Sentimental Journey

JONATHAN SWIF T

Gulliver's Travel s A Tale of a Tub and Other Works

HORACE WALPOL E

The Castle of Otranto

GILBERT WHIT E

The Natural History of Selborne

MARY WOLLSTONECRAF T

Mary and The Wrongs of Woman

A S E L E C T I O N O F OXFOR

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APOLLINAIRE, ALFRED JARRY, an d MAURICE MAETERLINC K

Three Pre-Surrealist Plays

HoNORi D E BALZAC

Cousin Bette Eugenie Grandet Pere Goriot

CHARLES BAUDELAIR E

The Flowers of Evil The Prose Poems and Fanfarlo

DENIS DIDERO T

This is Not a Story and Other Stories

ALEXANDRE DUMA S (P£RE ) The Black Tulip The Count of Monte Cristo Louise de la Valliere The Man in the Iron Mask La Reine Margot The Three Musketeers Twenty Years After ALEXANDRE DUMAS (FILS) La Dame aux Camelias GUSTAVE FLAUBERT

Madame Bovary A Sentimental Educatio n Three Tales

VICTOR HUG O

The Last Day of a Condemned Man and Other Prison Writings Notre-Dame de Paris

J.-K. HUYSMAN S

Against Nature

JEAN D E LA FONTAIN E

Selected Fables

PIERRE CHODERLO S DE LACLO S

Les Liaisons dangereuses

MME D E LAFAYETTE

The Princesse de Cleves

GUY D E MAUPASSANT

A Day in the Country and Other Stories Mademoiselle Fifi

PROSPER M£RIM£ E

Carmen and Other Stories

A SELECTIO N O F

OXFORD WORLD' S CLASSIC S

BLAISE PASCAL

Pensees and Other Writings

JEAN RACIN E

Britannicus, Phaedra, and Athaliah

EDMOND ROSTAN D

Cyrano de Bergerac

MARQUIS D E SAD E

The Misfortunes of Virtue and Other Early Tales

GEORGE SAN D

Indiana The Master Pipers Mauprat The Miller of Angibault

STENDHAL

The Red and the Black The Charterhouse of Parma

JULES VERNE

Around the World in Eighty Days Journey to the Centre of the Earth Twenty Thousand League s under the Seas

VOLTAIRE

Candide and Other Stories Letters concerning the English Nation

EMILE ZOL A

L'Assommoir The Attack on the Mill La Bete humaine Germinal The Ladies' Paradis e The Masterpiece Nana Therese Raquin

M O R E A B O U T OXFOR

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