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Callisto
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But, fulfilling the duties of a mother, a woman with a sound
constitution, may still keep her person scrupulously 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 between the birth of each child, that we should
seldom see a houseful of babes. And did they pursue a plan of conduct,
and not waste their time in following the fashionable vagaries of
dress, the management of their household and children need not shut
them out from literature, or prevent their attaching themselves to a
science, with that steady eye which strengthens the mind, or
practising one of the fine arts that cultivate the taste.
But, visiting to display finery, card-playing, and balls, not to
mention the idle bustle of morning trifling, draw women from their
duty to render them insignificant, to render them pleasing,
according to the present acceptation of the word, to every man, but
their husband. For a round of pleasures in which the affections are
not exercised, cannot be said to improve the understanding, though
it be erroneously called seeing the world; yet the heart is rendered
cold and averse to duty, by such a senseless intercourse, which
becomes necessary from habit even when it has ceased to amuse.
But, we shall not see women affectionate till more equality be
established in society, till ranks are confounded and women freed,
neither shall we see that dignified domestic happiness, the simple
grandeur of which cannot be relished by ignorant or vitiated minds;
nor will the important task of education ever be properly begun till
the person of a woman is no longer preferred to her mind. For it would
be as wise to expect corn from tares, or figs from thistles, as that a
foolish ignorant woman should be a good mother.
SECT. VI.
It is not necessary to inform the sagacious reader, now I enter on
my concluding reflections, that the discussion of this subject
merely consists in opening a few simple principles, and clearing
away the rubbish which obscured them. But, as all readers are not
sagacious, I must be allowed to add some explanatory remarks to
bring the subject home to reason- to that sluggish reason, which
supinely takes opinions on trust, and obstinately supports them to
spare itself the labour of thinking.
Moralists have unanimously agreed, that unless virtue be nursed by
liberty, it will never attain due strength- and what they say of man I
extend to mankind, insisting that in all cases morals must be fixed on
immutable principles; and, that the being cannot be termed rational or
virtuous, who obeys any authority, but that of reason.
To render women truly useful members of society, I argue that they
should be led, by having their understandings cultivated on a large
scale, to acquire a rational affection for their country, founded on
knowledge, because it is obvious that we are little interested about
what we do not understand. And to render this general knowledge of due
importance, I have endeavoured to shew that private duties are never
properly fulfilled unless the understanding enlarges the heart; and
that public virtue is only an aggregate of private. But, the
distinctions established in society undermine 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 than virtue,
wealth will be sought before virtue; and, whilst women's persons are
caressed, when a childish simper shews an absence of mind- the mind
will lie fallow. Yet, true voluptuousness must proceed from the
mind- for what can equal the sensations produced by mutual
affection, supported by mutual respect? What are the cold, or feverish
caresses of appetite, but sin embracing death, compared with the
modest overflowings of a pure heart and exalted imagination? Yes,
let me tell the libertine of fancy when he despises understanding in
woman- that the mind, which he disregards, gives life to the
enthusiastic affection from which rapture, short-lived as it is, alone
can flow! And, that, without virtue, a sexual attachment must
expire, like a tallow candle in the socket, creating intolerable
disgust. To prove this, I need only observe, that men who have
wasted great part of their lives with women, and with whom they have
sought for pleasure with eager thirst, entertain the meanest opinion
of the sex.- Virtue, true refiner of joy!- if foolish men were to
fright thee from earth, in order to give loose to all their
appetites without a check- some sensual wight of taste would scale the
heavens to invite thee back, to give a zest to pleasure!
That women at present are by ignorance rendered foolish or
vicious, is, I think, not to be disputed; and, that the most
salutary effects tending 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 as marriage has
been termed the parent of those endearing charities which draw man
from the brutal herd, the corrupting intercourse that wealth,
idleness, and folly, produce between the sexes, is more universally
injurious to morality than all the other vices of mankind collectively
considered. To adulterous lust the most sacred duties are
sacrificed, because before marriage, men, by a promiscuous intimacy
with women, learned to consider love as a selfish gratification-
learned to separate it not only from esteem, but from the affection
merely built on habit, which mixes a little humanity with it.
Justice and friendship are also set at defiance, and that purity of
taste is vitiated which would naturally lead a man to relish an
artless display of affection rather than affected airs. But that noble
simplicity of affection, which dares to appear unadorned, has few
attractions for the libertine, though it be the charm, which by
cementing the matrimonial tie, secures to the pledges of a warmer
passion the necessary parental attention; for children will never be
properly educated till friendship subsists between parents. Virtue
flies from a house divided against itself- and a whole legion of
devils take up their residence there.
The affection of husbands and wives cannot be pure when they have so
few sentiments in common, and when so little confidence is established
at home, as must be the case when their pursuits are so different.
That intimacy from which tenderness should flow, will not, cannot
subsist between the vicious.
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