Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

it to women, and confidently assert, that they have been drawn out of their sphere by false refinement, and not by an endeavour to acquire masculine qualities.'

CURIOUS PARALLEL BETWEEN SOLDIERS AND LADIES.

"As for any depth of understanding (says M. Woolstoncraft) I will venture to affirm, that it is as rarely to be found in the army as amongst women,* and the cause 1 maintain is the same-Officers are particularly attentive to their persons, fond of dancing, crowded rooms, adventures, and ridicule+Like the fair sex, the business of their lives is gallantry-they are taught to please, and they only live to please-yet they do not lose their rank in the distinction of sexes, for they are still reckoned superior to women, though in what their superiority consists beyond what I have just mentioned, it is difficult to discover."

P. 189. She observes, "If defensive war, the only justifiable war, in the present advanced state of society, where virtue can shew its face, and ripen amidst the rigours which purify the air on the mountain's top, were alone to be adopted as just and glorious, the true heroism of antiquity might again animate female bosoms→→→→ but fair and softly gentle reader-male or female-do not alarm thyself for though I have contrasted the character of a modern soldier, with that of a civilized woman, I am not going to advise them to turn their distaff into a musket, although I sincerely wish to see the bayonet converted into a pruning hook."

VOLUPTUOUS REVERIES OF ROUSSEAU

-AMIABLE ANIMAL

LOVE.

P. 24. She proceeds, "Rousseau's character of Sophia is undoubtedly a captivating one, though it appears to me

She subjoins the following note-"Why should women be censured with petulant acrimony, because they seem to have a passion for a scarlet coat: Has not education placed them more on a level with soldiers, than any other class of men ?”

Mrs. Wolstoncraft is sufficiently severe on the manners of the military, but surely in such a large body as the army, there must be some pious, and many rational men, who look down with comparative contempt upon these entertainments.

grossly unnatural-Warmly as I admire the genius of that able writer, whose opinions I shall often have occasion to cite, indignation always takes place of admiration, when I read his voluptuous reveries-but for the present I wave the subject, and instead of severely reprehending the transient effusions of overweening sensibility, I shall only observe, that whoever has cast a benevolent eye on society, must often have been gratified by the sight of humble, mutual love, not dignified by sentiment, nor strengthened by a union in intellectual pursuits--yet has not the sight of this moderate felicity excited more tenderness than respect? An emotion similar to what we feel, when children are playing, or animals sporting,* whilst the contemplation of the noble struggles of suf fering merit has raised admiration, and carried our thoughts to that world, where sensation will give place to reason."

PURITY OF HEART-CULTIVATION OF INTELLECT, THE FIRST STEP TOWARD MORALITY.

P. 29. A wiser than Solomon hath said, that the heart should be made clean, and not trivial ceremonies observed, which it is not very difficult to fulfill with scrupulous exactness, when vice reigns in the heartWomen ought to endeavour to purify their heart; but can they do so, when their uncultivated understandings, make them entirely dependent on their senses for employment; when no noble pursuit sets them above the little vanities of the day, or enables them to curb the wild emotions that agitate a reed, over which every passing breeze has power."

CHARACTER OF A SENSIBLE AND VIRTUOUS WOMAN IN THE STATE OF WIDOWHOOD.

P. 58. She is left a widow, perhaps without a sufficient provision, but she is not desolate the pang of nature is felt; but after time has softened sorrow into

* Amiable animal tenderness, if resulting merely, from na ture unexalted by principle--but if principle has been proved to animate the breast; however partial the portion of intellect, the character is truly respectable, although incapable of public utilityCOMPILER'S note.

melancholy resignation, her heart turns to her children with redoubled fondness, and anxious to provide for them, affection gives a sacred heroic cast to her maternal duties- -She thinks that not only that eye sees her virtuous efforts, from whom all her comfort now must flow, and whose approbation is life! but her imagination a little abstracted and exalted by grief, dwells on the fond hope, that the eyes which her trembling hand closed in death, may still see how she subdues every wayward passion, to fulfil the double duty of being the father, as well as the mother of her children-raised to heroism by misfortunes, she represses the first faint dawning of a natural inclination before it ripens into love, and in the bloom of life forgets her sexShe no longer thinks of pleasing and conscious dignity prevents her from priding herself on account of the praise which her conduct demands-Her children have her love, and her brightest hopes are beyond the grave, where her imagination often strays She lives to see the virtues which she endeavoured to plant on principles, fixed into habits; to see her children attain a strength of character sufficient to enable them to endure adversity, without forgetting their mother's example-The task of life thus fulfilled, she calmly waits for the sleep of death, and rising from the grave may say, "Behold thou gavest me a talent, and here are five talents.”

P. 83,-ON GENIUS AND CHEARFULNESS.

"That habitual chearfulness, termed good humour, is perhaps as seldom united with great mental powers, as with strong feelingsAnd the people who follow with interest and admiration the flights of genius, or with cooler approbation, suck in the instruction which has been elaborately prepared for them by the profound thinker, ought not to be disgusted, if they find the former choleric-and the latter morose-because liveliness of fancy, and a tenacious comprehension of mind, are scarcely compatible with that pliant urbanity, which leads a man at least to bend to the opinions and prejudices of others, instead of roughly confronting them."

REMARKS. In the present constitution of nature, nothing seems perfect-the gifts of nature and of fortune are not usually poured without measure into the lap of any individual-Some are entrusted with one talent,

and some with another-but in this state of things, nothing seems to have received the Creator's finishing strokeThe doctrine of "a new heavens and a new earth," is therefore not only a rational object of hope to man-but it is what might be expected from the wisdom and power of that Being, who will leave nothing unfinishedIn the present life, the gifts of heaven seem dispensed in such measure, as that " none may be supremely exalted, and none utterly contemptible"-but notwithstanding the helps derived from these, all nature is so marked with imperfection, as often to call the graces of patience and charity into exercise-graces which independent of a state, are indeed indispensible to the present well-being of society-but, alas! how weak is our nature, which in the absence of temptation, can admire and approve these things, and even fancy itself in possession of these virtues; but no sooner do strong provocations to anger occur, than resentment displaces both patience and charity-In benevolent and well principled minds, the seeds of mercy and forgiveness no doubt continue to exist, but their operations are almost universally overwhelmed for a season, by the influence of injury, or even opposi、 tion-It is a very great gift of Providence, that greatness of mind, which can remain unmoved by injustice, and even rise above it-which can perform the part, which religion requires its votaries to act, notwithstanding the inju ries from without, and the oppositions from within; but! hold it as true doctrine, however opposite to the dogmas of philosophy, that noman possesseth this power of himself, or can command it in perpetuity, by dint of reasoning or reflection Men whose genius may be compared to elec tric fire, and which in the composition of nature, may unite with other causes to give it birth, are frequently the last (although possessed of the clearest understanding of its value) to command this government-they are, as our Author remarks, usually cholerie-they possess by nature an impetuosity which sometimes leads them astray-but supposing them to be men of good principles, their re morse for such deviations is usually more pungent; and their return to the paths of virtue more easily accelerated, than that of colder constitutions.

PAGES 158 & 159-ON TRUE MODESTY AND ITS SOURCE. "I infer that those women who have most improved their reason, must have the most modesty; though a

dignified sedateness cf deportment, may have succeeded the playful bewitching bashfulness of youth-To render chastity the virtue from which unsophisticated modesty will naturally flow, the attention should be called away from employments, which only exercise the sensibility, and the heart made to beat time to humanity, rather than to throb with love The woman who has dedicated a considerable portion of her time to pursuits purely intellectual, and whose affections have been exercised by plans of usefulness, must have more purity of mind as a natural consequence, than the ignoránt beings, whose time and thoughts have been accompanied by gay pleasures, or schemes to conquer hearts-The regulation of the behaviour is not modesty-though those who study rules of decorum, are in general termed modest womenmake the heart clean; let it expand and feel for all that is human, instead of being narrowed by selfish passions; and let the mind frequently contemplate subjects that exercise the understanding without heating the imagination, and artless modesty will give the finishing touches to the picture."

P. 156.-"Jesus Christ was modest, Moses was humble, and Peter vain."

REMARK-This must be understood of their natural character, and it is a true delineation-It is worth while adverting to the pleadings of Moses with God, that his commission might be transferred to another-to the vain confidence of Peter in his own resolution-and to the beautiful portrait, which a Roman governor is said to have drawn, of the person and countenance of our Saviour.

P. 157.-ON PURITY OF MIND.

"Purity of mind, or that genuine delicacy, which is the only virtuous support of chastity, is near akin to that refinement of humanity, which never resides in any but cultivated minds-it is something nobler than innocence-it is the delicacy of reflection, and not the coyness of ignorance-The reserve of reason, which like habitual cleanliness, is seldom seen in any great degree, unless the soul is active, may easily be distinguished from rustic shyness, or wanton skittishness, and so far from being incompatible with knowledge, it is its fairest fruit.

« AnteriorContinuar »