A double duty devolves on her; to educate them in the character of both father and mother; to form their principles and ſecure their property. But, alas! ſhe has never thought, much leſs acted for herſelf. She has only learned to pleaſe[1] men, to depend gracefully on them; yet, encumbered with children, how is ſhe to obtain another protector—a huſband to ſupply the place of reaſon? A rational man, for we are not treading on romantic ground, though he may think her a pleaſing docile creature, will not chooſe to marry a family for love, when the world contains many more pretty creatures. What is then to become of her? She either falls an eaſy prey to ſome mean fortune-hunter, who defrauds her children of their paternal inheritance, and renders her miſerable; or becomes the victim of discon-
- ↑ 'In the union of the ſexes, both purſue one common object, but
not in the ſame manner. From their diverſity in this particular, ariſes the
firſt determinate difference between the moral relations of each. The one
ſhould be active and ſtrong, the other paſſive and weak: it is neceſſary
the one ſhould have both the power and the will, and that the other
ſhould make little reſiſtance.
'This principle being eſtabliſhed, it follows that woman is expreſsly formed to pleaſe the man; if the obligation be reciprocal alſo, and the man ought to pleaſe in his turn, it is not ſo immediately neceſſary: his great merit is in his power, and he pleaſes merely becauſe he is ſtrong. This, I muſt confeſs, is not one of the refined maxims of love; it is, however, one of the laws of nature, prior to love itſelf.
'If woman be formed to pleaſe and be ſubjected to man it is her place, doubtleſs, to render herſelf agreeable to him, inſtead of challenging his paſſion. The violence of his deſires depends on her charms; it is by means of theſe ſhe ſhould urge him to the exertion of thoſe powers which nature hath giving him. The moſt ſucceſsful method of exciting them, is, to render ſuch exertion neceſſary by their reſiſtance; as, in that caſe, ſelf-love is added to deſire, and the one triumphs in the victory which the other obliged to acquire. Hence ariſe the various modes of attack and defence between the ſexes; the boldneſs of one ſex and the timidity of the other; and, in a word, that baſhfulneſs and modeſty with which nature hath armed the weak, in order to ſubdue the ſtrong.' Rouſſeau's Emilius.
I ſhall make no other comment on this ingenius paſſage, than juſt to obſerve, that it is the philoſophy of laſciviouſneſs.
