Women have seldom sufficient serious employment to silence their
feelings; a round of little cares, or vain pursuits frittering away
all strength of mind and organs, they become naturally only objects of
sense.- In short, the whole tenour of female education (the
education of society) tends to render the best disposed romantic and
inconstant; and the remainder vain and mean. In the present state of
society this evil can scarcely be remedied, I am afraid, in the
slightest degree; should a more laudable ambition ever gain ground
they may be brought nearer to nature and reason, and become more
virtuous and useful as they grow more respectable.
But, I will venture to assert that their reason will never acquire
sufficient strength to enable it to regulate their conduct, whilst the
making an appearance in the world is the first wish of the majority of
mankind. To this weak wish the natural affections, and the most useful
virtues are sacrificed. Girls marry merely to better themselves, to
borrow a significant vulgar phrase, and have such perfect power over
their hearts as not to permit themselves to fall in love till a man
with a superiour fortune offers. On this subject I mean to enlarge
in a future chapter; it is only necessary to drop a hint at present,
because women are so often degraded by suffering the selfish
prudence of age to chill the ardour of youth.
From the same source flows an opinion that young girls ought to
dedicate great part of their time to needle-work; yet, this employment
contracts their faculties more than any other that could have been
chosen for them, by confining their thoughts to their persons.
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