The power which vile and foolish women have
had over wise men, who possessed sensibility, is notorious; I shall
only mention one instance.
Who ever drew a more exalted female character than Rousseau?
though in the lump he constantly endeavoured to degrade the sex. And
why was he thus anxious? Truly to justify to himself the affection
which weakness and virtue had made him cherish for that fool
Theresa. He could not raise her to the common level of her sex; and
therefore he laboured to bring woman down to her's. He found her a
convenient humble companion, and pride made him determine to find some
superiour virtues in the being whom he chose to live with; but did not
her conduct during his life, and after his death, clearly shew how
grossly he was mistaken who called her a celestial innocent. Nay, in
the bitterness of his heart, he himself laments, that when his
bodily infirmities made him no longer treat her like a woman, she
ceased to have an affection for him. And it was very natural that
she should, for having so few sentiments in common, when the sexual
tie was broken, what was to hold her? To hold her affection whose
sensibility was confined to one sex, nay, to one man, it requires
sense to turn sensibility into the broad channel of humanity; many
women have not mind enough to have an affection for a woman, or a
friendship for a man. But the sexual weakness that makes woman
depend on man for a subsistence, produces a kind of cattish
affection which leads a wife to purr about her husband as she would
about any man who fed and caressed her.
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