Their Insensible
Husbands Seldom Deigned To Look Upon Them, And Continued In A Kind Of
Phlegmatic Indolence, Whilst The Women Sometimes Indulged That Social
Cheerfulness, Which Is The Distinguishing Ornament Of The Sex.
Thus,
in every country, mankind are fond of being tyrants, and the poorest
Indian, who knows no wants but
Those which his existence requires, has
already learnt to enslave his weaker help-mate, in order to save
himself the trouble of supplying their wants, and cruelly exacts an
obedience from her, which has been continued among savages as a curse
upon the sex. Considering these humiliations and cruel oppressions of
the sex, we have sometimes the greatest reason to admire, that the
human race has perpetuated itself, and that the Creator has wisely
planted a motive in the female breast, which stands the test of every
outrage, which makes them patient to suffer, and prevents their
withdrawing from the power of their tyrants." This indeed is one of
the most striking and important instances that can be adduced, of what
has been called final causes, the determinate choice of an end, and
the skilful adaptation of means to the accomplishment of it. A nation
of women, we may confidently say, is as much a chimera, as a nation of
two-headed men; and that individual has little acquaintance with
herself that knows not, there is an insuperable objection to so
anomalous an occurrence. With whatever abuses of authority, therefore,
the other sex may be chargeable, it is not to be denied, that they
assert their superiority on the ground of natural constitution, and
that they cannot be considered as usurpers.
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