Part #2
This dexterous female, to give us a sample of the expertness of her sex at
invention, has artfully enough thrown in a caveat against any man's being judge
of the equality or inferiority of merit in women, as compared with men: because
truly the men are to be considered as parties concerned, and therefore must all
be partial in their judgment.
However, I must beg leave to observe, that though it be true that the generality
of both sexes are weak enough to give prejudice and interest the preference
to truth and justice, yet even Sophia herself cannot be so rashly censorious as
to imagine that all are unjust alike.
And therefore she must own that some few men may be found among us, who,
supposing their interest to be ever so nearly concerned, would nevertheless
be honest enough to acknowledge the women for their equals, if there was
the least appearance of reason in their favour; and to make them every
concession
they had a right to demand.
For my own part at least I have so indefeasible a right to be ranked in the
number of those few, that the most jealous of their sex cannot dispute my title.
For on one side, I can have no interest to bias me, having nothing to hope or
fear from my own sex, and expecting as little from the opposite.
And on the other, if I have received any partiality or inclination, it is all for
the women.
I do not say this out of any ambition of being judge in so unthankful an affair, in
which it will be impossible to do justice to one party without giving the other
offence. And I of all men have the least reason to court the occasion of
displeasing those amiable creatures; who cannot myself give them the slightest
pain without sharing with them in it.
Instead therefore of taking upon me the office of deciding the merit of the fairsex,
and the degree they ought to stand in comparatively with the men, I shall
leave it to themselves to be the judges in their own cause, after I have fairly
stated what is worthy observation on both sides of the debate. For I can by no
means apprehend anything from their partiality, or prejudice, when I consider
how much it is to their own advantage to be just to the men, and how seldom
they are guilty of disregarding their own private interests.
The more suspicious part of our sex may perhaps think it dangerous to trust the
woman to judge of anything where reason is concerned, on account of the
weakness of their intellects, which seldom can reach higher than a head-dress.
But to remove all objections of this kind, I shall endeavour to make the matter
plain to them, by treating it in the most familiar manner. And as well to prevent
their weakening the little understanding they have by keeping it too much upon
the stretch, as to save them from exposing their slight-pinioned fancy to the
resistless beams of scrutiny by soaring above their capacity,
I shall do my utmost to make reason stoop to their comprehension, by confining
myself entirely to their sphere. In doing this I know it will be expected
that I take notice of whatever may seem worthy of any in the pretty whimsical
treatise with which Sophia has thought fit to divert the public:
and therefore I shall follow the method she has pointed out to me.
However I must beg to be excused from being accessary to her losing
herself and her partisans in the maze of theory, a ground too holy for female
feet to tread with impunity. No;
practice is the boundary of their province; and therefore I shall wholly confine
myself, in this little treatise, to practical reasoning, except where I am obliged to
step aside to recover my bewildered fair antagonist from the danger of straying
out of her latitude.
It will be a needless repetition, to say that my only motive in opposing this Lady
is the desire of seconding her good intention, by doing effectual service to her
sex; as my only view in laying open their foibles is the hope I conceive of
rendering them less pernicious to themselves.
However, tender as I design to be in handling the faults of these delicate
creatures, I am sensible that an operation of this kind cannot but give them
some smart. Nevertheless resolved, like an honest surgeon, to conquer the little
reluctances of a heart disposed to compassion, I shall rather choose to give
them a little momentary pain, than suffer them out of false tendencies to risk a
more fatal mortification.
The little uneasiness, which the probing of their blemishes may occasion, will be
amply
atoned for by the gangrene it will prevent; especially since natural propensity
towards them will incline me to use them as gently as possible.
Not that I can think of seeing a delirious man fond of the man which trepans him. I
only
flatter myself that once they have received benefit enough from it to be sensible
of the necessity of it, they will thank me for my labour:
a labour in which neither passion nor prejudice, and much less interest, could
have
any share, with one whose age and state of life raise him above being biased by
the smiles of
their sex, or the frowns of his own. So that even those pretty incurables, whom
nothing will be sufficient to prevail with to consider me in any other light than
that of an enemy, cannot without injustice deny me to be a generous one:
though how far I am from being one at all will best appear in the conclusion of
this little piece.
And therefore relying on the uprightness of my own intentions,
and the manner of executing them.
I shall confidently proceed to the subject in question.
But before we descend to particulars, it will not be improper to examine in
general,...
CONTINUE...
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