An Essay in Defence of the Female Sex/Section 7

I intend not in what remains to trouble you with any more uch intances; becaue I am enible thee have already well&rsquo;d this Letter to a Volumn, which was not at firt my intent. I hall therefore dipatch the remaining part of the charge in as few Words as poible. Amongt the ret Diimulation is none of the leat Blemihes, which they endeavour to fix upon us. This Quality, though it can&rsquo;t upon any occaion deerve the name of a Vertue, yet according to the preent Contitution of the World, is many times abolutely neceary, and is a main ingredient in the Compoition of Human Prudence. It is indeed oftentimes criminal, but it is only accidentally o, as Indutry, Wit, and mot other good Qualities may be, according to the Ends and Purpoes to which they are miemploy&rsquo;d. Diimulation is nothing but the hiding or diguiing our ecret thoughts, or Inclinations under another appearance. I hall not endeavour to abolve our Sex wholly from all ue of this Quality, or Art (call it which you pleae) becaue I think it may upon many ocieaonsoccasions [sic] be ued with Innocence enough, and upon ome can&rsquo;t without great Imprudence be omitted. The World is too full of Craft, Malice, and Violence, for abolute Simplicity to live in it. It behoves therefore our Sex as well as the other to live with o much Caution and Circumpection in regard to their own Security, that their Thoughts and Inclinations may not be een o naked, as to expoe &rsquo;em to the Snares, deigns, and practices of Crafty Knaves, who wou&rsquo;d make a property of &rsquo;em; or lay &rsquo;em open to the wicked Efforts, and michievous Impreions of Envy, or Malice, whoe pleaure prings from the hurt of others. Nothing gives our Adveraries o great an advantage over us, as the knowledge of our Opinions, and Affections, with omething agreable to which they will be ure to bate all their Traps and Devices. For this reaon it is that it has been Proverbially aid of Old, that, He that knows not how to diemble, knows not how to live. The Experience of all Ages ince has confirm&rsquo;d this Obervation, and ours no les than any of the Preceding. This premis&rsquo;d, I uppoe no Wie Man will blame our Sex for the ue of an Art o neceary, to preerve &rsquo;em from becoming a Prey to every deigning Man, an Art of which himelf mut make great ue to deerve that Title. Yet I am afraid, that upon enquiry our Sex will not be found to have o much of it as is requiite, at leat not generally; Our edentary Life, and the narrow Limits to which our Acquaintance, and Buines are Circumcrib&rsquo;d, afford us o little Variety, o regular a Face of things, that we want the means of obtaining the MaterMastery [sic] of o ueful an Art, which no quetion but we hou&rsquo;d as oon acquire as Men, had we but equal Opportunities. Hence it is that Women are more apt to how their Reentments upon all Provocations than Men; and are thought naturally more Peevih and Captious, by thoe that apprehend not the true reaon; Whereas Men are altogether as Stomachful, and take Offence as oon, but they cover and uppres their Indignation better, not with a deign to forget any Injury receiv&rsquo;d, but to wreak their Revenge more covertly and effectually. This is another advantage Men derive from liberty of Converation and promicuous Buines, wherein the Variety of Contingencies they have to provide againt, and the Diverity of Tempers they deal with, force &rsquo;em to turn and wind themelves into all Shapes, and accommodate themelves to all Humours. There is indeed yet a higher ort of Diimulation, which is always Criminal, that is when Men not only cloud their real Sentiments and Intentions, but make Profeion of and eem zealouly to affect the contrary; this by a more proper and retrain&rsquo;d Name is call&rsquo;d Deceipt, and is always us&rsquo;d in an ill Sene. This Art is mot practic&rsquo;d in Courts where Policie, and Ambition reign; there You may ee Enemies hugging and careing one another with all outward Expreions of Tendernes and Friendhip imaginabeimaginable [sic], while they are ecretly contriving each others ruine. There you may ee Men cringing to thoe, they wou&rsquo;d Spurn if they durt, and Flattering thoe they depie and rail at behind their Backs,. [sic] The Court is a place where we come very rarely otherwie than as Spectators, not as Actours; as Ornaments, not as Intruments; and therefore are eldom involv&rsquo;d in the guilty Practices of it. Nor is it the Court only, but all Places are infected with this Vice, where there is any Encouragement of Profit or Pleaure to be hop&rsquo;d from uccesful Treachery, of which no Place is o barren as not to afford ome. This Deceipt is o far from being the Vice of our Sex, that they are the common Object on which it is daily practic&rsquo;d: Nothing is more frequently met with than fale Love in Men, which is now grown o familiar, that a Company of Six of both Sexes can carce meet, but a Sham Paion commences immediately, is urg&rsquo;d, proteted, and worn to be real with all imaginable Violence. If thee fale Arts, mock ighing, and Dying prevail upon any foolih, eaie, credulous Woman, the Sham Lover is blown up with the Succes, he is big and in Labour till he be deliver&rsquo;d of the Secret, which with great atisfaction he proclaims in all Places where he comes: &rsquo;tis his highet Exploit of Gallantry, which he will by no means loe the credit of. Thus he thinks her ruine a tep to Reputation, and founds his own Honour upon her Infamy. This Madam is the baet of Treachery; for they are not atisfied with the Succes of their fale Promies, and Oaths, but they inult over the weaknes of a too fond Woman, and Triumph in her Dihonour. I am orry there are any Women o foolih and forward, as to give hopes and encouragement to uch ungenerous Fellows; yet we may be aur&rsquo;d, that they are not a quarter o many as thoe vain Boaters wou&rsquo;d make &rsquo;em. Much more be aid on this head, but that I think it high time to pas on to the next, which is Enviounes, o foul a Blot to a fair Character, that no Merit can wah it out, or atone ufficiently for it.