Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/110

104 which they eek.'—True! my male readers will probably exclaim; but let them, before they draw any concluion, recollect that this was not written originally as decriptive of women, but of the rich. In Dr. Smith's Theory of Moral Sentiments, I have found a general character of people of rank and fortune, that, in my opinion, might with the greatet propriety be applied to the female ex. I refer the agacious reader to the whole comparion; but mut be allowed to quote a paage to enforce an argument that I mean to init on, as the one mot concluive againt a exual character. For if, excepting warriors, no great men, of any denomination, have ever appeared amongt the nobility, may it not be fairly inferred that their local ituation wallowed up the man, and produced a character imilar to that of women, who are localized, if I may be allowed the word, by the rank they are placed in, by courtey? Women, commonly called Ladies, are not to be contradicted in company, are not allowed to exert any manual trength; and from them the negative virtues only are expected, when any virtues are expected, patience, docility, good-humour, and flexibility; virtues incompatible with any vigorous exertion of intellect. Beides, by living more with each other, and being eldom abolutely alone, they are more under the influence of entiments than paions. Solitude and reflection are neceary to give to wihes the force of paions, and to enable the imagination to enlarge the object, and make it the mot deirable. The ame may be aid of the rich; they do not ufficiently deal in general ideas, collected by impaioned thinking, or&ensp;