Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/139

Rh thought and wih, that do not nurture pure affection and permanent virtue.—Permanent virtue! alas! Roueau, repectable viionary! thy paradie would oon be violated by the entrance of ome unexpected guet. Like Milton's it would only contain angels, or men unk below the dignity of rational creatures. Happines is not material, it cannot be een or felt! Yet the eager puruit of the good which every one hapes to his own fancy, proclaims man the lord of this lower world, and to be an intelligent creature, who is not to receive, but to acquire happines. They, therefore, who complain of the deluions of paion, do not recollect that they are exclaiming againt a trong proof of the immortality of the oul.

But leaving uperiour minds to correct themelves, and pay dearly for their experience, it is neceary to oberve, that it is not againt trong, perevering paions; but romantic wavering feelings that I wih to guard the female heart by exerciing the undertanding: for thee paradiiacal reveries are oftener the effect of idlenes than of a lively fancy.

Women have eldom ufficient erious employment to ilence their feelings; a round of little cares, or vain puruits frittering away all trength of mind and organs, they become naturally only objects of ene.—In hort, the whole tenour of female education (the education of ociety) tends to render the bet dipoed romantic and incontant; and the remainder vain and mean. In the preent tate of ociety this evil can carcely be remedied, I am afraid, in the lightet degree; Rh