Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/15

Rh embellih it with the grand traces of mental beauty, or the intereting implicity of affection.

Conider, Sir, dipaionately, thee obervations—for a glimpe of this truth eemed to open before you when you oberved, 'that to ee one half of the human race excluded by the other from all participation of government, was a political phænomenon that, according to abtract principles, it was impoible to explain.' If o, on what does your contitution ret? If the abtract rights of man will bear dicuion and explanation, thoe of woman, by a parity of reaoning, will not hrink from the ame tet: though a different opinion prevails in this country, built on the very arguments which you ue to jutify the oppreion of woman—precription.

Conider, I addres you as a legilator, whether, when men contend for their freedom, and to be allowed to judge for themelves repecting their own happines, it be not inconitent and unjut to ubjugate women, even though you firmly believe that you are acting in the manner bet calculated to promote their happines? Who made man the excluive judge, if woman partake with him the gift of reaon?

In this tyle, argue tyrants of every denomination, from the weak king to the weak father of&ensp;