Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/188

182 a few comments. 'Though Roueau,' he oberves, 'has endeavoured to prevent women from interfering in public affairs, and acting a brilliant part in the theatre of politics; yet in peaking of them, how much has he done it to their atisfaction! If he wihed to deprive them of ome rights foreign to their ex, how has he for ever retored to them all thoe to which it has a claim? And in attempting to diminih their influence over the deliberations of men, how acredly has he etablihed the empire they have over their happines! In aiding them to decend from an uurped throne, he has firmly eated them upon that to which they were detined by nature; and though he be full of indignation againt them when they endeavour to reemble men, yet when they come before him with all the charms, weaknees, virtues and errors, of their ex, his repect for their perons amounts almot to adoration.' True!—For never was there a enualit who paid more fervent adoration at the hrine of beauty. So devout, indeed, was his repect for the peron, that excepting the virtue of chatity, for obvious reaons, he only wihed to ee it embellihed by charms, weaknees, and errors. He was afraid let the auterity of reaon hould diturb the oft playfulnes of love. The mater wihed to have a meretricious lave to fondle, entirely dependent on his reaon and bounty; he did not want a companion, whom he hould be compelled to eteem, or a friend to whom he could confide the care of his children's education, hould death deprive them of their father, before he had fulfilled the acred&ensp;