Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/204

198 at making them prudent; and prudence, early in life, is but the cautious craft of ignorant elf-love.

I have oberved that young people, to whoe education particular attention has been paid, have, in general, been very uperficial and conceited, and far from pleaing in any repect, becaue they had neither the unupecting warmth of youth, nor the cool depth of age. I cannot help imputing this unnatural appearance principally to that haty premature intruction, which leads them preumptuouly to repeat all the crude notions they have taken upon trut, o that the careful education which they received, makes them all their lives the laves of prejudices.

Mental as well as bodily exertion is, at firt, irkome; o much o, that the many would fain let others both work and think for them. An obervation which I have often made will illutrate my meaning. When in a circle of trangers, or acquaintances, a peron of moderate abilities aerts an opinion with heat, I will venture to affirm, for I have traced this fact home, very often, that it is a prejudice. Thee echoes have a high repect for the undertanding of ome relation or friend, and without fully comprehending the opinions, which they are o eager to retail, they maintain them with a degree of obtinacy, that would urprie even the peron who concocted them.

I know that a kind of fahion now prevails of repecting prejudices; and when any one dares to face them, though actuated by humanity and armed by reaon, he is uperciliouly aked whether his ancetors were fools. No, I hould reply; opinions,&ensp;