Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/235

Rh will teach them modety. There is no need of falehoods, diguting as futile, for tudied rules of behaviour only impoe on hallow obervers; a man of ene oon ees through, and depies the affectation.

The behaviour of young people, to each other, as men and women, is the lat thing that hould be thought of in education. In fact, behaviour in mot circumtances is now o much thought of, that implicity of character is rarely to be een: yet, if men were only anxious to cultivate each virtue, and let it take root firmly in the mind, the grace reulting from it, its natural exteriour mark, would oon trip affectation of its flaunting plumes; becaue, fallacious as untable, is the conduct that is not founded upon truth!

Would ye, O my iters, really poes modety, ye mut remember that the poeion of virtue, of any denomination, is incompatible with ignorance and vanity! ye mut acquire that obernes of mind, which the exercie of duties, and the puruit of knowledge, alone inpire, or ye will till remain in a doubtful dependent ituation, and only be loved whilt ye are fair! The downcat eye, the roy bluh, the retiring grace, are all proper in their eaon; but modety, being the child of reaon, cannot long exit with the enibility that is not tempered by reflection. Beides, when love, even innocent love, is the whole employ of your lives, your hearts will be too oft to afford modety that tranquil retreat, where he delights to dwell, in cloe union with humanity. Rh