Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/253

Rh likewie can only be acquired by the dicharge of relative duties; but the importance of thee acred duties will carcely be felt by the being who is cajoled out of his humanity by the flattery of ycophants. There mut be more equality etablihed in ociety, or morality will never gain ground, and this virtuous equality will not ret firmly even when founded on a rock, if one half of mankind are chained to its bottom by fate, for they will be continually undermining it through ignorance or pride.

It is vain to expect virtue from women till they are, in ome degree, independent of men; nay, it is vain to expect that trength of natural affection, which would make them good wives and mothers. Whilt they are abolutely dependent on their hubands they will be cunning, mean, and elfih, and the men who can be gratified by the fawning fondnes of paniel-like affection, have not much delicacy, for love is not to be bought, in any ene of the words, its ilken wings are intantly hrivelled up when any thing beide a return in kind is ought. Yet whilt wealth enervates men; and women live, as it were, by their peronal charms, how can we expect them to dicharge thoe ennobling duties which equally require exertion and elf-denial. Hereditary property ophiticates the mind, and the unfortunate victims to it, if I may o expres myelf, wathed from their birth, eldom exert the locomotive faculty of body or mind; and, thus viewing every thing through one medium, and that a fale one, they are unable to dicern in what true merit and happines conit. Rh