Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/262

256 But, to render her really virtuous and ueful, he mut not, if he dicharge her civil duties, want, individually, the protection of civil laws; he mut not be dependent on her huband's bounty for her ubitence during his life, or upport after his death—for how can a being be generous who has nothing of its own? or, virtuous, who is not free? The wife, in the preent tate of things, who is faithful to her huband, and neither uckles nor educates her children, carcely deerves the name of a wife, and has no right to that of a citizen. But take away natural rights, and there is of coure an end of duties.

Women thus infallibly become only the wanton olace of men, when they are o weak in mind and body, that they cannot exert themelves, unles to purue ome frothy pleaure, or to invent ome frivolous fahion. What can be a more melancholy ight to a thinking mind, than to look into the numerous carriages that drive helter-kelter about this metropolis in a morning full of pale-faced creatures who are flying from themelves. I have often wihed, with Dr. Johnon, to place ome of them in a little hop with half a dozen children looking up to their languid countenances for upport. I am much mitaken, if ome latent vigour would not oon give health and pirit to their eyes, and ome lines drawn by the exercie of reaon on the blank cheeks, which before were only undulated by dimples, might retore lot dignity to the character, or rather enable it to attain the true dignity of its nature. Virtue is not to be acquired even by peculation, much les by the negative upinenes that wealth naturally generates. Beides,&ensp;