Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/307

Rh finet eye or the elegantly turned finih of the fairet features: whilt in every motion that diplays the active limbs and well-knit joints, grace and modety hould appear. But this fair aemblage is not to be brought together by chance; it is the reward of exertions met to upport each other; for judgment can only be acquired by reflection, affection by the dicharge of duties, and humanity by the exercie of compaion to every living creature.

Humanity to animals hould be particularly inculcated as a part of national education, for it is not at preent one of our national virtues. Tendernes for their humble dumb dometics, amongt the lower clas, is oftener to be found in a avage than a civilized tate. For civilization prevents that intercoure which creates affection in the rude hut, or mud cabin, and leads uncultivated minds who are only depraved by the refinements which prevail in the ociety, where they are trodden under foot by the rich, to domineer over them to revenge the inults that they are obliged to bear from their uperiours.

This habitual cruelty is firt caught at chool, where it is one of the rare ports of the boys to torment the mierable brutes that fall in their way. The tranition, as they grow up, from barbarity to brutes to dometic tyranny over wives, children, and ervants, is very eay. Jutice, or even benevolence, will not be a powerful pring of action unles it be extended to the whole creation; nay, I believe that it may be delivered as an axiom, that thoe who can ee pain, unmoved, will oon learn to inflict it. The&ensp;