Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/308

302 The vulgar are wayed by preent feelings, and the habits which they have accidentally acquired; but on partial feelings much dependence cannot be placed, though they be jut; for, when they are not invigorated by reflection, cutom weakens them, till they are carcely felt. The ympathies of our nature are trengthened by pondering cogitations, and deadened by thoughtles ue. Mackbeth's heart mote him more for one murder, the firt, than for a hundred ubequent ones, which were neceary to back it. But, when I ued the epithet vulgar, I did not mean to confine my remark to the poor, for partial humanity, founded on preent enations, or whim, is quite as conpicuous, if not more o, amongt the rich.

The lady who heds tears for the bird tarved in a nare, and execrates the devils in the hape of men, who goad to madnes the poor ox, or whip the patient as, tottering under a burden above its trength, will, nevertheles, keep her coachman and hores whole hours waiting for her, when the harp frot bites, or the rain beats againt the well-cloed windows which do not admit a breath of air to tell her how roughly the wind blows without. And he who takes her dogs to bed, and nures them, with a parade of enibility, when ick, will uffer her babes to grow up crooked in a nurery. This illutration of my argument is drawn from a matter of fact. The woman whom I allude to was handome, reckoned very handome, by thoe who do not mis the mind when the face is plump and fair; but her undertanding had not been led from female duties by literature, nor her innocence debauched by knowledge.&ensp;