Page:Vindication Women's Rights (Wollstonecraft).djvu/40

34 dignity.—Vile intrigues, unnatural crimes, and every vice that degrades our nature, have been the teps to this ditinguihed eminence; yet millions of men have upinely allowed the nerveles limbs of the poterity of uch rapacious prowlers to ret quietly on their enanguined thrones.

What but a petilential vapour can hover over ociety when its chief director is only intructed in the invention of crimes, or the tupid routine of childih ceremonies? Will men never be wie?—will they never ceae to expect corn from tares, and figs from thitles?

It is impoible for any man, when the mot favourable circumtances concur, to acquire ufficient knowledge and trength of mind to dicharge the duties of a king, entruted with uncontrouleduncontrolled [sic] power; how then mut they be violated when his very elevation is an inuperable bar to the attainment of either widom or virtue; when all the feelings of a man are tifled by flattery, and reflection hut out by pleaure! Surely it is madnes to make the fate of thouands depend on the caprice of a weak fellow creature, whoe very tation inks him necearily below the meanet of his ubjects! But one power hould not be thrown down to exalt another—for all power intoxicates weak man; and its abue proves, that the more equality there is etablihed among men, the more virtue and happines will reign in ociety. But this, and any imilar im&ensp;