the origin of the distinction of ranks-第18章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ving。　Exempted　from　labour；　and　placed　in　great　affluence；　they　endeavour　to　improve　their　enjoyments；　and　become　addicted　to　all　those　amusements　and　diversions　which　give　an　exercise　to　their　minds；　and　relieve　them　from　languor　and　weariness；　the　effects　of　idleness　and　dissipation。　In　such　a　state；　the　pleasures　which　nature　has　grafted　upon　the　love　between　the　sexes；　become　the　source　of　an　elegant　correspondence；　and　are　likely　to　have　a　general　influence　upon　the　commerce　of　society。　Women　of　condition　come　to　be　more　universally　admired　and　courted　upon　account　of　the　agreeable　qualities　which　they　possess；　and　upon　account　of　the　amusement　which　their　conversation　affords。　They　are　encouraged　to　quit　that　retirement　which　was　formerly　esteemed　so　suitable　to　their　character；　to　enlarge　the　sphere　of　their　acquaintance；　and　to　appear　in　mixed　company；　and　in　public　meetings　of　pleasure。　They　lay　aside　the　spindle　and　the　distaff；　and　engage　in　other　employments　more　agreeable　to　the　fashion。　As　they　are　introduced　more　into　public　life；　they　are　led　to　cultivate　those　talents　which　are　adapted　to　the　intercourse　of　the　world；　and　to　distinguish　themselves　by　polite　accomplishments　that　tend　to　heighten　their　personal　attractions；　and　to　excite　those　peculiar　sentiments　and　passions　of　which　they　are　the　natural　objects。　　　　　These　improvements；　in　the　state　and　accomplishments　of　the　women；　might　be　illustrated　from　a　view　of　the　manners　in　the　different　nations　of　Europe。　They　have　been　carried　to　the　greatest　height　in　France；　and　in　some　parts　of　Italy；　where　the　fine　arts　have　received　the　highest　cultivation；　and　where　a　taste　for　refined　and　elegant　amusement　has　been　generally　diffused。　The　same　improvements　have　made　their　way　into　England　and　Germany；　though　the　attention　of　the　people　to　the　more　necessary　and　useful　arts；　and　their　slow　advancement　in　those　which　are　subservient　to　entertainment；　has；　in　these　countries；　prevented　the　intercourse　of　the　sexes　from　being　equally　extended。　Even　in　Spain；　where；　from　the　defects　of　administration；　or　from　whatever　causes；　the　arts　have　for　a　long　time　been　almost　entirely　neglected；　the　same　effects　of　refinement　are　at　length　beginning　to　appear；　by　the　admission　of　the　women　to　that　freedom　which　they　have　in　the　other　countries　of　Europe。　　　　　Thus　we　may　observe；　that　in　refined　and　polished　nations　there　is　the　same　free　communication　between　the　sexes　as　in　the　ages　of　rudeness　and　barbarism。　In　the　latter；　women　enjoy　the　most　unbounded　liberty；　because　it　is　thought　of　no　consequence　what　use　they　shall　make　of　it。　In　the　former；　they　are　entitled　to　the　same　freedom；　upon　account　of　those　agreeable　qualities　which　they　possess；　and　the　rank　and　dignity　which　they　hold　as　members　of　society。　　　　　It　should　seem；　however；　that　there　are　certain　limits　beyond　which　it　is　impossible　to　push　the　real　improvements　arising　from　wealth　and　opulence。　In　a　simple　age；　the　free　intercourse　of　the　sexes　is　attended　with　no　bad　consequences；　but　in　opulent　and　luxurious　nations；　it　gives　rise　to　licentious　and　dissolute　manners；　inconsistent　with　good　order；　and　with　the　general　interest　of　society。　The　love　of　pleasure；　when　carried　to　excess；　is　apt　to　weaken　and　destroy　those　passions　which　it　endeavours　to　gratify；　and　to　pervert　those　appetites　which　nature　has　bestowed　upon　mankind　for　the　most　beneficial　purposes。　The　natural　tendency；　therefore；　of　great　luxury　and　dissipation　is　to　diminish　the　rank　and　dignity　of　the　women；　by　preventing　all　refinement　in　their　connection　with　the　other　sex；　and　rendering　them　only　subservient　to　the　purposes　of　animal　enjoyment。　　　　　　　　　　　　　Prima　peregrinos　obscena　pecunia　mores　　　　　　　　　　　　　Intulit；　et　turpi　fregerunt　secula　lux？　　　　　　　　　　　　　Divitiae　molles。　Quid　enim　Venus　ebria　curat？　　　　　The　voluptuousness　of　the　Eastern　nations；　arising　from　a　degree　of　advancement　in　the　arts　joined；　perhaps；　to　the　effect　of　their　climate；　and　the　facility　with　which　they　are　able　to　procure　subsistence；　has　introduced　the　practice　of　polygamy；　by　which　the　women　are　reduced　into　a　state　of　slavery　and　confinement；　and　a　great　proportion　of　the　inhabitants　are　employed　in　such　offices　as　render　them　incapable　of　contributing；　either　to　the　population；　or　to　the　useful　improvements　of　the　country。（35*）　　　　　The　excessive　opulence　of　Rome；　about　the　end　of　the　commonwealth；　and　after　the　establishment　of　the　despotism；　gave　rise　to　a　degree　of　debauchery　of　which　we　have　no　example　in　any　other　European　nation。　This　did　not　introduce　polygamy；　which　was　repugnant　to　the　regular　and　well　established　police　of　a　former　period；　though　Julius　Caesar　is　said　to　have　prepared　a　law　by　which　the　emperor　should　be　allowed　to　have　as　many　wives　as　he　thought　fit。　But　the　luxury　of　the　people；　being　restrained　in　this　way；　came　to　be　the　more　indulged　in　every　other；　and　the　common　prostitution　of　the　women　was　carried　to　a　height　that　must　have　been　extremely　unfavourable　to　the　multiplication　of　the　species；　while　the　liberty　of　divorce　was　so　much　extended　and　abused；　that；　among　persons　of　condition；　marriage　became　a　very　slight　and　transient　connection。（36*）　　　　　The　frequency　of　divorce；　among　the　Romans；　was　attended　with　bad　consequences；　which　were　felt　in　every　part　of　their　domestic　economy。　As　the　husband　and　wife　had　a　separation　constantly　in　view；　they　could　repose　little　confidence　in　each　other；　but　were　continually　occupied　by　separate　considerations　of　interest。　In　such　a　situation；　they　were　not　likely　to　form　a　strong　attachment；　or　to　bestow　much　attention　to　the　joint　concerns　of　their　family。　So　far　otherwise；　the　practice　of　stealing　from　each　other；　in　expectation　of　a　divorce；　became　so　general　that　it　was　not　branded　with　the　name　of　theft；　but；　like　other　fashionable　vices；　received　a　softening　appellation。（37*）　　　　　The　bad　agreement　between　married　persons；　together　with　the　common　infidelity　of　the　wife；　had　a　natural　tendency　to　alienate　the　affections　of　a　father　from　his　children；　and　led　him；　in　many　cases；　not　only　to　neglect　their　education；　but　even　to　deprive　them　of　their　paternal　inheritance。　This　appears　to　have　been　one　great　cause　of　that　propensity；　discovered　by　the　people；　to　convey　their　estates　by　will；　which；　from　the　many　statutes　that　were　made；　and　the　equitable　decisions　of　judges　that　were　given；　in　order　to　rectify　the　abuse；　has　rendered　that　branch　of　the　Roman　law；　relating　to　testaments；　more　extensive　and　complicated　than　any　other。　The　frequency　of　such　deeds；　to　the　prejudice　of　the　heirs　at　law；　created　swarms　of　those　legacy　hunters；（38*）　whose　trade；　as　we　learn　from　Horace；　afforded　the　most　infallible　means　of　growing　rich；　and　the　same　circumstance　gave　also　great　encouragement　to　the　forgery　or　falsification　of　wills；　a　species　of　fraud　which　is　much　taken　notice　of　by　the　writers　of　those　times；　and　which　has　been　improperly　regarded　as　one　of　the　general　effects　of　opulence　and　luxury。（39*）　　　　　In　those　voluptuous　ages　of　Rome；　it　should　seem　that　the　inhabitants　were　too　much　dissipated　by　pleasure　to　feel　any　violent　passion　for　an　individual；　and　the　correspondence　of　the　sexe