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ther must stay with the child, and provide for its wants, nature has taken care that she should be pleased with doing so. Indeed many mothers have this feeling too strong, they cannot manage their children properly; they spoil them, become unjust towards other persons on their account, and sacrifice truth and every thing for their sake. This is seldom the case with fathers; they are commonly obliged to inflict the deserved punishments, and to be the judges in all disputes.

MARY WOLSTONCROFT denies, that women from birth, independently of education, have a fondness for dolls. She quotes her own feelings, and ventures to affirm, that the doll will never excite the attention of a girl, unless confinement allows her no alternative. "Girls and boys," says she, "would play harmlessly together, if the distinction of sex were not inculcated long before nature makes any difference." MARY WOLSTONCROFT is very wrong to take herself as the standard of her sex, while general observations show, that throughout nature the love of offspring is stronger in females than in males.

Another feeling more energetic in women than in men, is Attachment. This feeling is not the result of their weak state, but is given by nature.

Many women have sacrificed to it their happiness and welfare. Females commonly wish to possess, exclusively, the friendship of others, and often complain of the want of friendship in men, since they are not so exclusively governed by it. The circumstance of this feeling being so energetic and prevailing in women, is an additional motive why seduction should be more severely punished. I fear that many legislators wink at this crime, from the circumstance of their not being themselves so prone to strong attachments as women.

There are still some other feelings more active in women than in men, which essentially enter into the formation of the female character. It is, however, difficult to say whether they contribute to their happiness, since it often happens, that, if they be not satisfied, they become sources of unhappiness to them.

One of the most prevailing sentiments of females is the Love of Approbation. They show it from their earliest infancy in dressing, walking, speaking, &c. &c. They are constantly desirous of knowing what others say of them; they are fond of distinctions of every kind, of decorations and external show. Young girls, who are scarcely capable of understanding what is said of them,

may be governed by talking to them of what other people think of their behaviour. This motive has not the same effect with boys. Many females are intoxicated by the love of approbation, they cannot distinguish true merit from false flattery, nay, they would be pleased with adoration. They try to make impressions on others by various means. Some would suffer pain in order to be pitied, rather than remain unnoticed.

No man will object indiscriminately against the feeling which causes a desire of pleasing; it is the source of many pleasures in society; but its too great activity, combined with some other sentiments, and not directed by reflection, makes many women weak and fastidious, or mere objects of amusement, by their pretty nothings and infantine airs. It is still worse, if such fine ladies be full of capricious fancies. Females who are governed only by this feeling, will remain alluring objects for a moment, but they will not obtain a durable interest in the affections of a sensible man. It follows, that the sentiment of the love of approbation being in general too strong in women, does not stand in need of being exercised; it only requires to be directed.

Females naturally have less courage than men, and more circumspection. Fear, therefore, ought not to be cherished in them; but it ought to be treated as cowardice. To fear a cat, a mouse, an insect, a little noise, &c. is irrational, looks infantine, and indicates altogether a false susceptibility of mind, or a too great nervous irritability. The ardour with which some females amuse themselves in hunting, shooting, and gaming, appears, on the other hand, equally objectionable. In short, while coarseness in females is to be avoided; delicacy and refinement of taste must not be confounded with weakness.

The conduct of females, in general, is unstable; their opinions are often wavering; they think too much of incidental occurrences; of actual events; they wish to enjoy immediately; are moved by momentary impressions; do not like to work for a future period; while men have more frequently the end in view. Females undertake many things; they are warm by fits and starts, but their warmth is soon exhausted.

Indeed, hitherto the greatest enemies of the female sex reside in their own feelings. Many civilized women please, rather than inspire with respect. They prefer alluring manners to perma

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nent friendship. Many are charming, romantic, vain, or fine sentimental ladies. They are occupied with trifling things, mere beings of sensibility and pleasure, refined by novels, poetry, and gallantry; but they should never forget, that they will always be considered as insignificant when they wish only to be fine ladies, and not to fulfil the duties which nature has assigned to them.

Thus, the feelings and their combinations in women, tend much to make them dependent. To be independent, it is not sufficient to be endowed with the feeling of duty and justice as principal motive; these must also be combined with indifference about the opinion of others when unjust, with courage and perseverance, in order to resist difficulties and obstacles, and to attend only to the aim, and to think of the necessary means.

In order to understand perfectly the great phenomenon observed at all times, that one half of the human species has excluded the other half from all participation in government, it is necessary to compare also the understanding of the

two sexes.

The intellectual faculties, though, like the feel

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