the origin of the distinction of ranks-第5部分

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！


id　on；　and　the　ceremony　was　repeated　in　the　same　manner　the　third　time。（9*）　　　　　Though　the　inhabitants　of　that　country　are；　almost　without　labour；　supplied　with　great　plenty　of　food；　and　may　therefore　be　supposed　more　addicted　to　pleasure　than　is　usual　among　savages　in　a　colder　climate；　yet　they　appear　to　have　no　such　differences　of　wealth　as　might　restrain　the　free　indulgence　of　their　appetites；　and　by　that　means　produce　a　degree　of　refinement　in　their　passions。　　　　　Upon　the　discovery　of　the　new　world　by　Columbus；　the　natives　appeared　to　have　no　idea　of　clothing　as　a　matter　of　decency：　for；　though　the　men　made　use　of　a　garment；　the　women；　it　is　said；　had　not　the　least　covering。　The　nakedness；　however；　of　these　Indians；　when　authorised　by　custom；　had　probably　no　more　tendency　to　promote　debauchery　than　similar　circumstances　can　be　supposed　to　have　upon　inferior　animals。　Rude　nations　are　usually　distinguished　by　greater　freedom　and　plainness　of　behaviour；　according　as　they　are　farther　removed　from　luxury　and　intemperance。　　　　　In　the　Odyssey；　when　Telemachus　arrives　at　Pylos；　he　is　stripped　naked；　bathed；　and　pointed　by　the　king's　daughter。　　　　　　　　　　　　　While　these　officious　tend　the　rites　divine；　　　　　　　　　　　　　The　last　fair　branch　of　the　Nestorian　line；　　　　　　　　　　　　　Sweet　Polycaste；　took　the　pleasing　toil　　　　　　　　　　　　　To　bathe　the　prince；　and　pour　the　fragrant　oil。　　　　　　　　　　　　　O'er　his　fair　limbs　a　flowery　vest　he　threw；　　　　　　　　　　　　　And　issued；　like　a　god；　to　mortal　view。（10*）　　　　　A　remarkable　instance　of　this　plainness　and　simplicity　occurs　in　the　behaviour　of　Ruth　to　Boaz　her　kinsman。　And　when　Boaz　had　eaten　and　drunk　and　his　heart　was　merry；　he　went　to　lie　down　at　the　end　of　the　heap　of　corn：　and　she　came　softly；　and　uncovered　his　feet　and　laid　her　down。　　　　　And　it　came　to　pass　at　midnight；　that　the　man　was　afraid；　and　turned　himself：　and　behold　a　woman　lay　at　his　feet。　　　　　And　he　said；　Who　art　thou？　And　she　answered；　I　am　Ruth；　thine　handmaid：　spread　therefore　thy　skirt　over　thine　handmaid；　for　thou　art　a　near　kinsman。（11*）　　　　　The　influence　of　such　manners　must　be　extremely　unfavourable　to　the　rank　and　dignity　of　the　women；　who　are　deprived　of　that　consideration　and　respect　which；　in　a　polished　nation；　they　are　accustomed　to　derive　from　the　passion　between　the　sexes。　It　is；　at　the　same　time；　impossible；　in　a　rude　age；　that　they　should　procure　esteem　by　such　employments　as　they　have　any　occasion　to　exercise。　　　　　Among　those　who　are　almost　continually　employed　in　war；　or　in　hunting；　and　who；　by　their　manner　of　life；　are　exposed　to　numberless　hardships　and　dangers；　activity；　strength；　courage；　and　military　skill；　are　the　chief　accomplishments　that　are　held　in　high　estimation。　These　accomplishments；　which　in　all　ages　excite　a　degree　of　admiration；　are；　in　a　barbarous　country；　the　principal　sources　of　rank　and　dignity；　as　they　are　most　immediately　useful　to　the　people　in　procuring　food；　and　in　providing　for　their　personal　safety；　the　two　great　objects　which　they　have　constantly　in　view。　When　the　members　of　a　rude　tribe　return　from　an　expedition；　every　man　is　respected　in　proportion　to　the　actions　which　he　has　performed；　and　that　person　is　distinguished　at　the　feast　who　has　been　so　fortunate　as　to　signalize　himself　in　the　field。　The　various　incidents　of　the　battle；　or　of　the　chase；　occupy　their　thoughts；　and　become　an　interesting　subject　of　conversation。　Those　who　are　old　take　pleasure　in　relating　the　deeds　of　former　times；　by　which　their　own　reputation　has　been　established；　and　in　communicating　to　the　young　those　observations　which　they　have　treasured　up；　or　those　rules　of　conduct　which　appear　most　worthy　of　attention。　The　son；　when　he　goes　out　to　battle；　is　armed　with　the　sword　of　his　fathers；　and；　when　he　calls　to　mind　the　renown　which　they　have　acquired；　is　excited　to　a　noble　emulation　of　their　achievements。　　　　　The　inferiority　of　the　women；　in　this　respect；　may　be　easily　imagined。　From　their　situation；　indeed；　they　naturally　acquire　a　degree　of　firmness　and　intrepidity　which　appears　surprising　to　persons　only　acquainted　with　the　manners　of　polished　nations。　It　is　usual　for　them　to　accompany　the　men　in　their　expeditions　either　for　hunting　or　for　war；　and　it　sometimes　happens　that　individuals　are　excited；　by　the　general　spirit　of　the　times；　to　engage　in　battle；　so　as　even　to　gain　a　reputation　by　their　exploits。　But　whatever　may　have　happened　in　some　extraordinary　cases；　we　may　venture　to　conclude；　that　the　female　character　is　by　no　means　suited　to　martial　employments；　and　that；　in　barbarous；　as　well　as　in　refined　periods；　the　women　are；　for　the　most　part；　incapable　of　rivalling　the　other　sex　in　point　of　strength　and　courage。　Their　attention；　therefore；　is　generally　limited　to　an　humbler　province。　It　falls　upon　them　to　manage　all　the　inferior　concerns　of　the　household；　and　to　perform　such　domestic　offices　as　the　particular　circumstances　of　the　people　have　introduced：　offices　which；　however　useful；　yet　requiring　little　dexterity　or　skill；　and　being　attended　with　no　exertion　of　splendid　talents；　are　naturally　regarded　as　mean　and　servile；　and　unworthy　to　engage　the　attention　of　persons　who　command　respect　by　their　military　accomplishments。　　　　　From　these　observations　we　may　form　an　idea　of　the　state　and　condition　of　the　women　in　the　ages　most　remote　from　improvement。　Having　little　attention　paid　them；　either　upon　account　of　those　pleasures　to　which　they　are　subservient；　or　of　those　occupations　which　they　are　qualified　to　exercise；　they　are　degraded　below　the　other　sex；　and　reduced　under　that　authority　which　the　strong　acquire　over　the　weak：　an　authority；　which；　in　early　periods；　is　subject　to　no　limitation　from　the　government；　and　is　therefore　exerted　with　a　degree　of　harshness　and　severity　suited　to　the　dispositions　of　the　people。　　　　　We　accordingly　find　that；　in　those　periods；　the　women　of　a　family　are　usually　treated　as　the　servants　or　slaves　of　the　men。　Nothing　can　exceed　the　dependance　and　subjection　in　which　they　are　kept；　or　the　toil　and　drudgery　which　they　are　obliged　to　undergo。　They　are　forced　to　labour　without　intermission　in　digging　roots；　in　drawing　water；　in　carrying　wood；　in　milking　the　cattle；　in　dressing　the　victuals；　in　rearing　the　children；　and　in　those　other　kinds　of　work　which　their　situation　has　taught　them　to　perform。　The　husband；　when　he　is　not　engaged　in　some　warlike　exercise；　indulges　himself　in　idleness；　and　devolves　upon　his　wife　the　whole　burden　of　his　domestic　affairs。　He　disdains　to　assist　her　in　these　employments：　she　sleeps　in　a　different　bed；　and　is　seldom　permitted　to　have　any　conversation　or　correspondence　with　him。　　　　　Among　the　negroes　upon　the　slave…coast；　the　wife　is　never　allowed　to　appear　before　the　husband；　or　to　receive　any　thing　from　his　hands；　without　putting　herself　into　a　kneeling　posture。　　　　　In　the　empire　of　Congo；　and　in　the　greater　part　of　those　nations　which　inhabit　the　southern　coast　of　Africa；　the　women　of　a　family　are　seldom　allowed　to　eat　with　the　men。　The　husband　sits　alone　at　table；　and　the　wife　commonly　stands　at　his　back；　to　guard　him　from　the　flies；　to　serve　him　with　his　victuals；　or　to　furnish　him　with　his　pipe　and　his　tobacco。　After　he　has　finished　his　meal；　she　is　allowed　to　eat　what　remains；　but　without　sitting　down；　which　it　seems　would　be　inconsistent　with　the　inferiority　and　submission　that　is　thought　suitable　to　her　sex。　When　a　Hottentot　and　his　wife　have　come　into　the　service　of　a　European；　and　are　entertained　in　the　same　house；　the　master　is　under　the　necessity　of　allotting　to　each　of　them　a　distinct　portion　of　victuals；　which；　out　of　regard　to　the　general　usage　of　their　country；　they　always　devour　at　a　distance　from　one　another。　　　　　In　the　account　lately　given　by　Commodore　Byron　of　the　Indians　of　South　America；　we　are　told；　that：　the　men　exercise　a　most　despotic　authority　over　their　wives；　whom　they　consider　in　the　same　view　they　do　any　other　part　of　their　property；　and　dispose　of　them　accordingly：　even　their　common　treatment　of　them　is　cruel；　for　though　the　toil　and　hazard　of　procuring　food　lies　entirely　upon　the　women；　yet　they　are　not　suffered　to　touch　any　part　of　it　till　the　husband　is　satisfied；　and　then　he　assigns　them　their　portion；　which　is　generally　very　scanty；　and　such　as　he　has　not　a　stomach　for　himself。　　　　　The　same　author　informs　us；　that　he　observed　a　like　arbitrary　behaviour　in　many　other　nations　of　savages　with　whom　he　has　since　become　acquainted。（12*）　　　　　From　the　servile　condition　of　the　women　in　barbarous　countries；　they　are　rendered　in　a　great　measure　incapable　of　property；　and　are　supposed　to　have　no　share　in　the　estate　of　that　particular　family　to　which　they　belong。　Whatever　has　been　acquired　by　their　labour　is　under　the　sole　administration　and　disposal　of　those　male　relations　and　friends；　by　whom　they　are　protected；　and　from　whom　they　receive　a　precarious　subsistence。　Upon　the　death　of　a　proprietor；　his　estate　is　continued　in　the　possession　of　his　sons；　or　transmitted　to　his　other　male　relations；　and　his　daughters　are　so　far　from　being　entitled　to　a　share　of　the　succession；　that　they　are　even　considered　as　a　part　of　the　inheritance；　which　the　heir　has　the　power　of　managing　at　pleasure。　　　　　At　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope；　in　the　kingdom　of　Benin；　and　in　gen