Women & Romanticism Vol1

Roxanne Eberle

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781000747645
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Letteratura
• Subtopic: Collezioni letterarie

First published in 2006. Women and Romanticism's first two volumes gather material from the vast body of work produced around the subjects of education and employment. VOLUME I covers Education and Employment in the Early Romantic Period. Until the 1980s, a five-volume collection of materials on 'Women and Romanticism' would have been inconceivable, since Romantic studies largely restricted itself to a consideration of the major male poets of the period (William Blake, William Wordsworth, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Lord Byron, Percy Bysshe Shelley and John Keats), When women were present in accounts of Romanticism, they were considered in terms of their literary function (as objects of representation), or in relation to their domestic (as mothers, daughters, wives and lovers of the authors). Indeed, the first Romantic women writers to enter academic discourse were those with familial connections to the canonized poets: Mary Wollstonecraft, Mary Shelley and Dorothy Wordsworth. Other writers of interest in the 1970s included Frances Burney and Jane Austen.

ON THE IMPORTANCE
OF
THE FEMALE SEX.

LETTER I.

SIR,	London, June, 1802.

THE declaration of your motives for preferring a state of Celibacy to that of Marriage, must be received as a testimony that you consider the female sex in a very disadvantageous point of view; and, in order to increase their humiliation, you avow a knowledge of many gentlemen—rational men—who, although sighing for the enjoyment of domesticbliss, yet dare not venture—from impressions similar to your own, to risque their happiness with any—among the present race of females.

You do not confine your disapprobation to existing characters only; but descend to prefer accusations even against Nature herself, whom you charge with having formed that part of her work superficial, vain, in-consequent, without solidity, without character: you are disposed also to aggravate natural imperfections with those peculiar to the day, supposing the fair-sex to be without the necessary reserve of decency, modesty, and discretion; and, from the prevailing mode of their education, wholly unfit for matrimonial faith and domestic confidence.

Such, Sir, are the opinions of those of your party, who, remaining ignorant of a finer texture of character, content themselves with more inferior samples—the opinions of men, who, having only experienced the solitary state of celibacy, are necessarily incompetent to decide on the real value of the sex—of men, who must first condescend to exchange the unmanly, unblest, title of Batchelor, for that of the more honorable and dignified—“the husband of one woman,”—before their judgment can be admitted as a substantial evidence against female pretensions to the equal and impartial endowments of Nature.

That the fair-sex in all ages has been a subject against which the acrimony of satire and the arrows of wit have been directed, the writings of the first and greatest poets testify: that neither the spleen of the one, nor the wantonness of the other, can debase or lessen the intrinsic value of that interesting sex, their unceasing influence sufficiently demonstrates.

As the benign properties of the solar rays dissipate and dispel gross vapours in the material world, so does the presence of women operate in the intellectual. Over the mind of a good and sensible man her power is gentle and prevailing; his councils are assisted by her prudence; the rude vicissitudes of fortune are softened by her sensibility and friendship: no estimate can exceed her worth, which the wisest of men declared to be “far above rubies.”

The motives that induced, and the circumstances that attended, the creation of the first woman, were strong attestations of her importance, and of the great and momentous part she was to take in the future plan and operations of the world; without her, the purposes for which it was created, must have remained unaccomplished and unfulfilled: for, although Nature appeared to be finished in all her parts, through all the range and variety of animal and vegetable creation, from the most minute and inconsiderable, up to the lordly monarch, by whom they were destined to be governed, and every class of being had received that degree of existence to which it was ordained; yet, notwithstanding the admirable co-operation of a vast part, this beautiful system would have remained incomplete, unorganised, created to no end, if woman, “the last, best gift of Heaven,” had not consummated the grand design. In vain, until her appearance, did the unsullied beauties of a new creation glow before the ravished eye, and the most delicate fragrance gratify the sense: in vain did the melodious inhabitants of the airy regions chant their raptures around, or the unclouded azure of an eastern sky display itself in the lofty vault of heaven.

Although thus invested and surrounded, “Monarch of all he surveyed,” unrivalled Lord amidst a world of sweets, the heart of Adam was a prey to anguish—already he had learned the tale of woe. “Who can enjoy alone; or, all enjoying, what contentment find?” said the Casuist, when his Maker condescended to interrogate him on the cause of his discontent. The incompetency of every other blessing discovered the forlorn condition of man, and the necessity there was for the creation of another creature. This necessity established the value of her society, for whose single absence the whole mass, already produced and in existence, could not compensate.

In a fairer image of improved Nature, and of a texture refined from the groffer elements that composed the body of man, the lovely form of woman appeared. The spirit of her mind was also sublimated; every thing that could raise and confer dignity on her person and character assisted at her presentation. Nature was clad in her grandest gala for her reception; she was introduced to the world by the Almighty himself.—“On she came, led by her heavenly Maker.” And it was not until her appearance, that, like an all-approving father and judge, he pronounced the paternal benediction: it was then that he blessed his work, and declared it to be good.

By the creation of woman, the great design was accomplished—the universal system was harmonised.—Happiness and innocence reigned together: but, unacquainted with the nature or existence of evil—conscious only of good, and imagining that all were of that essence around her—without the advantages of the tradition of fore-fathers to relate, or of ancient records to hand down, Eve was fatally and necessarily ignorant of the rebellious disobedience of the fallen angels, and of their invisible vigilance and combination to accomplish the destruction of the new favorites of Heaven.

In so momentous an event as that which has ever been exclusively imputed to her, neither her virtue nor her prudence ought to be suspected: and there is little reason to doubt that, if the same temptations had been offered to her husband, under the same appearances, but he also would have acquiesced in the commission of this act of disobedience.

Eve’s attention was attracted by the manner in which the serpent first made his attack: he had the gift of speech, which she must have observed to be a faculty peculiar to themselves. This appeared an evidence of something super-natural. The wily tempter chose also the form of the serpent to assist his design, as not only in wisdom and sagacity that creature surpassed all others, but his figure was also erect and beautiful; for it was not until the offended justice of God denounced the curse, that the serpent’s crest was humbled to the dust.

During this extraordinary interview it is evident, that Eve felt a full impression of the divine command, which she repeated to the tempter at the time of his solicitations. She told him, they were not to eat of that tree.—“And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden, but of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden; God said, ye shall hot eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” But the serpent opposed her arguments with sophistry and promises.—“He said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die, but shall be as gods!”—What an idea to a mortal!—Such an image astonished her!—It was not the gross impulses of greedy appetite that urged her, but a nobler motive that induced her to examine the consequences of the act.—She was to be better, and happier—to exchange a mortal for an angelic nature. Her motive was great, virtuous, irresistible. Might she not also have felt herself awed and inspired with a belief of a divine order?—Upon examination, she found it was to produce a greater good than as mortals they could enjoy: this impression excited a desire to possess that good; and that desire determined her will, and the future destiny of a-world.

Numberless circumstances have been recorded in ancient history, during intermediate ages, in which female abilities and talents have been displayed in various gradations and extremes, anterior to that grand epoch, in which a woman was so conspicuously chosen to assist in the great work of atonement, in producing the Redeemer.

No age has passed, in whose annals have not been recorded acts of female heroism and greatness—of deeds, in which have been displayed illustrious virtue and magnanimity: deeds which have reflected on that sex the brightest lustre, and strikingly discovered the natural richness of their minds, which, receiving very few advantages from a narrow system, long laid down and established, for their education, they must either have made efforts to free themselves from the mental shackles with which they were bound, and force themselves into acts worthy a human soul, or continue to drag little better than a torpid existence, in that state to which the meanness of their acquired knowledge seemed to condemn them.

Like a lovely tho’ neglected plant, whose active gem bursts spontaneously into life, and expands its beauties, generously yielding a valuable and useful essence around, so have those distinguished females exhibited examples to the world, worthy of admiration, and to be imitated.

I remain, Sir, &c.

PART 1

EDUCATION AND EMPLOYMENT, 1790–1796

LETTERS

ON

EDUCATION.

WITH OBSERVATIONS ON

RELIGIOUS AND METAPHYSICAL SUBJECTS.

BY CATHARINE MACAULAY GRAHAM.

LONDON:

PRINTED FOR C. DILLY, IN THE POULTRY.

MDCCXC.

LETTER XXI.

Morals must be taught on immutable Principles.

IT is one thing, Hortensia, to educate a citizen, and another to educate a philosopher. The mere citizen will have learnt to obey the laws of his country, but he will never understand those principles on which all laws ought to be established; and without such an understanding, he can never be religious cm rational principles, or truly moral; nor will he ever have any of that active wisdom which is necessary for co-operating in any plan of reformation. But to teach morals on an immutable fitness, has never been the practice in any system of education yet extant. Hence all our notions of right and wrong are loose, unconnected, and inconsistent. Hence the murderer, in one situation, is extolled to the skies; and, in another, is followed with reproach even beyond the grave. For it is not only the man of the world who idolises power, though in the garb of villainy, and persecutes dishonesty when united to weakness, but even those who bear the specious tide of philosophers are apt to be dazzled with the brilliancy of success, and to treat qualities and characters differently, according to the smiles or frowns of fortune.

As an instance, to illustrate this observation, I will select out of the huge mass of human inconsistencies, the praises bestowed by Xenophon on Cyrus; who, whether a real or fictitious character is set up by this philosopher as a model of princely perfection.

Cyrus, it is true, is represented as moderate in the gratification of his appetites, liberal to his followers, and just, when he found justice correspond with his interest; but, as himself confesses, he never practiced any virtue on other principles hut those of personal utility; and he animates his countrymen to exertions, which he dignifies with this title, on motives of obtaining means, by the spoils of others, for future enjoyment. In short, Cyrus was neither liberal from generosity, just from honesty, nor merciful from benevolence; and the address he made use of to enslave the minds of his subjects, is of the same kind as that used by a courtezan to extend and preserve her influence over the hearts of those she has trepanned into her snares. Cyrus was master of all those arts which are necessary to obtain and preserve to himself and successors an unjust measure of power; he enflamed with this lust all his warlike followers, in order to eradicate from their minds the love of freedom and independence. His system of policy, of which many parts are atrocious outrages on the rights of Nature, established the firmest and the mod extensive despotism that was ever established in the East, and has, on these reasons, prevailed more or less in the Persian dynasty, and in all the governments which have been built on its ruins; yet Xenophon and Cicero, who were both republicans and philosophers, extol Cyrus to the skies. But had these men understood rectitude on the principles of truth, they must have perceived, that power never can be justly obtained but by conquest over those by whom we are first unlawfully attacked, or by such a fair influence over the mind as shall convince men that they will be safe and happy under our authority.

Cyrus is one of those plausible knaves who have been set up as models for example; and, on these reasons, he imposes on all those who do not reflect deeply. But I am convinced, that a Cæsar Borgia, or a Cataline, had their characters been united with a brilliant success, would have equally imposed on the vulgar; for as Helvetius very justly observes, it is only the weakness of the poor rogue which men despise, not his dishonesty.

In order to take from public sentiment a reproach which leaves a deep stain on the human character, and to correct many irregularities, and even enormities, which arise from incorrect systems of ethics, it ought to be the first care of education to teach virtue on immutable principles, and to avoid that confusion which mull arise from confounding the laws and customs of society with those obligations which are founded on correct principles of equity. But as you have had patience to go through my whole plan of education, from infancy to manhood, it is but fair that I should attend to your objections, and examine whether my plan is founded on error, or on the principles of reason and truth. Know then, good Hortensia, that I have given similar rules for male and female enducation, on the following grounds of reasoning.

First, That there is but one rule of right for the conduct of all rational bongs; consequently that true, virtue in one sex must be equally so in the other, whenever a proper opportunity calls for its exertion; and, vice versa, what is vice in one sex; cannot have a different property when, found in the other.

Secondly, That true wisdom, which is never found at variance with rectitude, is as useful to women as to men; because it is necessary to the highest degree of happiness, which can never exist with ignorance.

Lastly, That as on our first entrance into another world, our state of happiness may possibly depend on the degree of perfection we have attained in this, we cannot justly lessen, in one sex or the other, the means by which perfection, that is another word for wisdom, is acquired.

It would be paying you a bad compliment, Hortensia, were I to answer all the frivolous objections which prejudice has framed against the giving a learned education to women; for I know of no learning, worth having, that does not tend to free the mind from error, and enlarge our stock of useful knowledge. Thus much it may be proper to observe, that those hours which are spent in studious retirement by learned women, will not in all probability intrude so much on the time for useful avocation, as the wild and spreading dissipations of the present day; that levity and ignorance will always be found in opposition to what is useful and graceful in life; and that the contrary may be expected from a truly enlightened understanding. However, Hortensia, to throw some illustration on what I have advanced on this subject, it may be necessary to show you, that all those vices and imperfections which have been generally regarded as inseparable from the female character, do not in any manner proceed from sexual causes, but are entirely the effects of situation and education. But these observations must be left to farther discussion.

Letter XXII.

No characteristic Difference in Sex.

THE great difference that is observable in the characters of the sexes, Hortensia, as they display themselves in the scenes of social life, has given rise to much false speculation on the natural qualities of the female mind.—For though the doctrine of innate ideas, and innate affections, are in a great measure exploded by the leaned, yet few persons reason so closely and so accurately on abstract subjects as, through a long chain of deductions, to bring forth a conclusion which in no respect militates with thei...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title
• Copyright
• CONTENTS
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• Selected Bibliography
• Original Title
• PREFACE
• VOLUME I Education and Employment in the Early Romantic Period