The Baroness de Stael speaks the same
language as the lady just cited, with more enthusiasm. Her eulogium on
Rousseau was accidentally put into my hands, and her sentiments, the
sentiments of too many of my sex, may serve as the text for a few
comments. 'Though Rousseau,' she observes, 'has endeavoured to prevent
women from interfering in public affairs, and acting a brilliant part in
the theatre of politics; yet in speaking of them, how much has he done it
to their satisfaction! If he wished to deprive them of some rights foreign
to their sex, how has he for ever restored to them all those to which it
has a claim! And in attempting to diminish their influence over the
deliberations of men, how sacredly has he established the empire they have
over their happiness! In aiding them to descend from an usurped throne, he
has firmly seated them upon that to which they were destined by nature;
and though he be full of indignation against them when they endeavour to
resemble men, yet when they come before him with all the charms,
weaknesses, virtues and errors, of their sex, his
respect for their persons amounts almost to adoration.' True! --
For never was there a sensualist who paid more fervent adoration at the
shrine of beauty. So devout, indeed, was his respect for the person, that
excepting the virtue of chastity, for obvious reasons, he only wished to
see it embellished by charms, weaknesses, and errors. He was afraid lest
the austerity of reason should disturb the soft playfulness of love. The
master wished to have a meretricious slave to fondle, entirely dependent
on his reason and bounty; he did not want a companion, whom he should be
compelled to esteem, or a friend to whom he could confide the care of his
children's education, should death deprive them of their father, before he
had fulfilled the sacred task. He denies woman reason, shuts her out from
knowledge, and turns her aside from truth; yet his pardon is granted,
because 'he admits the passion of love.' It would require some ingenuity
to shew why women were to be under such an obligation to him for thus
admitting love; when it is clear that he admits it only for the relaxation
of men, and to perpetuate the species; but he talked with passion, and
that powerful spell worked on the sensibility of a young encomiast. 'What
signifies it,' pursues this rhapsodist, 'to women, that his reason
disputes with them the empire, when his heart is devotedly theirs.' It is
not empire, -- but equality, that they should contend for. Yet, if they
only wished to lengthen out their sway, they should not entirely trust to
their persons, for though beauty may gain a heart, it cannot keep it, even
while the beauty is in full bloom, unless the mind lend, at least, some
graces.
