SKETCHES OF THE HISTORY OF MAN, BOOK I Progress of MEN INDEPENDENT OF SOCIETY. HE progrefs of the female fex, a capital branch of the hiftory of man, comprehends great variety of matter, curious, and interefting. But sketches are my province, not complete hiftories; and I propofe in the present sketch to trace the gradual progress of woVOL. II. A men, 1 men, from their low ftate in favage tribes, to their elevated ftate in civilized nations. With regard to the outlines, whether of internal difpofition or of external figure, men and women are the fame. Nature, however, intending them for mates, has given them difpofitions different but concordant, fo as to produce together delicious harmony. The man, more robuft, is fitted for fevere labour and for field-exercises: the woman, more delicate, is fitted for fedentary occupations; and particularly for nurfing children. That difference is remarkable in the mind, no lefs than in the body. A boy is always running about; delights in a top or a ball, and rides upon a ftick as a horse. girl has lefs inclination to move: her first amusement is a baby; which she delights to dress and undrefs. I have feen oftener than once a female child under fix getting an infant in its arms, careffing it, finging, and walking about ftaggering under the weight. A boy never thinks of fuch a paftime. The man, bold and vigorous, is qualified for being a protector: the woman, delicate and timid, requires protection. A : tection. The man, as a protector, is directed by nature to govern: the woman, confcious of inferiority, is difpofed to obey. Their intellectual powers correspond to the deflination of nature: men have penetration and folid judgement to fit them for governing women have fufficient understanding to make a decent figure under good government; a greater proportion would excite dangerous rivalship. Women have more imagination and more fenfibility than men ; and yet none of them have made an eminent figure in any of the fine arts. We hear of no fculptor nor ftatuary among them; and none of them have rifen above a mediocrity in poetry or painting. Nature has avoided rivalship between the fexes, by giving them different talents. Add another capital difference of difpofition: the gentle and infinuating manners of the female fex, tend to foften the roughnefs of the other fex; and where-ever women are indulged *From which it appears to proceed, that women naturally are more careful of their reputation than men, and more hurt by obloquy. |