the origin of the distinction of ranks-第6章

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th　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　general　upon　the　whole　southern　and　western　coast　of　Africa；　no　female　is　ever　admitted　to　the　succession　of　any　estate；　either　real　or　personal。　　　　　The　same　custom　is　said　to　be　observed　among　the　Tartars；　and　there　is　some　reason　to　believe　that　it　has　been　anciently　established　among　all　the　inhabitants　of　Chaldea　and　Arabia。　　　　　From　the　famous　decision　of　this　point　related　by　Moses；　it　appears　that；　in　his　time；　the　succession　of　females　had　been　without　a　precedent；　and；　by　his　appointment；　they　were　only　permitted　to　inherit　upon　a　failure　of　males　of　the　same　degree。　　　　　Then　came　the　daughters　of　Zelophehad　　and　they　stood　before　Moses；　and　before　Eleazar　the　priest；　and　before　the　princes；　and　all　the　congregation；　by　the　door　of　the　tabernacle　of　the　congregation；　saying：　　　　　Our　father　died　in　the　wilderness；　and　he　was　not　in　the　company　of　them　that　gathered　themselves　together　against　the　Lord　in　the　company　of　Korah；　but　died　in　his　own　sin；　and　had　no　sons。　　　　　Why　should　the　name　of　our　father　be　done　away　from　among　his　family；　because　he　hath　no　son？　Give　unto　us　therefore　a　possession　among　the　brethren　of　our　father。　　　　　And　Moses　brought　their　cause　before　the　Lord。　　　　　And　the　Lord　spake　unto　Moses；　saying：　　　　　The　daughters　of　Zelophehad　speak　right；　thou　shalt　surely　give　them　a　possession　of　an　inheritance　among　their　father's　brethren；　and　thou　shalt　cause　the　inheritance　of　their　father　to　pass　unto　them。　　　　　And　thou　shalt　speak　unto　the　children　of　Israel；　saying；　If　a　man　die；and　have　no　son；　then　ye　shall　cause　his　inheritance　to　pass　unto　his　daughter。（13*）　　　　　In　all　those　German　nations　which　over…ran　and　subdued　the　different　provinces　of　the　Roman　empire；　the　same　notions　were　entertained　concerning　the　inferiority　of　the　women；　and　the　same　rules　of　succession　were　naturally　introduced。　It　is　probable　that；　according　to　the　original　customs　which　prevailed　in　all　these　nations；　daughters；　and　all　other　female　relations；　were　entirely　excluded　from　the　right　of　inheritance；　but　that　afterwards；　when　the　increase　of　opulence　and　luxury　had　raised　them　to　higher　consideration；　they　were　admitted　to　succeed　after　the　males　of　the　same　degree。　　　　　In　a　country　where　the　women　are　universally　regarded　as　the　slaves　of　the　other　sex；　it　is　natural　to　expect　that　they　should　be　bought　and　sold；　like　any　other　species　of　property。　To　marry　a　wife　must　there　be　the　same　thing　as　to　purchase　a　female　servant；　who　is　to　be　entrusted；　under　the　husband's　direction；　with　a　great　part　of　the　domestic　economy。　　　　　Thus；　in　all　savage　nations；　whether　in　Asia；　Africa；　or　America；　the　wife　is　commonly　bought　by　the　husband　from　the　father；　or　those　other　relations　who　have　an　authority　over　her；　and　the　conclusion　of　a　bargain　of　this　nature；　together　with　the　payment　of　the　price；　has　therefore　become　the　most　usual　form　of　solemnity　in　the　celebration　of　their　marriages。（14*）　　　　　This　appears　to　be　the　real　foundation　of　what　is　related　by　historians；　that　in　some　parts　of　the　world　it　is　usual