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+To the EDITOR*.+
_Sir,_
Certain persons have for some time past been carrying on a dispute
relative to the talents of women, and the dispute I perceive has found
its way into your miscellany. I believe, Sir, the question might be soon
settled to the satisfaction of all parties, if, we were first to agree
in what is meant, or should be meant by the word talents. Hitherto, if I
understand the controversy, talents have been understood to mean the
power or faculty of publishing in prose and verse; and if we limit it to
this, we may easily decide, that women are inferior to men, because
there have been probably a thousand male authors for one female.
But, Sir, with submission, I would beg leave to suggest, that we narrow
human genius and ability very much, when we confine them to the
bookseller’s shop. Are there not many very able Statesmen who never
write any thing but Treasury-warrants, and receipts for their salaries?
Nay, do we not admire the vast genius of some Representatives, whose
_forte_ is entirely in speaking, and who, when compelled to draw up an
address to their independent constituents, commit errors that would
disgrace a school-boy? In short, Sir, if we have no other way of judging
of a man’s talents, but by the quantity he publishes, either from the
press or from his mouth, are we not giving all the praise to mere
saying; and never reflecting that an accumulation of words, without
corresponding actions, is to all necessary purposes useless and
unprofitable?
This being premised, and, I hope, allowed, we need dispute no longer
about the superiority of the male sex. The talents of the fair sex, as
to all the great and important events of human life, and all the leading
transactions of kingdoms and states have so far transcended what has
been attributed to us, that were I to compile a new Universal History,
however I might avail myself of the valuable labours contained in the
old, I should certainly entitle it, “A history of the Power and
Influence of the Female Sex, from the fall of Adam to the present time.”
It is the pitiful jealousy and envy of men which has deprived the sex of
the honours due to them in history; and likewise some part of the
concealment of their influence, arises from the brevity of histories,
their authors taking a superficial view of events, and seldom troubling
themselves to investigate the secret springs of human action; whereas,
if we will only examine into the minute particulars of great events, the
secret intrigues of Courts, Kings and Ministers, or even of Republics,
we shall always find that the women have had a great share in bringing
about political changes, wars, treaties, negociations, &c. although
they, for modesty probably, content themselves with acting unseen and
unobserved, and the men, proud of the success of the affair, wish to
take all the merit to themselves. Now, Sir, let me ask you a plain
question: which of the two is likely to deserve most fame, and to confer
greater renown on the party, the publishing a poem, or bringing about a
Revolution in a state or nation, perhaps with a few words? Which
requires greater abilities, to govern a kingdom, or to cajole a
bookseller? To tickle the fancy of love-sick boys and girls by a novel,
or to confound and stun half the Cabinets of Europe, by a bold stroke of
invasion, a massacre, and a partition? To write a ballad about a man and
woman who never existed, or to make the existence of thousands of men
and women miserable?
But this is not all. It is not enough to appeal to the history of
ancient and modern nations, for proofs of the superiority of women over
men. This, perhaps, is not much in their favour, for a superiority of
evil influence is not the present contest, and would not be very
honourable if it were established. No, Sir, if we wish to ascertain the
real and meritorious superiority of female talents, we need not consult
the voluminous records of history; we need only bring the question home
to ourselves. I shall instance but in one respect, the power of
persuasion. This I take to be the great test of genius and talents. He
who possesses this, possesses every thing; and yet we know that what a
man cannot do by whole treatises and volumes, by a well connected chain
of argument, and the most convincing calculations, is generally done by
a woman with a smile, a glance of the eye, or a very few words. Sir, we
may talk as we please of our vast learning, of our voluminous
productions, of our many virtues for which we obtain credit in epithets
and funeral sermons. But with what painful efforts do we accomplish the
least of our good actions! and to do a great good is the business of a
long life. What is all our power compared, or, which is more dangerous,
put in competition with a TEAR or a FIT?
I repeat it, Sir, let us bring the question home to ourselves. What is
it that constitutes the felicity of domestic life? Is it the wealth we
have acquired, the house we live in, the equipage that bespeaks our
rank, or the servants that bow at our command? No. Sir, to use an
expression of Mr. Burke, it is, “the dignified obedience and proud
submission” we owe and pay to the female sex. Our hearts confess that
they deserve it, and that we cannot help paying it, and cannot,
therefore, help acknowledging their superiority. When we refuse to pay
it, when our minds are in a state of rebellion against those lawful
sovereigns, where is it that we dare to breathe sentiments of a
seditious tendency? Is it in their presence? No; a look, a word, awes us
into submission; and when we conceive the thoughts of resistance we fly,
like cowards, to some secret place, to some neutral ground, to the
desart heath of celibacy.
They may be accounted to possess the greatest talents who accomplish the
greatest purposes by few means, which, in my mind, establishes the
superiority of the fair sex. I am, Sir, your humble servant,