Asaproofthateducationgivesthisappearanceofweaknesstofemales,wemayinstancetheexampleofmilitarymen,whoare,likethem,sentintotheworldbeforetheirmindshavebeenstoredwithknowledgeorfortifiedbyprinciples。Theconsequencesaresimilar;soldiersacquirealittlesuperficialknowledge,snatchedfromthemuddycurrentofconversation,and,fromcontinuallymixingwithsociety,theygain,whatistermedaknowledgeoftheworld;andthisacquaintancewithmannersandcustomshasfrequentlybeenconfoundedwithaknowledgeofthehumanheart。
Butcanthecrudefruitofcasualobservation,neverbroughttothetestofjudgment,formedbycomparingspeculationandexperience,deservesuchadistinction？Soldiers,aswellaswomen,practicetheminorvirtueswithpunctiliouspoliteness。Whereisthenthesexualdifference,whentheeducationhasbeenthesame;allthedifferencethatIcandiscern,arisesfromthesuperioradvantageoflibertywhichenablestheformertoseemoreoflife。
Itiswanderingfrommypresentsubject,perhaps,tomakeapoliticalremark;butasitwasproducednaturallybythetrainofmyreflections,Ishallnotpassitsilentlyover。
Standingarmiescanneverconsistofresolute,robustmen;theymaybewelldisciplinedmachines,buttheywillseldomcontainmenundertheinfluenceofstrongpassionsorwithveryvigorousfaculties。Andasforanydepthofunderstanding,Iwillventuretoaffirm,thatitisasrarelytobefoundinthearmyasamongstwomen;andthecause,Imaintain,isthesame。Itmaybefurtherobserved,thatofficersarealsoparticularlyattentivetotheirpersons,fondofdancing,crowdedrooms,adventures,andridicule。
LiketheFAIRsex,thebusinessoftheirlivesisgallantry。Theyweretaughttoplease,andtheyonlylivetoplease。Yettheydonotlosetheirrankinthedistinctionofsexes,fortheyarestillreckonedsuperiortowomen,thoughinwhattheirsuperiorityconsists,beyondwhatIhavejustmentioned,itisdifficulttodiscover。