2

present, putting aside the classes lowest in the social scale, and abandoned women, the bulk of women is chaste, and the bulk of men is unchaste. Hence the vice which flaunts in our streets. Ill-regulated passions, and consequent unchastity, can be affected only by the gradual growth of moral civilisation, which may be defined to be the mastery of the mind over the desires. But the licence and impunity from social ostracism possessed by the one sex, society may revoke at its pleasure. Why does it not do so? Why does it punish in one sex an act which it allows to go free in the other? Is it not because all power in the social and political sphere is monopolised by the sex which arrogates to itself an exclusive licence and immunity? We pause for a reply-for any other explanation of the injustice under which women have laboured for three thousand years; laboured without exception of colour or country, and without the respite of a single year.

2. The second question, (assuming that the condition incompatible with prostitution is the equal chastity of the sexes,) is, what changes or reforms, social or political, or both, will secure that condition?

2 It has been urged that Nature, by throwing the act of childbearing exclusively on woman, has stamped a distinction between the crime in the two sexes. But this assertion, which is neither more nor less than disguised Mahometanism, confounds the laws of nature with the institutions made by men. No doubt nature has thrown a certain amount of trouble, pain, and danger exclusively on the woman, though the amount, in our state of society, is very abnormal; but the balance is adjusted by the maternal functions, which are also solely hers-functions which are a source of pleasure and of comfort to her. It is impossible to deduce from such an arrangement, that the shame, ruin, and support of a child, consequent on an illicit act mutually shared, should fall almost exclusively, as they do now, on only one of the parties to it, and that party the one which has to endure all the immediate bodily suffering.

Theoretically, it has always been taught, that chastity is a duty no less incumbent on man than on woman. The ministers of all sects of the Christian religion teach—a teaching professedly accepted by society-that the dictates alike of our intellect and conscience condemn unchastity as a sin of equal weight in both sexes. How is it then that, practically, this teaching is contravened in favour of men? Is it not, we again ask, because women are altogether shut out from any share in shaping those legal, and therefore those social enactments, which combine to treat the vice gently or roughly according as it appears in one sex or the other? We submit, that if one set of persons inflict an evil on another set of persons, -the last set being entirely in the power of the first set, --and if the evil-doers do not attempt to deny or justify the evil, then a sudden accession of power making the power of both sexes equal, would inevitably destroy the evil. The want of chastity among men is an evil to women. But women are completely in the power of men,

-men who, while they admit the equality of duty in the two sexes, violate the admission in practice, and thence make prostitution a necessity. The conclusion is, that give women equal power and the evil will cease, though, from its age and strength, the process of cure may be the gradual work of generations.

So far our argument has been rested on general grounds. But what specific measures of social and legal reform would follow the enfranchisement of women? Well, we believe that fathers and mothers would become as careful of the chastity of their sons as of their daughters. The same horror of unchastity would be instilled into the minds of boys as of girls; and the same practical care would be taken to protect both sexes. The doors of society would

woman.

be as closely shut to the dissolute man as to the dissolute Mothers would as soon think of marrying their daughters to a rake as their sons to a wanton. Greater efforts would be made to reclaim those who had fallen, and to discover and punish common brothel-keepers, and others who cater more secretly for the depraved appetites of the idle rich. Return to a virtuous life would be facilitated. Seduction under promise of marriage would be made a criminal offence, punishable by a long term of imprisonment or penal servitude. Illegitimate children would acquire the same rights as legitimate children. They would be entitled, until the age of twenty-one years, to the supply of necessaries-necessaries being interpreted according to the means and station of the father. They would inherit, in case of intestacy, equally with the other children, and would be on an equality with them in every respect.

It is through these and other reforms resulting from woman's influence, that we anticipate the change we have asserted. Temptations, and liability to falling in both sexes, would be diminished. Men would be put under the influence of a higher morality. The welldisposed would be inspired by a deeper sense of their duties and responsibilities; the vicious by a dread of either the social, pecuniary, or penal consequences of their transgressions. Women also, by the very improvement in men, by the expansion of their minds consequent on a liberal education, by an active life devoted to real work, would be infinitely less exposed to temptation; while the opening of professions and employments to them would weaken, if not destroy, that arch-tempter, want. In short, were men equally chaste with women, prostitution, in anything at all approaching its present proportions, must cease, if only because prostitutes would starve.

But the only way to secure the equal chastity of the sexes, is by a complete change in our social and legal enactments, and the only way to effect this change is by the enfranchisement of women-two propositions which we have tried to establish, (or rather to indicate the lines of thought which will lead to their establishment,) extra the other propositions which form the basis of the work.

kuling repose on the Promise-bed of a female intellest, a govomeselly, what fell & left open to a woman of any questions Seek an answer in any great town.

*KA youq ady, Miss Garrett, from no pressure of necessity, but from an honourable desire to employ her activity in alleviating human kulloing, sudied the medel profession. Having duly qualified herself, she, with an energy and perseverance which cannot be too highly praised, knocked successively at all the doors through which, by law, mocess is obtained into the medical profession. Having found all other doors fust shut, she fortunately discovered one which had accidentally been left ajur. The Society of Apothecaries, it seems, had forgotten to shut out those who they never thought would attempt to come in, and through this narrow entrance this young lady found her way into this profession. But so objectionable did it appear to this learned body that women should be the medical attendants even of women, that the unrrow wicket through which Miss Garrett entered has been