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Article PROVINCIAL. ← Page 16 of 26 →
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Provincial.
take as little share in the conversation , as in the general commerce of life . But the northern nations , who , even in their ' native forests , paid a kind of devotion to the softer sex , had no sooner settled themselves in the provinces of the Roman empire , than the character of woman began to assume new consequence . These fierce barbarians , even in their conquests , uniformly respected the inviolability of woman- They brought with them the peculiar gallantry of the northand they introduced into the
, west of Europe that just estimate of female excellence , to which the most polished nations of antiquity hacl been altogether blind and insensible . These sentiments of generous gallantry were fostered and extended by the institution of chivalry , ( a branch or scion of Freemasonry ) , which lifted woman yet higher in the scale of life ; and from having been considered nobody in society , she became the primum mobile . Each redoubted knight , bent on chivalrous adventure , first declared himself the
devoted servant of some fair lady , who was generally the object of his affections . Her honour was supposed to be intimately mixed up with his , and her smile was the reward of his valour . Courage , thus animated , lost sight of every thing but enterprise ; for her , he attacked , —for her , he defended , —for her , he shed his blood . Incredible hardships were cheerfully endured ; incredible actions were performed ; and adventures seemingly fabulous were realized ! The effect was reciprocalAA omen
. , proud of their influence , became deserving the heroism they had inspired . They were to be approached by none but the high-minded ancl the brave ; ancl men could only win the heart of the virtuous fair , but after proving their fidelity and affection by years of enterprise and peril . These clays , ladies , have long since gone by : they have been left far ,
very far behind , by the rapid march of intellect in the latter ages ; but they live in the hearts of I ' reemasons with all their original excitements . It has been assumed by an ingenious ancl ardent admirer ofthe fair sex , that woman was formed , not from the head of Adam , to be superior to him—not from liis feet , to be trampled upon by him—but from his side , to be equal to him—under his arm to be protected by him—near his heart to be beloved by him . Thus , ladies , I trust I have convinced you , that do not
Freemasons ( like many an arrogant lord of the creation ) consider woman as the dependant , the inferior , or the slave of man ; but that she is the soothing companion , and in all essential respects , she is the equal of man . If the weaker vessel , ( as described in scripture ) , it is because she is more delicate in her frame ; formed , if I may so express myself , of richer , ancl finer , and more brittle materials ; and consequently the more easilinjured and brokenand shouldtherefore
y , , , be treated with the greater tenderness : but there is the same wonderful structure of the human frame in woman , as in man , —the same noble piece of workmanship ; only that it is touched with a yet higher grace , and a yet more exquisite loveliness . The one is formed to protect , and the other to be protected ; and consequentl y there must be a greater degree of courage ancl energy in the one than in the other . But there is no essential differenceno intellectual differencebut difference
, , a arising merely from obvious external circumstances . There is in woman , as in man , the material body formed to contain the immortal mind ; in both there are the same rational mental faculties—the same endless capability of improvement—the same capacity of happiness or of misery —the same everlasting destiny . Viewed first as daughters and sisters , and then as wives and mothers , the influence of women on the destinies ofthe world is incalculable ; and it so happens that , in the formation of
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Provincial.
take as little share in the conversation , as in the general commerce of life . But the northern nations , who , even in their ' native forests , paid a kind of devotion to the softer sex , had no sooner settled themselves in the provinces of the Roman empire , than the character of woman began to assume new consequence . These fierce barbarians , even in their conquests , uniformly respected the inviolability of woman- They brought with them the peculiar gallantry of the northand they introduced into the
, west of Europe that just estimate of female excellence , to which the most polished nations of antiquity hacl been altogether blind and insensible . These sentiments of generous gallantry were fostered and extended by the institution of chivalry , ( a branch or scion of Freemasonry ) , which lifted woman yet higher in the scale of life ; and from having been considered nobody in society , she became the primum mobile . Each redoubted knight , bent on chivalrous adventure , first declared himself the
devoted servant of some fair lady , who was generally the object of his affections . Her honour was supposed to be intimately mixed up with his , and her smile was the reward of his valour . Courage , thus animated , lost sight of every thing but enterprise ; for her , he attacked , —for her , he defended , —for her , he shed his blood . Incredible hardships were cheerfully endured ; incredible actions were performed ; and adventures seemingly fabulous were realized ! The effect was reciprocalAA omen
. , proud of their influence , became deserving the heroism they had inspired . They were to be approached by none but the high-minded ancl the brave ; ancl men could only win the heart of the virtuous fair , but after proving their fidelity and affection by years of enterprise and peril . These clays , ladies , have long since gone by : they have been left far ,
very far behind , by the rapid march of intellect in the latter ages ; but they live in the hearts of I ' reemasons with all their original excitements . It has been assumed by an ingenious ancl ardent admirer ofthe fair sex , that woman was formed , not from the head of Adam , to be superior to him—not from liis feet , to be trampled upon by him—but from his side , to be equal to him—under his arm to be protected by him—near his heart to be beloved by him . Thus , ladies , I trust I have convinced you , that do not
Freemasons ( like many an arrogant lord of the creation ) consider woman as the dependant , the inferior , or the slave of man ; but that she is the soothing companion , and in all essential respects , she is the equal of man . If the weaker vessel , ( as described in scripture ) , it is because she is more delicate in her frame ; formed , if I may so express myself , of richer , ancl finer , and more brittle materials ; and consequently the more easilinjured and brokenand shouldtherefore
y , , , be treated with the greater tenderness : but there is the same wonderful structure of the human frame in woman , as in man , —the same noble piece of workmanship ; only that it is touched with a yet higher grace , and a yet more exquisite loveliness . The one is formed to protect , and the other to be protected ; and consequentl y there must be a greater degree of courage ancl energy in the one than in the other . But there is no essential differenceno intellectual differencebut difference
, , a arising merely from obvious external circumstances . There is in woman , as in man , the material body formed to contain the immortal mind ; in both there are the same rational mental faculties—the same endless capability of improvement—the same capacity of happiness or of misery —the same everlasting destiny . Viewed first as daughters and sisters , and then as wives and mothers , the influence of women on the destinies ofthe world is incalculable ; and it so happens that , in the formation of