登陆注册
5241300000028

第28章 CHAPTER 3(3)

If anything conclusive could be inferred from experience, without psychologicalanalysis, it would be that the things which women are not allowed to do arethe very ones for which they are peculiarly qualified; since their vocationfor government has made its way, and become conspicuous, through the veryfew opportunities which have been given; while in the lines of distinctionwhich apparently were freely open to them, they have by no means so eminentlydistinguished themselves. We know how small a number of reigning queens historypresents, in comparison with that of kings. Of this smaller number a farlarger proportion have shown talents for rule; though many of them have occupiedthe throne in difficult periods. It is remarkable, too, that they have, ina great number of instances, been distinguished by merits the most oppositeto the imaginary and conventional character of women: they have been as muchremarked for the firmness and vigour of their rule, as for its intelligence.

When, to queens and empresses, we add regents, and viceroys of provinces,the list of women who have been eminent rulers of mankind swells to a greatlength.(1*) This fact is so undeniable, that someone, long ago, tried toretort the argument, and turned the admitted truth into an additional insult,by saying that queens are better than kings, because under kings women govern,but under queens, men.

It may seem a waste of reasoning to argue against a bad joke; but suchthings do affect people's minds; and I have heard men quote this saying,with an air as if they thought that there was something in it. At any rate,it will serve as anything, else for a starting-point in discussion. I say,then, that it is not true that under kings, women govern. Such cases areentirely exceptional: and weak kings have quite as often governed ill throughthe influence of male favourites, as of female. When a king is governed bya woman merely through his amatory propensities, good government is not probable,though even then there are exceptions. But French history counts two kingswho have voluntarily given the direction of affairs during many years, theone to his mother, the other to his sister: one of them, Charles VIII, wasa mere boy, but in doing so he followed the intentions of his father LouisXI, the ablest monarch of his age. The other, Saint Louis, was the best,and one of the most vigorous rulers, since the time of Charlemagne. Boththese princesses ruled in a manner hardly equalled by any prince among theircontemporaries. The Emperor Charles the Fifth, the most politic prince ofhis time, who had as great a number of able men in his service as a rulerever had, and was one of the least likely of all sovereigns to sacrificehis interest to personal feelings, made two princesses of his family successivelyGovernors of the Netherlands, and kept one or other of them in that postduring his whole life (they were afterwards succeeded by a third). Both ruledvery successfully, and one of them, Margaret of Austria, as one of the ablestpoliticians of the age. So much for one side of the question. Now as to theother. When it is said that under queens men govern, is the same meaningto be understood as when kings are said to be governed by women? Is it meantthat queens choose as their instruments of government, the associates oftheir personal pleasures? The case is rare even with those who are as unscrupulouson the latter point as Catherine II: and it is not in these cases that thegood government, alleged to arise from male influence, is to be found. Ifit be true, then, that the administration is in the hands of better men undera queen than under an average king, it must be that queens have a superiorcapacity for choosing them; and women must be better qualified than men bothfor the position of sovereign, and for that of chief minister; for the principalbusiness of a Prime Minister is not to govern in person, but to find thefittest persons to conduct every department of public affairs. The more rapidinsight into character, which is one of the admitted points of superiorityin women over men, must certainly make them, with anything like parity ofqualifications in other respects, more apt than men in that choice of instruments,which is nearly the most important business of everyone who has to do withgoverning mankind. Even the unprincipled Catherine de Medici could feel thevalue of a Chancellor de l'Hopital. But it is also true that most great queenshave been great by their own talents for government, and have been well servedprecisely for that reason. They retained the supreme direction of affairsin their own hands: and if they listened to good advisers, they gave by thatfact the strongest proof that their judgment fitted them for dealing withthe great questions of government.

同类推荐
  • 度世品经卷第一

    度世品经卷第一

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 鼻门

    鼻门

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 等目菩萨所问三昧经

    等目菩萨所问三昧经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 华严关脉义记

    华严关脉义记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • The Conquest of Canaan

    The Conquest of Canaan

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
热门推荐
  • 静画月

    静画月

    我聚万年怨念而成,却为爱而生。在亲历了世间磨砺之后,终于找到了自己的归宿所在。故事有点长,更新还有点慢……只是无论如何,我都想讲给你听,可以吗?
  • 太上说朝天谢雷真经

    太上说朝天谢雷真经

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 总裁的小甜心

    总裁的小甜心

    大哥,乃确定那个躺在树下,正在牛饮功夫茶的人就是英明神武至尊至贵文武双全的祥亲王?反正我是不信!!
  • 暗夜卷

    暗夜卷

    当人性只剩下兽欲,当战火席卷了世界,当文明破灭到极致,人类该如何自救?先驱者以不屈和惨烈奠定家园,后来者以忠诚和使命代代守护,而当下者以权势和私欲相互内斗。平静之下暗潮涌动,危机再度来临时,谁将拯救世界?暗夜时代,人类史上悲惨荒诞的时代,却是魔法与武技绽放的时代,亦是强者为尊的时代。
  • 随笔杂语

    随笔杂语

    观天地之理,查万物之机。寻天机之密,思百家之言。
  • 伦敦连环勒杀案

    伦敦连环勒杀案

    我和歇洛克·福尔摩斯承诺不把此案曝光,除非在我们过辈之后,于是乎我把此稿写好,留给后人选择适当的时候发表,最好是百年之后,否则我们有牢狱之灾。案子发生在1888年的晚秋,用福尔摩斯的话来说,这是一个犯罪多发季节,因为天气凉爽,黑夜在拉长,正是穿披风的时节,便于蒙住头,但又不像冬天那么寒冷。福尔摩斯斜躺在扶椅里,双脚搁在壁炉架上,充分享受壁炉里飘出的热气。他发挥一贯的懒散风格,躺着收听我朗诵《泰晤士报》的新闻。
  • coser什么的,不干啦!

    coser什么的,不干啦!

    初入大学的社团纳新日,大一新生夏小悠对学校动漫社某位cos越前龙马的学长一见钟情,鼓起勇气加入动漫社。前辈们为了争取被校方并入动漫社的Cosplay分部的重新独立。决定带着夏小悠一同去劝说某位已经几乎不参与社团活动的coser参与社团活动,组织舞台剧谋取独立机会。然而,见到本尊之后——那人问:“新人,你就没什么想和我说的吗?”夏小悠惊诧不已:“原来你是女孩子吗?”某位coser眼都不抬,爱答不理,“我一直都是女的,你似乎误会了什么?”她还说,“初心什么的,能吃吗?”喂喂!说好的热血中二的校园生活呢?这和她想象的不一样啊!
  • 上方大洞真元妙经品

    上方大洞真元妙经品

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。汇聚授权电子版权。
  • 叹情谣

    叹情谣

    一段宿世情缘,一场久别重逢。为你守候九百年,历尽沧海桑田,只为找寻颠覆生死的轮回之法,待与你共续前缘。
  • 木头猛男追新娘

    木头猛男追新娘

    偷窥狂?他才不承认自己是变态。这要怪可得怪她自己懒惰加迟钝,将她的私生活大剌剌的摊开在他面前。原本他没有进一步认识她的打算,直到一场小车祸让他们从此有了交集。唉,就知道不该一时心软出手帮她,给了这女人一个登堂入室的机会。天知道他生平最最讨厌与人接触,老天爷却塞了个爱到处乱跑的女人给他,病才好就迫不及待的跑到蛮荒地区拍照,他只好不嫌累的千里迢迢去追新娘……