" If there be a deep and ulcerated wound, we
think the more "the richly-embroidered veil" is torn away the better.
Such a deep social wound exists in France; we wish its cure, as we
wish the health of all nations and of all men; so far indeed would we
"recoil towards a state of nature." We believe that nature wills
marriage and parentage to be kept sacred. The fact of their not being
so is to us not a pleasant subject of jest; and we should really pity
the first lady of England for injury here, though she be a queen;
while the ladies of the French court, or of Parisian society, if they
willingly lend themselves to be the subject of this style of jest, or
find it agreeable when made, must be to us the cause both of pity, and
disgust. We are not unaware of the great and beautiful qualities
native to the French--of their chivalry, their sweetness of temper,
their rapid, brilliant and abundant genius. We would wish to see these
qualities restored to their native lustre, and not receive the base
alloy which has long stained the virginity of the gold.
ON BOOKS OF TRAVEL.
[Footnote: It need not be said, probably, that
Margaret Fuller did not think the fact that books of travel by women
have generally been piquant and lively rather than discriminating and
instructive, a result of their nature, and therefore unavoidable; on
the contrary, she regarded woman as naturally more penetrating than
man, and the fact that in journeying she would see more of home-life
than he, would give her a great advantage,--but she did believe woman
needed a wider culture, and then she would not fail to _excel_ in
writing books of travels.
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