The Rights of Women—Spoken by Miss Fontenelle

7First, in the Sexes’ intermix’d connection,

8One sacred Right of Woman is, protection.—

9The tender flower that lifts its head, elate,

10Helpless, must fall before the blasts of Fate,

11Sunk on the earth, defac’d its lovely form,

12Unless your shelter ward th’ impending storm.

13Our second Right—but needless here is caution,

14To keep that right inviolate’s the fashion;

15Each man of sense has it so full before him,

16He’d die before he’d wrong it—’tis decorum.—

17There was, indeed, in far less polish’d days,

18A time, when rough rude man had naughty ways,

19Would swagger, swear, get drunk, kick up a riot,

20Nay even thus invade a Lady’s quiet.

21Now, thank our stars! those Gothic times are fled;

22Now, well-bred men—and you are all well-bred—

23Most justly think (and we are much the gainers)

24Such conduct neither spirit, wit, nor manners.

25For Right the third, our last, our best, our dearest,

26That right to fluttering female hearts the nearest;

27Which even the Rights of Kings, in low prostration,

28Most humbly own—’tis dear, dear admiration!

29In that blest sphere alone we live and move;

30There taste that life of life—immortal love.

31Smiles, glances, sighs, tears, fits, flirtations, airs;

32’Gainst such an host what flinty savage dares,

33When awful Beauty joins with all her charms—

34Who is so rash as rise in rebel arms?

35But truce with kings, and truce with constitutions,

36With bloody armaments and revolutions;

37Let Majesty your first attention summon,

38Ah! ça ira! THE MAJESTY OF WOMAN!