Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-06-04

From Chambers Journal.
ONA REMARKABLE CHANGE IN THE
CHARACTER OF THE FEMALE OF
THE HUMAN SPECIES
[Originally written for the Geological Society

IUrlg1naiiy written Tor the Geological society
The changes which from time to time take
place in the external forms and characters of an
finals. are an interesting department of the sci
ence of the philosophical naturalist, Tor they
to illustrate the principle of certain def
mite subserviency of organised creatures to the
conditions in which they live. 1t is but following
out this principle little further and still keep
ing as we think, within the proper range Of that
science, to examine and report upon those moral
changes which take place in the highest of ami
NAL species through the effect of the conditions
of social life. 1t is fully admitted that the varia
bility of humanity-if we may use such an ex.
pression-is very great; and of this truth no one
can doubt, who considers the difference between
the cruel and treacherons savage and the highly
educated man of civilization. We do not need,
however, to take these extreme ends of the his
tory and condition Of people. Even in single
century, or, say, three generations, such improve
ments take place in national characters, as it
would perhaps be difficult to believe, if we had
not the best evidence of the fact.
wish to call attention, on the present evening"
to remarkable change which has taken place.
within about a hundred years, or little more, in
the character OF the female of our own species.
must first. however, apologize for the nature of
the evidence which have to bring forward. 1t
unfortunately happens that the human female
at all times an almost hopeless mystery to the
naturalist indeed to men of sceoce generally
was very little studied by biologists in the days
of Seba and Button. I am not aware of single
observation on the subject in that age, which can
be said to have been set down with scientific &C
curacy. This is very unfortunate, but it cannot
be remeded. 1t happens, however, that another
set of observers-namely, the poets-paid good
deal of attention to the ladies', and have left an
immense number of references to them scattered
throughout their writings. Now, am far from
saying. that the poets can be accepted as, in
cs,, Il
well known that they decline swearing to the
truth of what they advance. Yet, when we con-
slider that we could not attempt to write the his
tory of Greece, trace its ancient manners, with
out making use Of the writings of its poets, it
will, trust appear as a thing utterly preposter-
Gus, that we should altogether reject such evil
denee. 1t is kind of testimony we cannot dis
pense with in many cases; and my impression de-
cidedly is, that, if carefully examined and COL
lated and accepted only when it is found perfect
ly self-consistent, and in harmony with the usual
tone of men who aim at speaking the TRUTH we
may make certain limited use of it even for
scientific purposes.
So much being promised, proceed to remark
on the great improvement which appears from
this evidence to have taken place in the general
affections of the human female since the middle
of the eighteenth century. The creatu re, whom
we all know to be now yielding, gentle, and kind,
to remarkable degree, is described in the wri-
tings of those irregular naturalists as may call
them, as one Of exceedingly barbarous and unre-
lenting character. From some of the poetical
references in question, literal interpreter might
imagine that there were even some organic diff
ferences of a notable kind between the women of
those days and the present. We hear, for in
stance, of eyes which had killing power like
those attributed by medieval biologists to The
basilisk; likewise of bosoms of marble GOODNESS,
as if the female of our species had not then been
developed in the circulating organization at least
beyond the reptan stage. Unjust consider these
illusions, however, as most probably metaphor
cal; for we can scarcely imagine, that even such
early naturalists as Aristotle and Pliny would
have failed to record such singular peculiarties,
if they had had a positive existence. | come at
once to the moral characteristics of which they
may be accepted as a part of the evidence.
1t fully appears, then. that the human female,
down to the time we are speaking of, was very
cruel creature. While addressed by individuals
of the opposite sex with degree of Difference
and adulation now totally unknown, she beheld
them all with an unbending severity and disdain
equally unexampled in our days. The memorials
are so abundant, that the difficulty is to make
selection. Turning up, however, single volume
of Ritson's collection of English Songs, we find
such passages as the following:
But oh, her colder heart denies
The thoughts her looks inspire;
And while in ice that frozen lies,
Her eyes dart only fire.
Between extremes l am undone,
Like plants too northward set;
Burnt by too violent sun,
Or starved for want of heat.
The whole book, indeed, seems to be series of
preachmentS on this one text. What Aaron Hill
says in one page
Chill as mountain snow, her bosom,
Though tender language use,
TITS by cold Indifference frozen,
To my arms and to my muse
Is echoed by Henry Carey on another
Must I, ye gods, for ever love?
Must she for ever cruel prove?
Must all my torments, all my grief,
Meet no compassion, no relief?
1t appears that even towards patient reduced to
the last stage of bodily distress and weakness,
no sort of pity was shown by this merciless be-
ing
Whom dropping on the bed of pain,
I looked on every hope as vain;
When plying friends stood weeping by,
And Deaths pale shade seemed hov'ring nigh;
No terror could my fame remove,
Or steal thought from her love.
The mischiefs wrought by some specimens in
their dealings with other mortals, were occasion
ally of the direst kind. One gentleman solemn
ly says OF particular nymph he had had the
misfortune to rank among his acquaintance:
Who sees her must love her. who loves her must
die.
Seeing woman and suffering extinction of life
being thus syllogistically connected, we may
imagine the wretched consequences to society.
The most piteous appeals, such as
look to yon celestial sphere,
Where souls with rapture glow,
And dread to meet that pity there
Which you denied below
seem to have been presented in vain. Myra,
Lesbia, Clorinda, or by whatever other sobrtquet
these poor SWANS might designate enchantresses
who little deserved such delicacy at their hands,
are invariably described as keeping up their saw
are crueltv to the last Some of tbe victims de-