t "women have nothing to do with politics?" Do you mean to say
that women are not capable of comprehending the principles of
legislation, or of feeling an interest in the government and welfare of
their country, or of perceiving and sympathizing in the progress of
great events?--That they cannot feel patriotism? Believe me, when we do
feel it, our patriotism, like our courage and our love, has a purer
source than with you; for a man's patriotism has always some tinge of
egotism, while a woman's patriotism is generally a sentiment, and of the
noblest kind.

MEDON.

I agree in all this; and all this does not mitigate my horror of
political women in general, who are, I repeat it, both mischievous and
absurd. If you could but hear the reasoning in these feminine
coteries!--but you never talk politics.

ALDA.

Indeed I do, when I can get any one to listen to me; but I prefer
listening. As for the evil you complain of, impute it to that imperfect
education which at once cultivates and enslaves the intellect, and loads
the memory, while it fetters the judgment. Women, however well read in
history, never generalize in politics; never argue on any broad or
general principle; never reason from a consideration of past events,
their causes and consequences. But they are always political through
their affections, their prejudices, their personal _liaisons_, their
hopes, their fears.

MEDON.

If it were no worse, I could stand it; for that is at least feminine.

ALDA.

But most mischievous. For hence it is that we make such blind partisans,
such violent party women, and such wretched politicians. I never heard a
woman _talk_ politics, as it is termed, that I could not discern at once
the motive, the affection, the secret bias which swayed her opinions and
inspired her arguments. If it appeared to the Grecian sage so "difficult
for a man not to love himself, nor the things that belong to him, but
justice only?"--how much more for woman!

MEDON.

Then you think that a better education, based on truer moral principles,
would render women more reasonable politicians, or at least give them
some right to meddle with politics?

ALDA.

It would cease in that case to be _meddling_, as you term it, for it
would be legitimized. It is easy to sneer at political and mathematical
ladies, and quote Lord Byron--but