The strongest argument in her favour which the first millenary
could adduce, was the fact that the Saviour of the world had been borne
by a woman, and that consequently her sex had a share in the work of
salvation; the idea that through the "other Eve" a part of the sin of
the first Eve was expiated. But genuine appreciation and respect were
only possible after base sensuality had been contrasted with spiritual
love, whose vehicle again was woman. Now the "eternal-feminine"--
contrasted with the "earthly-feminine"--drew the lovers upwards, and
this new emotion threw such a glamour over the whole sex, that it never
entirely died away; if to-day women are respected and their efforts at
emancipation supported, they are not indebted, as they are sometimes
told, to Christian ethics, but rather to the mundane culture which had
its origin at the courts of the Provencal lords, whose ideals ultimately
became the controlling ideals of Europe, and whose inmost essence still
influences the world.
Pages:
272
273
274
275
276
277
278
279
280
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296