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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A51611	An essay to revive the antient education of gentlewomen in religion, manners, arts & tongues with an answer to the objections against this way of education.; Essay to revive the antient education of gentlewomen, in religion, manners, arts & tongues	Makin, Bathsua, fl. 1612-1673.	1673 (1673)	Wing M309; ESTC R8034	31,566	44

their Heads may unlock other Sciences some Women have had it at their Girdles and been very dextrous in Disputation Hipparchia with one Sophism put to Silence Theodorus It was thus That which Theodorus doing he is not said to do unjustly if Hipparchia do she is not said to do unjustly This he granted She proceeds But Theodorus beating himself is not said to do unjustly therefore if Hipparchia beat Theodorus she is not said to do unjustly Theodorus makes no Reply but just like our lazy Gentlemen goes out of the Room and saith Let Women mind their Spinning Margarita Sorocchia a Gentlewoman of Rome is lookt upon as so great a Sopister that she is ordinarily a Moderatix in the Academy at the Disputation amongst learned Wits in the most Polite Parts of Learning and Philosophy yea and Divinity too Those who read Schurman's Decertations will conclude she understood the Principles and Practice of Logick very well Caecilia did strange things by her great Skill in Logick particularly by solid Argument she diswaded Tiburtius Valerianus his Brother from heathenish Idolatry to the Christian Faith Some think I have hardly spoke to the Purpose yet Logick disposes to wrangle a thing Women are inclined to naturally I proceed therefore to shew that Women have been great Proficients in the most solid Parts of Learning which require most serious Thoughts and greatest Judgment they have been good Philosophers good Arithmeticians good Divines and good Poets Women have been profound Philosophers That they have been good Philosophers appears from those numerous examples before mentioned I should but tautologize to repeat them again Take only their names Rosuida Elizabeth of Schonaugia Constantia her Daughter Baptista Anna Maria Schurman Margarita Soracchia c. All those hereafter mentioned as eminent in Divinity must needs have some competent skill in Philosophy as Tibiola Marcella Eustochium c. Aganolda was so desirous of knowledge that she put her self into mans Apparel attained so great a perfection in Natural Philosophy and in the practice of Physick that she was envied by all those of her faculty and slandered for incontinency to vindicate her self she discovered she was a Woman Miriam was a great Philosopher and so was the Queen of Sheba or else she would never have ventured to try the Wisdom of Solomon in dark Problems and by hard Questions Nicostrata by some called Carmentis helped to make up the Greek Alphabet and made some addition to the Roman Letters Aspasia a Milesian Damsel was so learned that she instructed Pericles and of a great Souldier made him an excellent Philosopher and one of the best Orators in Greece and after was married to him Socrates acknowledges he imitated Aspasia in his Facultas Politica and doth not blush to call Diotima his Tutress These two Women were so learned as to teach this great Philosopher Arete attained to that perfection in Philosophy that she instructed her son Aristippus who was therefore called 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Mother-taught After her Fathers death she erected a School of Philosophy where she commonly read to a full and frequent Auditory Leontinum a Grecian Damsel was so well seen in Philosophical Contemplation that she feared not to write a Book against the worthy Theophrastus Dama the Daughter of Pythagoras and her Mother were excellent Philosophers Pythagoras professes he often advised with and received help from Themistoclea I should be too troublesom to you if I should speak particularly of the Learning of Adesia the Wisdom of Hermodica the Improvement of Themiste in Pythagorean Philosophy of the Works of Genebria or how eloquent the two Daughters of L. Crassus were I had almost sorgotten Christina Queen of Sweden in Philology and Philosophy superior to most of the great Scholars in Europe Portia Cato's Daughter was the best Philosopher in her Time Some Women have understood the Mathematicks The Mathematicks require as much seriousness as any Art or Science yet some Women have attained an extraordinary knowledge in these also Hyppatia of Alexandria Daughter of Theon writ of Astronomy she was Professor in the School in Alexandria where she was frequented by many worthy Scholars Afterwards by such as envied her Fame for Learning she was pitifully slain and massacred A Lady of late I have forgot her name is so well skilled in the Mathematicks that she hath printed divers Tables If any think all this Learning is but meerly humane I acknowledge the great end of Arts and Tongues is the better to enable us to know God in Jesus Christ and our own selves that we may glorifie and enjoy him for ever Si Christum diseis nil est si caetera ouseis Si Christum neseis nil est si caetera discis Many Women have improved their humane Knowledge so as by Gods Blessing hath been a means of their obtaining Spiritual Knowledg Fabiola a Roman Matron had attained so great Perfection in the Knowledge of the Scriptures that she had a reverent Respect from the Learned in her Time St. Jerome vouchsafed to dedicate a Book to her intituled de Vesta Sacerdotali Marcella a Roman was so eminent in the Knowledge of Divinity that St. Jerome salutes her by Name in many of his Epistles He writ diverse Books to her One de Mundi contemptu another of the ten Names God is called by amongst the Hebrews a Third of Faith a Fourth of Blasphemy against the Holy Ghost And diverse others Eustochium the Daughter of Paula a Roman Matron was so excellent a Divine and so well practised in the Scriptures and in the Greek Latin and Hebrew Dialects that she was called the new Prodogy of the World We may reflect upon diverse of those before mentioned to supply the Defect of Examples in this Place Queen Elizabeth and the Lady Jane Grey were eminent for their Knowledge in Religion Rosuida Elizabeth of Schonaugia Constantia the Wife of Alexander Sforza and her Daughter Baptista were excellent in Divinity as well as Philosophy The Works of Anna Maria Schurman that are extant declare how good a Divine she was I shall conclude with Isola Navarula who writ many eloquent Epistles She was a great proficient in Philosophy and Theology as appears by that Book she wrote by way of Dialogue between Adam and Eve which sinned first and most and by divers other Books There is one thing yet remaining in which Women have excelled that is Poetry Their excellency in this tends as much to their vindication as any thing yet spoken to To be a Poetaster is no great matter but to be a Poet-laureat requires great natural endowments such as man cannot lend if God doth not give Poeta nascitur non fit If a man's natural parts be low Industry Education Time and Practice may raise to some competent height in Oratory therefore we say Orator fit But all the Instruction and Education in the World all the pains time and patience imaginable can never infuse that sublime Fancy that strong Memory and excellent Judgment

required in one that shall wear the Bayes If Women have been good Poets Men injure them exceedingly to account them giddy-headed Gossips fit only to discourse of their Hens Ducks and Geese and not by any means to be suffered to meddle with Arts and Tongues lest by intollerable pride they should run mad If I do make this appear that Women have been good Poets it will confirm all I have said before for besides natural Endowments there is required a general and universal improvement in all kinds of Learning A good Poet must know things Divine things Natural things Moral things Historical and things Artificial together with the several terms belonging to all Faculties to which they must allude Good Poets must be universal Scholars able to use a pleasing Phrase and to express themselves with moving Eloquence Women have been good Poets Because so much depends upon this I beg the Mens patience if I be a little tedious on this Point I question not the Women will be contented to hear their Sex vindicated I begin with Minerva the Goddess of Wisdom she was for no other reason reckoned amongst the Goddesses but for her excellency and cunning in Poetry and other good Arts of which she is said to be the first Inventress There were three Corinna's famous for Poetry One lived in the time of Augustus and was very dear to Ovid. A second was called Corinna Thespia she is celebrated in the Books of the Antient Poets especially Statius The third and most eminent was Corinna Thebana she was Daughter of Archelodorus and Procratia and Scholar to Myrtis In five set Contests she bore away the Palm from Pindar Prince of the Lyrick Poets She published five Books of Excellent Epigrams Erinna Sir-named Teia or as some will have it Telia from the Island Telos not far distant from Gnidon she flourished in the time of Dion of Syracusa and published an excellent Poem in the Dorick Tongue besides divers Epigrams Her Stile was said to come near the Majesty of Homer's She died when she was but nineteen years of Age. Sappho the Daughter of Scamandaurus lived in the time of Tarquinius Priscus she first devised the Sapphick Verse and found out the use of the Harp with a Quill There was also another Sappho called Mitelena who lived long after She published many rare and famous Poems amongst the Greeks and therefore had the honour to be called the tenth Muse Proba Valeria Falcona a Roman Matron lived in the time of Honorius and Theodosius junior She composed a Divine Poem of the Life Works and Miracles of Christ She also Paraphrased upon the Verses of Homer and called the Work Homeroucheutra Her Husband being dead she inscribed upon his Tomb an Epitaph Englished thus To God to Prince Wife Kindred Friends the Poor Religious Loyal True Kind Stedfast Dear In Zeal Faith Love Help Amity and Store He that so liv'd and so deceas'd lies here I had almost forgot the Sybils The Name signifies such as have thoughts of God As a Man that prophesieth is called a Prophet so a Woman predicting was called a Sybil. There were twelve of these all of them Poets Sybilla Lybica invented the Heroick Verse Sybilla Delphica was so famous a Poet that Homer did take many of her Verses to himself and made them his own All of them delivered their Oracles in Verse If their Verses were not so smooth as Homers and Hesiods an abatement must be made for the matter and manner of their speaking which was usually in an extasie They all prophesied of Christ I shall insert only one or two of their Predictions thus Englished A King a Priest a Prophet all these three Shall meet in one Sacred Divinity Shall be to Flesh espous'd O who can scan This Mystery uniting God with Man When this rare Birth into the World shall come He the great God of Oracles strikes dumb Sybilla Delphica speaks to this purpose An Angel shall descend and say Thou blessed Mary hail Thou shalt conceive bring forth yet be A Virgin without fail Three Gifts the Chald'ans to thy Son Shall tender with much pietie Myrrhe to a Man Gold to a King And Incense to a Deitie I shall mention only one more which is that of Sybilla Europa When the great King of all the World shall have No place on Earth by which he may be known When he that comes all mortal men to save Shall find his own Life by the World o'rethrown When the most Just injustice shall deprave And the great Judge be judged by his own Death when to Death a Death by Death hath given Then shall be op't the long-shut Gates of Heaven I do not produce these as Foundations of our Faith We have a more sure word of Prophesie which we ought to look unto as a Light that shineth in a dark place This is more sure than that which we see with our Eyes hear with our Ears or handle with our Hands Cleobulina was Daughter of Cleobulus Lindus one of the seven Wise Men of Greece She imitated and some think did equalize her Father She was eminent for Enigma's and Riddles Take this one rendred thus One Father hath twelve Children great and small And they beget twice fifteen Daughters all Half of them White half Black immortal made And yet we see how every hour they fade I cannot leave out Helpis the Wife of the Famous Philosopher and Poet Boethius Severinus because many Hymns to the Apostles are yet extant which Gyraldus and the best Writers constantly affirm to be hers She writ her Epitaph with her own hand translated thus Helpis my Name me Sicily first bred A Husband's love drew me from hence to Rome Where I long liv'd in joy but now lie dead My Soul submitting to th' Almighties doom And I believe this flesh again shall rise And I behold my Saviour with these eyes I may put Philenis and Astenissa together they were both good Poets and imitated one another Hildegardis Moguntina was eminent for Learning and Piety as well as Poetry Her Works were approved in the Council held at Tryers where Dr. Bernard was present Aristophanes speaks much of Clitagora Lacedemonia and Serabo in his Homerica speaks more of Hestia Alexandria Antipater Thessalus gives the first place amongst the nine Lyric Poets to Paxilla Syconia She lived in the thirty second Olympiad I should be too tedious if I should give you a particular account what Seneca speaks of Michaele what Aristophanes of Gharixena what Celius speaks of Musea or what Textor remembers of Meroe Cornificina Luccia Mima Cassandra Magalostrate were good Poets Polla Argentaria Wife to the famous Poet Lucan was reputed of that excellent Learning that she assisted her Husband in the three first Books entituled Pharsalia I can but name those Poets Anyle Nosiis Myro Byzantia Damophila because I hasten to those nearer our own times Only take notice these numerous Examples of Learned Women do plainly prove they were heretofore liberally educated

for Government and swayed the Scepter of this Nation with as great honour as any man before her Our very reformation of Religion seems to be begun and carried on by Women Mris. Ann Askue a Person famous for Learning and Piety so seasoned the Queen and Ladies at Court by her Precepts and Examples and after sealed her Profession with her Blood that the Seed of Reformation seemed to be sowed by her hand Henry the Eighth made a beginning out of State Policy his Feminine Relations acted out of true Piety this stuck in the Birth till his Daughter Queen Elizabeth carried it to the height it is now at My design is not to say all that may be said in the praise of Women How modest and chast many have been how remarkable in their love to their Husbands how constant in Religion how dutiful to their Parents or how beneficial to their Countrey The Scripture mentions the wise Woman at Abel who ransomed the City from Joab's Sword with Sheba's Head when all the men were in a maze and knew not what to do Debora was more instrumental to deliver Israel than Barak Nabal and his House had been destroyed had not Abigail wisely pacified David The whole People of the Jews had been cut off had not Hester adventured her life at the feet of Abasuerus My intention is not to equalize Women to Men much less to make them superior They are the weaker Sex yet capable of impressions of great things something like to the best of Men. Hercules and Theseus were very valiant Manalippe and Hyppolite were little inferior to them Zeuxes and Timanthes were brave Painters So were Timarete Irene Lala Martia and many others For Poetry Sappho may be compared with Anacreon Corinna with Pindar Tullia was eloquent like Cicero Cato's Daughter little inferior to himself in the Theory and Practice of Philosophy Semiramis was like Alexander in magnificence The Tanaquils as politick as Servius Tullius The Porcea's were as magnanimous as Brutus The inference I make from hence is that Women are not such silly giddy creatures as many proud ignorant men would make them as if they were uncapable of all improvement by Learning and unable to digest Arts that require any solidity of Judgment Many men will tell you they are so unstable and unconstant born down upon all occasions with such a torrent of Fear Love Hatred Lust Pride and all manner of exorbitant Passions that they are uncapable to practise any Vertues that require greatness of Spirit or firmness of Resolution Let such but look into History they will find Examples enow of illustrious Women to confute them Before I mention the Objections I shall state the Propositions I have endeavoured to prove That which I intend is this That Persons of competent natural parts indifferently inclin'd and disposed to Learning whom God hath blessed with Estates that they are not cumbred in the World but have liberty and opportunity in their Childhood and afterwards being competently instructed in all things now useful that concern them as Women may and ought to be improved in more Polite Learning in Religion Arts and the knowledge of things in Tongues also as subservient to these rather then to spend the over-plus time of their youth in making Points for Bravery in dressing and trimming themselves like Bartholomew-Babies in Painting and Dancing in making Flowers of Coloured Straw and building Houses of stained Paper and such like vanities Object No Body means Gentlewomen should be thus educated in matters of meer vanity but in practising their Needle in knowing and doing those things that concern good Housewifery which is Womens particular qualification Answ I know not what may be meant but I see what is generally done In most Schools for educating this Sex little more is proposed by the Undertakers or expected by the Parents As far as I can observe the less any thing of solidity is taught the more such places are frequented I do acknowledge in the state of the Question that Women should be accomplished in all those things that concern them as Women My meaning is The over-plus time may be imployed in polishing their minds with the knowledge of such things as may be honourable pleasant and profitable to them and their Relations afterwards Before I proceed further to Answer the remaining Objections I desire this may be taken notice of That what-ever is said against this manner of Educating Women may commonly be urged against the Education of Men. Object If we bring up our Daughters to Learning no Persons will adventure to Marry them Answ 1. Many men silly enough God knows think themselves wise and will not dare to marry a wise Woman lest they should be over-topt 2. As some Husbands debauched themselves desire their Wives should be chast and their Children vertuous So some men sensible of their own want caused by their Parents neglect will chuse a learned Woman in whom they may glory and by whose prudence their defect may be supplyed 3. Learned men to be sure will chuse such the rather because they are sutable Some Men marrying Wives of good natural parts have improved themselves in Arts and Tongues the more to fit them for their converse 4. Many Women formerly have been preferred for this very thing Athenais Daughter to Leontius the Philosopher left destitute by him was entertained by his Sister Placida for her Learning and was after married to the Emperor Theodosius charmed by her worth being fitted by her education for that high place she is recorded for an excellent Empress Upon her being baptized she was called Eudocea Constantine married Helena the Daughter of Lois more for her Learning than any other accomplishments We may probably imagine Hortensia Terentia Tullia and divers others had never been married to such brave men had not their Education preferred them If this way of educating Gentlewomen should now be set on foot there will not be so great a number bred but as degenerate as times are there would be found learned men enow to whom they may be preferred for their very Education Object It is against custom to Educate Gentlewomen thus Answ Bad customs ought to be broken or else many good things would never come into use I have shewed this is a Heathenish Custom or a worse continued amongst us upon very bad grounds Object Solomon 's good Housewife is commended for rising early imploying her Servants making Garments by which her Husband was known in the Gate It seems she was of quality she had so many Servants and her Husband a Magistrate their Courts of Judicature were at the Gate no mention is made of Arts or Tongues Answ It seems Persons of Quality were more industrious in those times than they are now I do not intend to hinder good House-wifery neither have I called any from their necessary Labour to their Book My design is upon such Persons whose leasure is a burthen Further if Solomon's good House-wife was accomplished with Arts