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
by her own Genius rather than any timely Instruction over-tops many grave Gown-Men I am forbidden to mention the Countess Dowager of Huntington instructed sometimes by Mrs. Makin how well she understands Latin Greek Hebrew French and Spanish or what a proficient she is in Arts subservient to Divinity in which if I durst I would tell you she excels The Princess Elizabeth daughter to King Charles the first to whom Mrs. Makin was Tutress at nine Years old could write read and in some measure understand Latin Greek Hebrew French and Italian Had she lived what a Miracle would She have been of her Sex The Princess Elizabeth eldest Daughter to the Queen of Bohemia yet living is versed in all sorts of choice Literature Mrs. Thorold Daughter of the Lady Car in Lincolnshire was excellent in Philosophy and all sorts of Learning I cannot without Injury forget the Lady Mildmay and Dr. Loves Daughters Their Worth and Excellency in Learning is yet fresh in the Memory of many Men. Cornelia read publick Philosophy-Lectures at Rome she brought up her Sons the Gracchi so that they were the only Men famous in their Dayes She was admired by Cicero for diverse of her Works The Papal Chair could not defend it self but was invaded by a Woman for her Excellency in Learning above the men of her Times As Volateran Sigebertus Platina and others that have writ the Lives of the Roman Bishops do declare She is remembred likewise to this purpose by Boccasius in his Book de Claris Mulieribus Rosuida a Saxon by Nation She lived under Lotharius the first She was Eloquent in the Greek and Roman Tongues and practised in all good Arts. She composed many Works not without great commendation from the Readers One to exhort to Chastity Virtue and Divine Worship She published six Comedies besides a noble Poem in Hexameter verse of the Heroick Acts done by the Otho Cesars with divers others Elizabetha of Schonaugia zealously imitated the Study and Practice of this Rosuida She writ many things in the Latin Tongue namely a Book intituled A Path to direct us the way to God as also a Volumn of Learned Epistles with many other Books I cannot omit Constantia the Wife of Alexander Sforza She was so Learned that upon the suddain and without any premeditation She was able sufficiently to discourse upon any Argument either Theological or Philosophical Besides She was very frequent in the works of St. Hierome Ambrose Gregory Cicero and Lactantius She was much admired for her Extempory vaine in Verse Her Daughter Baptista was equal to Her in Fame and Merit and was reckoned among the best Learned and most Illustrious Women Christina late Queen of Sweden understood several Languages and was well versed in Politicks and acquainted with most Arts and Sciences I thought of Queen Elizabeth first but purposely mention Her last as the Crown of all How learned She was the World can testifie It was usual for her to discourse with Forraign Agents in their own Languages Mr. Ascam her Tutor used to say She read more Greek in a day then many of the Doctors of her time did Latin in a week You see some Women have been good Proficients in most kinds of Learning I shall now shew you how they have been excellent in some particular parts of it as the Tongues Oratory Philosophy Divinity and lastly Poetry Women have been good Linguists It is objected against Women as a reproach that they have too much Tongue but it 's no crime they have many Tongues if it be many Men would be glad to be guilty of that fault The Tongue is the only Weapon Women have to defend themselves with and they had need to use it dextrously Many say one tongue is enough for a Woman it is but a quibble upon the word Several Languages understood by a Woman will do our Gentlemen little hurt who have little more than their Mother-Wit and understand only their Mother-Tongue these most usually make this Objection to hide their own Ignorance Tongues are learnt in order to Things As things were and yet are in the World its requisite we learn Tongues to understand Arts It 's therefore a Commendation to these Women after mentioned that they were Mistresses of Tongues There is an ancient Copy of the Septuagent sent from the Patriarch of Alexandria to King James written by a Woman called Tecla so accurate and excellent that the Authors of the Polyglot-Bible chose it before all other Copies written or printed to make use of in that Impression Anna Maria Schurman of Vtrecht called by Spanhemius ultimum Naturae in hôc sexu conatum et decimam Musam Natures Master-piece amongst Women excelling the very Muses hath printed divers Works in Latin Greek French and the Persian Tongue she understood the Arabick also Besides she was an excellent Poet. Amalasuntha Queen of the Ostrogothes the Daughter of Theodericus was a great Mistress of the Latin and Greek Tongues she spake distinctly all the barbarous Languages that were used in the Eastern Empires For Excellency in Tongues most of those Persons before mentioned are eminent Instances Maurata the Lady Jane Grey and the three Elizabeths c. Women have not been meer Talkers as some frivolous Men would make them but they have known how to use Languages when they have had them Many Women have been excellent Oratours Women have been good Oratours Valerius Maximus tell us of Amesia a modest Roman Lady when she was accused of a great Crime and ready to incur the Sentence of the Pretor she in a great Confluence stept up amongst the People and without any Advocate pleaded her own Cause so effectually that by the publique Suffrage she was acquitted from all Aspersion whatsoever and from that Time she was called Androgine Hortensia was equal to her the Daughter of Quintus Hortensius When a greivous Fine was imposed upon the Roman Matrons by the Tribunes when all Lawyers and Oratours were afraid to take upon them the Patronage of their Cause this discreet Lady pleaded before the Triumvirate in the behalf of the Women so happily and boldly that the greatest Part of the Mulct imposed upon them was remitted Some have commended Caia Affricana's Eloquence I cannot approve of the Use she put it to but pass her over Tullia by the Instruction of her Mother Terentia was counted equal to her Father Cicero in Eloquence Divers of those Persons before mentioned were very eloquent particularly Maurata Cornelia and Queen Elizabeth We may suppose Schurman and the rest that wrote so elegantly could also speak eloquently upon a just occasion It is objected against poor Women they may learn Tongues and speak freely being naturally disposed to be talkative But for any solid Judgment or depth of Reason it is seldom found in their giddy Crowns I proceed therefore to shew they have been good Logicians Philosophers Mathematicians Divines and Poets Women have understood Logick Logick is the Key those that have this in
Lorentia Stoza is now famous in Italy for divers Hymns she composed in divers kinds of Verse especially in excellent Sapphicks How excellent a Poet Mrs. Broadstreet is now in America her Works do testifie We need no other Encomium of Mris. Philips than what Mr. Cowley gives he plucks the Lawrel from his own Brow to crown hers as best deserving it Besides her Works in print speak for her Sir John Harington in his Allegory upon the 37 Books of Ariosta commends unto us the four Daughters of Sir Anthony Cook also the Lady Russel the Lady Bacon the Lady Killegrew giving to each of them for Poetry a worthy Character whither I refer the Reader In the same place the Author commends to us a great Italian Lady Vittoria who writ largely and learnedly in the praise of her dead Husband With whom I may rank if in the comparison I do not underprize the beautiful and learned Lady Mary Countess of Pembrook the worthy Sister to that incomparable Person Sir Philip Sidney The Lady Jane Gray and the Lady Arabella had a great faculty in Poetry The two Orations delivered at the Universities by Queen Elizabeth's own Mouth gives ample testimony of her Oratory Those ingenious Fancies and pleasant Poems bearing her Name shews she was a good Poet. The Lord Burghlies three Daughters were eminent for Learning and competent Poets as appears by these Verses made upon this occasion Silesia was in Cornwal her Husband was designed to be sent Embassador Mildreda her Sister was at Court who had interest there to hinder this intended Embassie of her Brother Silesia writes to her Sister Mildreda Si mihi quem cupio Dominum Mildreda remittas Tu bona tu melior tu mihi sola Soror Sin malè cunctando retines vel trans Mare mittas Tu mala tu pejor tu mihi nulla Soror At si Cornubiam tibi pax sit omnia laeta Sin Mare Silesiae nuntio bella Vale. Mildred my Husband dear if you now back do send Better than good you are and Sister to the end But if you him stay there or send him o're the Sea Much worse than nought you are no Sister you shall be If Cornwal he does see I 'le pray and all good tell But if he cross the Sea I am your foe Farewel Silesia It may now be demanded by those studious of Antiquity why the Vertues the Disciplines the Nine Muses the Devisers and Patrons of all good Arts the Three Graces should rather be represented under the Feminine Sex and their Pictures be drawn to the Portraictures of Damosels and not have Masculine Denominations and the Effigies of Men Yea why Christians themselves in all their Books and Writings which they commit to Posterity still continue the same practice Why Wisdom is said to be the Daughter of the Highest and not the Son Why Faith Hope and Charity her Daughters are represented as Women Why should the seven Liberal Arts be expressed in Womens Shapes Doubtless this is one reason Women were the Inventors of many of these Arts and the promoters of them and since have studyed them and attained to an excellency in them And being thus adorned and beautified with these Arts as a testimony of our gratitude for their Invention and as a token of honour for their Proficiency we make Women the emblems of these things having no sitter Hieroglyphick to express them by I shall add this one thing worthy observation to the great honour and commendation of the Feminine Sex The parts of the World have their denomination from Women Asia is so called from the Nymph Asia the Mother of Japethus and Prometheus Europe from Europa the Daughter of Agenor Lybia which is Africa from Libia the Daughter of Epaphus America lately discovered bears the same Female Figure It is usual for men to pride and boast themselves in the Wisdom Valour and Riches of their Ancestors what wise Men their Fore-fathers have been what great things they have done and what large possessions they have had when they themselves are degenerated and become Ignorant Cowardly beggarly debauched Sots I hope Women will make another use of what I have said instead of claiming honour from what Women have formerly been they will labour to imitate them in learning those Arts their Sex hath invented in studying those Tongues they have understood and in practising those Virtues shadowed under their Shapes the knowledge of Arts and Tongues the exercise of Virtue and Piety will certainly let men say what they will make them honourable Care ought to be taken by us to Educate Women in Learning THat I may be more distinct in what I intend I shall distinguish of Women Women are of two sorts RICH Of good natural Parts POOR Of low Parts I do not mean that it is necessary to the esse to the subsistence or to the Salvation of Women to be thus educated Those that are mean in the World have not an opportunity for this Education Those that are of low Parts though they have opportunity cannot reach this Ex quovis ligno non sit Minerva My meaning is Persons that God hath blessed with the things of this World that have competent natural Parts ought to be educated in Knowledge That is it is much better they should spend the time of their Youth to be competently instructed in those things usually taught to Gentlewoman at Schools and the overplus of their time to be spent in gaining Arts and Tongues and useful Knowledge rather than to trifle away so many precious minutes meerly to polish their Hands and Feet to curl their Locks to dress and trim their Bodies and in the mean time to neglect their Souls and not at all or very little to endeavour to know God Jesus Christ Themselves and the things of Nature Arts and Tongues subservient to these I do not deny but Women ought to be brought up to a comely and decent carriage to their Needle to Neatness to understand all those things that do particularly belong to their Sex But when these things are competently cared for and where there are Endowments of Nature and leasure then higher things ought to be endeavoured after Meerly to teach Gentlewomen to Frisk and Dance to paint their Faces to curl their Hair to put on a Whisk to wear gay Clothes is not truly to adorn but to adulterate their Bodies yea what is worse to defile their Souls This like Circes Cup turns them to Beasts whilst their Belly is their Godd they become Swine whilst Lust they become Goats and whilst Pride is their God they become very Devils Doubtless this under-breeding of Women began amongst Heathen and Barbarous People it continues with the Indians where they make their Women meer slaves and wear them out in drudgery It is practised amongst degenerate and Apostate Christians upon the same score and now is a part of their Religion it would therefore be a piece of Reformation to correct it and it would notably
to draw their Horses by their Tails which was a general custom amongst them Bad Customs when it is evident they are so ought to be broken or else good Customs can never come into use That this is a bad Custom is evident continued upon a bad ground Let Women be Fools and then you may easily make them Slaves Object What need Women learn Tongues there are Books enow in English for them to peruse Answ The great Thing I design is the Knowledge of things as Religion the Names and Natures of Herbs Shrubs Trees Mineral-Juyces Metals and Precious Stones as also the Principles of Arts and Sciences before mentioned The learning of Tongues is only subservient to these Was all Learning in English as it is now in French I think those dead Languages would be of little use only in reference to the Scriptures My opinion is in the Educating of Gentlewomen greater care ought to be had to know things than to get words If one must be neglected it 's better to neglect Tongues than Arts though it is best where both may be had Object Solomon 's vertuous Woman Prov. 31. is commended for good Housewifery not for Arts and Tongues yet her Husband was a Person of Quality he sat amongst the Elders of the Land in the Gate Answ It seems Persons of Quality were more industrious in those times than now they are Our Ladies would count it a great disparagement to them to do as she did to seek Wool and Flax and to work willingly with their own hands vers 13. to lay their hands to the Spindle and to take hold on the Distaff vers 19. to rise while it is Night and to give Meat to her Houshold and a Portion to her Maids vers 15. It 's like the necessities of those times were greater and the way of living far different from that which is now in use The Duke of Florence is a great Merchant Noblemen in England and Gentlemen in France think it disparagement to them to be so Answ 2. I plead that our Ladies should have but the same Abilities this vertuous Woman had not to labour as she did but to understand as she did I am sure to do all those things well that she performed so as to be reverenced of her Servants that her Children should rise up before her and call her Blessed and that her Husband should praise her requires knowledge in Arts and Sciences which were hardly got in those dayes without the knowledge of Tongues if they then were or can be now I am contented without them To buy Wooll and Flax to die Scarlet and Purple requires skill in Natural Philosophy To consider a Field the quantity and quality requires knowledge in Geometry To plant a Vineyard requires understanding in Husbandry She could not Merchandize without knowledge in Arithmetick She could not govern so great a Family well without knowledge in Politicks and Oeconomicks She could not look well to the wayes of her Houshold except she understood Physick and Chirurgery She could not open her Mouth with Wisdom and have in her Tongue the Law of kindness unless she understood Grammar Rhetorick and Logick This seems to be the description of an honest well-bred ingenious industrious Dutch-woman I desire our Women whose condition calls them to business should have no other breeding but what will enable to do those things performed by this Woman As for those that are above these I am sure the highest breeding imaginable will be useful to them I believe the men of our times would say it 's pitty any Woman should have so much Authority as this Woman had she would be so masterly there would be no living with her Object Another Objection that seems unanswerable is this How shall time be found to teach Children these things here proposed Boyes go to School ordinarily from seven till sixteen or seventeen and not above one in four attain so much knowledge in the Tongues as to be admitted into the Vniversity where no great accuracy is required and they learn nothing else usually besides a little History Gentlewomen will not ordinarily be sent out so soon nor is it convenient they should continue so long Further half their time it is supposed must be spent in learning those things that concern them as Women Twice as many things are proposed to be taught Girls in half the time as Boyes do learn which is impossible Answ This Objection makes the whole Contrivance seem idle unless a satisfactory Answer be given I say therefore The learning of things will be no hinderance to the getting Words Words are the marks of things and they are learnt better together than asunder As a man shall sooner remember Names if he see the persons so a Girl shall much easier fasten in her memory the names of Herbs Shrubs Mineral-Juyces Metals Precious Stones as also the names of Birds Beasts Fishes the parts of Man's Body if she see the things themselves in specie or the Pictures and Representations where the things themselves cannot be had This is a great Truth if there be any such thing as a concatenation of Notions as doubtless there is the thing being perceived Words freely follow Besides to learn words thus will be very pleasant and delightful even to Children As the eye is not satisfied with seeing if it be an Object it can reach and distinguish So the mind of a Child is not satisfied with understanding if it be a thing he can apprehend Let those that do believe this try a Child of four years old in plain Pictures of Men Beasts Birds or Fishes they will see how inquisitive he will be or let them shew Herbs Flowers Stones or any thing rare and see whether it is any burthen to the Childs understanding or memory to learn the name when he sees the thing Let no Body be afrighted because so many things are to be learnt when the learning of them will be so pleasant how profitable I need not tell you If any doubt how this may be done or what Authors we shall use that words and things may be learnt together I Answer Comenius hath prepared Nomenclatures for this purpose His Orbis Pictus contains all the Primitive Latine words and the representation of most things capable of being set out by Pictures it may be learnt by beginners in three months and is as a System of his Janua Linguarum This Janna Linguarum a System of things consists of a thousand Sentences ten of which may be learnt in one day fifty in a week the thousand in twenty-six weeks allowing one day in a week and one week in a month for Repetition that we may keep what we get Thus nine months is spent I mean by Gentlewoman that spend but six hours in a day at their Books the other three months may be imployed in gaining the French Tongue which I thus demonstrate If the Latin Janua may be learnt in six months where most of the words are new
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
and Tongues she would have more reverence from her Servants and by her knowledge in Economicks know better how to manage so great a Family Solomon describes an industrious Woman I am suggesting what persons ought to do that are about these things Those that deny this deserve no Answer but are to be thought on with scorn as that Duke that thought Women wise enough that knew their Husbands Doublet and Breeches asunder If there be any persons so vain and are yet pleased with this Apish kind of Breeding now in use that desire their Daughters should be outwardly dressed like Puppets rather than inwardly adorned with Knowledge let them enjoy their humour but never wonder if such Marmosets married to Buffoons bring forth and breed up a generation of Baboons that have little more wit than Apes and Hobby-Horses I cannot say enough against this Barbarous rudeness to suffer one part I had almost said the better part of our selves to degenerate as far as possible into brutality Object Women are of ill Natures and will abuse their Education They will be proud and not obey their Husbands they will be pragmatick and boast of their Parts and Improvements The ill Nature that is in them will become more wicked the more wit you furnish them with Answ This is the killing Objection and every thick-skull'd Fellow that babbles this out thinks no Billingsgate Woman can Answer it I shall take the Objection in pieces 1. They will abuse Learning So do men he is egregiously simple that argues against the use of a necessary or very convenient thing from the abuse of it By this Argument no men should be liberally brought up strong Drinks should never be used any more in the World and a hundred such like things 2. They are of ill Natures This is an impudent calumny as if the whole Sex of Women or the greatest part of them had that malice infused into their very Natures and Constitutions that they are ordinarily made worse by that Education that makes Men generally better Ingenuas didicisse fideliter artes Emollit mores nec sinit esse feros The Heathen found that Arts wrought upon Men the rougher Sex Surely it is want of fidelity in the Instructer if it have not the like effect upon softer and finer Materials 3. They will be proud and not obey their Husbands To this I Answer What is said of Philosophy is true of Knowledge a little Philosophy carries a Man from God but a great deal brings him back again a little knowledge like windy Bladders puffs up but a good measure of true knowledge like Ballast in a Ship settles down and makes a person move more even in his station 't is not knowing too much but too little that causes the irregularity This same Argument may be turned upon Men what-ever they answer for themselves will defend Woman Those that desire a farther Answer let them peruse Erasmus his Dialogue of the Ignorant Abbot and the Learned Woman An ignorant Magistrate or Minister may as well plead against improvement of Knowledge in all below them lest they should be wiser than themselves and so deride them Do not deny Women their due which is to be as well instructed as they can but let Men do their duty to be wiser than they are If this doth not please let silly Men let wise Women alone the rule is All should be as near as they can equally yoked Object The end of Learning is publick Business which Women are not capable of They must not speak in the Church and it is more proper for men to Act in the Common-Wealth than they Answ They may not speak in the Church but they may inquire of their Husbands at home it is private instruction I plead for not publick Imployment Yet there is no such contradiction in the terms Miriam and Deborah were extraordinarily called forth by God as well as Aaron and Barak Sometimes Women may have occasions for publick Business as Widows and Wives when their Husbands are absent but especially persons born to Government The Salique Law hath not prevailed all the World over and good reason too for Women upon Thrones have been as glorious in their governing as many Men as I have shewed before But lay all this aside there are other ends of Learning besides pleading in the Hall and appearing in the Pulpit Private Persons as I have before shewed may many ways please themselves and benefit others This Objection also will turn the Point upon all Men that are in a private capacity Object They will not mind their Houshold Affairs Answ Men are judged to be more capable of Countrey business by liberal Education Most ingenious Contrivances even in Husbandry and Trades have been invented by Scholars You may as well say a Gentleman that hath Countrey Affairs to manage ought not to be a Scholar because he will be poring upon his Book when he should be looking after his Plowmen Object They have other things to do Answ Those which have may mind those things for ought I have said The Question is of persons at leasure Whether these had not better be imployed in some good Literature than in pilling Straws or doing nothing which is the certain Seed of doing mischief Object Women do not desire Learning Answ Neither do many Boys as Schools are now ordered yet I suppose you do not intend to lay Fallow all Children that will not bring forth Fruit of themselves to forbear to instruct those which at present do not thank you for it But I have said there is in all an innate desire of knowing in Women as well as Men if the wayes to the Temple of Pallas be so tedious and intricate that they confound or tire her Servants or if you dress up Learning in such an ugly and monstrous shape that you afright Children I have nothing to say to such but that they should reform their Schools or else all will think they have no desire any either Male or Female should be instructed Object Women are of low Parts Answ So are many Men we plead only for those which have competent Parts To be sure some Women are as capable of Learning and have attained to as great height in it as most Men witness those Examples before produced If this be true their Parts generally are lower than Mens there is the more need they should by all convenient means be improved Crutches are for infirm persons Object Women are of softer Natures more delicate and tender Constitutions not so fixed and solid as Men. Answ If their Natures are soft they are more capable of good Impressions if they are weak more shame for us to neglect them and defraud them of the benefit of Education by which they may be strengthened Object It is against custom to educate Gentlewomen thus those that do attempt it will make themselves ridiculous Answ This Argument might have been used to the Irish not to use Traces at Plow and Cart but