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
than all their Learning would do them good I have no prejudice against the Sex but would gladly have a fair answer to these things or else shall breed up my Daughters as our fore-fathers did Sir your Condescension herein will very much oblige Your affectionate Friend May 29. 1673. SIR IT should be the earnest Endeavour of all men to imploy their Lives to those noble and excellent Ends for which the Omnipotent and all-wise Creatour made them which are the Glory of God the Eternal Happiness of their immortal Souls and to be useful in their Places One generation passeth away and an other cometh But the Earth the Theatre on which we act abideth for ever All the Works of the Children of Men do remain not only in respect of the present and future Emolument or Detriment caused by them But also in Reference to the Influence they have as examples on succeeding Ages The harvest of Bliss or Woe will be according to the Seed-time of this Life This Life proceeds ordinarily as it begins Quo semel est imbuta recens servabit Odorem Testa diu So great is the Force of the first Tincture any thing takes whether good or bad As Plants in Gardens excel those that grow wild or as Brutes by due Management Witness the Philosophers Dogs are much altered So Men by liberal Education are much better'd as to intellectuals and morals All conclude great Care ought to be taken of the Males But your doubt in your Letter is concerning the Females I think the greater Care ought to be taken of Them Because Evil seems to be begun here as in Eve and to be propagated by her Daughters When the Sons of God took unto themselves the Daughters of Men Wickedness multiplied apace It was the cursed Counsel of Balaam to debauch Israel by Balack's Idolatrous Women Wretched Jezebel excites Ahab to greater Wickedness than he could ever have thought of God gave strict Command to the Israelites not to marry with heathenish Women When Solomon himself the wisest of Men did this they soon drew his Heart from God Bad Women weak to make Resistance are strong to tempt to evil Therefore without all Doubt great Care ought to be taken timely to season them with Piety and Virtue your great Question is Whether to breed up Women in Arts and Tongues is not a mere new Device never before practised in the World This you doubt the more Because Women are of low Parts and not capable of Improvement by this Education If they could be improved you doubt whether it would benefit them If it would benefit them you enquire where such Education may be had or whether they must go to School with Boys to be made twice more impudent than learned At last you muster up a Legion of Objections I shall speak distinctly to your Questions and then answer your Objections Women have formerly been educated in Arts and Tongues Little is recorded concerning the manner how Women were educated formerly You can expect my Proof to be only topical and by Circumstances It doth appear out of Sacred Writ that Women were imployed in most of the great Transactions that happened in the World even in reference to Religion Miriam seems to be next to Moses and Aaron she was a great Poet and Philosopher For both Learning and Religion were generally in former times wrapt up in Verse The Women met David singing triumphant Songs composed it's like by themselves a great Specimen of liberal Education Deborah the Deliverer of Israel was without all doubt a learned Woman that understood the Law Huldah the Prophetess dwelt in a Colledge we may suppose where Women were trained up in good Literature We may be sure she was a very wise Woman For King Josiah sends Hilkiah the Priest and the Nobles of his Court in a Case of Difficulty and Danger to consult with her 2 Chro. 34.20.21 c. In the New Testament we find Anna a Prophetess Paul Rom. 16.1 Commends unto them Phebe who was not only a Servant of Christ But a Servant of the Church at Cencrea Ver. 12. He tells us Triphena Triphosa and Persis laboured much in the Lord. Priscilla instructed Apollos Timothy's Grandmother called Lois and his Mother Eunice were not only Gracious Women but learned Women for from a Child they instructed him in the holy Scriptures 2 Tim. 1.5 compared with Chap. 3.15 The Children of the Elect Lady found walking in the Truth were instructed by her Philips four Daughters were Prophetesses Acts 21. Though Women may not speak in the Church yet those extraordinarily inabled to whom Paul speaks 1 Cor. 11.5 might For Paul directs them they should not pray nor prophesie with their Heads uncovered which supposes they might do the things I shall not dispute these Texts what this praying and prophesying was it serves my Turn that Women extraordinarily inabled were publickly imployed We may infer from the Stories of the Muses that this way of Education was very ancient All conclude the Heroes were men famous in their Generation therefore canonized after their Deaths We may with like Reason conclude Minerva and the nine Muses were Women famous for Learning whilst they lived and therefore thus adored when dead There is no Question the Greeks and Romans when most flourishing did thus educate their Daughters in Regard so many amongst them were famous for Learning As Sempronia Cornelia Lelia Mutia Cleobulina Cassandra Terentia Hortensia Sulpitia Portia Helvigia Enonia Paula Albina Pella Zenobia Valeria Proba Eudocia Claudia and many others The Sybills could never have invented the Heroick nor Sappho the Sapphick Verses had they been illiterate Do you think Corinna could ever have thrice out done Pindar upon a solemn Contest so excellent in his Lyrick Verses that none else durst imitate him had she not been instructed in Arts There was a Contest between twenty Grecian and twenty Roman Ladies which were most excellent in Learning The Romane Dames were the best Oratours But the Grecian Ladies the best Philosophers This plainly shews they both were instructed in all kind of good Literature Women Educated in Arts and Tongues have been eminent in them I should be too tedious if I should commemorate all upon Record that have been Smatterers in Learning I shall only mention some few Ladies that have been equal to most Men. It is reported of Zenobia Queen of Palmeria that she was not only excellent her self in Arts and Arms But Learning in her like light in the Sun influenced her whole People only famous in her Daies Olympia Fulnia Maurata Tutress to the Empress of Germany understood French Latin Dutch she was so good a Grecian that she read publick Lectures in that Language She was also reputed to be well skilled in Divinity The Lady Jane Grey excelled Maurata in this she understood the Hebrew also There is a large Discourse of her Learning in which she took great delight and Piety in the Book of Martyrs The present Dutchess of New-Castle
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
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
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
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
then the French may be learnt in three by one that understands English and Latin because there is not above one word of ten in the French Tongue that may not fairly without force be reduced to the Latin or English These two new Languages being learnt one will help to keep the other This I propose may be done to a Gentlewoman of nine or ten years old that is of good Capacity lower Parts require longer time If we should dance that wild-Goose-chase usually led it would require longer time ordinarily Boys learn a Leaf or two of the Pueriles twenty Pages of Corderius a part of Esop's Fables a piece of Tullie a little of Ovid a remnant of Virgil Terence c. and when all this is done they have not much above half so many words as this little Enchiridion the Janua supplies them with It 's true this course instructs us only in the propriety of the words therefore it is so much the better it 's the universal process of Nature to rise by degrees to proceed from Seeds to Leaves from Leaves to Flowers from plain things to things ornamental One would think those learned Men mad that go quite contrary to this Process that propose to season with Rhetorick and a stile by reading crabbed Classick Authors as Terence c. before Children understand any thing of the plain signification of words But methinks I hear my Reader complain that I abuse him I hear him confess this is but reason But he thinks I shun the difficulty and say nothing to Grammar the ground-work of all to begin at In Speech to read the Accidence and to get it without Book is ordinarily the work of one whole year To Construe the Grammar and to get it without-Book is at least the task of two years more and then it may be it is little understood until a year or two more is spent in making plain Latin My Reader it may be thinks I have forgot or purposely omitted to allow time for these things without which nothing can be done I do confess to proceed in Lilly's Method as is before mentioned to commit the very Accidence and Grammar to memory requires three or four years sometimes more as many can witness by woful experience and when all is done besides declining Nouns and forming Verbs and getting a few words there is very little advantage to the Child This being supposed it 's not likely Children of ordinary Parts should in so short a time be improved in any competent measure in the Latin Tongue The great reason of these Intricacies is the whole Method swerves from the Rules of true Didacticks 1. This is an undenyable Principle All Rules ought to be plain that they may be easily understood especially such as are to be learnt by Children to the meanness of whose Capacities we ought to condescend The Rules in Lilly's Grammar are not so because they are in Latin a Tongue the Learner doth not understand and which is worse a great part of them is in verse hardly intelligible to a Child if they are translated into Grammatical English 2. Another undoubted Principle is All Knowledge is increased by Syncrisis comparing one thing with another whoever would beget a new Idea in any ones understanding reduces it if possible to something he knows already that is like it This is a Law of Nature whoever proceeds according to it moves smoothly as an oyled Clock when the Wheels are put into their right places Who-ever goes not according to this Rule forces Water upwards which returns to its Channel so soon as the vis impressa is spent his motion is like to a Leg or an Arm out of joynt very uneasie Much of the Method used in Lilly's Grammar in the Etymologia and the whole Syntax that concerns Government varies from this grand Principle Those that would rationally teach Latin to a Child bred amongst us ought to accommodate his Instruction to the English Tongue the Tongue she knows already and by Syncrisis proceed à noto ad ignotum This would be easie and pleasant but Lillies Grammar hath no more respect to the English than to the Welsh or Irish For instance A Noun is the name of a thing which may be seen felt heard or understood A Man doth not understand this when the Noun is a second Notion or not obvious to sense Besides it may as well be applyed to Welsh Irish Dutch French Italian or Spanish as to an English Noun If you demand How can a better Rule be given which may be more useful I Answer A Noun may have usually before it in the English a an or the as a Man an Angel the Book This every Child understands at the first naming Lilly saith A Substantive stands by it self and requires not another word to shew its signification An Adjective cannot stand by it self but requires another word to shew its signification This is better than the former yet hard enough for a Child to understand Take your indication from the English and see how plain it is A Substantive varies in the number as Book Books An Adjective doth not vary in the number as good Book good Books Good is used both in the singular and plural Number Pronouns in our old Grammar are said to be parts of Speech much like to Nouns used in Shewing or Rehearsing They are like to Nouns that is they are the names of things that may be understood and so like to Nouns in this that I cannot know them asunder Then Lilly reckons them up in Latin but dares not name them in English lest you should know them too quickly How easily is this dispatched if we enumerate the Pronouns let them be what they will in two Classes thus I thou he we ye they are Substantives my thy his our your c. are Adjectives It is better to tell a Child Verbs have a sign of a Mood or Tense than to say they signifie doing suffering or being Participles are wildly described to be Parts of Speech that take part of a Noun and part of a Verb c. No child is at all edified by the definition I confess this part of Speech is most difficult to be known in the English Tongue yet it may be done thus All words ending in ing d t or n which have no sign at all and may be resolved into Verbs are Participles as learning which doth learn learned which is learned If we now look back that great stumbling-block to distinguish the parts of Speech which costs years before a Child distinctly knows them whilst he looks upon them in their Latin dress is got over in a few dayes when we take our direction from our own Tongue I will repeat it again that I may be perfectly understood A Noun may have usually before it in the English Tongue a an or the. Substantives have a different termination in the Number Adjectives have not Pronouns are all enumerated about thirty some are Substantives others are