An Essay in Defence of the Female Sex

AN

E S S A Y

In Defence of the

FEMALE SEX.

In which are inerted the

CHARACTERS

OF

In a Letter to a Lady.

Written by a Lady.

The Third Edition with Additions.

Since each is fond of his own ugly Face; Why hou&rsquo;d you when we hold it break the Glas?
 * Prol. to Sir F. Flutter

- LONDON, Printed for A. Roper at the Black Boy, and R. Clavel at the Peacock, both in Fleettreet, 1697.


 * DEDICATION.
 * PREFACE.
 * To the Mot Ingenious Mrs. &mdash; oron [sic] her admirable Defence of Her Sex.
 * To Madam &mdash; on the Occaion of her Eay, in Defence of her Sex.
 * The Lady&rsquo;s Answer.
 * Section 1
 * &ldquo;The Quetion I hall at preent handle is, whether the time an ingenious Gentleman pends in the Company of Women, may jutly be aid to be miemploy&rsquo;d, or not.&rdquo;


 * Section 2
 * &ldquo;Our Company is generally by our Adveraries repreented as unprofitable and irkome to Men of Sene, and by ome of the more vehement Sticklers againt us, as Criminal.&rdquo;


 * Section 3
 * &ldquo;It remains then for us to enquire, whether the Bounty of Nature be wholly neglected, or tifled by us, or o far as to make us unworthy the Company of Men? Or whether our Education (as bad as it is) be not ufficient to make us a ueful, nay, a neceary part of Society for the greatet part of Mankind.&rdquo;


 * Section 4
 * &ldquo;Let us look into the manner of our Education, and ee wherein it falls hort of the Mens, and how the defects of it may be, and are generally upply&rsquo;d.&rdquo;


 * Section 5
 * &ldquo;To begin with Vanity, it is a Failing the greatet Part of Mankind are tinctured with, more or les.&rdquo;


 * Section 6
 * &ldquo;Impertinence is a humour of buying our elves about things trivial, and of no Moment in themelves, or uneaonably in things of no concern to us, or wherein we are able to do nothing to any Purpoe.&rdquo;


 * Section 7
 * &ldquo;Amongt the ret Diimulation is none of the least Blemihes, which they endeavour to fix upon us.&rdquo;


 * Section 8
 * &ldquo;Envy is the Parent of Calumny, and the Daughter of Jealouie.&rdquo;


 * Section 9
 * &ldquo;We tand yet charg&rsquo;d with Levity, and Incontancy, two Failings o nearly related, and o generally United, that it is hard to treat of &rsquo;em apart; we will therefore conider &rsquo;em briefly together.&rdquo;


 * Section 10
 * &ldquo;Thee are the mot coniderable Imperfections, or at leat thoe, which with mot Colour of Reaon are charg&rsquo;d upon us, as general Defects; and I hope, Madam, I have fairly hown, that the other Sex are both by Interet and Inclination more expos&rsquo;d, and more Subject to &rsquo;em than we, Pride, Lut, Cruelty, and many more, are by the Declaimers againt us thrown into the Scale to make weight and bear us down, but with uch manifet Injutice, that without giving my elf any further trouble, I dare appeal to any reaonable Man, and leave him to decide the Difference.&rdquo;


 * CONTENTS.