An Essay in Defence of the Female Sex/Section 4

There are others that deerve to be brought into the Company of thee upon like Honourable Reaons; but I keep them in reerve for a proper place, where I may perhaps take the pains to draw their Pictures to the Life at full length. Let us now return to our Argument, from which we have had a long breathing while. 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. In our tender years they are the ame, for after Children can Talk, they are promicuously taught to Read and Write by the ame Perons, and at the ame time both Boys and Girls. When thee are acquir&rsquo;d, which is generally about the Age of Six or Seven Years, they begin to be eparated, and the Boys are ent to the Grammer-School, and the Girls to Boarding Schools, or other places, to learn Needle Work, Dancing, Singing, Muick, Drawing, Painting, and other Accomplihments, according to the Humour and Ability of the Parents, or Inclination of the Children. Of all thee, Reading, and Writing are the main Intruments of Converation; though Muick and Painting may be allow&rsquo;d to contribute omething towards it, as they give us an inight into two Arts, that makes up a great part of the Pleaures and Diverions of Mankind. Here then lies the main Defect, that we are taught only our Mother Tongue, or perhaps French, which is now very fahionable, and almot as Familiar amongt Women of Quality as Men; whereas the other Sex by means of a more extenive Education to the knowledge of the Roman and Greek Languages, have a vater Feild for their Imaginations to rove in, and their Capacities thereby enlarg&rsquo;d. To ee whether this be trictly true or not, I mean in what relates to our debate, I will for once uppoe, that we are intructed only in our own Tongue, and then enquire whether the Diadvantage be o great as it is commonly imagin&rsquo;d. You know very well, Madam, that for Converation, it is not requiite we hould be Philologers, Rhetoricians, Philoophers, Hitorians, or Poets; but only that we hould think pertinently, and expres our thoughts properly, on uch matters as are the proper Subjects for a mixt Converation. The Italians, a People as delicate in their Converation as any in the World, have a Maxim, That our elves, our Neighbours, Religion, or Buines, ought never to be the Subject. There are very ubtantial Reaons to be given for thee Retrictions, for Men are very apt to be vain, and impertinent, when they talk of themelves, beides that others are very jealous, and apt to upect, that all the good things aid, are intended as o many arguments of preference to them. When they peak of their Neighbours, they are apt out of a Principle of Emulation and Envy, natural to all the race of Adam, to leen, and tarnih their Fame, whether by open Scandal, and Defamatory Stories, and Tales, or by malicious Ininuations, invidious Circumtances, initer and covert Reflections. This humour prings from an over fondnes of our elves, and a mitaken conceit that anothers los is an addition to our own Reputation, as if like two Buckets, one mut necearily rie as the other goes down. This is the baet and mot ungenerous of all our natural Failures, and ought to be corrected as much as poible e&rsquo;ry where; but more epecially in Italy, where Reentments are carried o high, and Revenges proecuted with o much Heat and Animoity. Religion is likewie very tender there, as in all other places, where the Priets have o much Power and Authority. But even here, where our differences and diputes have made it more tame, and us&rsquo;d it to rough handling, it ought carefully to be avoided; for nothing raies unfriendly warmths among Company more than a religious Arugment, which therefore ought to be baniht all Society intended only for Converation and Diverion. Buines is too dry and barren to give any Spirit to Converation, or Pleaure to a Company, and is therefore rather to be reckon&rsquo;d among the Encumbrances than Comforts of Life, however neceary. Beides thee, Points of Learning, abtrue Speculations, and nice Politicks, ought, in my opinion, to be excluded; becaue being things that require much Reading and Conideration, they are not fit to be canvas&rsquo;d ex tempore in mixt Company, of which &rsquo;tis probable the greatet part will have little to ay to &rsquo;em, and will carce be content to be ilent Hearers only; beides that they are not in their nature gay enough to awaken the good Humour, or raie the Mirth of the Company. Nor need any one to fear, that by thee limitations Converation hou&rsquo;d be retrain&rsquo;d to too narrow a compas, there are ubjects enough that are in themelves neither inipid, nor offenive? uch as Love, Honour, Gallantry, Morality, News, Raillery, and a numberles train of other Things copious and diverting. Now I can&rsquo;t ee the neceity of any other Tongue beide our own, to enable us to talk plauibly, or judiciouly, upon any of thee Topicks: Nay, I am very confident, that &rsquo;tis poible for an ingenious Peron to make a very coniderable progres in mot parts of learning, by the help of Englih only. For the only reaon I can conceive of learning Languages, is to arrive at the Sene, Wit, or Arts, that have been communicated to the World in &rsquo;em. Now of thoe that have taken the pains to make themelves Maters of thoe Treaures, many have been o generous as to impart a hare of &rsquo;em to the Publick, by Tranlations for the ue of the Unlearned; and I flatter my elf ometimes, that everal of thee were more particularly undertaken by Ingenious, good Natur&rsquo;d Men in Kindnes and Compaion to our Sex. But whatever the Motives were, the obliging Humour has o far prevail&rsquo;d, that carce any thing either Ancient, or Modern, that might be of general ue, either for Pleasure, or Intruction, is left untouch&rsquo;d, and mot of them are made entirely free of our Tongue. I am no Judge either of the Accuracy, or Elegance of uch Performances; but if I may credit the report of Learned and Ingenious Gentlemen, (whoe Judgment or Sincerity I have no reaon to quetion) many of thoe excellent Authors have lot nothing by the change of Soil. I can ee and admire the Wit and Fancy of Ovid in the Tranlation of his Epitles, and Elegies, the oftnes and Paion of Tibullus, the Impetuoity and Fire of Juvenal, the Gayety, Spirit and Judgment of Horace; who, tho&rsquo; he may appear very different from himelf through the diverity, and inequality of the Hands concern&rsquo;d in making him peak Englih, yet may eaily be gues&rsquo;d at from the everal excellent Pieces render&rsquo;d by the Earl of Rocommon, Mr. Cowley, Mr. Dryden, Mr. Congreve, Mr. Brown, and other ingenious Gentlemen, who have oblig&rsquo;d the Nation with their excellent Verions of ome parts of him. Nor is it poible to be inenible of the weetnes and Majety of Virgil, after having read thoe little, but Divine Samples, already made publick in Englih by Mr. Dryden, which gives us o much Impatience to ee the whole Work entire by that admirable Hand. I have heard ome ingenious Gentlemen ay, That it was impoible to do Jutice in our Tongue to thee two lat Celebrated Roman Poets, and I have known others, of whoe Judgments I have as high an Opinion, affirm the contrary; my ignorance of Latin diables me from determining whether we are in the right, but the Beauty of what I have already een by the means of thoe Gentlemen, has o far prejudic&rsquo;d me in favour of the latter; that might I have &rsquo;em entire from the ame hands, I think I hou&rsquo;d carce envy thoe, who can tat the pleaure of the Originals. Nor is it to the Poets only, that we tand indebted for the Treaures of Antiquity, We have no les Engagements to thoe, who have uccesfully labour&rsquo;d in Proe, and have made us familiar with Plutarch, Seneca, Cicero, and in general with all the famous Philoophers, Orators and Hitorians, from whom we may at once learn both the Opinions and Practices of their Times. Aited by thee helps, &rsquo;tis impoible for any Woman to be ignorant that is but deirous to be otherwise, though he know no part of Speech out of her Mother Tongue. But thee are neither the only, nor the greatet Advantages we have; all that is excellent in France, Italy, or any of our neighbouring Nations is now become our own; to one of whom, I may be bold to ay, we are beholding for more, and greater Improvements of Converation, that to all Antiquity and the learned Languages together. Nor can I imagine for what good Reaon a Man skill&rsquo;d in Latin, and Greek, and vers&rsquo;d in the Authors of Ancient Times hall be call&rsquo;d Learned; yet another who perfectly undertands Italian, French, Spanih, High Dutch, and the ret of the European Languages, is acquainted with the Modern Hitory of all thoe Countries, knows their Policies, has div&rsquo;d into all the Intrigues of the everal Courts, and can tell their mutual Dipoitions, Obligations, and Ties of Interet one to another, hall after all this be thought Unlearned for want of thoe two Languages. Nay, though he be never o well vers&rsquo;d in the Modern Philoophy, Atronomy, Geometry and Algebra, he hall notwithtanding never be allow&rsquo;d that honourable Title. I can ee but one apparent Reaon for this unfair procedure; which is, that when about an Age and an half ago, all the poor Remains of Learning then in Being, were in the hands of the School-men; they wou&rsquo;d uffer none to pas Muter, that were not deeply engag&rsquo;d in thoe intricate, vexatious and unintelligible Trifles, for which themelves contended with o much Noie and Heat; or at leat were not acquainted with Plato and Aritotle, and their Commentators; from whence the Sophitry and Subtleties of the Schools at that time were drawn. Thus Uurpation was maintain&rsquo;d by their Succeors, the Divines, who to this day pretend almot to the Monopoly of Learning; and though ome generous Spirits have in good meaure broke the neck of this Arbitrary, Tyrannical Authority; yet can&rsquo;t they prevail to extend the name of Learning beyond the Studies, in which the Divines are more particularly converant. Thus you hall have &rsquo;em allow a Man to be a wie Man, a good Naturalit, a good Mathematician, Politician, or Poet, but not a Scholar, a learned Man, that is no Philologer. For my part I think thee Gentlemen have jut inverted the ue of the Term, and given that to the knowledge of words, which belongs more properly to Things. I take Nature to be the great Book of Univeral Learning, which he that reads bet in all, or any of its Parts, is the greatet Scholar, the mot learned Man; and &rsquo;tis as ridiculous for a Man to count himelf more learned than another, if he have no greater extent of knowledge of things, becaue he is more vers&rsquo;d in Languages; as it would be for an Old Fellow to tell a Young One, his own Eyes were better than the other&rsquo;s becaue he Reads with Spectacles, the other without. Thus, Madam, you ee we may come in Time to put in for Learning, if we have a mind, without falling under the Correction of Pedants. But I will let Learning alone at preent, becaue I have already banih&rsquo;d it (though not out of direpect) from mix&rsquo;d Converation; to which we will return, and of which the greatet Magazines and Supports are till in Reerve. I mean the many excellent Authors of our own Country, whoe Works it were endles to recount. Where is Love, Honour and Bravery more lively repreented than in our Tragedies, who has given us Nobler, or juter Pictures of Nature than Mr. Shakepear? Where is there a tenderer Paion, than in the Maids Tragedy? Whoe Grief is more awful and commanding than Mr. Otways? Whoe Decriptions more Beautifull, or Thoughts more Gallant than Mr. Drydens? When I ee any of their Plays acted, my Paions move by their Direction, my Indignation, my Compaion, my Grief are all at their Beck. Nor is our Comedy at all inferiour to our Tragedy; for, not to mention thoe already nam&rsquo;d for the other part of the Stage, who are all excellent in this too, Sir George Etherege and Sir Charles Sedley for neat Raillery and Gallantry are without Rivals, Mr. Wicherley for trong Wit, pointed Satyr, ound and ueful Obervations is beyond Imitation; Mr. Congreve for prightly, gentile, eaie Wit falls hort of no Man. Thee are the Maters of the Stage; but there are others who though of an inferiour Clas, yet deerve Commendation, were that at preent my Buines. Nay, even the wort of &rsquo;em afford us ome diverion; for I find a ort of foolih Pleaure, and can laugh at Mr. D&mdash;&mdash;y&rsquo;s Farce, as I do at the Tricks, and Impertinencies of a Monkey; and was pleaed to ee the humour and delight of the Author in Mr. H&mdash;&mdash;n&rsquo;s Eating, and Drinking Play which I fancy&rsquo;d was written in a Victualling Houe. In hort, were it not for the too great frequency of looe Expreions, and wanton Images, I hould take out Theaters for the bet Schools in the World of Wit, Humanity, and Manners; which they might eaily become by retrenching that too great Liberty. Neither have the Poets only, but the Criticks too Endeavour&rsquo;d to compleat us; Mr. Dennis and Mr. Rimer have by their Ingenious, and judicious labours taught us to admire the Beauties as we ought, and to know the faults of the former. Nor are we les beholding to thee for forming our Judgments, than to thoe for raiing our Fancies. Thee are the Sources from whence we draw our gayer part of Converation; I don&rsquo;t mean in excluion to the other parts of Poetry, in mot of which (as I have heard good Judges ay) we equal at leat the Ancients, and far urpas all the Moderns. I honour the Names, and admire the Writings of Denham, Suckling and D&rsquo;avenant, I am ravih&rsquo;d with the Fancy of Cowley, and the Gallantry of Waller, I reverence the Fairy Queen, am rais&rsquo;d, and elevated with Paradie Lot, Prince Arthur compoes and reduces me to a State of Yawning indiffference, and Mr. W&mdash;tl&mdash;y&rsquo;s Heroicks lull me to Sleep. Thus all Ranks and Degrees of Poets have their ue, and may be erviceable to ome body or other from the Prince to the Patry Cook, or Pat-board Box-maker. I hould mention our Satyrits, but it would be endles to decend to every particular, of thee Mr. Oldham is admirable, and to go no further, the inimitable Mr. Butler will be an everlating Tetimony, of the Wit of his Age, and Nation, and bid eternal defiance to the Wits of all Countries, and future Ages to follow him in a Path before untrack&rsquo;d. Our Proe Writers, that are eminent for a gay Style and Jovial Argument, are o many, that it would well this Letter too much to name &rsquo;em, o that I hall only take notice, that whoever can read without Pleasure, or Laughter, The contempt of the Clergy, and the following Letters and Dialogues by the ame Author, or the facetious Dialogues of Mr. Brown mut be more Splenetick than Heraclitus, or more tupid, than the As he laugh&rsquo;d at.

Nor are we les provided for the erious Part; Morality has generally been the Province of our Clergy who have treated of all parts of it very largely with o much Piety, Solidity, and Eloquence, that as I think I may venture to ay, they have written more upon it than the Clergy of all the ret of the World; o I believe no Body will deny that they have written better. Yet I cou&rsquo;d wih, that our Ingenious Gentlemen wou&rsquo;d employ their Pens oftner on thee Subjects; becaue the everity of the other&rsquo;s Profeion obliges &rsquo;em to write with an Air, and in a Style les agreable, and inviting to Young People. Not that we are without many excellent Pieces of Morality, Humanity and Civil Prudence written by, and like Gentlemen. But it is the Excellence of &rsquo;em, and the ability of our Gentlemen, which appears in the Spirit, Wit, and curious Obervations in thoe Pieces, which makes me deire more of the ame Nature. Who can read the Eays of that Wonderful Man, my Lord Bacon, or the no les to be admir&rsquo;d Sir Walter Raleigh&rsquo;s, or Mr. Osborns advice to a Son, the Advice to a Daughter, Sir William Temple&rsquo;s, or Sir George Machenzie&rsquo;s Eays, Sir Roger L&rsquo;Etrange&rsquo;s EayE&#x17f;op [sic] (to which lat we are likewie oblig&rsquo;d for an incomparable Verion of Seneca) and abundance of others, without wihing for more from the ame, or the like hands? Our Neighbours the French, have written a great deal of this kind, of the bet of which we have the benefit in Englih; but more particularly the MeieursSieurs [sic], Montagne, Rochefaucaut, and St. Evremont, deerve to be immortal in all Languages. I need not mention any more, it is apparent from thee that Women want not the means of being Wie and Prudent without more Tongues than one; nay, and Learned too, if they have any Ambition to be o.

The numberles Treaties of Antiquities, Philoophy, Mathematicks Natural, and other Hitory (in which I can&rsquo;t pas ilently by, that learned One of Sir Walter Raleigh, which the World he writ of can&rsquo;t match) written originally in, or tranlated to our Tongue are ufficient to lead us a great way into any Science our Curiouity hall prompt us to. The greatet difficulty we truggled with, was the want of a good Art of Reaoning, which we had not, that I know of, till that defect was upply&rsquo;d by the greatet Mater of that Art Mr. Locke, whoe Eay on Human Undertanding makes large amends for the want of all others in that kind. Thus, Madam, I have endeavour&rsquo;d to obviate all our Adverarie&rsquo;s Objections, by touching upon as great a Variety of things relating to the Subject as I conveniently cou&rsquo;d. Yet I hope I have troubled you with nothing but what was neceary to make my way clear, and plain before me; and I am apt to think I have made it appear, that nothing but diencouragement or an Idle Uncurious Humour can hinder us from Rivalling mot Men in the knowledge of great Variety of things, without the help of more Tongues than our Own; which the Men o often reproachfully tell us is enough. This Idlenes is but too frequently to be found among us, but &rsquo;tis a Fault equally common to both Sexes. Thoe that have means to play the Fool all their lives, eldom care for the trouble of being made wie. We are naturally Lovers of our Eae, and have great apprehenions of the difficulty of things untry&rsquo;d; Epecially in matters of Learning, the common Methods of acquiring which are o unpleaant, and uneaie. I doubt not but abundance of noble Wits are tiffled in both Sexes, for want but of upecting what they were able to do, and with how much facility. Experience hews us every day Blockheads, that arrive at a moderate, nay ometimes a great Reputation by their Confidence, and brisk attempts which they maintain by their Diligence; while great Numbers of Men naturally more Ingenious lye neglected by, for want of Indutry to improve, or Courage to exert themelves. No Man certainly but wihes he had the Reputation in, and were Repected and Eteem&rsquo;d by the World as he ees ome Men are for the Fruits of their Pens; but they are loth to be at the pains of an Attempt, or doubt their ufficience to perform; or what I believe is mot general, never to enquire o far into themelves, and their own Abilities, as to bring uch a thought into their Heads. This lat I fancy is the true Reaon, why our Sex, who are commonly charged with talking too much, are Guilty of Writing o little. I wih they would hake of this lazy Depondence, and let the noble examples of the deervedly celebrated Mrs. Philips, and the incomparable Mrs. Behn, roue their Courages, and hew Mankind the great injutice of their Contempt. I am confident they would find no uch need of the aitance of Languages as is generally imagin&rsquo;d. Thoe that have of their own need not graft upon Foreign Stocks. I have often thought that the not teaching Women Latin and Greek, was an advantage to them, if it were rightly conider&rsquo;d, and might be improv&rsquo;d to a great heigth. For Girles after they can Read and Write (if they be of any Fahion) are taught uch things as take not up their whole time, and not being uffer&rsquo;d to run about at liberty as Boys, ar furnih&rsquo;d among other toys with Books, uch as Romances, Novels, Plays and Poems; which though they read carelesly only for Diverion, yet unawares to them, give &rsquo;em very early a coniderable Command both of Words and Sene; which are further improv&rsquo;d by their making and receiving Viits with their Mothers, which gives them betimes the opportunity of imitating, convering with, and knowing the manner, and addres of elder Perons. Thee I take to be the true Reaons why a Girl of Fifteen is reckon&rsquo;d as ripe as a Boy of One and Twenty, and not any natural forwardnes of Maturity, as ome People would have it. Thee advantages the Education of Boys deprives them of, who drudge away the Vigour of their Memories at Words, ueles ever after to mot of them, and at Seventeen or Eighteen are to begin their Alphabet of Sene, and are but where the Girles were at Nine or Ten. Yet becaue they have learnt Latin and Greek, reject with Scorn all Englih Books their bet helps, and lay aide their Latin ones, as if they were already Maters of all that Learning, and o hoit Sail for the wide World without a Compas to Steer by. Thus I have fairly tated the difference between us, and can find no uch diparity in Nature or Education as they contend for; but we have a ort of ungenerous Adveraries, that deal more in Scandal than Argument, and when they can&rsquo;t hurt us with their Weapons, endeavour to annoy us with tink Pots. Let us ee therefore, Madam, whether we can&rsquo;t beat them from their Ammunition, and turn their own Artillery upon them; for I firmly believe there is nothing, which they charge upon us, but may with more Justice be retorted upon themelves.