In short, my dear children, strive to do every thing that is praise-worthy, but do nothing in order to be praised; nor think of any reward of all your works of faith and labours of love, till JESUS CHRIST cometh with all his holy angels. Think, my children, that the soul of your good father, now with GOD, speaks to you through my mouth; and let the double desire of your father who is gone, and of me who am with you, above all, let the mercies of GOD in CHRIST JESUS, prevail upon you to love GOD with all your souls, to study your own perfection, to practise humility, and to do all the good you can to all your fellow-creatures, especially to those who are of the houshold of faith, till it shall please GOD to call you to another life.”
Thus did the pious widow educate her daughters. The spirit of this education speaks so plainly for itself, that, I hope, I need say nothing in its justification. If we could see it in life, as well as read of it in books, the world would soon find the happy effects.
There is nothing more desirable for the common good of all the world, than that we might see it. For though _women_ do not carry on the trade and business of the world, yet as they are _mothers_ and _mistresses_ of families, they have for some time the care of the education of their children of both sorts, and are entrusted with that which is of the greatest consequence to human life. For as the health and strength, or weakness of our bodies, is very much owing to their methods of treating us when we are young; so the soundness or folly of our minds, are not less owing to those first tempers and ways of thinking, which we eagerly received from the love, tenderness, authority and constant conversation of our mothers.
Is it not then much to be lamented, that this sex, on whom so much depends, who have the first forming of our bodies and our minds, are not only educated in pride, but in the silliest and most contemptible part of it?
They are not suffered to dispute with us the proud _prizes_ of arts and sciences, of learning and ♦eloquence, in which I have much suspicion they would often prove our superiors; but we turn them over to the study of beauty and dress, and the whole world conspire to make them to think of nothing else. Fathers and mothers, friends and relations, seem to have no other wish towards the _little girl_, but that she may have a _fair skin_, a _fine shape_, _dress well_, and _dance_ to admiration.
♦ “eloqence” replaced with “eloquence”
And what makes this matter the more to be lamented, is this. That women are not only spoiled by this education, but we spoil that part of the world, which would otherwise furnish the most instances of an eminent and exalted piety. The _Church_ has formerly had eminent saints in that sex; and it may reasonably be thought, that it is purely owing to their poor and vain education, that this honour of their sex is for the most part confined to former ages.
The corruption of the world indulges them in great vanity, and mankind seem to consider them in no other view, than as so many _painted idols_, that are to allure and gratify their passions; so that if many women are vain, light, gew-gaw creatures, they have this to say in excuse of themselves, that they are not only such as their education has made them, but such as the generality of the world allow them to be.
Some indeed are pleased to say, that women are naturally of little and vain minds, and consequently their trifling vain behaviour is owing solely to that; but this I look upon to be as false and unreasonable, as to say, that _butchers_ are naturally cruel: for as their cruelty is not owing to their natures, but to their _way_ of life, which has changed their natures; so whatever littleness and vanity is to be observed in the minds of women, it is like the cruelty of butchers, a temper that is wrought into them by that life which they are taught and accustomed to lead. At least thus much must be said, that we cannot justly charge any thing upon their nature, till we take care that it is not perverted by their education.
But supposing it were true, that they were thus naturally vain and light, then how much more blameable is that education, which seems contrived to strengthen and increase the folly and weakness of their minds? For if it were a virtue in women to be proud, and vain, and indevout, we could hardly take better means to raise these bad things in them, than those which are now used in their education.