Mary Astell
Mary Astell
Mary Astellwas an English feminist writer and rhetorician. Her advocacy of equal educational opportunities for women has earned her the title "the first English feminist."...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionWriter
Date of Birth12 November 1666
real self humour
That which has not a real excellency and value in it self, entertains no longer than the giddy Humour which recommended it to us holds.
add vices absurdity
To all the rest of his Absurdities, (for vice is always unreasonable,) he adds one more, who expects that Vertue from another which he won't practise himself.
mean adam deceived
Nor can the Apostle mean that Eve only sinned; or that she only was Deceived, for if Adam sinned willfully and knowingly, he became the greater Transgressor.
marriage husband should-have
But, alas! what poor Woman is ever taught that she should have a higher Design than to get her a Husband?
garden world fine
How can you be content to be in the world like tulips in a garden, to make a fine show, and be good for nothing.
way needs fit
We all agree that its fit to be as Happy as we can, and we need no Instructor to teach us this Knowledge, 'tis born with us, and is inseparable from our Being, but we very much need to be Inform'd what is the true Way to Happiness.
may endeavour ought
We ought as much as we can to endeavour the Perfecting of our Beings, and that we be as happy as possibly we may.
choices littles reason
. . . he who only or chiefly chose for Beauty, will in a little Time find the same Reason for another Choice.
world noise action
Marry for Love, an Heroick Action, which makes a mighty noise in the World, partly because of its rarity, and partly in regard of its extravagancy.
lying passion light
The design of Rhetoric is to remove those Prejudices that lie in the way of Truth, to Reduce the Passions to the Government of Reasons; to place our Subject in a Right Light, and excite our Hearers to a due consideration of it.
men doubt would-be
If none were to Marry, but Men of strict Vertue and Honour, I doubt the World would be but thinly peopled.
doe ill honour
If a Woman can neither Love nor Honour, she does ill in promising to Obey.
tyrants coward tyranny
none can be Tyrants but Cowards.
men thinking suffering
For my part I think the Learned, and Unlearned Blockhead pretty equal; for 'tis all one to me, whether a Man talk Nonsense, or unintelligible Sense, I am diverted and edified alike by either; the one enjoys himself less, but suffers his Friends to do it more; the other enjoys himself and his own Humour enough, but will let no body else do it in his Company.