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
accepting said refuse
A woman indeed can't properly be said to choose, all that is allowed her, is to refuse or accept what is offered.
distance unhappy wit
Unhappy is that Grandeur which makes us too great to be good; and that Wit which sets us at a distance from true Wisdom.
infancy-is want advantage
Women are from their very infancy debarred those Advantages with the want of which they are afterwards reproached.
design ends worthy
God is His own Design and End, and that there is no other Worthy of Him.
aggravation steps sin
The Steps to Folly as well as Sin are gradual, and almost imperceptible, and when we are once on the Decline, we go down without taking notice on't.
believe men self
None of us whether Men or Women but have so good an Opinion of our own Conduct as to believe we are fit, if not to direct others, at least to govern our selves.
mean thinking
We must Think what we Say, and Mean what we Profess.
heart men be-good
That Man indeed can never be good at heart, who is full of himself and his own Endowments.
running party glitter
To plead for the Oppress'd and to defend the Weak seem'd to me a generous undertaking; for tho' it may be secure, 'tis not always Honourable to run over to the strongest party.
men birth slave
If all men are born free, why is it that all women are born slaves?
use doe reason
If God had not intended that Women shou'd use their Reason, He wou'd not have given them any, 'for He does nothing in vain.
reflection glasses mind
Your glass will not do you half so much service as a serious reflection on your own minds.
justice liberty gold
Fetters of gold are still fetters, and the softest lining can never make them so easy as liberty.
strong truth-will-prevail truth-is
Truth is strong, and sometime or other will prevail.