Reading Early Modern Women: An Anthology of Texts in Manuscript and Print, 1550-1700

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Much has been written about women of the English Renaissance, but few examples of women's writing from that era have been readily available until now. This remarkable anthology assembles for the first time 144 primary texts and documents written by women between 1550 and 1700 and reveals an unprecedented view of the intellectual and literary lives of women in early modern England. The writings range from poetry to philosophical treatises, addressing a wide array of subjects including law, gender, education, motherhood, medicine, religion, life-writing, and the arts. Each selection is paired with a beautifully reproduced facsimile of the text's original source manuscript, allowing a glimpse into the literary past that will lead the reader to truly appreciate the care and craft with which these women writers prepared their texts. This essential anthology is a captivating guide to the legacy of early modern women's literature and its authors that must not be overlooked. Cover Advance praise for Reading Early Modern Women READING EARLY MODERN WOMEN CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A NOTE ON TRANSCRIPTIONS INTRODUCTION Reading Women Writing Women Authorship Mediators, Collaborators, Publishers Notes CHAPTER 1 Legal Documents/ Women’s Testimony Notes The Deposition of Margaret Christmas, “Suttill contra Suttill,” Canterbury Consistory Court Deposition Book (1589–92) Elizabeth I, “Her Majesties most Princelie answere” (1601) Elizabeth Caldwell, Letter from prison, A True Discourse Of the practises of Elizabeth Caldwell, master Jeffrey Bownd, Isabell Hall widdow, and George Fernely, on the parson of Master Thomas Caldwell, in the County of Chester, to have murdered and poysoned him, with divers others (1604) Woodcut of the execution of Elizabeth Abbott, The Apprehension, Arraignment, and execution of Elizabeth Abbot, alis Cebrooke, for a cruell amd horrible murther, committed on the body of Mistris Killingworth in S. Creechurch parish neere Aldgate in London (1608) The Evidence against Joane Waters, the Deposition of George Ireland, London Consistory Court (1609/10) The Star Chamber Deposition of Lady Elizabeth Vaux (1622) The Information of Mary Hall, Westminster Sessions Roll (1626) Notes The Original Will of Elizabeth Whipp, Midwife (1645–46) The Examination of Anne Peace, Yorkshire Sessions (1659) Leticia Wigington, The Confession and Execution of Letitia Wigington of Ratclif, who suffered at Tyburn, on Fryday the 9th of this instant September, 1681, written by her own hand in the Gaol of Newgate two days be-fore her death, being Condemned for whiping her Apprentice Girl to Death (1681) Bibliography CHAPTER 2 The Status of Women The Controversy about Women Education and Philosophy Notes Jane Anger, Jane Anger Her Protection for Women (1589) Ester Sowernam, Ester hath hang’d Haman (1617) Constantia Munda, The Worming of a madde Dogge (1617) Rachel Speght, “To the Reader,” A Mouzell for Melastomus (1617) Rachel Speght, A Mouzell for Melastomus (1617) Isabella Whitney, A Sweet Nosgay, or Pleasant Posye, with “Wyll and Testament” (1573) Rachael Fane (1613?–1680), Page of her school notebook (c. 1628) Anna Maria van Schurman, The Learned Maid; or, Whether a Maid may be a Scholar? (Latin treatise, Paris, 1638; Leiden, 1641; English translation, London, 1659) Margaret Cavendish, Marchioness of Newcastle, The Worlds Olio (1655) and Philosophical and Physical Opinions (1655) Anonymous, “Verses made by a Maid under 14” (c. 1657–58) Bathsua Makin, An Essay to Revive the Antient Education of Gentlewomen (1673) Mary More, “The Womans Right” (c. 1680) Mary Astell, A Serious Proposal to the Ladies (1694) Catharine Trotter (Cockburn), “To the Excellent Mr. Lock,” A Defence of the Essay of Human Understanding (1702) Bibliography CHAPTER 3 Mothers’ Legacies and Medical Manuals Advice Books and Mothers’ Legacies Medical Manuals Notes Isabella Whitney, “A Modest Meane for Maides” (1573) Elizabeth Grymeston, Miscelanea. prayers. meditations. memoratives (1604) Dorothy Leigh, The Mothers Blessing (1618) Elizabeth (Knyvet) Clinton, Countess of Lincoln, The Countesse of Lincolnes Nurserie (l622) Elizabeth Joscelin, “The Mothers Legacy to her Unborn Childe” (1622) M.R., The Mothers Counsellor, Live within Compasse. Being the Last Will and Testament to her dearest Daughter (c. 1630) Elizabeth Richardson, Baroness Cramond, A Ladies Legacie to Her Daughters (1645) Sarah Jinner, An Almanack and Prognostication for the year of our Lord 1659 (1659) Jane Sharp, The Midwives Book (1671) Hannah Wolley, A Supplement to the Queen-Like Closet (1674–75) Mary Trye, Medicatrix, or The Woman-Physician (1675) Elizabeth Cellier, To Dr.—, an Answer to his Queries, concerning the Colledg of Midwives (1688) Bibliography CHAPTER 4 Religion, Prophecy, and Persecution Religious Texts Prophecy Persecution Narratives Notes Anne Askew, The Lattre Examynacyon of Anne Askew (1546) Elizabeth (Cooke), Lady Russell, “To the Right Honourable my most entierly beloved and onely daughter, the Lady Anne Herbert,” A Way of Reconcilitation of a good and learned man, touching the Trueth, Nature, and Substance of the Body and Blood of Christ in the Sacrament (1605) Eleanor Davies (Lady Douglas), “Bathe Daughter of BabyLondon” (c. 1630) Sister Joan Seller, English nun’s oath of obedience (1631) Alice Sutcliffe, “Epistle Dedicatory,” Meditations of man’s mortalitie, or, A way to true blessednesse (1634) Elizabeth Warren, The Old and Good Way Vindicated in a Treatise Wherein Divers Errours (both in judgement and practice, incident to these declining Times) are unmasked,for the Caution of humble Christians (1646) Hannah Allen, publisher of The Exceeding Riches of Grace Advanced by the Spirit of Grace, in an Empty Nothing Creature, Viz. Mris Sarah Wight (1647) Woodcut of Mother Shipton, Foureteene strange Prophesies (1648) Mary Cary (Rande), Little Horns Doom and Downfall and A New and More Exact Mappe of the New Jerusalems Glory (1651) Anonymous, “To My Sisters” and “To the Reader,” Eliza’s Babes (1652) Anonymous, “The Royal Priest-hood,” Eliza’s Babes (1652) Anna Trapnel, The Cry of a Stone: Or a Revelation of Something Spoken in Whitehall (1654) Hester Biddle, A Warning from the Lord God of Life and Power (1660) Elizabeth Calvert, publisher of Mirabilis annus, Or, the Year of Prodigies and Wonders (1661) Katharine Evans and Sarah Chevers, A short Relation of some of the Cruel Sufferings (For the Truths Sake) of Katharine Evans & Sarah Chevers, To the Inquisition in the Isle of Malta (1662) Katherine Sutton, A Christian Womans experiences of the glorious working of Gods free grace (1663) Anne Wentworth, A Vindication of Anne Wentworth, Tending to the Better Preparing of All People for Her Larger Testimony, which is Making Ready for Publick View (1677) Hannah Allen, A Narrative of God’s gracious dealings (1683) Barbara Blaugdone, An Account of the Travels, Sufferings & Persecutions of Barbara Blaugdone (1691) Bibliography CHAPTER 5 Letters Notes Lady Elizabeth Cavendish (Bess of Hardwick) to Francis Whitfield (14 November 1552) Notes Elizabeth I, “The true copie of a letter from the Queenes Majestie, to the Lord Mayor of London, and his brethren: conteyning a most gracious acceptation of the great ioy which her Subjectes tooke upon the apprehension of divers persons, detected of a most wicked conspiracie, read openly in a great assemblie of the Commons in the Guildhall of that Citie” (22 August 1586) Grace O’Malley to Elizabeth I (1593) Elizabeth I to Sir Richard Bingham (6 September 1593) Elizabeth I to Frances (Howard) Seymour, Countess of Hertford (November 1595) Lettice Gawdy to her father Sir Robert Knollys (c. 1620) Elizabeth (Tansfield) Cary, Viscountess Falkland, to Susan (Villiers) Fielding, Countess of Denbigh (c. December 1626) Eleanor Davies (Lady Douglas) to her daughter Lucy Hastings (7 December 1629) Katherine (Sprakeling) Oxinden to her son Henry Oxinden (14 January 1636) Mary (Mildmay) Fane, Countess of Westmorland, to Secretary of State Windebanke (6 May 1639) Elizabeth Richardson, Baroness Cramond, Autograph dedicatory epistle to Sir Edward Dering, A Ladies Legacie to Her Daughters (1645) Dorothy Osborne to William Temple (1652–4) Anne (Finch) Conway, Viscountess Conway, to Henry More (28 November 1660) Mary (Jepp) Clarke to her husband Edward (6 January 1695/6) Notes Bibliography CHAPTER 6 Life-writing: Nonfiction and Fiction Nonfiction Fiction Notes Frances Matthew, “The birthe of all my children” (1583–1629) Elizabeth Southwell (Dudley), “A True Relation of what succeeded at the sickness and death of Queen Elizabeth” (1607) Grace (Sherrington) Lady Mildmay, “The Autobiography of Grace Lady Mildmay” (1617–20) Elizabeth (Tanfield) Cary, Viscountess Falkland, The History of the Life, Reign, and Death of Edward II (written 1627–28; pub. 1680) Martha Moulsworth, “The Memorandum of Martha Moulsworth, Widdowe” (1632) Anne or Lucy Cary, “Lady Falkland: Her Life” (c. 1645) Joyce Jefferies, spinster, Financial Diary (1638–49) Notes Mary Penington, “An account left by my dear mother Mary Penington of her Exercises from her Childhood till her convincement,” transcribed by her son John Penington (1655–1710) Elizabeth With of Woodbridge, Elizabeth Fools Warning (1659) Lady Anne Clifford, Countess Dowager of Dorset, Pembroke and Montgomery, “Lives of the Lady Anne Clifford, Countess of Dorset, Pembroke and Montgomery (1590–1676) and of her parents, summarized by herself” (1663) Lucy (Apsley) Hutchinson, “The Memoirs of the Life of Colonel Hutchinson” (c. 1664) Agnes Beaumont, “Divine Appearances. Or A very Wonderfull Account of the Dealings of God with Mrs. Agnes Beamount… written by her self” (c. 1674) Elizabeth Freke, “Elizabeth Frek Her Book” (1705) Lady Mary (Sidney) Wroth, Title page, Urania (1621) Lady Mary (Sidney) Wroth, Last page of Part 1 Urania (1621) Lady Mary (Sidney) Wroth, Pamphilia to Amphilanthus, appended to Urania (1621) Lady Hester Pulter, “The Unfortunate Florinda” (c. 1660) Mary Carleton, The case of Madam Mary Carleton, latelystiled the German Princess (1663) Aphra Behn, Love-Letters Between a Nobleman and His Sister (1684) Aphra Behn, Dedication, Oroonoko (1688) Bibliography CHAPTER 7 Translations/Alterations Notes Stanzas from Thynne’s 1532 edition of Chaucer’s Workes belonging to the debate about women, copied into the Devonshire Manuscript (c. 1530–1545) Jane, Lady Lumley, Euripides’ Iphigenia at Aulis (c. 1554) Anne (Cooke), Lady Bacon, John Jewel’s An apologie or answere in defence of the Churche of Englande (1564) Margaret Tyler, Dedication, The Mirrour of Princely Deeds and Knighthood (1578) Mary (Sidney) Herbert, Countess of Pembroke, Antonius (1592) Lady Anne Southwell, Commonplace book entry on Ralegh’s “The Lie” (after 1592) Ann Bowyer, Commonplace book entry on Ralegh’s “The Lie” (after 1592) Dame Alice L’Estrange and Lady Hobart in “Merry Passages and Jeasts,” collected by Sir Nicholas Le Strange (c. 1650) Katherine (Fowler) Philips, Pompey, a Tragedy (1663) Aphra Behn, Fontenelle’s A Discovery of New Worlds (1688) Aphra Behn, Cowley’s Of Plants. Book VI. “Of trees” (1689) Anne (Finch), Viscountess Conway, The Principles of the most Ancient and Modern Philosophy (Latin translation, 1690; translated back into English, 1692, by an unknown hand) Bibliography CHAPTER 8 Poetry Notes Anne Locke, Preface, A Meditation of a Penitent Sinner: Written in Maner of a Paraphrase upon the 51. Psalme of David (1560) Isabella Whitney, The Copy of a letter (1567) Queen Elizabeth I, “The doubt of future foes” (written c. 1570; pub. 1589) Anne Dowriche, The French Historie (1589) Aemilia Lanyer, Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum (1611) Rachel Speght, Mortalities Memorandum, with a Dreame Prefixed, imaginarie in manner; reall in matter (1621) Mary (Sidney) Herbert, “To the Angell Spirit of the most excellent, Sir Phillip Sidney” (1623) Diana Primrose, A chaine of pearle (1630) Alice Sutcliffe, “Of our losse by Adam,” Meditations of man’s mortalitie (1634) Anonymous, “Wings my Doves you have now obtain’d,” Eliza’s Babes (1652) An Collins, “A Song composed in time of the Civill Warr, when the wicked did much insult over the godly,” Divine Songs and Meditacions (1653) Lady Hester Pulter, “Then if your Husbands rant it high and Game” (1640–65) Rachel Jevon, Exultationis carmen (1660) Katherine (Fowler) Philips, Epitaph on her mother-in-law (1667) Philo-Philippa, “To the Excellent Orinda” (1667) Anne Bradstreet, “The Author to her Book,” Several Poems (1678) Ephelia, A Poem as it was Presented To His Sacred Majesty, On the Discovery of the Popish Plott (1679) Aphra Behn, “Young Jemmy” (1681) Sarah Fyge (Egerton), The female advocate: or, An Answer to a late satryr against the pride, lust and inconstancy, & c. of woman (1686) Anne Killigrew, Frontispiece self-portrait, Poems, (1686) Bibliography CHAPTER 9 Plays The Restoration of Drama Notes Elizabeth (Tanfield) Cary, Viscountess Falkland, The Tragedie of Mariam (1613) Lady Mary (Sidney) Wroth, “Loves Victorie” (c. 1622) Notes Notes Lady Jane Cavendish and Lady Elizabeth (Cavendish) Brackley, “The concealed Fansyes” (c. 1645) Margaret Cavendish, Marchioness (later Duchess) of Newcastle, Youths Glory and Deaths Banquet (1662) Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, The Convent of Pleasure (1668), Ending revised by her husband, the Duke of Newcastle Elizabeth Polwhele, “The faythfull virgins” (c. 1670) Elizabeth Polwhele, “The Frolick’s: or The Lawyer Cheated” (c.1671) Aphra Behn, The Rover (1677) Ephelia, Epilogue, The Pair-Royal of Coxcombs, Performed at a Dancing-School (1679) Ariadne, She Ventures and He Wins (1696) Mary (Delarivière) Manley, The Royal Mischief (1696) Mary Pix, Prologue, The Deceiver Deceived (1698) Catharine Trotter (Cockburn), Dedication, Fatal Friendship (1698) Catharine Trotter (Cockburn), Love at a Loss (1701) Susanna (Freeman) Centlivre, Dedication, The Busie Body (1709) Bibliography CHAPTER 10 Applied Arts and Music Notes A Girdle-book (c.1540) containing Lady Elizabeth Tyrwhit’s Morning and evening praiers (1574), and Queen Katherine (Parr)’s Prayers and Meditations (c. 1574). Elizabeth Tudor, Embroidered cover of “The glasse of the synnefull soule” (1544) Elizabeth Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury (Bess of Hardwick), Embroidered panel “Diana and Actaeon” (1597) Esther Inglis, Calligraphy of “Octonaries” (c. 1600) “A short and sweet sonnet made by one of the maides of honor upon the death of Queene Elizabeth, which she sowed uppon a sampler in red silke” (1603) Lady Anne (Bacon) Drury, Photograph of her closet (c. 1612) Lady Margaret Wemyss, Music book (c. 1643–49) Lady Mary (Harvey) Dering, Musical setting for “A false designe to be cruel,” as printed in Henry Lawes, Select Ayres and Dialogues (1659) Ephelia, Frontispiece, Female Poems on several Occasions (1679) Mary Beale, Portrait of Aphra Behn (c. 1682) Anne (Kingsmill) Finch, Countess of Winchilsea, The Spleen, A Pindarique Ode (1701; 1709) Bibliography CONTRIBUTORS’ BIOGRAPHIES INDEX OF NAMES AND TITLES