First Feminists: British Women Writers, 1578-1799 / Edition 1

by Moira Ferguson

Overview

"An invaluable resource to scholars interested in feminist thought. . . . " —Ruth Perry

"Anyone interested in women's history or feminist thought must read this book." —Lillian Faderman

"Moira Ferguson has selected wisely from well-known and little-known figures and from fiction, polemic and poetry to illustrate the long and diverse history of feminist reflection up to and including Mary Wollstonecraft. . . . Good reading for scholars and a fine book for classroom use." —Natalie Zemon Davis

"The selections resonate with exceptional force." —Fides et Historia

" . . . impressive new product, fit for classroom and study, student and scholar." —The Scriblerian

" . . . excellent anthology . . . without a doubt at all an immensely important addition to the growing library of Feminist Studies." —Anglo-American Studies

" . . . this anthology is a valuable guide." —The Year's Work in English Studies

For this anthology tracing the origins of feminist thought in Britain, the editor chose 28 important writers from Margaret Tyler (1578) to Mary Anne Radcliffe (1799).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780253281203
Publisher:	Indiana University Press
Publication date:	07/22/1985
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	480
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.10(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

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F.I.R.S.T Feminists

British Women Writers 1578â"1799

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By Moira Ferguson

Indiana University Press The Feminist Press

Copyright © 1985 Indiana University Press
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-253-28120-3

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CHAPTER 1

Margaret Tyler fl. 1578

The identity of the writer of the first known feminist tract in English remains unclear to this day. The information that we do have derives mainly from the epistle dedicatory to the translation. Not surprisingly the feminist statements occur in a preface to a translation. In prefaces, writers could air their views and not be perceived as aggressive controversialists; translation, which tends not to depend on original thought, was also viewed as a suitable medium for the allegedly less finely honed intellects of women. This was especially true in sixteenth- and seventeenth-century Britain, when interest in foreign languages and affairs intensified. Nonetheless, since education was still largely a masculine preserve, translation was a privilege largely accessible only to rich females of noble birth or the daughters of Renaissance humanists. In this golden age of translation, Margaret Tyler translated The First Part of the Mirrour of Princely deedes and Knyghthood by the Spaniard, Diego Ortunez de Calahorra.

From the epistle dedicating this translation, written by Tyler, it appears that she was a member of and possibly a servant in the household of the aristocratic and Roman Catholic Howard family. Since her employers met untimely deaths, according to remarks Tyler makes to their son, to whom she dedicates her work, it is possible they were executed for involvement in the Ridolfi assassination plot against the Protestant Queen Elizabeth I. In that case, the father of the dedicatee would be Thomas, Third Duke of Norfolk, who was executed in June 1572. Because Tyler is paying homage to the parents, pledging allegiance to their son, and relying on his protection against critical assaults on her work, chances are that she was a Roman Catholic herself.

There is a slim possibility also that Margaret Tyler's real name was Margaret Tyrrell. The Tyrrells were a prominent Roman Catholic family and there was a Margaret Tyrrell living at the time who was sister-in-law to the Howard family. (Information supplied by Robert Bellow, whom I thank.) It was quite common for recusants (Roman Catholics who dissented from the Anglican communion) to disguise their names in this way, or even to take the name of another recusant family as a pseudonym. Robert Southwell, for example, the recusant cleric-poet who was connected with the Howard family, occasionally went by the name of Cotton.

A search of the Howard and Tyrrell (Tirel, Tyrell) families in the Dictionary of National Biography; family histories, encyclopaedic biographical dictionaries, and in Southwell and other historical biographies has so far failed to yield anything specific about Tyler's identity.

The epistle contains the first explicitly feminist argument published by a woman that I have found in English. Tyler argued that women have the same capacity to research and write as men do, and that they should, therefore, have the prerogative to do so and to choose their subject. Despite this assertion, she apologized for her "unbecoming" subject matter, a stance that continued among women writers for at least two centuries. This practice of defending women in the apparatus to a work rather than in the work itself constituted not only a literature of necessity because controversy was rarely tolerated, but more crucially a literature of subversion and camouflage.

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FROM THE TRANSLATION OF The FIRST PART of the MIRROUR of PRINCELY DEEDES AND KNYGHTHOOD:

DEDICATION TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE The LORD THOMAS HOWARD

Not beeing greatly forward of mine owne inclination (right Honourable) but forced by the importunitie of my friends to make some triall of my selfe in this exercise of translation. I have adventured upon a peece of work, not indeed the most profitablest, as intreating of armes, nor yet altogether fruitlesse, if example may serve, as being historicall, but the while, either to be borne withall for the delight, or not to be refused for the strangeness: farther I meane not to make boast of my travaile, for the matter was offred, not made choice of, as there appeared likewise little libertie in my first yeelding. The earnestnesse of my friends persuaded me that it was convenient to laie foorth my talent for increase, or to set my candle on a candlesticke, & the consideration of my sufficiencie drove me to thinke it better for my ease, either quite to burie my talent, thereby to avoide the breaking of thriftlesse debtes, or rather to put my candle cleane out, then that it should bewraie [bury] every unswept corner in my house, but the opinion of my friends judgement prevailed above mine own reason. So upon hope to please them, I first undertooke this labour, & I have gone through withall, the rather to acquaint my selfe with mine olde reading: whereto since the dispatch thereof, I have made, my friends privie, & upon good liking, with request thereto I have passed my graunt unto them for the publication, referring for my selfe the order for the dedication, so as I shuld think best, either for the defence of my worke or for some perticular merit towards mee. And heerein I tooke no long leasure to finde out a sufficient personage. For the manifold benefites received from your honourable parents, my good Lord and Ladie, quickly eased me of that doubt, and presented your honour unto my view: whome by good right I ought to love and honour in especiall, as being of them begotten, at whose hands I have reaped especiall benefit. The which benefit if I should not so gladly professe openly, as I willingly received being offered, I might well be challenged of unkindnesse, but were I as able to make good my part, as I am not ignorant what may bee required at my handes, I would hope not to be found ungratefull. In the meane time this my travaile I commend unto your Lordship, beseeching the same so to accept thereof, as a simple testimonie of that good will which I bare to your parents while they lived, then being their servant, & now doe owe unto their ofspring after their decease for their demerits. Under your honors protection I shall lesse feare the assault of the envious, & of your honours good acceptation, 1 have some hope in the mildnesse of your Lordshippes nature, not doubting but that as your Lordship hath given no small signification in this your noble youth of wisdome and courage to so many as know you, it being the onely support of your auncestors line: so the same likewise will maintaine your auncestours glorie, and the hope of your owne vertues with affabilitie & gentlenesse, which was the proper commendation of your parents. The almightie increase this hope with the other vertues before named, to the good hope of your Countries peace, your Princesse safetie, and your owne honour, with the joy of your kindred & friends, whom not a few your parents good deserving hath assured unto you, and of whose earnest praiers you shall not faile, to further your well dooing. Amongst them, though last in worthinesse, yet with the formost in well wishing and desire of well deserving, your honour shall finde me.

Your honours humblie most assured, Margaret Tyler

Epistle to the Reader

M.T. to the Reader

Thou hast heere gentle Reader, the historie of Trebatio, an Emperour in Greece: whether a true historie of him in deed, or a fained fable, I wot not, neither did I greatlye seeke after it in the translation, but by me it is done into English for thy profit and delight. The chiefe matter therein contained, is of exployts of warres, and the parties therein named, are especially renowmed for their magnanimitie and courage. The authors purpose appeareth to be this, to animate thereby, and to set on fire the lustie courages of young Gentlemen, to the advauncement of their line, by ensuing such like steps. The first tongue wherin it was penned was the Spanish, in which nation by common report, the inheritaunce of all worldly commendation hath to this day rested. The whole discourse in respect of the ende not unnecessarie: for the varietie & continuall shifte of fresh matter, verie delightfull: in the speaches short and sweete, wise in sentence, and warie in the provision of contrarie accidents. For I take the grace thereof to be rather in the reporters device, then in the truth of this report, as I wold that I could so well impart with thee that delight, which my selfe findeth in reading the Spanish: but seldome is the tale carried cleane from anothers mouth. Such deliverie as I have made I hope thou wilt friendly accept, the rather for that it is a womans worke, though in a storye prophane, and a matter more manlike then becometh my sexe. But as for any manlinesse of the matter, thou knowest that it is not necessarie for every trumpetter or drumstare in the warre to be a good fighter. They take wages onely to incite others, though themselves have privie maymes, and are therby recurelesse. So gentle Reader if my travell in Englishing this Authour, may bring thee to a liking of the vertues heerein commended, and by example thereof in thy Princes and Countries quarrell to hazard thy person, and purchase good name, as for hope of well deserving my selfe that way, I neither bend my selfe thereto, nor yet feare the speach of people if I be found backward, I trust every man holdes not the plough, which would the ground were tilled, and it is no sinne to talke of Robinhood, though you never shot in his bowe: Or be it that the attempt were bolde to intermeddle in armes, so as the auncient Amazons did, and in this storie Claridiana doth, and in other stories not a few, yet to report of armes is not so odious, but that it may be borne withall, not onely in you men which your selves are fighters, but in us women, to whome the benefit in equall part apperteineth of your victories, either for that the matter is so commendable that it carryeth no discredit from the homelynesse of the speaker, or for that it is so generally knowen, that it fitteth everie man to speake thereof, or for any it jumpeth with this common feare on all parts of warre and invasion. The invention, disposition, trimming, and what else in this storie, is wholy another mans, my part none therein but the translation, as it were onely in giving enterteinment to a straunger, before this time unacquainted with our countrie guise. Marie the worst perhaps is this, that among so many straungers as dayly come over, some more auncient, and some but new set forth, some penning matters of great weight and sadnesse in divinitie, or other studies, if profession whereof more neerely beseemeth my yeres, other some discoursing of matters more easie and ordinary in common talke, wherin a Gentlewoman may honestly imploy her travaile. I have not withstanding made countenance onely to this gentleman, whom neither his personage might sufficiently commend it selfe unto my sexe, nor his behaviour (being light and soldier like) might in good order acquaint it selfe with my yeares. So if the question now ariseth of my choice, not of my labour, wherefore I preferred this storie before matter of more importance. For answere wherein gentle reader, the truth is, that as the first notion to this kind of labour came not from my selfe, so was this peece of worke put upon me by others, and they which first counsailed me to fall to worke, tooke upon them also to bee my taskemasters and overseers, least I should be idle, and yet because the refusall was in my power, I must stand to answere for my easie yeelding, and may not be unprovided of excuse, wherin if I should alledge for my selfe, that matters of lesse worthinesse by as aged yeares have bene taken in hande, and that dayly new devises are published, in songs, sonnets, enterludes, and other discourses, and yet are borne out without reproch, onely to please the humour of some men: I thinke I should make no good plea therein, for besides that I should finde therby so many knowen enimies, as knowen men have bene authors of such idle conceits, yet woulde my other adversaries be never the rather quieted for they would say, if as well the one as the other were all naught, and though peradventure I might passe unknowen amongest a multitude, and not be the onely gaze or odde partie in my ill doing, yet because there is lesse merit of pardon if the fault be excused as common, I will not make that my defence which cannot helpe me, and both hinder other men. But my defence is by example of the best, amongst which, many have dedicated their labours, some stories, some of warre, some Phisicke, some Lawe, some as concerning government, some divine matters, unto diverse Ladyes and Gentlewoman. And if men may and do bestow such of their travailes upon Gentlewomen, then may we women read such of their workes as they dedicate unto us, and if wee may read them, why not farther wade in them to the search of a truth. And then much more why not deale by translation in such arguments, especially this kinde of exercise, beeing a matter of more heede then of deepe invention or exquisite learning, and they must needes leave this as confessed, that in their dedications, they minde not onely to borrowe names of worthie personages, but the testimonies also for their further credite, which neither the one may demaund without ambition, nor the other graunt with out overlightnesse: if women be excluded from the viewe of such workes, as appeare in their name, or if glorie onely be sought in our common inscriptions, it mattereth not whether the partyes be men or women, whether alive or dead. But to returne whatsomever the truth is, whether that women may not at all discourse in learning, for men late in their claime to be sole possessioners of knowledge, or whether they may in some manner, that is by limitation or appointment in some kinde of learning, my perswasion hath bene thus, that it is all one for a woman to pen a storie, as for a man to addresse his storie to a woman. But amongst all my ill willers, some I hope are not so straight that they would enforce me necessarily either not to write or to write of divinitie. Wheras neither durst I trust mine owne judgment sufficiently, if matter of controversie were handled, nor yet could I finde any booke in any tongue, which would not breed offence to some, but I perceive some may be rather angrie to see their Spanish delight tourned to all English pastime: they could well allow the storie in Spanish, but they may not affoord it so cheape, or they woulde have it proper to themselves. What natures such men bee of, I list not greatly dispute, but my meaning hath bene to make other partners of my liking, as I doubt not gentle Reader, but if it shall please thee after serious matters to sport thy selfe with this Spaniard, that thou shalt finde in him the just reward of mallice and cowardise, with the good speede of honestie and courage, beeing able to furnish thee with sufficient store of foreine example to both purposes. And as in such matters which have bene rather devised to beguile time, then to breede matter of sad learning, he hath ever borne away any price, which could season such delights with some profitable reading: so shalt thou have this stranger an honest man when need serveth, and at other times either a good companion to drive out a wearie night, or a merrie jest at thy boord. And thus much concerning this present storie, that it is neither unseemely for a woman to deale in, neither greatly requiring a lesse staied age then mine is. But of these two poynts gentle Reader I thought to give thee warning, least perhaps understanding of my name and yeares, those mightest be carried into a wrong suspect of my boldnesse and rashnesse, from which I wold gladly free my selfe by this plaine excuse, and if I may deserve thy good favour by like labour, when the choyce is mine owne, I will have a speciall regard of thy liking. So I wish thee well.

Thine to use M.T.

CHAPTER 2

Jane Anger fl. 1589

The identity of Jane Anger, the first major female polemicist in English, remains a mystery. All that exists is the signature, "JA: A. Gent," on the title page of her tract. Although male defenders of women often countered misogynous attack, Anger's tract is the first known sustained defense by a woman. The provocation was Boke his Surfeit in Love (1588). In caustic language she insulted and cursed men, denying that women are lustful.

While a search of volumes on the history of surnames for this period reveals that Anger was not an uncommon surname and was probably derived from the anglicized French "Anjou," it seems more likely that the expressive surname was a reflection of the author's sentiments.

In The Crooked Rib, Francis Lee Utley suggests that the anonymous poem, "Ye are to yong to bryng me in: An old lover to a yong gentilwoman" from Tottel's Miscellany (1557 or earlier), might have provoked Anger's retort. Helen Andrews Kahin favors the view that Anger was replying to an article by John Lyly. Recently, Simon Shepherd has speculated that the target of Jane Anger's tract was false learning. While suggestive, this theory does not explain why she felt compelled to respond to "a late surfeiting lover" who had apparently made a verbal sexual assault on women. Whatever the provocation, Anger's vigorous tract suggests that the controversy surrounding women, the Querelle des Femmes, was a vital aspect of Elizabethan culture.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from F.I.R.S.T Feminists by Moira Ferguson. Copyright © 1985 Indiana University Press. Excerpted by permission of Indiana University Press The Feminist Press.
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Table of Contents

Preface
Introduction

Margaret Tyler fl. 1578
From translation by Tyler of The First Part of the Mirrour of Princely Deeds and Knyghthood: Dedication and the Epistle to the Reader,

Jane Anger, fl. 1589
Jane Anger her Protection for Women

Ester Sowernam, fl. 1617
From Ester Hath Hang'd Haman: Address; From Chapter 7

Joane Sharp, fl. 1617
A Defence of Women: Poem concluding Ester Sowernam's Ester Hath Hang'd Haman

Margaret Lucas Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, 1623-1673
From Philosophical and Physical Opinions: Preface To the Two Most Famous Universities of England, 1655
From The Convent of Pleasure, 1668

Katherine Fowler Philips, 1631-1664
From Poems by the Most Deservedly Admired Mrs. Katherine Philips, The Matchless Orinda, 1667

Margaret Askew Fell Fox, 1614-1702
From Womens Speaking Justified, 1667

Mary Anne Radcliffe, 1746?-after 1810
From the Female Advocate, 1799

Supplementary Readings: Works Not Excerpted