She generously placed her notebooks at my disposal, whence I have gleaned many interesting facts in support of my own. Therefore this little book may be taken as her voice as well as mine. The points I specially wish to be considered, are:— 1st, The Ethnological.—The racial characteristics of our ancestors. They reverenced women. 2nd, The Philological.—All old Statutes are couched in _general_ terms. Through a deficiency in the English language, the word “man” is a common term, including woman as well as man, even by Statute. 3rd, The Legal.—The Late Laureate speaks of the liberties of men as widening down from precedent to precedent. We find that the liberties of women have, on the other hand, been narrowed down from precedent to precedent. Sir Edward Coke, the technical cause of this limitation, is only a fellow mortal, liable to error. 4th, The Historical, in which facts speak for themselves. 5th, The Biblical, in which prejudice and mistranslation have confused the ideas of readers on this point. Some may disagree with my conclusions, but I trust they may accept the facts, and do what they can with them. No one can deny that it is _just_ to grant women the Suffrage, no one can deny that it would be _advantageous for them_ to receive it. There is no reason that a thing should be because it has been, but when the only objection brought against a thing is, that it has not been, it is time to test if that statement be really true. We have not found the received assertions true in regard to this subject. Hence the publication of this little book. Thus far I had written as Preface to the little Brochure that I printed for the use of the Women’s Suffrage Societies a month ago. But as the whole Thousand was ordered before it came from the printers, it was evident that I ought to publish my work formally, with the many additions I had held back from lack of space, and with the article from the _Athenæum_, No. 3475, which I had been permitted to incorporate. Amongst the Labour-saving appliances of the day, may be classified collections of verified facts. I trust these may reach the hands of those for whom I write, _brave women_ and _fair men_. CHARLOTTE CARMICHAEL STOPES, 31 TORRINGTON SQUARE, W.C. _6th June, 1894._ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ BRITISH FREEWOMEN THEIR HISTORICAL PRIVILEGE [Illustration] CHAPTER I. __PRELIMINARY.__ ANCIENT HISTORY AND BRITISH WOMEN. “Let us look at the beginnings of things, for they help us to understand the ends.”