Women -- Biography; Women -- Social and moral questions
The moral feelings were strong in Miss Herschel. She disapproved of all
violence, irreverence, and injustice. None knew better than she that
love is the just debt due to every human being, and the discipline
which God has ordained to prepare us for heaven. Hence she was civil
and obliging, free from jealousy, dissimulation, and envy. In a word,
she possessed a noble disposition.
_SECTION II.—JANE ANN TAYLOR_ [_JANET TAYLOR_].
“We believe that she was as gentle and simple in herself, as she was
deeply versed in the abstruse science which she professed. Perhaps some
surviving relative or friend may be able to throw light on the life and
labours of one who was as extraordinary from her acquirements of
knowledge as from her social reticence.”
Y.L.Y., in _The Athenæum_.
_NAVIGATION._
It is remarkable that women have, in a great number of instances, been
distinguished by merits the most opposite to their imaginary and
conventional character. The first use of ships as distinguished from
boats appears to have been by the early Egyptians, who are believed to
have reached the western coast of India, besides navigating the
Mediterranean. But whatever may have been their prowess upon the waves,
they were soon eclipsed by the citizens of Tyre, who, to compensate for
the unproductiveness of their small territory, laid the sea under
tribute, and made their city the great emporium of Eastern and European
trade. The Greek states gradually developed the art of navigation, and
at the time of the Peloponnesian war, the Athenians seem to have been
skilful conductors of vessels at sea. Rome next manifested maritime
daring. Time rolled on and the Saxon, Jutish, and Norse prows began to
roam the ocean in every direction. The Norsemen extended their voyages
to Iceland, Greenland, and Newfoundland. The sea had no terrors for
these hardy rovers. The introduction of the mariner’s compass made the
sailor independent of sun and stars; and the discovery of the variation
of the compass rendered navigation more secure. The two first treatises
on systematic navigation appeared in Spain, one by Pedro de Medina, the
other by Martin Cortes. These were speedily translated into French,
Dutch, English, etc., and for many years served as the text-books of
practical navigation. It would be tedious to enumerate the successive
improvements in the science of navigation; suffice it to say, that for
its present high perfection, it is under some obligation to female
intellect.
_BIOGRAPHY._
Jane Ann Jonn, was born on the 13th of May, 1804, at Wolsingham, a
market town and parish in the county of Durham, and about thirteen
miles from that ancient and celebrated city. She was the fourth
daughter of the Rev. Peter Jonn and Jane Deighton, his wife. Her father
was curate of Wolsingham, and head master of the grammar school.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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