Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Christian lifeMasham, Damaris, Lady
Religion
Occasional Thoughts in Reference to a Vertuous or Christian life
Masham, Damaris, Lady
Christian life -- Anglican authors
employments than Men of one or two thousand Pounds a Year (and much
less those great numbers who have smaller Estates) can often afford to
make the care of governing their Children from their Infancy to be.
The procuring of such a Person as this may (by accident) sometimes be
in such a ones Power; but to propose the ingaging for reward whenever
there shall be need for them, vertuous, wife, and well-bred Men and
Women, to spend their time in taking care of the Education of young
Children, is what can be done but by a very few; since the doing this
would not be found an easy charge to the greater part of almost any
rank amongst us; unless they would be content for the sake hereof to
abridge themselves of some of their extravagant Expences; which are
usually the last that Men will deny themselves.
It is indeed wonderful (if we consider Men as rational Creatures) to
see how much Mony they will often bestow, not upon their Vices only,
(for this is not so unaccountable) but upon meerly fashionable
Vanities, which give them more Trouble than Pleasure in the enjoyment:
Yet at the same time be as sparing, as is possible, of cost upon a
Child's Education; and it is certain, that for Rewards considerable
enough to make it worth their while, those of a far different
Character from such as for the most part undertake it, would be
induc'd to accept even the early charge of Childrens Instruction. But
every Gentleman of a good Family, or good Estate also, is not in
Circumstances to propound such sufficient Rewards; and for what the
most can afford to give, very few capable of performing this matter
well, will trouble themselves about it; at least with such Pupils as
must be attended with Nurses or Maids. Wherefore no other remedy, I
believe, can be found but in returning still to our Conclusion, That
this great concernment, on which no less than Peoples Temporal and
Eternal Happiness does mightily depend, ought to be the Care and
Business of Mothers. Nor do Women seem less peculiarly adapted by
Nature hereunto, than it can be imagin'd they should be, if the Author
of Nature (as no doubt he did) design'd this to be their Province in
that division of Cares of Humane Life, which ought to be made between
a Man and his Wife. For that softness, gentleness and tenderness,
natural to the Female Sex, renders them much more capable than Men are
of such an insinuating Condescention to the Capacities of young
Children, as is necessary in the Instruction and Government of them,
insensibly to form their early Inclinations. And surely these
distinguishing Qualities of the Sex were not given barely to delight,
when they may, so manifestly, be profitable also, if joyn'd with a
well informed Understanding: From whence, _viz._ from Womans being
naturally thus fitted to take this care of their little Ones, it
follows, that besides the injustice done to themselves thereby, it is
neglecting the Direction of Nature for the well breeding up of
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