_It is now near a Twelve-month since I first entered upon this Project, at the desire of a worthy Friend, unto whom I owe more than I can do for him: And when I considered the great need of such a Book, as might be a_ COMPLEAT DIRECTORY _to the Female Sex in all_ Relations, Companies, Conditions and States _of Life; even from_ CHILDHOOD _down to_ Old-age, _and from the_ Lady _at the Court, to the_ Cook-maid _in the Country: I was at length prevailed upon to do it, and the rather because I know not of any Book that hath done the like; indeed many learned Writters there be, who have wrote excellent well of some_ Particular Subjects _herein Treated of, but as there is not one of them hath written upon all of them, so there are some things Treated of in this_ DICTIONARY _that I have not met with in any Language. 'T is true_, MY OWN EXPERIENCE IN LOVE AFFAIRS, _might_ have furnisht _out Materials for such a Work; yet I do not pretend thereby to lessen my Obligations, to those_ Ladies_, who by their Generous imparting to me their_ Manuscripts, _have furnisht me with_ several hundred _Experiments and Secrets in_ DOMESTIC AFFAIRS, BEAUTIFYING, PRESERVING, CANDYING, PHYSICK, CHIRURGERY, ETC. _Proper for my Work, and such as were not taken out of Printed Books, or on the Credit of others, but such as are Re-commended to me from their own Practice, all which shall be inserted in a_ Second Part, _if this_ FIRST _meets with Encouragement, that so both together may contain all_ ACCOMPLISHMENTS _needful for Ladies, and be thereby rendered perfect.... So that you'll find here at one view, the whole Series and Order of all the most Heroick and Illustrious Women of all times, from the first dawning of the World to this present Age, of all Regions and Climate_, from _the Spicy East, to the Golden West, of_ all _faiths, whether_ Jews, Ethnicks, _or_ Christians, (_and particularly an Account of those_ WOMEN MARTYRS _that suffer'd in Queen Mary's days: And in the West in 85: And of all_ Eminent _Ladies, that have dy'd in_ England _for these last fifty years_) _of all Arts and Sciences, both the graver, and more polite; of all Estates_, VIRGINS, WIVES and WIDOWS; _of all Complexions and Humours, the Fair, the Foul, the Grave, the Witty, the Reserv'd, the Familiar, the Chast, the Wanton. Whatever Poets have fancied, or credible Histories have Recorded, of the first you have the Misteries and Allegories clearly interpreted and explained; of the latter the Genuine Relations Impartially delivered_.