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The Life Of Mrs. Anne Ayscough, Or Askew.
THE LIFE OF MRS . ANNE AYSCOUGH , OR ASKEW .
FTpHE man who shall endeavour to depreciate the female character JL ty representing it as inferior to the other , either in fortitude ,-discernment , or in the extensivensss of mental power , will incur my p ity for his ignorance , or contempt for his prejudice . The pen of faithful history has registered so many brilliant examples of female integrity , strength of mind , and acuteness of intellect , as for ever to
shame the attempt of those who shall strive to lessen the general merit of the sex . The field of science has not received all its cultivation and improvement from the labours and vigorous understanding of the masculine part of the human kind alone ; nor lias the history of human nature recorded instances of unshaken firmness of soul , in the midst of the most perilous scenes , and the most terrible tortures , on the side of
man only . With all his mig hty consequence and fancied superiority as the head of the creation , she who was f-rmti flesh of his flesh , and bone of his bone , to be his solace and his joy , has borne her part also of suffering and honour . In the various degradations and exaltations of human nature , which , ever since the fail , have been perpetually taking lacenuoman has shared her equal portion with man .
p , If many of the daughters of Eve have been eminent in turpitude ,-still more have shone conspicuous by the sp lendor of their virtues and their talents . But I am not here going to adduce a catalogue of female worthies ; sucli a work would be ample in its magnitude , and
illus-. I shall here bring forward a female with whom the history of this country is honoured . One whose magnanimity was only equalled by her piety , and \ i hose talents were proportioned to her virtues . Let my fair readers contemplate her character with an emulous desire , and her conduct with a virtuous pride . Anne A horas it has been corruptlwrittenfrom a base
yscoug , , y , pronunciation , Askew , was the daughter of Sir William Ayscough , of Kelsay in the county of Lincoln , knig ht , and , probably , born there about the year I jzo . Her descent was noble , and her education liberal . Bishop Burnet , however , was strangely mistaken when he asserted that she was " educated beyond what was ordinary in that age to those of her sex : " a ' liberal education , on the contrary , was not only common of their studies
to the ladies of quality at that time , but the turn was generally to the hi g her branches of learning . The daughters of Sir Thomas ' More may be produced as an evidence of this . They were well acquainted with the Greek , and wrote Latin epistles . In the latter accomplishment they were equalled by Catharine of Arragon , tho first wife of Henry Vllf . by Queen Catherine Parr , and Queen Mary . The literary acquisitions , particuLfrly in Greek , of the amiable and unfortunate jane Grey have been celebrated by the accurate and erudite Ascham . Queen Elizabeth not only understood Latin , but con-
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Life Of Mrs. Anne Ayscough, Or Askew.
THE LIFE OF MRS . ANNE AYSCOUGH , OR ASKEW .
FTpHE man who shall endeavour to depreciate the female character JL ty representing it as inferior to the other , either in fortitude ,-discernment , or in the extensivensss of mental power , will incur my p ity for his ignorance , or contempt for his prejudice . The pen of faithful history has registered so many brilliant examples of female integrity , strength of mind , and acuteness of intellect , as for ever to
shame the attempt of those who shall strive to lessen the general merit of the sex . The field of science has not received all its cultivation and improvement from the labours and vigorous understanding of the masculine part of the human kind alone ; nor lias the history of human nature recorded instances of unshaken firmness of soul , in the midst of the most perilous scenes , and the most terrible tortures , on the side of
man only . With all his mig hty consequence and fancied superiority as the head of the creation , she who was f-rmti flesh of his flesh , and bone of his bone , to be his solace and his joy , has borne her part also of suffering and honour . In the various degradations and exaltations of human nature , which , ever since the fail , have been perpetually taking lacenuoman has shared her equal portion with man .
p , If many of the daughters of Eve have been eminent in turpitude ,-still more have shone conspicuous by the sp lendor of their virtues and their talents . But I am not here going to adduce a catalogue of female worthies ; sucli a work would be ample in its magnitude , and
illus-. I shall here bring forward a female with whom the history of this country is honoured . One whose magnanimity was only equalled by her piety , and \ i hose talents were proportioned to her virtues . Let my fair readers contemplate her character with an emulous desire , and her conduct with a virtuous pride . Anne A horas it has been corruptlwrittenfrom a base
yscoug , , y , pronunciation , Askew , was the daughter of Sir William Ayscough , of Kelsay in the county of Lincoln , knig ht , and , probably , born there about the year I jzo . Her descent was noble , and her education liberal . Bishop Burnet , however , was strangely mistaken when he asserted that she was " educated beyond what was ordinary in that age to those of her sex : " a ' liberal education , on the contrary , was not only common of their studies
to the ladies of quality at that time , but the turn was generally to the hi g her branches of learning . The daughters of Sir Thomas ' More may be produced as an evidence of this . They were well acquainted with the Greek , and wrote Latin epistles . In the latter accomplishment they were equalled by Catharine of Arragon , tho first wife of Henry Vllf . by Queen Catherine Parr , and Queen Mary . The literary acquisitions , particuLfrly in Greek , of the amiable and unfortunate jane Grey have been celebrated by the accurate and erudite Ascham . Queen Elizabeth not only understood Latin , but con-