*The corruption of the world indulges them in great vanity, and mankind seem to consider them in no other view, than as so many painted idols, that are to allure and gratify their passions; so that if many women are vain, light, gewgaw creatures, they have this to excuse themselves, that they are not only such as their education has made them, but such as the generality the world allows them to be.
*But then they should consider, that the friends to their vanity are no friends of theirs; that they are to live for themselves; that they have as great a share in the rational nature as men have; that they have as much reason to pretend, and as much necessity to aspire after the highest accomplishments of Christian virtue, as the gravest and wisest among Christian philosophers.
*They should consider, that they are abused, and injured, and betrayed from their only perfection, whenever they are taught, that any thing is an ornament in them, that is not an ornament in the wisest among mankind.
4. *It is generally said, that women are naturally of little and vain minds; but this I look upon to be as false, as to say, that butchers are naturally cruel: for as their cruelty is not owing to their nature, but to their way of life; so whatever littleness and vanity is in the minds of women, it is like the cruelty of butchers, a temper that is wrought into them by that life which they are taught and accustomed to lead.
And if it were true, that they were thus naturally vain and light, then how much more blameable is that education, which seems contrived to strengthen and increase this folly and weakness of their minds?
For if it were a virtue in a woman to be proud and vain of herself, we could hardly take better means to raise this passion in her, than those that are now used in their education.
5. *Matilda is a fine woman, of good breeding, and great sense. She has three daughters that are educated by herself. She will not trust them with any one else, or at any school, for fear they should learn any thing ill. She stays with the dancing-master all the time he is with them, because she will hear every thing that is said to them. She has heard them read the scriptures so often, that they can repeat great part of it without book: and there is scarce a good book of devotion, but you may find it in their closets.
Had Matilda lived in the first ages of Christianity, she had in all probability been one of the greatest saints. But as she was born in corrupt times, where she hardly ever saw a piety higher than her own; so she has many defects, and communicates them all to her daughters.
6. Matilda never was meanly dressed in her life; and nothing pleases her in dress, but that which is very rich, and beautiful to the eye.
Her daughters see her great zeal for religion, but then they see an equal earnestness for all sorts of finery. They see she is not negligent of her devotion; but then they see her more careful to preserve her complexion, and to prevent those changes which time and age threaten her with.