| PERIOD I. | |
| WOMEN IN THE DAYS OF FEUDALISM. | |
| CHAPTER I. | |
| A MEDIÆVAL MANOR-HOUSE. | |
| PAGE | |
| Domestic life in the Middle Ages—Interior of a manor-house—Position and duties of the mistress—Household arrangements—Dame Paston and her daughters—Lady Joan Berkeley—The lady of the castle in time of war—Lady Pelham’s defence of Pevensey Castle—Her letter to her husband | 3 |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| LEARNING BEFORE THE DAYS OF THE PRINTING PRESS. | |
| Learned ladies in Saxon times—Education of women in the Middle Ages—The rise of Grammar Schools—Want of provision for girls—Convent schools—Improvement of education in the fifteenth century—Margaret Beaufort, Countess of Richmond, and her patronage of learning | 17 |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| THE RISE OF THE MIDDLE CLASSES. | |
| The Feudal System unfavourable to the development of the middle classes—Subjection of women under Feudalism—Tyranny of feudal lords—Power of the Church—Rise of Commerce—Material progress—End of the Feudal System | 26 |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| WOMEN AND THE ANCIENT GILDS. | |
| The industrial equality of former days—Women as members of Gilds—Restrictions on trade—Fitness of girls for industrial occupations—Women as watchmakers: Sir John Bennett’s opinion—The brewsters and ale-wives—Trade unions compared with the ancient Gilds—Influence of the Gilds—Equality of the sisteren and bretheren—Married women trading alone—Labour regulations applicable to men and women alike | 39 |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| THE MEDIÆVAL NUN. | |
| Dominance of the Church in the Middle Ages—The Conventual System—Occupations of the Nuns—Power of the Abbesses—Disputes between Religious Houses and the Laity—Latitude allowed to Nuns—Convents Educational Centres—Effects of the Suppression of Convents—Complaints of the Laity | 56 |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| THE CHURCH AS A SOCIAL FACTOR. | |
| Influence of the Church on women in social life—The twofold conception of womanhood—Canon and Civil Law—Effect of ecclesiastical celibacy | 85 |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| ALMSGIVING IN OLDEN TIMES. | |
| Almsgiving at the monasteries—Charity dispensed by private families—Bequests of ladies for the relief of the poor—Action of the Church—Change in the conception of the duty of almsgiving—Needlework for the poor—Modern gilds—Charity at the present day | 100 |
| PERIOD II. | |
| ENGLAND AFTER THE RENAISSANCE. | |
| CHAPTER I. | |
| FAMILY LIFE AFTER THE FALL OF FEUDALISM. | |
| Effect on women of the fall of Feudalism—Characteristics of Tudor England—Observations of foreigners on English-women—Greater liberty allowed to women in England than on the Continent—Social habits and amusements—Women’s education—English family life—Parents and children | 113 |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| THE SCHOLARS OF THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY. | |
| Revival of learning in the sixteenth century—Attitude of the nobility towards Letters and Arts—No age so productive of learned ladies—The Tudor princesses and Lady Jane Grey—Sir Anthony Coke’s daughters—Mary Sidney—Learned women held in esteem—Learning confined to the upper classes—A sixteenth-century schoolmaster on women’s education | 126 |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| A LADY’S EDUCATION IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY. | |
| Retrogression in the seventeenth century—Tone of women’s education—Mrs. Hutchinson—Lady Ann Halkett—Mrs. Alice Thornton—Mrs. Makins—The Duchess of Newcastle—General estimation of learning—Changes in social life—Some patronesses of learning | 145 |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| GLIMPSES AT GREAT LADIES. | |
| Changes in domestic life—Lady Elizabeth Howard’s household at Naworth Castle—The Countess of Sunderland—The Belvoir Castle family—The Countess of Salisbury’s suit—The Countess of Pembroke and the “boon hen”—Bess of Hardwicke—Court ladies—Lady Brilliana Harley—Lady Lucas—Match-making—Seizure of an heiress | 155 |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| EVERY-DAY LIFE IN THE STUART PERIOD. | |
| Puritan influence—Neglect of women’s education—The boarding-out system for girls—Sir Matthew Hale on the education of girls—Manners and customs—Diversions of great ladies—Rules for behaviour—John Evelyn on manners—Effects of the Civil War—Simplicity of home life—Lady Anne Halkett—Position of wives—A contemporary writer on husbands | 173 |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| PETITIONERS TO PARLIAMENT. | |
| The city dames during the Civil War—They petition Parliament for peace—Reception of the petition—The military called out—Petition from tradesmen’s wives for redress of grievances—Pym’s reply—Women’s memorial to Cromwell against imprisonment for debt—Sufferers during the Monmouth Rebellion—Petition against Judge Jeffreys—Hannah Hewling petitions the king | 193 |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| HEROINES OF THE CIVIL WAR. | |
| Nature of the struggle—Position of Queen Henrietta Maria—Activity of women on both sides—Mrs. Hutchinson at Nottingham—Defence of Lathom House by the Countess of Derby—Lady Arundel at Wardour Castle—Lady Bankes besieged in Corfe Castle—Lady Lettice Digby defends Greashill Castle—Lady Fanshawe’s visits to her husband in prison—Experiences of a gentlewoman in the West of England—Lady Musgrave and the Parliament—Lady Halkett assists the Duke of York to escape—Lady Rochester and the elections—The Jacobite rising—Flora McDonald | 205 |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| THE MARTYR PERIODS: RELIGIOUS ZEAL AND RELIGIOUS APATHY. | |
| Religious life in the sixteenth century—Religion the great motive-power—The Lollard persecutions—Protestant martyrs of the sixteenth century—Anne Askew—Women martyrs in the seventeenth century—Persecution of the Quakeresses—Quaker doctrines—Seventeenth-century Anglicanism—Indifference of the Church to social work—Condition of the clergy—Mary Astell and her Protestant nunnery—The Countess of Warwick | 235 |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| WITCHCRAFT. | |
| Universality of the belief in witchcraft—Persecution of witches in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries—Attitude of the Puritans—Origin of the witch—First use of the term—Enactments against witchcraft—The Essex persecutions—The last judicial execution | 261 |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| WOMEN AND THE ARTS. | |
| Development of the arts in the seventeenth century—Introduction of women on the stage—Corruption of the period—Character of the drama—Wearing masks by spectators—The French company at Blackfriars Theatre—The first English company with women players—Famous actresses—English female artists in the Stuart period—Foundation of the Royal Academy of Arts—Angelica Kaufmann and Mary Moser elected members—Their career—Fanny Reynolds—Sir Joshua’s opinion of his sister’s work—Mrs. Cosway—Mrs. Carpenter—Character of eighteenth-century work—Women’s place in musical art—Musical education in early times—Love of music in the sixteenth century—Instruments played by women—Music abolished by the Puritans—Musical maidservants in the seventeenth century—The first English opera—Purcell’s early work—Performance at a ladies’ school | 275 |
| PERIOD III. | |
| LIFE IN THE LAST CENTURY. | |
| CHAPTER I. | |
| MATRONS AND MAIDS. | |
| Artificiality of eighteenth-century life—The rôle of the middle-class woman—Scotch domestic life—The old maid—Admiration of foreigners for English women—English dress—Public morals—Contrast between town and country life—A country lady in London—Racquets, routs, and drums—Education of girls—The boarding-school—Habits and manners of the middle class—Le Blanc’s opinion of the English | 307 |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| THE GREAT LADY OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. | |
| London society in the last century—Lord Chesterfield on taste—Coarse language of great ladies—The speculation mania among ladies—Narrowness of fashionable life—Manners and amusements—Difficulties of social intercourse—The founders of Almack’s Club—The passion for politics—Lady Mary Wortley Montagu on women’s training—Some traits of eighteenth-century life | 333 |