Epistol --Ho-Elian; The Familiar Letters of James Howell, Historiographer Royal to Charles II. (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1890. Excerpt: ... part in Eve to yield to the seducement of Satan; but it was a weaker thing in Adam to suffer himself to be tempted by Eve, being the weaker vessel. The ancient Philosophers had a better opinion of that Sex, for they ascrib'd all Sciences to the Muses, all Sweetness and Morality to the Graces, and prophetic Inspirations to the Sybils. In my small revolving of Authors, I find as high examples of Virtue in Women as in Men; I could produce here a whole Regiment of them, but that a Letter is too narrow a field to muster them in. I must confess, there are also counter Instances of this kind: if Queen Zenobia was such a precise pattern of continency, that after the act of conception she would know her Husband no more all the time of her pregnancy, till she had been deliver'd; there is another example of a Roman Empress, that when she found the Vessel fraughted, would take in all passengers; when the Barn was full, any one might thrash in the haggard, but not till then, for fear the right Father should be discovered by the countenance of the Child. But what need I go far off, to rake the ashes of the dead? there are living examples enough pro and con of both Sexes; yet Woman being (as I said before) the weaker vessel, her failings are more venial than those of Man; tho' Man, indeed, being more conversant with the world, and meeting more opportunities abroad (and opportunity is the greatest Bawd) of falling into infirmities, as he follows his worldly negotiations, may on the t'other side be judg'd the more excuseable. But you are fitter than I to discourse of this subject, being better vers'd in the theory of Women, having had a most virtuous Lady of your own before, and being now link'd to another. I wish a thousand benedictions may fall upon this your second cho...