working life of women seventeenth century - School of Economics ...

38 CAPITALISTShis Lady was taking de Tale of Chandels wid her ownwiter Hands, ma foy ; and de young Lady, his ExcellenceDaughter, stringing Harring, jarnie . . . hisSon, (for he had but one) was making the Tour ofFrance, etc. in a Coach and six."'The picture is obviously intended to throw ridiculeon the neighbouring state, of whose navy and commercial- - progressm England stood at that time in considerablefear.How rapidly the active, hardy life of the Elizabethan~entlewoman was being transformed into the0idleness and dependence whlch has characterisedthe lady of a later age may be judged by Mary Astell'scomment on " Ladies of Quality." She says, " They areplaced in a condition which makes that which is everyone'schief business to be their only employ. Theyhave nothing to do but to glorify God and to benefittheir neighbours."' After a study of the RestorationDrama it may be doubted whether the ladiesof that period wished to employ their leisure) overthese praiseworthy objects. But had they the will,ignorance of life and inexperience in affairs arequalifications which perhaps would not have increasedthe effectiveness of their efforts in either direction.The proof of the change which was taking placein the scope of upper class women's interests does notrest only upon individual examples such as thosewhich have been quoted, though these instances havebeen selected for the most part on account of theirrepresentative character.It is quite clear that the occupation of ladies withtheir husband's affairs was accepted as a matter of coursethroughout the earlier part of the century, and it isonly after the Restoration that a change of fashion in thisrespect becomes evident. Pepys, whose milieu was* Wycherley, l@ Gentleman Dancing Master, p. 21.' Astell, (Mary), A Serious Proposal, p. 145, 1694.CAPITALISTStypical of the new social order, after a call upon Mr.Bland, commented with surprised pleasure on Mrs.Bland's interest in her husband's affairs. " Then to eata dish of anchovies," he says " and drink wine and syderand very merry, but above all things, pleased to hear Mrs.Bland talk like a merchant in her husband's businessvery well, and it seems she do understand it andperform a great deal."' The capacity of a womanto understand her husband's business seldom arousedcomment earlier in the century, and would havepassed unnoticed even by many of Pepys' contemporarieswho lived in a different set. Further evidenceof women's business capacity is found in the fact thatmen generally expected their wives would prove equalto the administration of their estates after their death,and thus the wife was habitually appointed executrixoften even the sole executrix of wills. This customwas certainly declining in the latter part of thecentury. The winding up of a complicated estate andstill more the prosecution of an extensive business,could not have been successfully undertaken by personswho hitherto had led lives of idleness, unacquaintedwith the direction of affairs.That men did not at this time regard marriage asnecessarily involving the assumption of a seriouseconomic burden, but on the contrary, often consideredit to be a step which was likely to strengthen them inlife's battles, is also significant. This attitude waspartly due to the provision of a dot by fathers ofbrides, but there were other ways in which the wifecontributed to the support of her household. Thusin a wedding sermon woman is likened to a merchant'sship, for " She bringeth her food from far " . . .not meaning she is to be chosen for her dowry, "forthe worst wives may have the best portions, . . .a good wife tho' she bring nothing in with her, yet,Pepys, (Sam.) Diary, Vol. II., p. 113, Dec. 31, 1662.3 9