Mary Astell

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I'VE TAKEN THE ones that I wanted and commented on a few while bolding the ones that I particularly and currently like more than the rest.

Excerpts of
Mary Astell

from Luminarium

Ignorance and a narrow education lay the foundation of vice, and imitation and custom rear it up.
—A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, Part I

Women need not take up with mean things, since (if they are not wanting to themselves) they are capable of the best.
—A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, Part I

'Tis very great pity that they who are so apt to over-rate themselves in smaller matters, shou'd, where it most concerns them to know, and stand upon their Value, be so insensible of their own worth.
—A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, Part I

Seeing it is ignorance, either habitual or actual, which is the cause of all Sin, how are they like to escape this, who are bred up in that?...
—A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, Part I

I disagree. Sin is the idiotic choice of one with knowledge of the Good. It is not a sin, for example, for an innocent child of 3 yrs to kill. Nor is it sin for a man to buy a yacht rather than spend that time helping the poor and visiting the needy. Ah, but that is a Sin as is the first for the man of understanding not the childish mind (the ignorance of man....that they may move from day to day and not see perfection b/c of their stands....the self-cementing of their own feet.)

We ought as much as we can to endeavour the Perfecting of our Beings, and that we be as happy as possibly we may.
—A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, Part II. Ch. 1.

It is not the Head but the Heart that is the Seat of Atheism.
—A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, Part II. Ch. 1.

The design of Rhetoric is to remove those Prejudices that lie in the way of Truth, to Reduce the Passions to the Government of Reasons; to place our Subject in a Right Light, and excite our Hearers to a due consideration of it.
—A Serious Proposal to the Ladies, Part II. Ch. 3.

He who does not make Friendship the chief inducement to his Choice [in a wife], and prefer it before any other consideration, does not deserve a good Wife, and therefore should not complain if he goes without one.
—Some Reflections upon Marriage

Marry for Love, an Heroick Action, which makes a mighty noise in the World, partly because of its rarity, and partly in regard of its extravagancy.
—Some Reflections upon Marriage

Hahaha. That's what American's do now; they marry for Love and 50+% of their attempts end in divorce. They have failed by marrying for the wrong reasons. (Though the actual problem is that they don't understand what Love truly is.....)

That mistaken Self-Love that reigns in the most of us, both Men and Women, that over-good Opinion we have of our selves, and desire that others should have of us, makes us swallow every thing that looks like Respect, without examining how wide it is from what it appears to be.
—Some Reflections upon Marriage

I must say that I take any verbal compliment as flattery; I repulse it immediately and shirk it quickly. Though I have found myself saying "Thank you" through gritted smiling teeth as of late. The Ultimate Respect is the beam of trust from the eyes and the immediate warmness of friendship that follows, whatever form it may be.
I know that the meaning of the poem is about something rather than, or deeper than, flattery but that is what first came to mind for me. That something, though, is difficult for me to grasp.

If none were to Marry, but Men of strict Vertue and Honour, I doubt the World would be but thinly peopled.
—Some Reflections upon Marriage

I bet men would A) be a lot more honourable B) there would be a lot of rape.
B) is the more likely answer considering the baseness and barbarity prevalent in man.

Every Body has so good an Opinion of their own Understanding as to think their own way the best.
—Some Reflections upon Marriage

Whilst our Hearts are violently set upon any thing, there is no convincing us that we shall ever be of another Mind.
—Some Reflections upon Marriage

Truth is strong, and sometime or other will prevail.
—Some Reflections upon Marriage

To plead for the Oppress'd and to defend the Weak seem'd to me a generous undertaking; for tho' it may be secure, 'tis not always Honourable to run over to the strongest party.
—Some Reflections upon Marriage

We may not commit a lesser Sin under pretence to avoid a greater, but we may, nay we ought to endure the greatest Pain and Grief rather than commit the least Sin.
—Letters Concerning the Love of God. Letter V.

When therefore I said that mental Pain is the same with Sin, I meant no more than this, that as a musical Instrument, if it were capable of Sense and Thought, would be uneasie and in pain when harsh discordant Notes are play'd upon it; so Man, when he breaks the Law of his Nature, and runs counter to those Motions his Maker has assign'd him, when he contradicts the Order and End of his Being must needs be in Pain and Misery.
—Letters Concerning the Love of God. Letter V.

"Upon the principles of reason, the good of many is preferable to the good of a few or of one; a lasting good is to be preferred before a temporary, the public before the private."
—The Christian Religion.

The Soul debases her self, when she sets her affections on any thing but her creator.
—The Christian Religion.

It is not reasonable, and consequently not best, that my neighbour should endure an evil to procure to me a good not equal in degree to that evil, or that I should refuse pain or loss to procure for another a good that outweighs it. Much more am I obliged to deny myself a little good in order to obtain a great one for my neighbour, and also to suffer a less evil to keep him from a greater.
—The Christian Religion.

Every one knows, that the mind will not be kept from contemplating what it loves in the midst of crowds and business. Hence come those frequent absences, so observable in conversation; for whilst the body is confined to present company, the mind is flown to that which it delights in.
—The Christian Religion.

For certainly there cannot be a higher pleasure than to think that we love and are beloved by the most amiable and best Being.
—The Christian Religion.

I don't understand how that can give any pleasure at all. Maybe to know that there is, in fact, a Deity of non-relative Truth? And to know that that Deity cares for our progress? That may give comfort and assurance, but pleasure? I am in disagreement.


If God had not given us sufficient light to discern between the evil and the good, nor motives strong enough to incline us to pursue the one and to avoid the other; if He had not put happiness in our own choice, but had inevitably determined us to destruction, this indeed had been a want of mercy and goodness, if not a want of justice towards His creatures.
—The Christian Religion.

Where God has given but little light, no doubt He makes great allowances; this we may be sure of, that He is no hard master, nor requires an increase beyond the talents He has given us. But though the light shine ever so bright about us, we can have no vision unless we open our eyes. Tho' the motives are ever so strong and powerful yet they are but motives; they are most proper to persuade, but neither can or ought to compel.
—The Christian Religion.

"...nor requires an increase beyond the talents He has given us."
What? The scriptures say that you are an unprofitable servant if you do not increase your talents. Could she mean that we are not responsible for that which we are not permitted perceive by the Grace of God? Anyways, she entirely messes up with her description of Talents.

For the best way in our Great Men's Opinion, is to remove the Terrors of Religion, the Melancholy and Formal manner of treating it, and to render it so gentle, that it may not disturb us in any Jollity. This wou'd, doubtless, recommend it to Men of Wealth and Quality, who love their Ease and Pleasures, and can't endure the thought of being call'd to account for following their own Humour. And he who prepares the way to such noble Proselytes, must needs be thought to have done a considerable Service to Religion!
—Bart'lemy Fair.