MotherÆs Advice Books: Printed Writings 1500û1640: Series I, Part Two, Volume 8

by Travitsky,Betty S.

• ISBN13: 9781840142211
• ISBN10: 1840142219
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2001-10-28
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Early modern works of advice can be typified by a number of texts by Erasmus falling into a variety of categories: advice on family conduct; manners; study plans and piety. A close relation to these works of advice was the parental advice book, usually written by a father to his son. It was not until the early 17th century that the mother's advice book evolved and even then these were often legitimated by the female authors claiming that sickness, or even impending death, made relaying their motherly advice by a means other than print impossible. The contents of the present volume, ordered chronologically by the date of the first edition of each advice book, are limited to works attributed to named mothers, even though information about these historical women is not always abundant.Miscellanea was the attempt of Elizabeth Grymeston to distill advice to her only surviving. It was first published in 1604. The text reproduced here is the 1608 edition which was the first to include the additional substantive Prayers.Even though listings indicate there were 19 editions of The Mother's Blessing before 1640 very little is known of Dorothy Leigh. The first edition (1616), reproduced here, describes her as a gentle-woman, not long deceased and her dedicatory epistle to her three sons identifies her as a widow.Elizabeth Clinton wrote her advice book when she had become countess-dowager. It was dedicated to her daughter-in-law and addresses an area where she had apparently been deficient - the imperative directed at early modern women by domestic conduct books that mothers should nurse their own children. The edition reproduced here is the British Library copy.Elizabeth Brook Joceline composed her Legacy whilst awaiting the birth of her first child, having become convinced that she would die in childbirth. She died in 1622, nine days after the birth of a daughter. Possibly the most poignant of the mother's advice books, this was intended to stand in for her instructions to the child. This work was enormously popular and was reprinted seven times and translated into a number of other languages. Reproduced here is the Folger Library copy (1624).

Table of Contents

Preface by the General Editors

Introductory Note

Miscellanea. Prayers, Meditations, Memoratives. (STC 12408x)

Elizabeth Grymeston

The title page of the copy at The British Library of STC 12407.5

Pages from the Queen's University copy of STC 12407 bearing two signatures

The Mothers Blessing (STC 15402)

Dorothy Leigh

Paste-ons on the back flyleaves of the copy of STC 15405 at The British Library

The Countesse of Lincolnes Nurserie (STC 5432)

Elizabeth Clinton

The Mothers Legacie, To her unborne Childe (STC 14624)

Elizabeth Jocelin

Letters boxed with STC 14625 at The British Library (Box C.37.c.49-51)