I spend a lot of my time thinking about what my life might have been like if I had been born during a different century, and after looking at an article I found on the DailyMail website I realize that I’m probably better off having been born when I was. The article features a 17th century book that is up for auction this March and is expected to go for over an impressive 3,000 pounds. The expected high bidding reflects the book’s unique content and for it being the first of its kind. The book is the first compilation of laws dealing with women’s rights to be written in English.
The article highlights a few quotes from the author, Thomas Edgar, one of which I found most interesting and I believe states his purpose for writing this book: ‘Women have nothing to do in constituting Lawes, or consenting to them, in interpreting of Lawes, or in hearing them interpreted at lectures, leets or charges, and yet they stand strictly tyed to mens establishments, little or nothing excused by ignorance. Mee thinkes it were pitty and impiety any longer to hold from them such Customes, Lawes, and Statutes, as are in a maner proper, or principally belonging unto them.’
From my interpretation, I think he is basically saying that it is not fair for women to be punished for not obeying laws they have never heard on account of women not being allowed to be in the vicinity of hearing them. Therefore, he took it upon himself to create a book that lists, in detail, every little law and custom that a woman should follow so that there can never be an excuse for her not knowing and presumably eradicate any “unjust” punishment. So, it may have been kind of a, um, “sweet” thing to do, but since I imagine he would fail to see any irony in this, he can go on my list as another clueless man who should never have been allowed to interfere with the rights of women.
Here’s the link to the article. So what do you think?