73. A Puritan's Objection to Women's Education[244]
BY GENERAL JOHN WINTHROP (1645)
MR. HOPKINS, the governor of Hartford upon
Connecticut, came to Boston and brought his wife with him (a
godly young woman, and of special parts), who was fallen
into a sad infirmity, the loss of her understanding and reason,
which had been growing upon her divers years, by occasion
of her giving herself wholly to reading and writing; and she
had written many books. Her husband, being very loving and
tender of her, was loath to grieve her; but he saw his error
when it was too late. For if she had attended to her household
affairs, and such things as belong to women, and had not
gone out of her way to meddle in such things as are proper
for men, whose minds are stronger &c. she had kept her wits
and might have improved them usefully and honorably in the
place God had set her. He brought her to Boston and left her
with her brother, one Mr. Yale, a merchant, to try what
means might be had for her. But no help could be had.
[[244]]
We know now that girls can be educated without
learning to neglect their household affairs.