Editor's Preface xxxi 



industry to employ myself in, having no stock to work on. 

 Thirdly, you are desired to spare your severe censures, because 

 I had not so many years of experience when I wrote this book, 

 as could make me a garland to crown my head : only I had 

 so much time, as to gather a little posy to stick upon my 

 breast. Lastly, the time I have been writing them hath not 

 been very long, but since I came into England, being eight 

 years out and nine months in ; and of these nine months, only 

 some hours in the day, or rather in the night ; for my rest 

 being broken with discontented thoughts, because I was from 

 my Lord and husband, knowing him to be in great wants, 

 and myself in the same condition ; to divert them I strove 

 to turn the stream, and, shunning the muddy and foul ways 

 of vice, I went to the well of Helicon, and by the well's side 

 I did sit, and wrote this work.' And again : '.Since all times 

 must be spent either ill, or well, or indifferently, I thought this 

 was the most harmless pastime : for sure this work is better 

 than to sit still, and censure my neighbours' actions, which 

 nothing concern me ; or to condemn their humours, because 

 they do not sympathise with mine ; or their lawful recreations, 

 because they are not agreeable to my delight ; or ridiculously 

 to laugh at my neighbour's clothes, if they are not of the mode, 

 colour, or cut, or the ribbons tied with a mode-knot ; or to 

 busy myself out of the sphere of our sex, in politics of state, 

 or to preach false doctrine in a tub ; or to entertain myself in 

 hearkening to vain flatteries, or to the incitements of evil 

 persuasions ; whereas all these follies, and many more, may 

 be cut off by such innocent work as this.' 



Another motive urged the Duchess to write, and she owns 

 it with charming simplicity. ' I confess my ambition is rest- 

 less, and not ordinary, because it would have an extraordinary 

 fame : and since all heroic actions, public employments, 

 powerful governments, and eloquent pleadings, are denied 

 our sex in this age, or at least would be condemned for want 

 of custom, is the cause I write so much ; for my ambition 

 being restless, though rather busy than industrious, yet it 

 hath made that little wit I have to run upon every subject I 

 can think of, or is fit for me to write on ' (Epistle to the 

 Reader, Nature's Pictures, 1656). 



' It will satisfy me ', says she elsewhere, ' if my writing 

 please the readers, though not the learned ; for I had rather 



