‘Embassy Letters’ (1716-1718) by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu
02.05.
Lady Mary Montagu was this 18th British lady who got to travel around thanks to her husband being an ambassador. This is an account of her time in Austria and Turkey. She was freaked by nail polish (not but Turkish), and they were only using pink, on account on it being the 18th century and all.
More interestingly, though, she's like 'they have more liberty than we do, they are all covered up and nobody can touch them so they can do as they please since it's impossible for even their own husbands to recognize them!" Certainly a novel perspective on veiling, what with the current idea of it as a tool of repression.
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Here's a quote:
You may guess how effectually this disguises
them, that there is no distinguishing the great lady from her slave,
and ’tis impossible for the most jealous husband to know his wife
when he meets her, and no man dare either touch or follow a woman
in the street.
This perpetual masquerade gives them entire liberty of following
their inclinations without danger of discovery. The most usual
method of intrigue is to send an appointment to the lover to meet the
lady at a Jew’s shop, which are as notoriously convenient as our
Indian Houses,* and yet even those that don’t make that use of ’em do
not scruple to go to buy penn’orths and tumble over rich goods,
which are chiefly to be found amongst that sort of people. The great
ladies seldom let their gallants know who they are, and ’tis so difficult
to find it out that they can very seldom guess at her name they have
corresponded with above half a year together. You may easily
imagine the number of faithful wives very small in a country where
they have nothing to fear from their lovers’ indiscretion, since we see
so many that have the courage to expose themselves to that in this
world and all the threatened punishment of the next, which is never
preached to the Turkish damsels. Neither have they much to apprehend
from the resentment of their husbands, those ladies that are
rich having all their money in their own hands, which they take with
’em upon a divorce with an addition which he is obliged to give ’em.
[quotes], [quotes] books/non-fiction, #non-fiction, #essay, 2012: essay in english, 2012, book-2012 [essay], book-2012, @read in english, *author: female, +academic, *read for university, +feminism, +gender issues
Lady Mary Montagu was this 18th British lady who got to travel around thanks to her husband being an ambassador. This is an account of her time in Austria and Turkey. She was freaked by nail polish (not but Turkish), and they were only using pink, on account on it being the 18th century and all.
More interestingly, though, she's like 'they have more liberty than we do, they are all covered up and nobody can touch them so they can do as they please since it's impossible for even their own husbands to recognize them!" Certainly a novel perspective on veiling, what with the current idea of it as a tool of repression.
[Spoiler (click to open)]
Here's a quote:
You may guess how effectually this disguises
them, that there is no distinguishing the great lady from her slave,
and ’tis impossible for the most jealous husband to know his wife
when he meets her, and no man dare either touch or follow a woman
in the street.
This perpetual masquerade gives them entire liberty of following
their inclinations without danger of discovery. The most usual
method of intrigue is to send an appointment to the lover to meet the
lady at a Jew’s shop, which are as notoriously convenient as our
Indian Houses,* and yet even those that don’t make that use of ’em do
not scruple to go to buy penn’orths and tumble over rich goods,
which are chiefly to be found amongst that sort of people. The great
ladies seldom let their gallants know who they are, and ’tis so difficult
to find it out that they can very seldom guess at her name they have
corresponded with above half a year together. You may easily
imagine the number of faithful wives very small in a country where
they have nothing to fear from their lovers’ indiscretion, since we see
so many that have the courage to expose themselves to that in this
world and all the threatened punishment of the next, which is never
preached to the Turkish damsels. Neither have they much to apprehend
from the resentment of their husbands, those ladies that are
rich having all their money in their own hands, which they take with
’em upon a divorce with an addition which he is obliged to give ’em.
[quotes], [quotes] books/non-fiction, #non-fiction, #essay, 2012: essay in english, 2012, book-2012 [essay], book-2012, @read in english, *author: female, +academic, *read for university, +feminism, +gender issues