"A New-England Tale; or, Sketches of New England Characters and Manners"

“A New-England Tale; or, Sketches of New England Character and Manners”

by Catharine Maria Sedgwick

     Published in 1822, it is the earliest known American novel to make a financial profit for the woman novelist.  The author enjoyed popularity here and in Europe.  The first printing sold out in less than 4 months, and the third printing was “exhausted” in another 2 months, in her brother’s admiring language. The brothers encouraged her writing and were very proud of her success. 

      Jane Elton, the young girl hero, becomes an orphan at 12 years old when her parents die in an accident and she is left to the mercy of three of the Calvinist sisters of her uncle.  They have ready-made excuses for having no time or money to be responsible for their niece.  One suggests she be put in the city’s listing of orphans for anyone who wants slave labor until she becomes 18.  Another is wrapped up in the plight of American Indians, and the third is involved with foreign missionary work.  Mrs. Wilson has two daughters about Jane’s age and is deemed the sister best to take responsibility for Jane.  Her own children have rebelled from her religious beliefs, but they also try to make life miserable for Jane when opportunity presents itself, as when the cousin steals money from his mother and Jane could be the guilty one.  Jane always tells the truth; she is innocent. 

     She is befriended by a Quaker schoolteacher, gets out of the Wilson house and becomes a teacher at the school.  She also becomes engaged to an up-and-coming, silver-tongued lawyer, who promises wealth and social standing.   His only mistake was to announce that as his wife, she would have absolutely no opinions not agreeing with his, and she must hate all Quakers and break off any friendships with them.

     Catharine Sedgwick, born in 1789, lived in Stockbridge, Massachusetts and some of the residents recognized characters in her books.  Still she did not replace any of those characters.  Her family was greatly admired and she was known for her devotion to siblings and the many nieces and nephews.  She was a Federalist, threw off Calvinist ideas, and became a Unitarian (with some of her brothers).  Far from being an early women’s rights advocate, she uses themes of abolition of slavery, religious freedom and need for prison reform as salient themes in her novels. After a long life she died in 1867, greatly be loved.

     Readers may wish to read more of the facts of her long life in “Daughters of the Puritans”, by Seth Beach, 1905, “Three Wise Virgins” by Gladys Brooks, 1957, “Notable  American Women,” 1974 Vol. III, pp.256-258.

                 

                            

                         

                      

                      

                      

             

             

Second Story of the Awesome Margery Kempe

Second Story of the Awesome Margery Kempe

     Not all English Catholic authorities accepted Ms. Kempe as a holy woman expressing her conventional Catholicism in loud and incessant pronouncements to all the public.   Many thought she was a Lollard and thought she was possessed by the devil.  She and her husband John took vows of celibacy.  In an effort to prove her godliness she met with church officials who were convinced she was a holy person. She took to public displays of her godliness by long diatribes reproving sinners, explaining the words in the scriptures and by being extravagantly pious.

      John Kempe gave her permission to travel to the Holy Land after she paid his bills.  She wished to dress in white; this wasn’t allowed by church authority; she dressed in gray.  So she set out with other highly-sought-after pilgrims.  She hired a maid to accompany her.  She makes no mention in her autobiography of her 14 children.

     Common advice in guide books (of which there were many) includes a need to establish good relations and friendship with other travelers.  Many tried to curb her exhortations to all and sundry; even a priest traveling in the group could not keep her from admonishing all she met in their matters of general behavior.  Finally the matter came to a head.  The edict followed – she would be left behind with no hope for succor if she uttered another word.  She finally got the message; she shut up and was allowed to continue with the group.  The others did not believe she would be silent, but she was.  They arrived in Venice and then continued in very small crowded boat.  They went to Jaffe and then to Jerusalem and other Christian places under the rule of Muslims.                           

China Power-Hungry Empress

China Power-Hungry Empress

              The dowager Cixi (Tsoo-Shee) never ruled in China but she had great power at the end of the 19^th century.  She was a lesser concubine of the Emperor Xianfeng and gained stature as the mother of his first son.  In 1861 the emperor died; her son was 5 years old and Cixi became one of the regents for the young emperor.

Her power was ruthless; she declared her enemies traitors. Another regent, Su Shun was beheaded in the public market.  The Taiping Rebellion in 1864 was crushed with 100,000 rebels slain.  

In 1873 Cixi’s son turned 17 and she was no longer regent. The young emperor died 2 years later.  One of his wives was pregnant but died.   Cixi adopted her nephew, 4 years old, and again ruled as his regent.

In 1889 she retired again.  Her nephew wanted reforms, but in 1898 army officers forced him to give up power.  They named Cixi regent again.  Europeans made the Chinese sign a treaty giving up many rights.  Many people blamed her for Europeans (and the Americans) invading China.  The ruling family fled and the Cixi forces were powerless.

Cixi died in 1908 after she named a new emperor to the throne.  He was the last emperor of China; he ruled only until 1912. 

The only other woman in this reference book of “Merciless Monarchs and Ruthless Royalty” by Miriam Aronin, 2013, (p. 24-27) is Bloody Mary who reigned from 1553 to 1558 in England.  She restored Catholicism, burned at the stake about 300 Protestants and was succeeded by Elizabeth I.

Misogyny and the Churches

Misogyny and the Churches

“The Subversion of Women as Practiced by Churches, Witch-hunters, and other Sexists” by Nancy van Vuuren, 1973, tells the story of misogamy from the beginning of Christian power and continuing in Catholic Reformation periods.  She continues the story in witchcraft and discussion of marriage laws and practices.  Non-Catholic religious groups have been late in providing women with ministerial possibilities.

It is a very sad story, and also are the traits which women have developed to survive in this climate.  They include withdrawal and passivity, self-hate, sympathy with all victims, slyness and cunning, aggression and revolt, obsessive concern and suspicion. (p. 25-26).  The misogynists have used these coping mechanisms to further oppress.  The author writes that woman “can only be a slave or a despot – never a companion.”  Only two types of women are praised in the church. The first are nuns who have to be silent because they are cloistered.  The second are the women who produce numerous children.

She includes the full text of Pope Innocent VIII’s full bull appointing as inquisitors from which there is no escape from Henry Kramer and James Sprenger in December 9, 1484.  This statement permitted the more than 300 years of church approved terror.   Women are signaled out for witchcraft because they are “feebler in both mind and body;” they are insatiably carnal, and more ready to be impressed by the devil. On these qualities thousands and thousands of the accused women died.

She equates most marriages with prostitution.  She finds very few couples are truly equal, which she feels is a requirement for marriage.

This book was published when the fight for ERA was still unknown; ratification of ERA was needed as a boon for equality. Other goals for society must include equal pay, women should be 50% of appointments at all government levels, 50% of political candidates for all elected offices.

Margery Kempe

Margery Kempe

Margery Brunham, or Burnham, was born about 1373 and died 65 years later – a very old age in those days.  She was born in Bishop’s Lynn in Norfolk.  She dictated her memoirs to a scribe, as she could neither read nor write.  She died in Rome in 1438.  She is the earliest woman to author an autobiography in English.  She had a remarkable memory and remembered many incidents, complete with dialog.  

However, she was guilt ridden, and never mentioned her sin nor could she seek absolution because she was unable to confess her crime.   Her shameful secret is never revealed.  She did tell to all who would listen, her life’s history, and she was eager to reprimand all people who did not conform to her standards.    Her book was discovered in 1934 in a country house in Yorkshire.  My copy is titled Memoirs of a Medieval Woman - The Life and Times of Margery Kempe by Louise Collis.  I do not know how many were copied from the original scribe.  There were no printing presses, copies had to be copied. 

          At the age of 20 or so, Margery, daughter of the mayor, married John Kempe and had 14 children.  After the first baby, a difficult birth, she consulted Dame Julian, the most famous mystic and author of Revelations.  Dame Julian and the Bishop of Norwich agreed that Margery had mystical knowledge, but not all people agreed.

       By 1413 John and Margery agreed that she was under God’s protection.  They made pilgrimages to English shrines and cathedrals.  She talked to many people about her life and visions.  Then she decided to make a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.    That will make another story.

           Another source of information was International Dictionary of Women’s Biography and The Norton Anthology of Literature By Women.