s for my breeding, it was according to my birth and the nature of my
sex: for my birth was not lost in my breeding. For as my sisters were or
had been bred so was I bred, in plenty - or rather with superfluity. Likewise,
we were bred virtuously, modestly, civilly, honourably, and on honest principles.
As for plenty, we had not only for necessity, conveniency and decency, but
for delight and pleasure to superfluity. We did not riot, but we lived orderly;
for riot, even in king's courts and princes' palaces, brings ruin without
content or pleasure: While order, in less fortunes, shall live more plentifully
and deliciously than princes that live in a hurly-burly, as I may term it,
in which they are seldom well-served. For disorder obstructs: besides, it
doth disgust life, distract the appetities, and yield no true relish to
the senses. For Pleasure, Delight, Peace and Felicity live in method and
temperance.
As for our garments, my Mother did not only delight to see us neat and cleanly,
fine and gay, but rich and costly: maintaining us to the heighth of her
estate, but not beyond it. For we were so far from being in debt before
these wars, as we were rather beforehand with the world: buying all with
ready money, not on the score. For although after my father's death the
estate was divided between my Mother and her sons, paying such a sum of
money for portions to her daughters either at the day of their marriage
or when they should come to age, yet by reason she and her children agreed
with a mutual consent, all their affairs were managed so well, as she lived
not in a much lower condition than when my father lived.
Margaret and William Cavendish & Household
Tis true my Mother might have increased her daughter's portions by a thrifty
sparing: yet she chose to bestow it on our breeding, honest pleasures and
harmless delights: out of an opinion that if she bred us with needy necessity
it might chance to create in us sharking qualities, mean thoughts, and base
actions, which she knew my Father as well as herself did abhor.
Likewise we were bred tenderly, for my Mother naturally did strive to please
and delight her children, not to cross or torment them, terrifying them
with threats or lashing them with slavish whips; but, instead of threats,
reason was used to persaude us; and instead of lashes, the deformities of
vice were discovered: and the graces and virtues were presented unto us.
Also we were bred with respectful attendance, every one being severally
waited upon: and all her servants in general used the same respect to her
children (even those that were very young) as they did to herself; for
she suffered not her servants either to be rude before us or to domineer
over us, which all vulgar servants are apt, and oftimes have leave to do.
She never suffered the vulgar serving-men to be in the nursery among the
nurse maids, lest their rude love-making might do unseemly actions or spread
unhandsome words in the presence of her children; knowing that youth is
apt to take infection by ill examples, having the reason to distinguish
good from bad. Neither were we suffered to have any familarity or conversation
with the vulgar servants; yet she caused us to demean ourselves with an
humble civility towards them, as they with a dutiful respect to us. Not
because they were servants were we so reserved, for many noble persons are
forced to serve through necessity, but by reason the vulgar sort of servants
are as ill bred as meanly born, giving children ill examples and worse counsel.
Margaret and William Cavendish & Household
Likewise we were bred tenderly, for my Mother naturally did strive to please and delight her children, not to cross or torment them, terrifying them with threats or lashing them with slavish whips; but, instead of threats, reason was used to persaude us; and instead of lashes, the deformities of vice were discovered: and the graces and virtues were presented unto us.
Also we were bred with respectful attendance, every one being severally waited upon: and all her servants in general used the same respect to her children (even those that were very young) as they did to herself; for she suffered not her servants either to be rude before us or to domineer over us, which all vulgar servants are apt, and oftimes have leave to do. She never suffered the vulgar serving-men to be in the nursery among the nurse maids, lest their rude love-making might do unseemly actions or spread unhandsome words in the presence of her children; knowing that youth is apt to take infection by ill examples, having the reason to distinguish good from bad. Neither were we suffered to have any familarity or conversation with the vulgar servants; yet she caused us to demean ourselves with an humble civility towards them, as they with a dutiful respect to us. Not because they were servants were we so reserved, for many noble persons are forced to serve through necessity, but by reason the vulgar sort of servants are as ill bred as meanly born, giving children ill examples and worse counsel.