#jane anger

To all Women in generall, and gentle Reader whatsoever. FIE on the falshoode of men, whose minds goe oft a madding, & whose tongues can not so soone bee wagging, but straight they fal a railing. Was there ever any so abused, so slaundered, so railed upon, or so wickedly handeled undeservedly, as are we women? Will the Gods permit it, the Goddesses stay theyr punishing judgments, and we ourselves not pursue their undoinges for such divelish practises? O Paules steeple and Charing Crosse. A halter hold al such persons. Let the streames of the channels in London streates run so swiftly, as they may be able alone to carrie them from that sanctuarie. Let the stones be as Ice, the soales of their shooes as Glasse, the waies steep like Ætna, & every blast a Whyrl-wind puffed out of Boreas his long throat, that these may hasten their passage to the Devils haven. Shal Surfeiters raile on our kindnes, you stand stil & say nought, and shall not Anger stretch the vaines of her braines, the stringes of her fingers, and the listes of her modestie, to answere their Surfeitings? Yes truely. And herein I conjure all you to aide and assist me in defence of my willingnes, which shall make me rest at your commaundes. Fare you well.

JANE ANGER // AUTHOR

The desire that every man hath to shewe his true vaine in writing is unspeakable, and their mindes are so caried away with the manner, as no care at all is had of the matter: they run so into Rethorick, as often times they overrun the boundes of their own wits, and goe they knowe not whether.

… [A] prolonged pamphlet debate concerning women and following the earlier tradition of the querelle des femmes in France took place in England. In both countries the debate was started by the publication of an anti-feminist pamphlet, which summarized all the arguments against women in medieval and patristic literature, which in turn led to a spirited defense of women on the part of male and female pamphleteers. In both countries the anti-feminist pamphlets enjoyed greater popularity and were much more frequently reprinted than the feminist answers.

Their slanderous tongues are so short, and the time wherein they have lavished out their words freely hath been so long, that they know we cannot catch hold of them to pull them out and they think we will not write to reprove their lying lips, which conceits have already made them cocks and would (should they not be cravened) make themselves among themselves be thought to be of the game

Las escritoras feministas del siglo XVI

We are contrary to men because they are contrary to that which is good...