Antiquarian and Fine Books from Phillip J. Pirages

Item 121 was a book ahead of its time, but quite influential nonetheless: A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, published in 1792. While author Mary Wollstonecraft's assertions seem tame and obvious today, the claim that women should receive an education comparable to men, or have similar legal rights, seemed outrageous to many at the time. However, she made many people think, and her work would be considered important and pioneering by a generation who sought voting rights and equality for women in the following century. $19,500.

One of those people who thought Wollstonecraft's ideas outrageous was Thomas Grisborne, an Anglican curate, writer, and amateur geologist. He was also a biblical literalist and theological traditionalist. He wrote this book to correct the “errors” he found in Ms. Wollstonecraft's thinking: An Enquiry into the Duties of the Female Sex, published in 1798. He argued for a traditional female role based on what he considered to be the differences in the basic nature of men and women. He believed women to be suited for domestic and household chores, but their nature was not sufficiently serious for pursuits such as politics or science. Women's “acknowledged” superior imagination, he said, had its downside. It resulted in “a tendency to lead to untidiness of mind; to fondness of novelty; to habits of frivolousness, and trifling employment; to dislike of sober application; to repugnance of graver studies...” You get the drift. In 1798, you could say such things and be taken seriously. Under further review, his words revealed Grisborne to be the possessor of an “untidy mind.” Item 122. $950.

Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books and Manuscripts may be reached at 503-472-0476 or pirages@onlinemac.com. Their website is www.pirages.com.