Allen, Charles (1728?-1792) The Polite Lady: or a Course of Female Education.In a Series of Letters from a Mother to her Daughter.
London: Printed for Newbery & Carnan, 1769.
Second edition, 12mo, engraved frontispiece (mounted) showing a pensive woman seated at a desk in a library, surrounded by props alluding to her education; one leaf of the advertisement to the reader bound out of order; contemporary ownership inscription of Susan Birdingfield [?] to title page; bound in full contemporary speckled calf, front cover detached, spine broken, sewing perished; contents clean; 6 1/2 x 4 in.
This epistolary book of manners dispenses conventional motherly advice regarding the decorum and education of a young English woman away at boarding school. Letters concerning the importance of reading, writing, cyphering (arithmetic), dancing, drawing, music, French, geography and sewing begin the work. Many more letters are concerned with the young woman's behavior, including chapters on the topic of cleanliness, friendship, behavior in company, conversation, scandal, fashion, gaming, idleness, virtue, beauty, temperance, chastity, modesty, coquetry, pride, anger, good breeding, and so on. The text is replete with frightening cautionary tales of fallen women and the perils of appearing anything other than meek, mild, agreeable, kind, submissive and obedient.
Roscoe J8; ESTC T95314 listing seven copies in North American libraries, slim holdings in all editions.
