That prudent Mother, while She admired
the beauties of the sacred writings, was convinced that,
unrestricted, no reading more improper could be permitted a young
Woman. Many of the narratives can only tend to excite ideas the
worst calculated for a female breast: Every thing is called
plainly and roundly by its name; and the annals of a Brothel
would scarcely furnish a greater choice of indecent expressions.
Yet this is the Book which young Women are recommended to study;
which is put into the hands of Children, able to comprehend
little more than those passages of which they had better remain
ignorant; and which but too frequently inculcates the first
rudiments of vice, and gives the first alarm to the still
sleeping passions. Of this was Elvira so fully convinced, that
She would have preferred putting into her Daughter's hands
'Amadis de Gaul,' or 'The Valiant Champion, Tirante the
White;' and would sooner have authorised her studying the lewd
exploits of 'Don Galaor,' or the lascivious jokes of the
'Damsel Plazer di mi vida.' She had in consequence made two
resolutions respecting the Bible. The first was that Antonia
should not read it till She was of an age to feel its beauties,
and profit by its morality: The second, that it should be copied
out with her own hand, and all improper passages either altered
or omitted. She had adhered to this determination, and such was
the Bible which Antonia was reading: It had been lately
delivered to her, and She perused it with an avidity, with a
delight that was inexpressible.
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