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Chapone, Mrs.

Letters on the Improvement of the Mind; Dr. Gregory’s Legacy to His Daughters; and Lady Pennington’s Advice to Her Absent Daughters - Chapone, Mrs.

Letters on the Improvement of the Mind; Dr. Gregory’s Legacy to His Daughters; and Lady Pennington’s Advice to Her Absent Daughters - Chapone, Mrs.

£250.00 GBP
£250.00 GBP
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London: Printed for Scott and Webster, (successors to Mr. Dove), 36, Charterhouse Square. Early 19th century. 1827.

Duodecimo (12mo). Contemporary half calf with marbled boards, gilt-ruled spine, red morocco lettering-piece lettered “Mrs. Chapone’s Letters.” A handsome and entirely original binding of the period.

Although conduct books aimed at women’s self-improvement would become especially ubiquitous later in the nineteenth century, this volume is notable for the seriousness of its intellectual and moral ambitions. Chapone’s Letters, written in epistolary form for her fifteen-year-old niece, explicitly promotes rational understanding and independent judgment through the reading of history and literature, and famously warns against the moral dangers of sentimental novels. Across its letters, Chapone addresses a wide range of subjects including economy, government, politeness, religion, and the management of the heart and affections, advocating education as the foundation of female virtue and intellectual autonomy.

Lady Pennington’s contribution is equally striking in its defence of a woman’s moral conscience over blind obedience to social convention or marriage vows. Pennington herself divorced her husband and was subsequently cut off from her children, lending her advice an unusually personal and courageous authority. Gregory’s Legacy, written for his own daughters, rounds out the volume and reflects the paternal moral philosophy that shaped domestic education during the period.

Chapone’s Letters alone went through at least twenty-eight editions and appeared in translation, including a French edition; early printings are now uncommon, and first editions are exceptionally rare.

Condition:
A very good copy. Binding firm and attractive, with expected rubbing to joints and extremities and some cracking to the calf, but sound and entirely serviceable. Marbled boards vibrant, with wear consistent with age. Internally, light scattered foxing and occasional offsetting from the plates, but no staining, tears, or losses. Plates present and correctly placed. A solid copy retaining its original character.

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