Sermons to Young Women
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Sermons to Young Women (1766), often called Fordyce's Sermons, is a two-volume compendium of sermons compiled by James Fordyce,[1] a Scottish Presbyterian clergyman,[2] which were originally delivered by himself and others.[2] They were intended for a primarily female audience.
Fordyce was considered an excellent orator, and his collection of sermons found a ready audience among English clergy and laity alike. It quickly became a staple of many Church and personal libraries.
References in other works
In the novel Pride and Prejudice (1813) by Jane Austen, Mr Collins, a clergyman, attempts to read the book aloud to the women during a visit to the Bennet household. The youngest of the five Bennet daughters, Lydia, interrupts him "before . . . three pages" leading him to stop reading, with the comment, "how little young ladies are interested by books of a serious stamp, though written solely for their benefit. It amazes me, I confess;—for certainly, there can be nothing so advantageous to them as instruction."[3]
Additionally in the 1775 play The Rivals, by Richard Brinsley Sheridan, Fordyce's sermon on Sobriety is mentioned.
References
- ^ Sermons to Young Women: in Two Volumes. WorldCat. OCLC 84805777. Retrieved 12 April 2013.
- ^ a b Dictionary of National Biography. London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1885–1900. .
- ^ Wikisource. . Pride and Prejudice – via
External links
- Sermons to Young Women – Internet Archive