Keywords: 18th-century-anti-sex-education.jpg The Matrons in Hanging-Sleeves or The Enquirer into Nature an eighteenth-century satire or satyr against sex-education This caricature print shows women and girls looking at an exhibition display of a wax-model cutaway view of human pregnancy with other suggestive statuettes on a side table at left ; the poem beneath condemns the bawdy Itch of knowing secret Things / And tracing human Nature to its Springs as being a symptom of modern degeneracy as opposed to the female virtue of previous ages -- and as being morally dubious for inherently frail women and incompatible with the highly-desirable innocence of unmarried girls The poem in the print reads In days of Yore when modesty reign'd here Virgins were bashful Matrons were severe; None knew then what it was to chat with Men Or in smart Billets-doux to use the pen Sermons and Psalm-Books much employ'd their time Nor save the latter read they ought in Rhime If e'er they wrote 'twas when some choice Receipt i e recipe Was found to cure a Cough or toss up Meat; Such th' Assiduous House-wife sought with Care And in her Books preserv'd as Treasure rare Each Woman then the Glory of her Spouse Look'd to his Wealth and constant kept his House Decent her Garb; her Language true and plain; She heightened ev'ry Joy and softened ev'ry Pain In our politer times the Female Race An easier mode of Living by far embrace No more such arduous Methods Women try But with the Men in thirst of Pleasure vie Like them they Ride they Walk nay Rake and Drink And seldom say their Prayers or deign to Think Thus rub thro' Life forgetful of its End; By none Befriended and to none a Friend; Wild without Wit from Spleen -- not Judgment -- grave; Despising Faith but to her Lusts a Slave Each courtly Wanton wanders thro' her Time And feels Declension i e herself to be declining ere she reach her Prime But of all Follies sure the last and worst Is that with which our learned Age is curs'd This bawdy Itch of knowing secret Things And tracing human Nature to its Springs; Exploring in the sight of all the world The dark Receptacle from whence we're hurl'd O famous wax-work Where our fair ones come Like female Neros made to see a womb To hear fine Lectures read on Generation And all the Arts explain'd of Procreation That Rake in time to come when he convenes What copious Drury sends and Wild-street gleans He may have Bawds in Bibs and Midwives in their teens i e sex education would lead to child prostitution What Vices Greek and Roman Dames defil'd How they on Slaves and Fencers i e gladiators often smil'd Rode Drink and Danced we're by old Sat'rists told; But of no Thais of our modern Mold -- Who ere for Wedlock ripe is wild to see What must its Joys and what its Pains must be; How in the Womb the Foetus is reclin'd; What Passage thence by Nature is design'd; With ev'ry other Circumstance beside That may inform her ere she be a Bride And make her wiser than the Dame who bore This prying Wench -- or Grandmother before Who liv'd when Innocence sway'd here of Yore O might the shocking Scene so strike the Mind As that true Sense from this strange sight they'd find Learn to believe themselves but frail tho' fair; And make their Souls what they deserve -- their Care; Live to those Ends for which their Lives were given To bless Mankind and make this World a Heaven The Wax-work then -- should be deem'd worthy Fame Not be as now all its Spectators' Shame The Roman emperor Nero is mentioned above because of the story that when he assassinated his mother Agrippina he cut open her womb so that he could see where he had come from For an 18th-century wax model somewhat like the one which is considered to be a source of moral corruption here see Image Specola 20 jpg from en La Specola museum ---- Bibliographic information found on the LoC site TITLE The matrons in hanging-sleeves or The enquirer into nature - a satyr CALL NUMBER PC 2 - Matrons in hanging-sleeves A size P P REPRODUCTION NUMBER LC-USZ62-59610 b w film copy neg No known restrictions on publication SUMMARY Print shows women and children of all ages viewing exhibits at the Wax-works and see a Womb to hear fine Lectures read on Generation and all the Arts explain'd of Procreation ; in a large display case is a life-size figure of a pregnant woman with a cut-away view showing a fetus in the womb and on a table are figures in an erotic embrace MEDIUM 1 print etching CREATED/PUBLISHED 1802 NOTES Title from item Forms part of British Cartoon Collection Library of Congress SUBJECTS Women--Social life--England--London--1800-1810 Women--Education--England--London--1800-1810 Wax figures--1800-1810 Galleries museums--England--London--1800-1810 Human life cycle--1800-1810 FORMAT Satires Visual works British 1800-1810 Etchings British 1800-1810 REPOSITORY Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington D C 20540 USA DIGITAL ID b w film copy neg cph 3b07352 http //hdl loc gov/loc pnp/cph 3b07352 CARD 2003675443 Edited from image http //memory loc gov/master/pnp/cph/3b00000/3b07000/3b07300/3b07352u tif on Library of Congress website http //hdl loc gov/loc pnp/cph 3b07352 Based on women's clothing styles much more likely from ca 1770s than 1802 as suggested by Library of Congress author PD-old-100 18th-century fashion Pregnancy in art Gynaecology Sex education 18th-century caricatures Wax Housewives in art |