8vo. viii, 413pp, [3]. Contemporary gilt-tooled calf, contrasting black morocco lettering-piece. Lightly rubbed, joints starting. Armorial bookplate of Robert Williams Jr. to FEP. Internally clean and crisp.

The first, and arguably most important, pedagogical work of Scottish essayist and poet Elizabeth Hamilton (1756 or 1758-1816). Embroiled in the contemporary debate surrounding women's education, Hamilton found a middle-ground between the conservative feminism of Hannah More and the radical perspectives of the so-called 'Jacobins', such as Mary Wollstonecraft. Committed to her Christian faith, she emphasised the need for greater educational opportunity for women, yet maintained that the management of the domestic sphere was a woman's primary responsibility. Her work on educational theory, drawing on Scottish moral philosophy, also argued for the capabilities of women, particularly mothers, to understand and reinforce important patterns and connections in early childhood.