In several of the warmer regions of Asia and Africa, the little
education bestowed upon women, is entirely calculated to debauch their
minds and give additional charms to their persons. They are taught vocal
and instrumental music, which they accompany with dances, in which every
movement and every gesture is expressively indecent: but receive no
moral instruction; for it would teach them that they were doing wrong.
This, however, is not the practice in all parts of Asia and Africa: the
women of Hindostan are educated more decently; they are not allowed to
learn music or dancing; which are only reckoned accomplishments fit for
those of a lower order; they are notwithstanding, taught all the
personal graces; and particular care is taken to instruct them in the
art of conversing with elegance and vivacity; some of them are also
taught to write, and the generality to read, so that they may be able to
read the Koran; instead of which they more frequently dedicate
themselves to tales and romances; which, painted in all the lively
imagery of the East, seldom fail to corrupt the minds of creatures shut
up from the world, and consequently forming to themselves extravagant
and romantic notions of all that is transacted in it.
In well regulated families, women are taught by heart some prayers in
Arabic, which at certain hours they assemble in a hall to repeat; never
being allowed the liberty of going to the public mosque. They are
enjoined always to wash themselves before praying; and, indeed, the
virtues of cleanliness, of chastity, and obedience, are so strongly and
constantly inculcated on their minds, that in spite of their general
debauchery of manners, there are not a few among them, who, in their
common deportment, do credit to the instructions bestowed upon them;
nor is this much to be wondered at, when we consider the tempting
recompense that is held out to them; they are, in paradise, to flourish
forever, in the vigor of youth and beauty; and however old, or ugly,
when they depart this life, are there to be immediately transformed into
all that is fair, and all that is graceful.