Fordyce's Sermons: Makes You Want to Holler

Fordyce's Sermons make you want to holler. Or in Lydia Bennet's case - gasp. In chapter 14 of Pride and Prejudice, Mr. Collins attempts to read to the Bennet clan from Dr. James Fordyce's Sermons. He makes it about three pages before Lydia gasps and rudely interrupts his reading.

"Other books were produced, and after some deliberation he chose Fordyce's Sermons. Lydia gaped as he opened the volume, and before he had, with very monotonous solemnity, read three pages, she interrupted him with --"

Were the sermons really that bad? What's the deal? Well, Fordyce was a Scottish clergyman. His Sermons to Young Women was a popular guidebook on women’s conduct. It was published around 1766-7 and remained popular for many years. 

 Example:

"In your sex manly exercises are never graceful a tone and figure of the masculine kind are always forbidding men of sensibility desire in every woman soft features a form not robust and demeanor delicate and gentle Nature appears to have formed the (mental) faculties of your sex, for the most part, with less vigour than those of ours, observing the same distinction here as in the more delicate frames of your bodies."

Dr. Fordyce married at the age of 51.  It must have been hard to find a woman that met his stringent criteria. SMH.

I normally try to read the literary works mentioned in the books that I read. After reading some of his quotes, I cannot bring myself to read his entire two-volume work. Particularly if I have to pay for it (if you know of an accessible free copy, let me know).

In the word's of Marvin Gaye, Fordyce's Sermons "make me wanna holler and throw up both my hands."

Have you read Fordyce's Sermons to Young Women?

P.S.
Natalie Tyler's book, The Friendly Jane Austen: A Well-Mannered Introduction to a Lady of Sense and Sensibility, offers a nice discussion on conduct literature with Veronica Leahy (chair of the English department at the Columbus School for Girls). In case you are interested.