New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-23
EGYPT WAS WOMANS UTOPIA.
WHERE WIVES HELD THE PURSE STRINGS.
THE oxry CLAIM HUSBAND HAD WAS IL
mann AND LODGING - THE POWERFUL
SPOUSE, LIKE HER MODERN SISTERS
Lowed JTWFI,S AND TINE GOWNS.

Y
The most interesting of all Miss Amelia b. ru.
wards's series of lectures on EgyptoiosE WINS ,.'s
delivered in Chckcring Hall Yesterday afternoon "
rdw.,.,s.s lccture was entitled Queen Ilatasn anu
tho Women of Ancient Egyptian lnOnchsNe "'O
enouch but il was a bombshcll The hall was oro"e''
women being in great majority anu ai''i
10 Miss Edwardss humorous dcsc1p'i"n Va Wv -.
diton Of Egyptian women, 1t Is possible '''"'
woman prc,cnt went home feeling that she HIS
positive grievance ,i,o
vies Fdwards,s account Of the universal emahcll''
ton NJ womanldnd in ancient Egypt causeu '"o
women in the auditorium 10 exchange ircl"o"' -,
and smiles Of approval, and made Inc very 90
male element in the audience feel not anu . 80.
firms II appears from the recently discovered Deo
napvri relating 10 the period Oh III" W'''' -
dynasty or about 200 years before the 'niS''" w
,b.+ from The earliest time of which we can 'aV'" a
cIimpse the women of Egypt enjoyed lFec"o '
ndcpcndeucc Of which modern nations a'c WHY "
ginning 20 dream Indeed ancient hrAp ~ ' -,
have begun at an elevation OF clVm"t"o" ~
the lower rungs of which reiornlcrs "O ,t a
dav The women Of that sladowy past e'Jos'u "
social equality with the '"o" Wv"
a little something more than cqnaN. , o,so
woman Of that day. Miss Edwards cxpiaiicu' '''o
nos,esscd greater powers than those eNcIc'''u -,
own household. Quite independent! "a no'
she coud engage in business, buy ana se" P''r 49,
lend money on usuriOus terms, ana hoiu INV
in
inc DISTINGUISHED themselves for thc' Keen D"N"o'
oct as money lenders arc preserved IN the re'"uS
vis Edwards could not fail elicit applause from Ill
audience composed Of women when she Introduces
such revolutionary ideas these from inc D''""''
past. ~ .a thu,
In the pages of Diodorus' she said' We rv'u '''.
AN Egvptian husband In his marriage contract "sroV
to submit himself in all things l" '"o P'"'' ,,..
wife This was long regarded ~ an oid 'fi'c''os
,alea tjshv story-but the Denote papyr places ~
veracity beyond dispute. DiodoruS wrote on souci
fact In sober earnest ~,
several papvri in Vienna and in the collection o INC
Historical society Of New York show what cN'",i'o
transaction, the women money lenders oil EeNP' h""
with their rulers and pocntatcs. ana now pi"hp"'
they paid their respects 70 the rclshhs Ho""''" va
quarter day. ,, O..
The marriage contracts of ancient Egypt shonld' II
printed in pamphlet form and circulated among ."'
masses awaken the moral sense Of the men, i"'
Ecvptians turned all the modern customs ID f's''u "
marriage upside down. Miss Edwards hufhlh-N 'a'u'
When the British bridegroom promises 10 chu"" III"
object of his affections with all his worldly posses
.tnr. she added. lit h, accepted for what II i
worth. a, a figure Of speech. hut I'M, j. pc
cisely what the Egyptian husband did. The hT> p''I
wife not only retained absolute '"A'"i
Of her own property, but eVc'N'""'
her husband possessed in the "oiM ""'
settled upon her forever During the period oi court
ship which never extended over one Year. INC O'''N
groom allowed his bride pin money and pocket money
he,idcs but when the marriage ceremony "'' ono
over he was reduced to the position oi N"aIu' ~
hi, own household lis wife MAS supreme me-, i
4 fut;er OF approval ran round the ahd'h'e VIE"
Mis- Edwards Suggested that this scheme 81 PR
nuutial allowances would be a very desirable ID
nOVatiOn to-day a., 800, .. ,h,
hu ,band a clause was inserted ~ tlc maII'1-c .o,
tract hy which the woman bound hcIscn 10 proNW
her husband with board and lodging during hi
lifetime and defray hi, funeral eApcns'' al tm tn.,
~ li, death. lAuEAtcrJ The women ol Al,I'H
Egypt were passonatcly fond OF di.-
and icWrlrv the women IL
daV. Laughter They we're literally covered Wili
urcclOus stones and ornaments OF coIr-c ~ "a Idh'
~bcr, the women lad complete control II the iici-
urv the Jewellers trade one II the mos noun n
ins industries in the country l"-hl'fl. ana ill'
Teypfian workers IN gold, silver and precious stone
had never lccu cNcclled.
Mis- Edu ards, IL e. Ding, gave bret sketch Z"
the lie and works Of Queen llaia-u, ana 81 the won
dcrful olcli.k, and temples which she caused a. b.
erected In honor Of her reign. Her LOYAL H-I.
mes was aftcrwaid portage by the si"rcopc'n a'
from the determined rightly Of her feature, one ,r
NO longer doubt why .hc preferred 10 reign n Ihc"
alone rather than marry her Younger brother up'i
being widowed 10y the death Of her elder brother