We know the basic outline of Speght's live until she married, then she is almost completely lost from the historical record. Born the daughter of the minister James Speght, Mouzell demonstrates that she had some knowledge of Latin, the church fathers and the classics, implying that she had some education beyond simple literacy. Speght, the first historically verifiable English woman to write in defense of women, wrote her first work, A Mouzell for Melastomus (1617) as the first (and most restrained) of three responses to John Swetnam's misogynistic The Arraignment of Women. In 1621 she published her only other work, Mortalities Memorandum, as a response to her mother's death. Shortly thereafter she married William Proctor in 1621. Her children were born in 1626 and 1630.

      Speght wrote her tract with the sole intention of refuting John Swetnam's misogynistic The Arraignment of Women. Her tract is structured to specifically address the accusations which Swetnam brings against women, limiting the range of Speght's arguments. Speght's defense in almost completely religious in nature, making dozens of references to scripture. Indeed, her references to Scripture are so numerous that she cites chapter and verse. The original printing of her work featured a recent innovation: what today would appear in a text as footnotes or endnotes appeared in her text as margin notes. Her references to the creation story are sprinkled throughout the tract.

      Our first excerpt concerns the nature of man and woman: God formed man in his own image, in "wisdom, righteousness, and true holiness." Because Adam had no one "to commerce or converse with but dumb creatures" and because all the other creatures had mates, God decided to create a help meet for Adam. God cast Adam into a deep sleep, took a rib from his side, and created Eve from it; "showing thereby that man was as an imperfect building before woman was made."

      Furthermore, unworthy Adam did not have an appropriate help meet until God created woman. God intended woman to be a solace unto him, to participate of his sorrows, partake of his pleasures, and as a good yoke-fellow bear part of his burden.

      Text from which commentary was drawn:

      "Almighty God, who is rich in mercy, having made all things of nothing, created man in his own image: that is, (as the Apostle expounds it ) In wisdom, righteousness and true holiness, making him Lord over all: to avoid that solitary condition that he was then in, having none to commerce or converse withal but dumb creatures, it seemed good unto the Lord, that as of every creature he had made male and female, and man only being alone without mate, so likewise to form an help meet for him. Adam for this cause being cast into a heavy sleep, God extracting a rib from his side, thereof made, or built, Woman; showing thereby that man was as an imperfect building before woman was made; and bringing her unto Adam, united and married them together.

      Thus the resplendent love of God toward man appeared, in taking care to provided him an helper before he saw his own want, and in providing him such an helper as should be meet for him. Sovereignty had he over all creatures, and they were all serviceable unto him; but yet before woman was formed, there was not a meet help found for Adam. Man's worthiness not meriting this great favor at God's hands, but his mercy only moving him thereunto: I may use those words which the Jews uttered when they saw Christ weep for Lazarus, Behold how he loved him: Behold, and that with good regard, God's love; yea his great love, which from the beginning he has borne unto man: which, as it appears in all things; so next, his love in Christ Jesus apparently in this; that for man's sake, that he might not be an unite, when all other creatures were for procreation dual, he created woman to be a solace unto him, to participate of his sorrows, partake of his pleasures, and as a good yoke-fellow bear part of his burden. Of the excellencies of this Structure, I mean of Women, whose foundation and original of creation, was God's love, do I intend to dilate."

      For her sin, God gave her sex a special curse, bringing forth children. But for Adam's greater sin, because he shirked his special responsibility, God cursed the entire earth.

      Eve intended no harm and only wanted to give Adam pleasure. For her generous heart, God, in his mercy, ameliorated Eve's punishment. By her seed the Serpent's head (sin) would be broken and salvation in the form of Christ Jesus would come into the world. For this blessing Adam named his wife, Hevah, meaning Life.

      Text from which the commentary was drawn:

      "To the first of these objections I answer that Satan first assailed the woman, because where the hedge is lowest, most easy it is to get over, and she being the weaker vessel was with more facility to be seduced: Like as a crystal glass sooner receives a crack then a strong stone pot. Yet we shall find the offense of Adam and Eve almost to parallel: For as an ambitious desire of being made like unto God, was the motive which caused her to eat, so likewise was it his; as may plainly appear by that Ironica [sic], Behold, man is become as one of us: Not that he was so indeed; but hereby his desire to attain a greater perfection then God had given him, was reproved. Woman sinned, it is true, by her infidelity in not believing the Word of God, but giving credit to Satan's fair promises, that she should not die, but so did the man too: And if Adam had not approved of that deed which Eve had done, and been willing to tread the steps which she had gone, he being her Head would have reproved her, and have made the commandment a bit to restrain him from breaking his Maker's Injunction: For if a man burn his hand in the fire, the bellows that blew the fire are not to be blamed, but himself rather, for not being careful to avoid the danger: Yet if the bellows had not blew, the fire had not burnt; no more is woman simply to be condemned for man's transgression: for by the free will, which before his fall he enjoyed, he might have avoided, and been free from being burnt, or singed with that fire which was kindled by Satan, and blown by Eve. It therefore served not his turn a whit, afterwards to say, The woman which thou gave me, gave me of the tree, and I did eat: For a penalty was inflicted upon him, as well as on the woman, the punishment of her transgression being particular to her own sex, and to none but the female kind: but for the sin of man the whole earth was cursed. And he being better able, then the woman, to have resisted temptation, because the stronger vessel, was first called to account, to show, that to whom much is given, of them much is required; and that he who the sovereign of all creatures visible, should have yielded greatest obedience to God.

      True it is (as is already confessed) that woman first sinned, yet find we no mention of spiritual nakedness til man sinned: then it is said, Their eyes were opened, the eyes of their mind and conscience; and then perceived they themselves naked, that is, not only bereft of that integrity, which they originally had, but felt the rebellion & disobedience of their members in the disordered motions of their now corrupt nature, which made them for shame to cover their nakedness: then (and not before) is it said that they saw it, as if sin were imperfect, and unable to bring a deprivation of a blessing received, or death on all mankind, till man (in whom lay the active power of generation) had transgressed. The offense therefore of Adam and Eve is by Saint Austin thus distinguished, the man sinned against God and himself, the woman against God, her self, and her husband: yet in her giving of the fruit to eat had she no malicious intent towards him, but did therein show a desire to make her husband partaker of that happiness, which she thought by their eating they should both have enjoyed. This her giving Adam of the sauce, wherewith Satan had served her, whose sourness before he had eaten, she did not perceive, was that, which made her sin to exceed his: wherefore, that she might not of him, who ought to honor her, be abhorred, the first promise that was made in Paradise, God makes to woman, that by her Seed should the Serpents head be broken: whereupon Adam calls her Hevah, Life, that as the woman had been an occasion of his sin, so should woman bring forth the Savior from sin, which was in the fullness of time accomplished; by which was manifested, that he is a Savior of believing women, no less then of men, that so the blame of sin may not be imputed to his creature which is good; but to the will by which Eve sinned, and yet by Christ's assuming the shape of a man was it declared, that his mercy was equivalent to both Sexes; so that by Hevah's blessed Seed (as Saint Paul affirms) it is brought to pass, that male and female are all one in Christ Jesus.

      To the second objection I answer, That the Apostle does not hereby exempt man from sin, but only gives to understand that the woman was the primary transgressor; and not the man, but that man was not at all deceived, was far from his meaning: for he afterward expressly said, that as in Adam all die, so in Christ all be made alive."

      The efficient cause of woman's creation: woman was created by God. Just as a good fountain cannot bring forth foul water, God can only create things which are good. Therefore, woman is good.

      The material cause of woman's creation: Eve was created of a refined material, Adam after he became a living soul, while Adam was made of the dust of the earth. Eve was not produced from his foot so she would not be his inferior, nor was she produced from his head that she would be his superior, but from his side, near his heart, to be his equal. God gave Adam and Eve joint dominion over the earth and all the creatures on it. And God taught Adam that Eve is "bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh." Who but a monster could hate his own flesh?

      The formal cause of woman's creation: Woman was not created like the birds of the air or the beasts of the field or the fish of the sea, but only man does she resemble. Just as man looks to heave to praise God, woman should look to heaven to praise God. Just as animals have hair, birds have feathers, and fish have scales, men and women have clear, smooth skin. And they were created in the Image of God. All parts of their bodies are meet for each other.

      The final cause: both men and women were created to glorify God. Women must use all of their resources to glorify God. She intellectually glorifies God by praying, by refraining from using provocative language, and by giving wise counsel to her husband. She physically glorifies God by tending the sick, helping the distressed, and ministering to the poor.

      The last cause for which woman was created was to be a help meet to man. But she should only be a helper. Some husbands give their wives all of the domestic tasks. Just as when two oxen are placed in one yoke, the larger oxen pulls more of the weight, the husband being a stronger vessel should bear a greater share of the domestic burden.

      "Secondly, the material cause, or manner whereof woman was made, was of a refined mold, if I may so speak: for man was created of the dust of the earth, but woman was made of a part of man, after that he was a living soul: yet was she not produced from Adam's foot, to be his too low inferior; nor from his head to be his superior, but from his side, near his heart, to be his equal; that where he is Lord, she may be Lady: and therefore said God concerning man and woman jointly, Let them rule over the fish of the Sea, and over the fowl of the Heaven, and over every beast that moves upon the earth: By which words, he makes their authority equal, and all creature to be in subjection unto them both. This being rightly considered, does teach men to make such account of their wives, as Adam did of Eve, This is bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh: As also, that they neither do or with any more hurt unto them, then unto their own bodies: for men ought to love their wives as themselves, because he that loves his wife, loves himself: and never man hated his own flesh (which the woman is) unless a monster in nature.

      Thirdly, the formal cause, and proportion of woman was excellent: For she was neither like the beasts of the earth, fowls of the air, fishes of the Sea, or any other inferior creature, but Man was the only object which she did resemble. For as God gave man a lofty countenance, that he might look up toward Heaven, so did he likewise give unto woman. And as the temperature of man's body is excellent, so is woman's. For whereas other Creatures, by reason of their gross humors, have excrements for their habit, as fowls, their feathers, beasts, their hair, fishes, their scales, man and woman only have their skin clear and smooth. And (that more is) in the Image of God were they both created; yea and to be brief, all the parts of their bodies, both external and internal, were correspondent and meet each for other."

      "The other end for which woman was made, was to be a Companion and helper for man; and if she must be an helper, and but an helper, then are those husbands to be blamed, which lay the whole burden of domestical affairs and maintenance on the shoulders of their wives. For, as yoke-fellows they are to sustain part of each other's cares, grieves, and calamities: But as if two Oxen be put in one yoke, the one being bigger than the other, the greater bears most weight; so the husband being the stronger vessel is to bear a greater burden then his wife; And therefore the Lord said to Adam, In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat thy bread til thou return to the dust. And Saint Paul said, That he that provides not for his household is more then an Infidel. Nature has taught senseless creatures to help one another; as the Male Pigeon, when his Hen is weary with sitting on her eggs, and comes off from them, supplies her place, that in her absence they may receive no harm, until such time as she is fully refreshed. Of small Birds the Cock always helps his Hen to build her nest; and while she sits upon her eggs, he flies abroad to get meat for her, who cannot then provide any for her self. The crowing Cockerel helps his Hen to defend her Chickens from peril, and will endanger himself to save her and them from harm. Seeing then that these unreasonable creatures, by the instinct of nature, bear such affection each to other, that without any grudge, they willingly, according to their kind, help one another, I may reason a minore ad maius, that much more should man and woman, which are reasonable creatures, be helpers each to other in all things lawful, they having the Law of God to Guide them, his Word to be a Lantern unto their feet, and a Light unto their paths, by which they are excited to far more mutual participation of each others burden than other creatures. So that neither the wife may say to her husband, nor the husband unto his wife, I have no need of thee, no more then the members of the body may so say each to other, between whom there is such a sympathy, that if one member suffer, all suffer with it: Therefore though God bade Abraham forsake his Country and Kindred, yet he bade him not forsake his wife, who being Flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, was to be copartner with him of whatsoever did betide him, whether joy or sorrow."

      Moria Ferguson, First Feminists: British Women Writers 1578 - 1799 [Bloomington, In: Indiana University Press, 1985] (includes excerpts)

      Barbara Kiefer Lewalski, The Polemics and Poems of Rachel Speght [Oxford, Oxford University Press, 1996]

      Susan Gushee O'Malley (ed.), 1996, The Early Modern Englishwoman: A Facsimilie Library of Essential Works, Part 1: Printed Writings, 1500-1640, Volume 4, Defences of Women: Jane Anger, Rachel Speght, Ester Sowernam, and Constantia Munda, Scolar Press, 1996 (complete text of Protection)

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