Women need not take up with mean things, since (if they are not wanting to themselves) they are capable of the best.

1704
Moderation Truly Stated: or a review of a late pamphlet entitul’d Moderation a virtue or the occasional conformist justify’d from the imputation of hypocricy. Mary Astell (12 November 1666 – 11 May 1731) was an English feminist writer and rhetorician. 1704
An Impartial Enquiry into the Causes of Rebellion and Civil War in this Kingdom: In an examination of Dr.

Mary Astell (12 November 1666 – 11 May 1731) was an English feminist writer and rhetorician. Her advocacy of equal educational opportunities for women has earned her the title "the first English feminist.