Editing and Introduction by Bianey Quinonez, Chasia Peterson, Kathryn Ridge and Shumiko Clement
Bianey Quinonez, Chasia Peterson, Kathryn Ridge, and Shumiko Clement are undergraduate students at the University of Central Arkansas
Our group has decided to present our project over the first six chapters of “The Mother’s Blessing” by Dorothy Leigh, written in the 17th century. Our reason for choosing this book was that we were all intrigued by the writing. It was also interesting to read about what a mother wanted her children to understand.
Dorothy Leigh was a seventeenth-century writer and wrote “The Mother’s Blessing”. Leigh’s reasoning for writing this book was that she was nearing her death (Best). Dorothy actually died before the book was ever published, and her goal for the book was to just give instructions on what she wanted her sons to do in their lives (“Dorothy Leigh”). This proved an inspiration to some who were looking for advice.
Her instructions turned out to be a very successful book. The book sold out very quickly and was then reprinted over and over. It was the most reprinted woman’s text with twenty-three editions by 1674, as well as four more editions in the eighteenth century (Gray). Overall, Leigh was very successful for being a woman writer in the 17th century.
Our primary audience is the undergraduate students and general readers interested in early modern women’s writing. Therefore, we will make these chapters approachable by breaking down the structure of English literature, allowing the readers to appreciate and understand the text better.
Our goal is to clarify the older English that the text was written with, as well as providing helpful notes. We hope that we can maintain the early modern spelling, but we also want to modernize for clarity. The way that we want to accomplish this is by simplifying some of the biblical quotes, as well as using the dictionary to find synonyms for our glosses.
Editorial Note
Our goal is to make this text easier for modern readers, especially undergraduate students and people interested in early modern women’s writing or religious literature. To do this, we simplify difficult language, explain cultural and biblical references, and break down the themes and historical background. We want readers to understand not only what Leigh writes, but why her message mattered in her time and why it can still matter today.
As editors, we value staying true to Leigh’s tone, intention, and devotional purpose. We try to balance historical accuracy with clarity by keeping some early modern spelling while modernizing wording when it helps understanding. We also use glosses and short notes to explain unfamiliar terms, and we work together to make sure our edits remain consistent and respectful of the original text.
Overall, our goal is to present “The Mother’s Blessing” in a way that honors Dorthy Leigh’s voice while helping today’s readers understand and connect with her message. We hope to make these chapters both accessible and meaningful to the readers.
Works Cited
Gray, Catharine. ‘Leigh, Dorothy’. The Palgrave Encyclopedia of Early Modern Women’s Writing, Springer International Publishing, 2024, pp. 1–8, 7 Dec. 2025. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01537-4_52-4.
Best, Michael. “Dorothy Leigh.” Shakespeare’s Life and Times. Internet Shakespeare Editions. University of Victoria, NaN undefined NaN. Web. 9 Dec. 2025. https://internetshakespeare.uvic.ca/Library/SLT/literature/women%20writers/leigh.html.
“Dorothy Leigh.” Women’s Writing in the British Isles from the Beginnings to the Present, Cambridge University Press, 2024, https://orlando.cambridge.org/profiles/leigdo.
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage. Springfield, Mass. Merriam-Webster, Inc., 1994.
The Bible. Authorized King James Version, Oxford UP, 1998. The ESV Study Bible. Crossway, 2012.