Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands. I will not allow books to prove anything.

Jane Austen (1775-1817)

hi everyone :) good Jane Austen (1775-1817) one of my Favourite writers. From her book Persuasion volume six (1818) according to my book search, correct me if I'm wrong.

"Have you finished your letter ?" said Captain Harville.

"Not quite, a few lines more. I shall have done in five minutes."

"There is no hurry on my side. I am only ready whenever you are. I am in very good anchorage here." (smiling at Anne,) "well supplied, and want for nothing. No hurry for a signal at all. Well, Miss Elliot," (lowering his voice,)" as I was saying we shall never agree, I suppose, upon this point. No man and woman, would, probably. But let me observe that all histories are against you--all stories, prose and verse. If I had such a memory as Benwick, I could bring you fifty quotations in a moment on my side the argument, and I do not think I ever opened a book in my life which had not something to say upon woman's inconstancy. Songs and proverbs, all talk of woman's fickleness. But perhaps you will say, these were written by men."

"Perhaps I shall. Yes, yes, if you please, no reference to examples in books. Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands. I will not allow books to prove anything."

"but how shall we prove anything ?"

"We never shall. We never can expect to prove any thing upon such a point. It is a difference of opinion which does not admit of proof. We each begin, probably, with a little bias towards our own sex; and upon that bias build every circumstance in favour of it which has occurred within our circle ; many of which circumstances (perhaps those very cases which strike us the most) may be precisely such as cannot be brought forward without betraying a confidence, or in some respect saying what should not be said."
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TFD definition fick-le : Characterized by erratic changeableness or instability, especially with regard to affections or attachments; capricious.

TDD definition Fickleness : The iterated satiety of an enterprising affection.
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lol Couldn't resist this one ^. As Jane never had any children she would have been able to spend more time on her books. So what changes the situation is the
X-chromosome, once the children arrive less time to do things. Men have generally been the bread winners although it's not uncommon for woman these days to be or even both. Therefore we all have a roll to play. Lastly Education for woman would not be much of an issue these days as Jane had pointed out a 100yr's ago although history (books) is perhaps largely a male domain.