William Byrd: Religion and William Essay

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Byrd does show a distinction in his attitude towards prostitutes and some of the other women with whom he has sexual relationships. This distinction is not based upon faith, but a sense of social propriety and the woman's social class. The fact that Mrs. Crtny was a married woman is the reason he eventually writes to her to terminate their affair. Prostitutes are assumed to be 'there for the taking,' and he does not feel any guilt about corrupting their souls, as they have no husband to offend. But even when involved with a married woman, Byrd only notes that he "neglected" his prayers when indisposed, not when he felt unworthy, just as his reasons for not meeting with various paid women are due to logistics rather than moral compunction.

Byrd had friendly relationships with women, as well as sexual ones: he played cards with Mrs. Lindsay and Mrs. Coatsworth, to divert the former's sore throat.

But only when he has an obligation to a lower-class woman as an employer, to whom he seems to believe he should be a moral example, does Byrd feel guilt.

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When he has a sexual relationship with his maid, named Annie, he praises Annie for rejecting him rather than accepting his advances. He describes having sex with her in Biblical language, as 'uncleanliness.' However, even after committing uncleanliness with her he says he "slept very well.

" Byrd acknowledges that affairs are morally wrong, but seems to feel less guilty committing them with prostitutes than with his maid.

Byrd's morality is based as much in social conventions and his attitude about how a gentleman should behave to his maid, a married woman, or a prostitute, rather than piety. Even though the early colonists may have embraced formal religious obligations, like daily prayer, their moral negotiations of relationships, including those outside of marriage, were just as unpredictable as our own -- prostitutes were a guilt-free indulgence for Byrd, like going to a play, but Annie was his responsibility, in sickness and in health.

William Byrd, the Secret Diary, 216.

Ibid., 217.….....

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