Westphalian Nobleman Christian Franz Dietrich von Fürstenberg Provides Instructions on the Education of his Daughters (1743)

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Happy are the children who are thus brought up to ora et labora [pray and work] and who obey that principle

Those young children, taught in this way, who have accepted these facts, who delight in their continuous occupation in order not to be idle at any time, who are looking for their joy in that occupation, regarding a little fun as something passing, having a good time while it lasts but not setting their heart on it, these will always be happy.

Unhappy are the children, who despise it and strive after idleness and luxuriance

Those, however, who harness the horses behind the carriage, who assume idleness, laziness, luxuriance, hopping and jumping as if these were the aim of their lives, who arrogantly mean to grieve without these things, who claim to have no idea how to use their time, who mean to regard keeping occupied as something bourgeois, something indecent, those very persons cannot live for long. They must vanish, for it is impossible to maintain attending social gatherings all the time, during the course of which many are sinning as well; for if one’s health were to endure this, i.e. constant merrymaking, even if one were empresses, queens, etc., if one wished to make fun occasions the aim of one’s life, it would nevertheless not be possible for those to follow upon each other; instead many days of rest, many weeks, idle and long-drawn-out for such persons, would necessarily have to intervene. Whether in a city, in the countryside, at court, in one’s home, life can be good anywhere, if only one knows how to keep occupied thus, so that one is never idle. Indeed one rather tires more of such restless activities in cities, at the courts than amidst the solid rest one enjoys in one’s home, when one knows how to keep occupied. Restlessness, constantly being merry consumes human beings as well, causing them to die earlier; rest, however, nurtures humans, causing them to live longer; just how many persons much younger than I have died, those that have senselessly chased after the splendor and restlessness of this world; I, however, in my peace and quiet, I am still alive.

Why one would state this, namely because of the seducers.

One would not state this in such an elaborate way for no reason, for even though everyone’s enjoyable life consists in occupying oneself at all times with knowledge, with never being idle, and the children hopefully comprehend this as well, over a certain number of years, enough individuals will approach, advising against this or that application, wishing to persuade the children of such matters in a different way, speaking of nothing but idleness, merrymaking, and flying about, mocking to no end etc. the parents or others who might advise otherwise, who would not tolerate such, and who must necessarily step in.

Aims of the house
The whole of the suitors

For the most part, manservants and maids, as well as manorial officials, are also inclined to that, namely to flights [of fancy]. Moreover, young men desiring to get married are inclined to chase after women – even though apart from that they would not be able to make those young women’s fortune but only look out for themselves; they strive to bring such young women to idleness, to merrymaking, to flights [of fancy], to guide them towards that, for then they are more easily seduced, persuaded, as idleness is the devil’s pillow. Therefore, those wishing to supervise young people in a Christian way according to their duty must prevent that very thing;