--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: the house had been set up by two…" description: "\"“the house had been set up by two countesses ‘by divine inspiration, as it is piously believed’, to preserve the respectability of women who couldn’t m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/michael-pye-48945_divine-inspiration_the-house-had-been-set-up-by-two-countes_932980.jpg" --- # the house had been set up by two countesses ‘by divine… ![“the house had been set up by two countesses ‘by divine inspiration, as it is piously believed’, to preserve the respectability of women who couldn’t marry, couldn’t afford the ‘dowry’ needed to enter a convent and who were about ‘to go begging or shamefully support themselves’. The beguinage…” quote by Michael Pye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/michael-pye-48945_divine-inspiration_the-house-had-been-set-up-by-two-countes_932980.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/michael-pye-48945_divine-inspiration_the-house-had-been-set-up-by-two-countes_932980.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/391/michael-pye-48945_divine-inspiration_the-house-had-been-set-up-by-two-countes_932980.jpg) > ““the house had been set up by two countesses ‘by divine inspiration, as it is piously believed’, to preserve the respectability of women who couldn’t marry, couldn’t afford the ‘dowry’ needed to enter a convent and who were about ‘to go begging or shamefully support themselves’. The beguinage allowed them to ‘support and clothe themselves by suitable work, without shaming themselves or their friends’.”” [Michael Pye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pye/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Women who could not marry or enter convents could maintain dignity through communal work without shame. **In simple terms:** Unmarried women could earn respect by working together. Key Takeaway Support communal work for vulnerable women. Themes women’s rights social support dignity Mood empathetic reflective Type historical social commentary When to use this quote - historical analysis - social work - policy making - community organizing Key Concepts communal economics gender roles social safety nets Questions to Reflect On - How can modern societies support unmarried women? - What structures prevent shame in economic vulnerability? A Different Perspective May overlook individual agency or modern contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Beguinage Allowed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beguinage-allowed-1534670/) [Convent Begging](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convent-begging-1534669/) [Countesses Divine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/countesses-divine-1534671/) [Divine inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-inspiration/) [Inspiration](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/inspiration/) [Set Countesses](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/set-countesses-1534673/) [Support Beguinage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/support-beguinage-1534672/) ## Related quotes > [“May you find grace and courage to live life to the fullness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/may-you-find-grace-and-courage-to-live-life-to-the-fullness/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“The left half of your brain deals with logic, language, calculation, and reason. 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That did not stop…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pye/the-poorer-women-lived-from-wages-the-richer-women-sank-their-money/) [Michael Pye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pye/) > [“they were a closed society, not ready even for a biological intruder”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pye/they-were-a-closed-society-not-ready-even-for-a-biological-intruder/) [Michael Pye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pye/) > [“but we know enough from the early years to see that the machinery of the law was mostly used against workers who wanted more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-pye/but-we-know-enough-from-the-early-years-to-see-that-the-machinery-of/) [Michael Pye](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-pye/) > [“Take away the idea of dark times and ruin and you begin to hear other voices. 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To believe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-ellsworth/only-the-most-fervent-continues-to-accept-the-idea-that-the-bible-is/) [David Ellsworth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-ellsworth/) > [IMBECILITY, n. A kind of divine inspiration, or sacred fire affecting censorious critics of this dictionary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/imbecility-n-a-kind-of-divine-inspiration-or-sacred-fire-affecting/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“There is a divine power and invisible supreme-being.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/there-is-a-divine-power-and-invisible-supreme-being/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [“The power of desire is a divine. Desire to live by faith.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/the-power-of-desire-is-a-divine-desire-to-live-by-faith/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [As everyone knows, the ancients before Aristotle did not consider the dream a product of the dreaming mind, but a divine inspiration, and in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sigmund-freud/as-everyone-knows-the-ancients-before-aristotle-did-not-consider-the/) [Sigmund Freud](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sigmund-freud/) > [“You start to live when you commit your life to cause higher than yourself. You must learn to depend on divine power for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-giftyakita/you-start-to-live-when-you-commit-your-life-to-cause-higher-than/) [Lailah GiftyAkita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-giftyakita/) > [The Ancient Romans did not regard acts of genius to emanate from within an individual - but rather saw it as a collaboration between…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/liz-garbus/the-ancient-romans-did-not-regard-acts-of-genius-to-emanate-from/) [Liz Garbus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/liz-garbus/) > [“With God, there’s always an appointed time for things, and when you put Him first, trust in His timing, and keep the faith, miracles…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/with-god-there-s-always-an-appointed-time-for-things-and-when-you-put/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [“4. Religion. Your reason is now mature enough to examine this object. 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As men lay dying on the field that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-river-editors/longstreet-s-men-took-up-on-marye-s-heights-the-northern-soldiers/) [Charles River Editors](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-river-editors/) [Browse all 76 Divine inspiration quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/divine-inspiration/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“the house had been set up by two countesses ‘by divine inspiration, as it is piously believed’, to preserve the respectability of women who couldn’t marry, couldn’t afford the ‘dowry’ needed to enter a convent and who were about ‘to go begging or shamefully support themselves’. 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