A REPORT WAS GIVEN ON A SEARCH OF THE LITERATURE ON THE EDUCATION OF WOMEN IN FRANCE DURING THE PERIOD FROM THE FOUNDING OF ST. CYR (1686) THROUGH THE REVOLUTION. THE AUTHOR SUMMARIZES (1) THE EDUCATIONAL PRACTICES USED AND (2) THE EDUCATIONAL THEORIES PROPOSED AT THAT TIME. WHILE THE EDUCATION OF WOMEN IN 18TH-CENTURY FRANCE LEFT MUCH TO BE DESIRED, IT WAS PERHAPS BETTER AND MORE WIDESPREAD THAN MIGHT HAVE BEEN ASSUMED. A CONSIDERABLE PROPORTION OF THE GIRLS OF THE NONPRIVILEGED CLASSES DID AT LEAST RECEIVE AN ELEMENTARY EDUCATION, LEARNING TO READ, WRITE, DO SIMPLE ARITHMETIC, AND ACQUIRE THOSE MANUAL SKILLS, ESPECIALLY NEEDLEWORK, WHICH WOULD BE MOST USEFUL TO THEM IN THE LINES FOR WHICH THEY WERE ULTIMATELY DESTINED. THE DAUGHTERS OF THE WEALTHY BOURGEOISIE AND THE ARISTOCRACY USUALLY RECEIVED THEIR EDUCATION IN CONVENTS WHICH THEY ENTERED AT THE AGE OF 6 OR 7 AND WHICH THEY LEFT AT BETWEEN 16 AND 20 YEARS OF AGE IN ORDER TO MARRY. MANY EDUCATIONAL THEORIES WERE PROPOSED IN FRANCE ESPECIALLY DURING THE SECOND HALF OF THE 18TH CENTURY. OPINION WAS NEARLY UNANIMOUS THAT (1) WOMEN'S EDUCATION WAS OF POOR QUALITY AND THERE WAS NEED FOR IMPROVING IT AND (2) PROPOSALS FOR EDUCATION OF WOMEN SHOULD BE BASED UPON AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE NATURE OF WOMEN AND THEIR ROLE IN SOCIETY. DIVERGENT VIEWS RANGED FROM FROM FEMINIST SENTIMENT TO ANTIFEMINISM. ON THE WHOLE, HOWEVER, THE CENTURY WAS FAVORABLE TO THE CAUSE OF WOMEN. CHANGING ATTITUDES BROUGHT THE PROPOSAL, MADE DURING THE REVOLUTION, THAT WOMEN SHOULD HAVE COMPLETE EDUCATIONAL EQUALITY BECAUSE OF THEIR NATURAL RIGHTS AS EQUAL MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN RACE. (AL)