Lady Mary leaves England--She does not return for twenty years Montagu supposed to join her--The domestic relations of the Montagus--A septennial act for marriage--Lady Mary corresponds with her husband--Dijon--Turin--Venice--Bologna--Florence--The Monastery of La Trappe--Horace Walpole at Florence--His comments on Lady Mary and her friends--Reasons for his dislike of her--Rome--The Young Pretender and Henry, Cardinal York--Wanderings--Cheapness of life in Italy--Lady Mary's son, Edward--He is a great trouble to his parents--His absurd marriage--His extravagance and folly--Account of his early years--He visits Lady Mary at Valence--Her account of the interviews CHAPTER XIV LADY MARY AS A READER Her fondness for reading--Her difficulty to get enough books while abroad--Lady Bute keeps her supplied--Lady Mary's catholic taste in literature--Samuel Richardson--The vogue of _Clarissa Harlowe_--Lady Mary tells a story of the Richardson type--Henry Fielding--_Joseph Andrews--Tom Jones--_Her high opinion of Fielding and Steele--Tobias Smollett--_Peregrins Pickle_--Lady Vare's _Memoirs of a Lady of Quality_--Sarah Fielding--Minor writers--Lord Orrery's _Remarks on Swift_--Bolingbroke's works--Addison and Pope--Dr. Johnson CHAPTER XV LADY MARY ON EDUCATION AND WOMAN'S RIGHTS The choice of books for children's reading--The dangers of a narrow education--Lady Mary advocates the higher education of women--Girls should be taught languages--Lady Mary's theories of education for girls--Women writers in Italy--A "rumpus" made by ladies in the House of Lords--Woman's Rights--Lady Mary's views on religion CHAPTER XVI ON THE CONTINENT (1745-1760) Lady Mary stays at Avignon--She removes to Brescia--And then to Lovere--She abandons all idea of Montagu joining her abroad--Her house at Lovere--Her daily round--Her health--Her anxiety about her son--An amazing incident--A serious illness--A novel in a letter--Her correspondence attracts the attention of the Italian authorities--Sir James and Lady Frances Steuart--Politics--She is in the bad books of the British Resident at Venice--Lord Bute--The philosophy of Lady Mary--Letters to Lady Bute and Sir James Steuart CHAPTER XVII LAST YEARS (1760-1762) Lady Mary writes the history of her own times--Her health--Death of Edward Wortley Montagu--His will--Lady Mary ponders the idea of returning to England--She leaves Italy--She is held up at Rotterdam--She reaches London--Horace Walpole visits her--Her last illness--Her fortitude--Her death--She leaves one guinea to her son LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (age 8) at the Kit-Cat Club--_Frontispiece_ Lady Mary Wortley Montagu Lady Mary Pierrepont Evelyn Pierrepont, first Duke of Kingston Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, 1720 Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough Lady Mary Wortley Montagu Frances, Countess of Mar Lady Mary Wortley Montagu Lady Mary Wortley Montagu Alexander Pope Joseph Addison Henrietta Louisa, Countess of Pomfret