The Life and Romances of Mrs. Eliza HaywoodWhicher, George Frisbie
General
The Life and Romances of Mrs. Eliza Haywood
Whicher, George Frisbie
Haywood, Eliza Fowler, 1693?-1756
One of the most lively is a story told to show the inevitable
unhappiness of a marriage between persons of different sects. The
husband, a High Church man, and the wife, of Presbyterian persuasion,
were happy enough during the first months of married life, "tho' he
sometimes expressed a Dissatisfaction at being denied the Pleasure of
leading her to Westminster-Abbey, for he would hear no Divine Service
out of a Cathedral, and she was no less troubled that she could not
prevail with him to make his Appearance with her at the Conventicle."
Consequently when their first child was born, they were unable to agree
how the boy was to be baptized. "All their Discourse was larded with the
most piquant Reflections," but to no purpose. The father insisted upon
having his own way, but Amonia, as his consort was not inappropriately
named, was no less stubborn in her detestation of lawn sleeves, and on
the eve of the christening had the ceremony privately performed by her
own minister. When the bishop and the guests were assembled, she
announced with "splenetic Satisfaction" that the child had already been
"made a Christian" and that his name was John. The astonished husband
lapsed into an "adequate rage," and though restrained by the company
from doing an immediate violence to his help-mate, was permanently
estranged from her through his resentment. Two other stories from "The
Female Spectator" were quoted by Dr. Nathan Drake in his "Gleaner."
In her bold attempt to rival Addison upon his own ground Mrs. Haywood
was more than moderately successful in the estimation of many of her
contemporaries. Rambling and trite as are the essays in her periodical,
their excellent intentions, at least, gained them a degree of
popularity. A writer in the "Gentleman's Magazine" for December, 1744,
applauding the conspicuous merit of the "fair philosophers in virtue's
cause," declared that
"Were your great predecessor yet on earth,
He'd be the first to speak your page's worth,
There all the foibles of the fair you trace;
There do you shew your sex's truest grace;
There are the various wiles of man display'd,
In gentle warnings to the cred'lous maid;
Politely pictur'd, wrote with strength and ease,
And while the wand'rer you reclaim, you please....
Women, the heart of women best can reach;
While men from maxims--you from practice teach."
The latter part of the panegyric shows that the fair romancer had not
been entirely smothered in the fair philosopher and moral essayist.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account