Letters　on　Sweden；　Norway；　and　Denmark
  by　Mary　Wollstonecraft
  INTRODUCTION
  Mary　Wollstonecraft　was　born　on　the　27th　of　April；　1759。　　Her　fathera　quick…tempered　and　unsettled　man；　capable　of　beating　wife；　or　child；　or　dogwas　the　son　of　a　manufacturer　who　made　money　in　Spitalfields；　when　Spitalfields　was　prosperous。　　Her　mother　was　a　rigorous　Irishwoman；　of　the　Dixons　of　Ballyshannon。　　Edward　John　Wollstonecraftof　whose　children；　besides　Mary；　the　second　child；　three　sons　and　two　daughters　lived　to　be　men　and　womenin　course　of　the　got　rid　of　about　ten　thousand　pounds；　which　had　been　left　him　by　his　father。　　He　began　to　get　rid　of　it　by　farming。　　Mary　Wollstonecraft's　first…remembered　home　was　in　a　farm　at　Epping。　When　she　was　five　years　old　the　family　moved　to　another　farm；　by　the　Chelmsford　Road。　　When　she　was　between　six　and　seven　years　old　they　moved　again；　to　the　neighbourhood　of　Barking。　　There　they　remained　three　years　before　the　next　move；　which　was　to　a　farm　near　Beverley；　in　Yorkshire。　　In　Yorkshire　they　remained　six　years；　and　Mary　Wollstonecraft　had　there　what　education　fell　to　her　lot　between　the　ages　of　ten　and　sixteen。　　Edward　John　Wollstonecraft　then　gave　up　farming　to　venture　upon　a　commercial　speculation。　　This　caused　him　to　live　for　a　year　and　a　half　at　Queen's　Row；　Hoxton。　　His　daughter　Mary　was　then　sixteen；　and　while　at　Hoxton　she　had　her　education　advanced　by　the　friendly　care　of　a　deformed　clergymana　Mr。　Clare　who　lived　next　door；　and　stayed　so　much　at　home　that　his　one　pair　of　shoes　had　lasted　him　for　fourteen　years。
  But　Mary　Wollstonecraft's　chief　friend　at　this　time　was　an　accomplished　girl　only　two　years　older　than　herself；　who　maintained　her　father；　mother；　and　family　by　skill　in　drawing。　　Her　name　was　Frances　Blood；　and　she　especially；　by　her　example　and　direct　instruction；　drew　out　her　young　friend's　powers。　　In　1776；　Mary　Wollstonecraft's　father；　a　rolling　stone；　rolled　into　Wales。　　Again　he　was　a　farmer。　　Next　year　again　he　was　a　Londoner；　and　Mary　had　influence　enough　to　persuade　him　to　choose　a　house　at　Walworth；　where　she　would　be　near　to　her　friend　Fanny。　　Then；　however；　the　conditions　of　her　home　life　caused　her　to　be　often　on　the　point　of　going　away　to　earn　a　living　for　herself。　　In　1778；　when　she　was　nineteen；　Mary　Wollstonecraft　did　leave　home；　to　take　a　situation　as　companion　with　a　rich　tradesman's　widow　at　Bath；　of　whom　it　was　said　that　none　of　her　companions　could　stay　with　her。　　Mary　Wollstonecraft；　nevertheless；　stayed　two　years　with　the　difficult　widow；　and　made　herself　respected。　　Her　mother's　failing　health　then　caused　Mary　to　return　to　her。　　The　father　was　then　living　at　Enfield；　and　trying　to　save　the　small　remainder　of　his　means　by　not　venturing　upon　any　business　at　all。　　The　mother　died　after　long　suffering；　wholly　dependent　on　her　daughter　Mary's　constant　care。　The　mother's　last　words　were　often　quoted　by　Mary　Wollstonecraft　in　her　own　last　years　of　distress〃A　little　patience；　and　all　will　be　over。〃
  After　the　mother's　death；　Mary　Wollstonecraft　left　home　again；　to　live　with　her　friend；　Fanny　Blood；　who　was　at　Walham　Green。　　In　1782　she　went　to　nurse　a　married　sister　through　a　dangerous　illness。　　The　father's　need　of　support　next　pressed　upon　her。　　He　had　spent　not　only　his　own　money；　but　also　the　little　that　had　been　specially　reserved　for　his　children。　　It　is　said　to　be　the　privilege　of　a　passionate　man　that　he　always　gets　what　he　wants；　he　gets　to　be　avoided；　and　they　never　find　a　convenient　corner　of　their　own　who　shut　themselves　out　from　the　kindly　fellowship　of　life。
  In　1783　Mary　Wollstonecraftaged　twenty…fourwith　two　of　her　sisters；　joined　Fanny　Blood　in　setting　up　a　day　school　at　Islington；　which　was　removed　in　a　few　months　to　Newington　Green。　　Early　in　1785　Fanny　Blood；　far　gone　in　consumption；　sailed　for　Lisbon　to　marry　an　Irish　surgeon　who　was　settled　there。　　After　her　marriage　it　was　evident　that　she　had　but　a　few　months　to　live；　Mary　Wollstonecraft；　deaf　to　all　opposing　counsel；　then　left　her　school；　and；　with　help　of　money　from　a　friendly　woman；　she　went　out　to　nurse　her；　and　was　by　her　when　she　died。　　Mary　Wollstonecraft　remembered　her　loss　ten　years　afterwards　in　these　〃Letters　from　Sweden　and　Norway；〃　when　she　wrote：　　〃The　grave　has　closed　over　a　dear　friend；　the　friend　of　my　youth；　still　she　is　present　with　me；　and　I　hear　her　soft　voice　warbling　as　I　stray　over　the　heath。〃
  Mary　Wollstonecraft　left　Lisbon　for　England　late　in　December；　1785。　When　she　came　back　she　found　Fanny's　poor　parents　anxious　to　go　back　to　Ireland；　and　as　she　had　been　often　told　that　she　could　earn　by　writing；　she　wrote　a　pamphlet　of　162　small　pages〃Thoughts　on　the　Education　of　Daughters〃and　got　ten　pounds　for　it。　　This　she　gave　to　her　friend's　parents　to　enable　them　to　go　back　to　their　kindred。　In　all　she　did　there　is　clear　evidence　of　an　ardent；　generous；　impulsive　nature。　　One　day　her　friend　Fanny　Blood　had　repined　at　the　unhappy　surroundings　in　the　home　she　was　maintaining　for　her　father　and　mother；　and　longed　for　a　little　home　of　her　own　to　do　her　work　in。　　Her　friend　quietly　found　rooms；　got　furniture　together；　and　told　her　that　her　little　home　was　ready；　she　had　only　to　walk　into　it。　　Then　it　seemed　strange　to　Mary　Wollstonecraft　that　Fanny　Blood　was　withheld　by　thoughts　that　had　not　been　uppermost　in　the　mood　of　complaint。　　She　thought　her　friend　irresolute；　where　she　had　herself　been　generously　rash。　　Her　end　would　have　been　happier　had　she　been　helped；　as　many　are；　by　that　calm　influence　of　home　in　which　some　knowledge　of　the　world　passes　from　father　and　mother　to　son　and　daughter；　without　visible　teaching　and　preaching；　in　easiest　companionship　of　young　and　old　from　day　to　day。
  The　little　payment　for　her　pamphlet　on　the　〃Education　of　Daughters〃　caused　Mary　Wollstonecraft　to　think　more　seriously　of　earning　by　her　pen。　　The　pamphlet　seems　also　to　have　advanced　her　credit　as　a　teacher。　　After　giving　up　her　day　school；　she　spent　some　weeks　at　Eton　with　the　Rev。　Mr。　Prior；　one　of　the　masters　there；　who　recommended　her　as　governess　to　the　daughters　of　Lord　Kingsborough；　an　Irish　viscount；　eldest　son　of　the　Earl　of　Kingston。　　Her　way　of　teaching　was　by　winning　love；　and　she　obtained　the　warm　affection　of　the　eldest　of　her　pupils；　who　became　afterwards　Countess　Mount…　Cashel。　　In　the　summer　of　1787；　Lord　Kingsborough's　family；　including　Mary　Wollstonecraft；　was　at　Bristol　Hot…wells；　before　going　to　the　Continent。　　While　there；　Mary　Wollstonecraft　wrote　her　little　tale　published　as　〃Mary；　a　Fiction；〃　wherein　there　was　much　based　on　the　memory　of　her　own　friendship　for　Fanny　Blood。
  The　publisher　of　Mary　Wollstonecraft's　〃Thoughts　on　the　Education　of　Daughters〃　was　the　same　Joseph　Johnson　who　in　1785　was　the　publisher　of　Cowper's　〃Task。〃　　With　her　little　story　written　and　a　little　money　saved；　the　resolve　to　live　by　her　pen　could　now　be　carried　out。　　Mary　Wollstonecraft；　therefore；　parted　from　her　friends　at　Bristol；　went　to　London；　saw　her　publisher；　and　frankly　told　him　her　determination。　　He　met　her　with　fatherly　kindness；　and　received　her　as　a　guest　in　his　house　while　she　was　making　her　arrangements。　　At　Michaelmas；　1787；　she　settled　in　a　house　in　George　Street；　on　the　Surrey　side　of　Blackfriars　Bridge。　　There　she　produced　a　little　book　for　children；　of　〃Original　Stories　from　Real　Life；〃　and　earned　by　drudgery　for　Joseph　Johnson。　　She　translated；　she　abridged；　she　made　a　volume　of　Selections；　and　she　wrote　for　an　〃Analytical　Review；〃　which　Mr。　Johnson　founded　in　the　middle　of　the　year　1788。　　Among　the　books　translated　by　her　was　Necker　〃On　the　Importance　of　Religious　Opinions。〃　　Among　the　books　abridged　by　her　was　Salzmann's　〃Elements　of　Morality。〃　　With　all　this　hard　work　she　lived　as　sparely　as　she　could；　that　she　might　help　her　family。　　She　supported　her　father。　That　she　might　enable　her　sisters　to　earn　their　living　as　teachers；　she　sent　one　of　them　to　Paris；　and　maintained　her　there　for　two　years；　the　other　she　placed　in　a　school　near　London　as　parlour…　boarder　until　she　was　admitted　into　it　as　a　paid　teacher。　　She　placed　one　brother　at　Woolwich　to　qualify　for　the　Navy；　and　he　obtained　a　lieutenant's　commission。　　For　another　brother；　articled　to　an　attorney　whom　he　did　not　like；　she　obtained　a　transfer　of　indentures；　and　when　it　became　clear　that　his　quarrel　was　more　with　law　than　with　the　lawyers；　she　placed　him　with　a　farmer　before　fitting　him　out　for　emigration　to　America。　　She　then　sent　him；　so　well　prepared　for　his　work　there　that　he　prospered　well。　　She　tried　even　to　disentangle　her　father's　affairs；　but　the　confusion　in　them　was　beyond　her　powers　of　arrangement。　　Added　to　all　this　faithful　work；　she　took　upon　herself　the　charge　of　an　orphan　child；　seven　years　old；　whose　mother　had　been　in　the　number　of　her　friends。　　That　was　the　life　of　Mary　Wollstonecraft；　thirty　years　old；　in　1789；　the　year　of　the　Fall　of　the　Bastille；　the　noble　life　now　to　be　touched　in　its　enthusiasms　by　the　spirit　of　the　Revolution；　to　be　caught　in　the　great　storm；　shattered；　and　lost　among　its　wrecks。
  To　Burke's　attack　on　the　French　Revolution　Mary　Wollstonecraft　wrote　an　Answerone　of　many　answers　provoked　by　itthat　attracted　much　attention。　　This　was　followed