ed　by　her　〃Vindication　of　the　Rights　of　Woman　while　the　air　was　full　of　declamation　on　the　〃Rights　of　Man。〃　The　claims　made　in　this　little　book　were　in　advance　of　the　opinion　of　that　day；　but　they　are　claims　that　have　in　our　day　been　conceded。　They　are　certainly　not　revolutionary　in　the　opinion　of　the　world　that　has　become　a　hundred　years　older　since　the　book　was　written。
  At　this　the　Mary　Wollstonecraft　had　moved　to　rooms　in　Store　Street；　Bedford　Square。　　She　was　fascinated　by　Fuseli　the　painter；　and　he　was　a　married　man。　　She　felt　herself　to　be　too　strongly　drawn　towards　him；　and　she　went　to　Paris　at　the　close　of　the　year　1792；　to　break　the　spell。　　She　felt　lonely　and　sad；　and　was　not　the　happier　for　being　in　a　mansion　lent　to　her；　from　which　the　owner　was　away；　and　in　which　she　lived　surrounded　by　his　servants。　　Strong　womanly　instincts　were　astir　within　her；　and　they　were　not　all　wise　folk　who　had　been　drawn　around　her　by　her　generous　enthusiasm　for　the　new　hopes　of　the　world；　that　made　it　then；　as　Wordsworth　felt；　a　very　heaven　to　the　young。
  Four　months　after　she　had　gone　to　Paris；　Mary　Wollstonecraft　met　at　the　house　of　a　merchant；　with　whose　wife　she　had　become　intimate；　an　American　named　Gilbert　Imlay。　　He　won　her　affections。　　That　was　in　April；　1793。　　He　had　no　means；　and　she　had　home　embarrassments；　for　which　she　was　unwilling　that　he　should　become　in　any　way　responsible。　　A　part　of　the　new　dream　in　some　minds　then　was　of　a　love　too　pure　to　need　or　bear　the　bondage　of　authority。　　The　mere　forced　union　of　marriage　ties　implied；　it　was　said；　a　distrust　of　fidelity。　　When　Gilbert　Imlay　would　have　married　Mary　Wollstonecraft；　she　herself　refused　to　bind　him；　she　would　keep　him　legally　exempt　from　her　responsibilities　towards　the　father；　sisters；　brothers；　whom　she　was　supporting。　　She　took　his　name　and　called　herself　his　wife；　when　the　French　Convention；　indignant　at　the　conduct　of　the　British　Government；　issue　a　decree　from　the　effects　of　which　she　would　escape　as　the　wife　of　a　citizen　of　the　United　States。　　But　she　did　not　marry。　　She　witnessed　many　of　the　horrors　that　came　of　the　loosened　passions　of　an　untaught　populace。　A　child　was　born　to　hera　girl　whom　she　named　after　the　dead　friend　of　her　own　girlhood。　　And　then　she　found　that　she　had　leant　upon　a　reed。　　She　was　neglected；　and　was　at　last　forsaken。　　Having　sent　her　to　London；　Imlay　there　visited　her；　to　explain　himself　away。　　She　resolved　on　suicide；　and　in　dissuading　her　from　that　he　gave　her　hope　again。　　He　needed　somebody　who　had　good　judgment；　and　who　cared　for　his　interests；　to　represent　him　in　some　business　affairs　in　Norway。　　She　undertook　to　act　for　him；　and　set　out　on　the　voyage　only　a　week　after　she　had　determined　to　destroy　herself。
  The　interest　of　this　book　which　describes　her　travel　is　quickened　by　a　knowledge　of　the　heart…sorrow　that　underlies　it　all。　　Gilbert　Imlay　had　promised　to　meet　her　upon　her　return；　and　go　with　her　to　Switzerland。　　But　the　letters　she　had　from　him　in　Sweden　and　Norway　were　cold；　and　she　came　back　to　find　that　she　was　wholly　forsaken　for　an　actress　from　a　strolling　company　of　players。　　Then　she　went　up　the　river　to　drown　herself。　　She　paced　the　road　at　Putney　on　an　October　night；　in　1795；　in　heavy　rain；　until　her　clothes　were　drenched；　that　she　might　sink　more　surely；　and　then　threw　herself　from　the　top　of　Putney　Bridge。
  She　was　rescued；　and　lived　on　with　deadened　spirit。　　In　1796　these　〃Letters　from　Sweden　and　Norway〃　were　published。　　Early　in　1797　she　was　married　to　William　Godwin。　　On　the　10th　of　September　in　the　same　year；　at　the　age　of　thirty…eight；　Mary　Wollstonecraft　Godwin　died；　after　the　birth　of　the　daughter　who　lived　to　become　the　wife　of　Shelley。　　The　mother　also　would　have　lived；　if　a　womanly　feeling；　in　itself　to　be　respected；　had　not　led　her　also　to　unwise　departure　from　the　customs　of　the　world。　　Peace　be　to　her　memory。　　None　but　kind　thoughts　can　dwell　upon　the　life　of　this　too　faithful　disciple　of　Rousseau。
  H。　M。
  LETTERS　WRITTEN　DURING　A　SHORT　RESIDENCE　IN　SWEDEN；　NORWAY；　AND　DENMARK。
  LETTER　I。
  Eleven　days　of　weariness　on　board　a　vessel　not　intended　for　the　accommodation　of　passengers　have　so　exhausted　my　spirits；　to　say　nothing　of　the　other　causes；　with　which　you　are　already　sufficiently　acquainted；　that　it　is　with　some　difficulty　I　adhere　to　my　determination　of　giving　you　my　observations；　as　I　travel　through　new　scenes；　whilst　warmed　with　the　impression　they　have　made　on　me。
  The　captain；　as　I　mentioned　to　you；　promised　to　put　me　on　shore　at　Arendall　or　Gothenburg　in　his　way　to　Elsineur；　but　contrary　winds　obliged　us　to　pass　both　places　during　the　night。　　In　the　morning；　however；　after　we　had　lost　sight　of　the　entrance　of　the　latter　bay；　the　vessel　was　becalmed；　and　the　captain；　to　oblige　me；　hanging　out　a　signal　for　a　pilot；　bore　down　towards　the　shore。
  My　attention　was　particularly　directed　to　the　lighthouse；　and　you　can　scarcely　imagine　with　what　anxiety　I　watched　two　long　hours　for　a　boat　to　emancipate　me；　still　no　one　appeared。　　Every　cloud　that　flitted　on　the　horizon　was　hailed　as　a　liberator；　till　approaching　nearer；　like　most　of　the　prospects　sketched　by　hope；　it　dissolved　under　the　eye　into　disappointment。
  Weary　of　expectation；　I　then　began　to　converse　with　the　captain　on　the　subject；　and　from　the　tenor　of　the　information　my　questions　drew　forth　I　soon　concluded　that　if　I　waited　for　a　boat　I　had　little　chance　of　getting　on　shore　at　this　place。　　Despotism；　as　is　usually　the　case；　I　found　had　here　cramped　the　industry　of　man。　　The　pilots　being　paid　by　the　king；　and　scantily；　they　will　not　run　into　any　danger；　or　even　quit　their　hovels；　if　they　can　possibly　avoid　it；　only　to　fulfil　what　is　termed　their　duty。　　How　different　is　it　on　the　English　coast；　where；　in　the　most　stormy　weather；　boats　immediately　hail　you；　brought　out　by　the　expectation　of　extraordinary　profit。
  Disliking　to　sail　for　Elsineur；　and　still　more　to　lie　at　anchor　or　cruise　about　the　coast　for　several　days；　I　exerted　all　my　rhetoric　to　prevail　on　the　captain　to　let　me　have　the　ship's　boat；　and　though　I　added　the　most　forcible　of　arguments；　I　for　a　long　the　addressed　him　in　vain。
  It　is　a　kind　of　rule　at　sea　not　to　send　out　a　boat。　　The　captain　was　a　good…natured　man；　but　men　with　common　minds　seldom　break　through　general　rules。　　Prudence　is　ever　the　resort　of　weakness；　and　they　rarely　go　as　far　as　they　may　in　any　undertaking　who　are　determined　not　to　go　beyond　it　on　any　account。　　If；　however；　I　had　some　trouble　with　the　captain；　I　did　not　lose　much　time　with　the　sailors；　for　they；　all　alacrity；　hoisted　out　the　boat　the　moment　I　obtained　permission；　and　promised　to　row　me　to　the　lighthouse。
  I　did　not　once　allow　myself　to　doubt　of　obtaining　a　conveyance　from　thence　round　the　rocksand　then　away　for　Gothenburgconfinement　is　so　unpleasant。
  The　day　was　fine；　and　I　enjoyed　the　water　till；　approaching　the　little　island；　poor　Marguerite；　whose　timidity　always　acts　as　a　feeler　before　her　adventuring　spirit；　began　to　wonder　at　our　not　seeing　any　inhabitants。　　I　did　not　listen　to　her。　　But　when；　on　landing；　the　same　silence　prevailed；　I　caught　the　alarm；　which　was　not　lessened　by　the　sight　of　two　old　men　whom　we　forced　out　of　their　wretched　hut。　　Scarcely　human　in　their　appearance；　we　with　difficulty　obtained　an　intelligible　reply　to　our　questions；　the　result　of　which　was　that　they　had　no　boat；　and　were　not　allowed　to　quit　their　post　on　any　pretence。　　But　they　informed　us　that　there　was　at　the　other　side；　eight　or　ten　miles　over；　a　pilot's　dwelling。　Two　guineas　tempted　the　sailors　to　risk　the　captain's　displeasure；　and　once　more　embark　to　row　me　over。
  The　weather　was　pleasant；　and　the　appearance　of　the　shore　so　grand　that　I　should　have　enjoyed　the　two　hours　it　took　to　reach　it；　but　for　the　fatigue　which　was　too　visible　in　the　countenances　of　the　sailors；　who；　instead　of　uttering　a　complaint；　were；　with　the　thoughtless　hilarity　peculiar　to　them；　joking　about　the　possibility　of　the　captain's　taking　advantage　of　a　slight　westerly　breeze；　which　was　springing　up；　to　sail　without　them。　　Yet；　in　spite　of　their　good　humour；　I　could　not　help　growing　uneasy　when　the　shore；　receding；　as　it　were；　as　we　advanced；　seemed　to　promise　no　end　to　their　toil。　This　anxiety　increased　when；　turning　into　the　most　picturesque　bay　I　ever　saw；　my　eyes　sought　in　vain　for　the　vestige　of　a　human　habitation。　　Before　I　could　determine　what　step　to　take　in　such　a　dilemma　（for　I　could　not　bear　to　think　of　returning　to　the　ship）；　the　sight　of　a　barge　relieved　me；　and　we　hastened　towards　it　for　information。　　We　were　immediately　directed　to　pass　some　jutting　rocks；　when　we　should　see　a　pilot's　hut。
  There　was　a　solemn　silence　in　this　scene　which　made　itself　be　felt。　The　sunbeams　that　played　on　the　ocean；　scarcely　ruffled　by　the　lightest　breeze；　contrasted　with　the　huge　dark　rocks；　that　looked　like　the　rude　materials　of　creation　forming　the　barrier　of　unwrought　space；　forcibly　struck　me；　but　I　should　not　have　been　sorry　if　the　cottage　had　not　appeared　equally　tranquil。　　Approaching　a　retreat　where　strangers；　especially　women；　so　seldom　appeared；　I　wondered　that　curiosity　did　not　bring　the　beings　who　inhabited　it　to　the　windows