A　Vindication　of　the　Rights　of　Woman
  by　Mary　Wollstonecraft　＇Godwin＇
  WITH　STRICTURES　ON　POLITICAL　AND　MORAL　SUBJECTS；
  BY　MARY　WOLLSTONECRAFT。
  WITH　A　BIOGRAPHICAL　SKETCH　OF　THE　AUTHOR。
  CONTENTS。
  INTRODUCTION。
  CHAPTER　1。　　THE　RIGHTS　AND　INVOLVED　DUTIES　OF　MANKIND　CONSIDERED。
  CHAPTER　2。　　THE　PREVAILING　OPINION　OF　A　SEXUAL　CHARACTER　DISCUSSED。
  CHAPTER　3。　　THE　SAME　SUBJECT　CONTINUED。
  CHAPTER　4。　　OBSERVATIONS　ON　THE　STATE　OF　DEGRADATION　TO　WHICH　WOMAN
  IS　REDUCED　BY　VARIOUS　CAUSES。
  CHAPTER　5。　　ANIMADVERSIONS　ON　SOME　OF　THE　WRITERS　WHO　HAVE　RENDERED
  WOMEN　OBJECTS　OF　PITY；　BORDERING　ON　CONTEMPT。
  CHAPTER　6。　　THE　EFFECT　WHICH　AN　EARLY　ASSOCIATION　OF　IDEAS　HAS　UPON
  THE　CHARACTER。
  CHAPTER　7。　　MODESTY。　　COMPREHENSIVELY　CONSIDERED；　AND　NOT　AS　A
  SEXUAL　VIRTUE。
  CHAPTER　8。　　MORALITY　UNDERMINED　BY　SEXUAL　NOTIONS　OF　THE　IMPORTANCE
  OF　A　GOOD　REPUTATION
  CHAPTER　9。　OF　THE　PERNICIOUS　EFFECTS　WHICH　ARISE　FROM　THE　UNNATURAL
  DISTINCTIONS　ESTABLISHED　IN　SOCIETY。
  CHAPTER　10。　　PARENTAL　AFFECTION。
  CHAPTER　11。　　DUTY　TO　PARENTS
  CHAPTER　12。　　ON　NATIONAL　EDUCATION
  CHAPTER　13。　　SOME　INSTANCES　OF　THE　FOLLY　WHICH　THE　IGNORANCE　OF
  WOMEN　GENERATES；　WITH　CONCLUDING　REFLECTIONS　ON　THE　MORAL
  IMPROVEMENT　THAT　A　REVOLUTION　IN　FEMALE　MANNERS　MAY　NATURALLY　BE
  EXPECTED　TO　PRODUCE。
  A　BRIEF　SKETCH　OF　THE　LIFE　OF　MARY　WOLLSTONECRAFT
  M。　Wollstonecraft　was　born　in　1759。　　Her　father　was　so　great　a　wanderer；　that　the　place　of　her　birth　is　uncertain；　she　supposed；　however；　it　was　London；　or　Epping　Forest：　　at　the　latter　place　she　spent　the　first　five　years　of　her　life。　　In　early　youth　she　exhibited　traces　of　exquisite　sensibility；　soundness　of　understanding；　and　decision　of　character；　but　her　father　being　a　despot　in　his　family；　and　her　mother　one　of　his　subjects；　Mary；　derived　little　benefit　from　their　parental　training。　　She　received　no　literary　instructions　but　such　as　were　to　be　had　in　ordinary　day　schools。　　Before　her　sixteenth　year　she　became　acquainted　with　Mr。　Clare　a　clergyman；　and　Miss　Frances　Blood；　the　latter；　two　years　older　than　herself；　who　possessing　good　taste　and　some　knowledge　of　the　fine　arts；　seems　to　have　given　the　first　impulse　to　the　formation　of　her　character。　　At　the　age　of　nineteen；　she　left　her　parents；　and　resided　with　a　Mrs。　Dawson　for　two　years；　when　she　returned　to　the　parental　roof　to　give　attention　to　her　mother；　whose　ill　health　made　her　presence　necessary。　　On　the　death　of　her　mother；　Mary　bade　a　final　adieu　to　her　father's　house；　and　became　the　inmate　of　F。　Blood；　thus　situated；　their　intimacy　increased；　and　a　strong　attachment　was　reciprocated。　　In　1783　she　commenced　a　day　school　at　Newington　green；　in　conjunction　with　her　friend；　F。　Blood。　　At　this　place　she　became　acquainted　with　Dr。　Price；　to　whom　she　became　strongly　attached；　the　regard　was　mutual。　It　is　said　that　she　became　a　teacher　from　motives　of　benevolence；　or　rather　philanthropy；　and　during　the　time　she　continued　in　the　profession；　she　gave　proof　of　superior　qualification　for　the　performance　of　its　arduous　and　important　duties。　　Her　friend　and　coadjutor　married　and　removed　to　Lisbon；　in　Portugal；　where　she　died　of　a　pulmonary　disease；　the　symptoms　of　which　were　visible　before　her　marriage。　　So　true　was　Mary's　attachment　to　her；　that　she　entrusted　her　school　to　the　care　of　others；　for　the　purpose　of　attending　Frances　in　her　closing　scene。　　She　aided；　as　did　Dr。　Young；　in　〃Stealing　Narcissa　a　grave。〃　　Her　mind　was　expanded　by　this　residence　in　a　foreign　country；　and　though　clear　of　religious　bigotry　before；　she　took　some　instructive　lessons　on　the　evils　of　superstition；　and　intolerance。　On　her　return　she　found　the　school　had　suffered　by　her　absence；　and　having　previously　decided　to　apply　herself　to　literature；　she　now　resolved　to　commence。　　In　1787　she　made；　or　received；　proposals　from　Johnson；　a　publisher　in　London；　who　was　already　acquainted　with　her　talents　as　an　author。　　During　the　three　subsequent　years；　she　was　actively　engaged；　more　in　translating；　condensing；　and　compiling；　than　in　the　production　of　original　works。　　At　this　time　she　laboured　under　much　depression　of　spirits；　for　the　loss　of　her　friend；　this　rather　increased；　perhaps；　by　the　publication　of　〃Mary；　a　novel；〃　which　was　mostly　composed　of　incidents　and　reflections　connected　with　their　intimacy。　The　pecuniary　concerns　of　her　father　becoming　embarrassed；　Mary　practised　a　rigid　economy　in　her　expenditures；　and　with　her　savings　was　enabled　to　procure　her　sisters　and　brothers　situations；　to　which　without　her　aid；　they　could　not　have　had　access；　her　father　was　sustained　at　length　from　her　funds；　she　even　found　means　to　take　under　her　protection　an　orphan　child。　She　had　acquired　a　facility　in　the　arrangement　and　expression　of　thoughts；　in　her　avocation　of　translator；　and　compiler；　which　was　no　doubt　of　great　use　to　her　afterward。　　It　was　not　long　until　she　had　occasion　for　them。　　The　eminent　Burke　produced　his　celebrated　〃Reflections　on　the　Revolution　in　France。〃　　Mary　full　of　sentiments　of　liberty；　and　indignant　at　what　she　thought　subversive　of　it；　seized　her　pen　and　produced　the　first　attack　upon　that　famous　work。　It　succeeded　well；　for　though　intemperate　and　contemptuous；　it　was　vehemently　and　impetuously　eloquent；　and　though　Burke　was　beloved　by　the　enlightened　friends　of　freedom；　they　were　dissatisfied　and　disgusted　with　what　they　deemed　an　outrage　upon　it。　It　is　said　that　Mary；　had　not　wanted　confidence　in　her　own　powers　before；　but　the　reception　this　work　met　from　the　public；　gave　her　an　opportunity　of　judging　what　those　powers　were；　in　the　estimation　of　others。　　It　was　shortly　after　this；　that　she　commenced　the　work　to　which　these　remarks　are　prefixed。　　What　are　its　merits　will　be　decided　in　the　judgment　of　each　reader；　suffice　it　to　say　she　appears　to　have　stept　forth　boldly；　and　singly；　in　defence　of　that　half　of　the　human　race；　which　by　the　usages　of　all　society；　whether　savage　or　civilized；　have　been　kept　from　attaining　their　proper　dignitytheir　equal　rank　as　rational　beings。　　It　would　appear　that　the　disguise　used　in　placing　on　woman　the　silken　fetters　which　bribed　her　into　endurance；　and　even　love　of　slavery；　but　increased　the　opposition　of　our　authoress：　　she　would　have　had　more　patience　with　rude；　brute　coercion；　than　with　that　imposing　gallantry；　which；　while　it　affects　to　consider　woman　as　the　pride；　and　ornament　of　creation；　degrades　her　to　a　toyan　appendagea　cypher。　　The　work　was　much　reprehended；　and　as　might　well　be　expected；　found　its　greatest　enemies　in　the　pretty　soft　creaturesthe　spoiled　children　of　her　own　sex。　　She　accomplished　it　in　six　weeks。　In　1792　she　removed　to　Paris；　where　she　became　acquainted　with　Gilbert　Imlay；　of　the　United　States。　　And　from　this　acquaintance　grew　an　attachment；　which　brought　the　parties　together；　without　legal　formalities；　to　which　she　objected　on　account　of　some　family　embarrassments；　in　which　he　would　thereby　become　involved。　　The　engagement　was　however　considered　by　her　of　the　most　sacred　nature；　and　they　formed　the　plan　of　emigrating　to　America；　where　they　should　be　enabled　to　accomplish　it。　　These　were　the　days　of　Robespierrean　cruelty；　and　Imlay　left　Paris　for　Havre；　whither　after　a　time　Mary　followed　him。　　They　continued　to　reside　there；　until　he　left　Havre　for　London；　under　pretence　of　business；　and　with　a　promise　of　rejoining　her　soon　at　Paris；　which　however　he　did　not；　but　in　1795　sent　for　her　to　London。　　In　the　mean　time　she　had　become　the　mother　of　a　female　child；　whom　she　called　Frances　in　commemoration　of　her　early　friendship。　Before　she　went　to　England；　she　had　some　gloomy　forebodings　that　the　affections　of　Imlay；　had　waned；　if　they　were　not　estranged　from　her；　on　her　arrival；　those　forebodings　were　sorrowfully　confirmed。　His　attentions　were　too　formal　and　constrained　to　pass　unobserved　by　her　penetration；　and　though　he　ascribed　his　manner；　and　his　absence；　to　business　duties；　she　saw　his　affection　for　her　was　only　something　to　be　remembered。　　To　use　her　own　expression；　〃Love；　dear　delusion！　　Rigorous　reason　has　forced　me　to　resign；　and　now　my　rational　prospects　are　blasted；　just　as　I　have　learned　to　be　contented　with　rational　enjoyments。〃　　To　pretend　to　depict　her　misery　at　this　time　would　be　futile；　the　best　idea　can　be　formed　of　it　from　the　fact　that　she　had　planned　her　own　destruction；　from　which　Imlay　prevented　her。　　She　conceived　the　idea　of　suicide　a　second　time；　and　threw　herself　into　the　Thames；　she　remained　in　the　water；　until　consciousness　forsook　her；　but　she　was　taken　up　and　resuscitated。　　After　divers　attempts　to　revive　the　affections　of　Imlay；　with　sundry　explanations　and　professions　on　his　part；　through　the　lapse　of　two　years；　she　resolved　finally　to　forgo　all　hope　of　reclaiming　him；　and　endeavour　to　think　of　him　no　more　in　connexion　with　her　future　prospects。　　In　this　she　succeeded　so　well；　that　she　afterwards　had　a　private　interview　with　him；　which　did　not　produce　any　painful　emotions。　In　1796　she　revived　or　improved　an　acquaintance　which　commenced　years　before　with　Wm。　Godwin；　author　of　〃Political　Justice；〃　and　other　works　of　great　notoriety。　　Though　they　had　not　been　favourably　impressed　with　each　other　on　their　former　acquaintance；　they　now　met　under　circumstances　which　permitted　a　mutual