Part 18 (2/2)

They were induced to take this step, not by any dissatisfaction with the nature of the connection they had already formed, but by the fact that Mary was soon to become a mother for the second ti, and perhaps with reason, to incur that exclusion from the society of many valuable and excellent individuals, which custom awards in cases of this sort I should have felt an extre caused her such an inconvenience” But probably another equally strong motive was, that both had at heart the welfare of their unborn child In Godwin's ideal state of society, illegiti attained it; and children born of unmarried parents were still treated as if they were criminals

Mary doubtlessly realized the bitterness in store for fanny, through no fault of her own, and was unwilling to bring another child into the world toas their actions affected no one but theht to bid defiance to society and its custo to bear the penalty; but once they becaents The duties they would thereby incur were so uments for compliance with social laws

At first they told no one of their ives two reasons for their silence Godas very sensitive to criticism, perhaps even h I certainly givewhich I have never been able to overcome I am so cowed and cast down by rude and unqualified assault, that for a time I am unable to recover” This was true not only in connection with his literary work, but with all his relations in life He knew that severe comments would be called forth by an act in direct contradiction to doctrines he had emphatically preached His adherents would condemn him as an apostate

His enemies would accept his practical retraction of one of his theories as a proof of the unsoundness of the rest It required no little courage to submit to such an ordeal But the other ent Mary, after Imlay left her, was penniless She resureater than they had been, and her free time less, since she had to provide for and take care of fanny

Besides, Imlay's departure had caused certain money complications Mr

Johnson and other kind friends, however, were now, as always, ready to help her out of pressing difficulties, and to assume the debts which she could not meet Godho had made it a rule of life not to earn more money than was absolutely necessary for his very s a family, could not at once contribute towards Mary's support, or relieve her financial ee would be the signal for her friends to cease giving her their aid, and she could not, as yet, settle her affairs alone This was the difficulty which forced them into temporary silence

However, to secure the end for which they hadconcealwood of Etruria for a loan of 50, without giving hih he was sure, on account of his well-known economy and simple habits, it would appear extraordinary This suency, and the e was made public on the 6th of April, a few days after the ceremony had been performed One of the first to whom Godwin told the neas Miss Hayes This was but fair, since it was under her auspices that they renewed their acquaintance to such good purpose His note is dated April 10:--

”My fair neighbor desires me to announce to you a piece of nehich it is consonant to the regard which she and I entertain for you, you should rather learn from us than from any other quarter

She bids me remind you of the earnest way in which you pressed e her name, and she directs me to add that it has happened to me, like many other disputants, to be entrapped in my own toils; in short, that we found that there was no way so obvious for her to drop the name of Imlay as to assume the name of Godwin Mrs Godho the devil is that?--will be glad to see you at No 29 Polygon, Somer's Tohenever you are inclined to favor her with a call”

About ten days later he wrote to Mr Wedgwood, and his letter confirms Mrs Shelley's statement His effort to prove that his conduct was not inconsistent with his creed sho keenly he felt the criticisms it would evoke; and his demand for more money reveals the slender state of the finances of husband and wife:--

NO 7 EVESHAM BUILDINGS, SOMER'S TOWN, April 19, 1797

You have by this tie This was the solution of my late application to you, which I promised speedily to communicate Some persons have found an inconsistency between my practice in this instance and my doctrines But I cannot see it The doctrine of ree perht, but thatI still adhere to that opinion Nothing but a regard for the happiness of the individual which I had no right to injure could have induced me to submit to an institution which I wish to see abolished, and which I would recoreatest caution Having done what I thought necessary for the peace and respectability of the individual, I hold myself no otherwise bound than I was before the ceremony took place

It is possible, however, that you will not see the subject in the saht, and I perhaps went too far, when I presumed to suppose that if you were acquainted with the nature of the case, you would find it to be such as to make the interference I requested of you appear reasonable I trust you will not accusetold you that it was not for myself that I wanted your assistance You will perceive that that re inconsistency between my habits of economy and independence, and the application in question

I can see no reason to doubt that, as we are both successful authors, we shall be able by our literary exertions, though with no other fortune, to maintain ourselves either separately or, which is more desirable, jointly The loan I requested of you was rendered necessary by some complication in her pecuniary affairs, the consequence of her former connection, the particulars of which you have probably heard Now that we have entered into a new , which will probably be permanent, I find a further supply of fifty pounds will be necessary to enable us to start fair This you shall afford us, if you feel perfectly assured of its propriety; but if there be the sratified by your obeying that doubt, than superseding it I do not at present feel inclined to re in anypublished oursettled the principal point in conformity to her interests, I felt inclined to leave all inferior matters to her disposal

We do not entirely cohabit

W GodWIN

Strange to say, the announcee did not produce quite so satisfactory an effect as they had anticipated Mary, notwithstanding her frank protest, was still looked upon as Imlay's wife Her intienerally understood, but not absolutely known, and hence it had not ostracized her socially If conjectures and comments were made, they hispered, and not uttered aloud But the nized, and the fact that Mary was free to h Imlay was alive, was an incontrovertible proof that her relation to the latter had been illegal People who had been deaf to her statenore this formal demonstration of their truth Hitherto, their friendliness to her could not be construed into approval of her unconventionality But now, by continuing to visit her and receive her at their houses, they would be countenancing an offence against morality which the world ranks with the unpardonable sins They ht temporize with their own consciences, but not with public opinion They were therefore in a dilemma, from which there was no middle course of extrication Thus forced to decisive o all acquaintance with her Thoretted, were Mrs Siddons and Mrs Inchbald In speaking of their secession, Godwin says: ”Mrs

Siddons, I aretted the necessity which she conceived to be imposed on her by the peculiarity of her situation, to conform to the rules I have described” Mrs Inchbald hen she heard the news

Godas one of her highly valued friends and admirers, and was a constant visitor at her house She feared, now he had a wife, his visits would be less frequent Her conduct on this occasion was so ungracious that one wonders if her vanity were not ratulations see principle She wrote and wished Godwin joy, and then declared that she was so sure his new-found happiness would ements, that she had invited soht when they had intended going together ”If I have done wrong,” she told him, ”when you nexther note, Godwin thought her friendshi+p would stand the test to which he had put it, and both he and Mary accoht But Mrs Inchbald was very s She spoke to Mary in a way that Godwin later declared to be ”base, cruel, and insulting;” adding, ”There were persons in the box who heard it, and they thought as I do” The breach thus made was never completely healed Mr

and Mrs Twiss, at whose house Mary had hitherto been cordially welcomed, also sacrificed her friendshi+p to what, Godwin says, they were ”silly enough to think a proper etiquette”

But there still reer minds and hearts who fully appreciated that Mary's case was exceptional, and not to be judged by ordinary standards Thethat her intentions were pure, though her actions were opposed to accepted ideals of purity, were brave enough to regulate their behavior to her by their convictions Beautiful Mrs Reveley was as much moved as Mrs

Inchbald when she heard the news of Godwin's e, but her friendshi+p was formed in a finer mould Mrs Shelley says that ”she feared to lose a kind and constant friend; but beco intimate with Mary Wollstonecraft, she soon learnt to appreciate her virtues and to love her She soon found, as she toldone she had secured two friends, unequalled, perhaps, in the world for genius, single-heartedness, and nobleness of disposition, and a cordial intercourse subsisted between them” It was from Mrs Reveley that Mrs

Shelley obtained most of her information about her ue, Thowood, Horne Tooke, Thoe to interfere with their friendshi+p It is rather strange that Fuseli should have now been willing enough to be civil Marriage, in his opinion, had restored Mary to respectability ”You have not, perhaps, heard,” he wrote to a friend, ”that the assertrix of feiven her hand to the _balancier_ of political justice” He not only called on Mrs Godwin, but he dined with her, an experiment, however, which did not prove pleasurable, for Horne Tooke, Curran, and Grattan were of the party, and they discussed politics Fuseli, who loved nothing better than to talk, had never a chance to say a word ”I wonder you invited me to ust

Thoed to have greatly influenced hiratulation Addressing theive you joy I think you the most extraordinary married pair in existence May your happiness be as pure as I firmly persuade myself it must be I hope and expect to see you both, and very soon If you show coldness, or refuse me, you will do injustice to a heart which, since it has really known you, never for a mo the woman you have married It is Mrs W Your secrecy a little pains me It tells raph is explained by the fact that Godhen he wrote to infore, was so sure the latter would understand whom he had chosen that he never mentioned Mary's name

Another friend who rejoiced in her new-found happiness was Mr Archibald Haton, Delaware, and the neas long in reaching hih, written the very day on which Mary was buried