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Maria, or the Wrongs of Woman-Part7_Mary Wollstonecraft(1759-1797)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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possible. The attention of my unassuming instructor, who, without

being ignorant of his own powers, possessed great simplicity of



manners, strengthened the illusion. Having sometimes caught up

hints for thought, from my untutored remarks, he often led me to



discuss the subjects he was treating, and would read to me his

productions, previous to their publication, wishing to profit by



the criticism of unsophisticated feeling. The aim of his writings

was to touch the simple springs of the heart; for he despised the



would-be oracles, the self-elected philosophers, who fright away

fancy, while sifting each grain of thought to prove that slowness



of comprehension is wisdom.

"I should have distinguished this as a moment of sunshine, a



happy period in my life, had not the repugnance the disgusting

libertinism of my protector inspired, daily become more painful.--And,



indeed, I soon did recollect it as such with agony, when his sudden

death (for he had recourse to the most exhilarating cordials to



keep up the convivial tone of his spirits) again threw me into the

desert of human society. Had he had any time for reflection, I am



certain he would have left the little property in his power to me:

but, attacked by the fatal apoplexy in town, his heir, a man of



rigid morals, brought his wife with him to take possession of the

house and effects, before I was even informed of his death,--



'to prevent,' as she took care indirectly to tell me, 'such a creature

as she supposed me to be, from purloining any of them, had I been



apprized of the event in time.'

"The grief I felt at the sudden shock the information gave



me, which at first had nothing selfish in it, was treated with

contempt, and I was ordered to pack up my clothes; and a few trinkets



and books, given me by the generous deceased, were contested, while

they piously hoped, with a reprobating shake of the head, 'that



God would have mercy on his sinful soul!' With some difficulty,

I obtained my arrears of wages; but asking--such is the spirit-grinding



consequence of poverty and infamy--for a character for honesty and

economy, which God knows I merited, I was told by this--why must



I call her woman?--'that it would go against her conscience to

recommend a kept mistress.' Tears started in my eyes, burning tears;



for there are situations in which a wretch is humbled by the contempt

they are conscious they do not deserve.



"I returned to the metropolis; but the solitude of a poor

lodging was inconceivably dreary, after the society I had enjoyed.



To be cut off from human converse, now I had been taught to relish

it, was to wander a ghost among the living. Besides, I foresaw, to



aggravate the severity of my fate, that my little pittance would

soon melt away. I endeavoured to obtain needlework; but, not having



been taught early, and my hands being rendered clumsy by hard work,

I did not sufficiently excel to be employed by the ready-made linen



shops, when so many women, better qualified, were suing for it.

The want of a character prevented my getting a place; for, irksome



as servitude would have been to me, I should have made another

trial, had it been feasible. Not that I disliked employment,



but the inequality of condition to which I must have submitted.

I had acquired a taste for literature, during the five years



I had lived with a literary man, occasionally conversing with

men of the first abilities of the age; and now to descend



to the lowest vulgarity, was a degree of wretchedness

not to be imagined unfelt. I had not, it is true, tasted



the charms of affection, but I had been familiar with

the graces of humanity.



"One of the gentlemen, whom I had frequently dined in company

with, while I was treated like a companion, met me in the street,



and enquired after my health. I seized the occasion, and began to

describe my situation; but he was in haste to join, at dinner, a






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