contributed slightly to produce them. Nor was her progress
accomplished without numerous difficulties and discouragements. In spite
of all, however, Mrs. Haywood remained devoted to her calling and was
still scribbling when the great Dr. Johnson crowned the brows of Mrs.
Charlotte Lennox to celebrate the publication of "The Life of Harriot
Stuart" (1750). After such recognition a career in letters was open to
women without reproach. Though unlaureled by any lexicographer, and
despised by the virtuous Mrs. Lennox,[5] Mrs. Haywood, nevertheless, had
done yeoman service in preparing the way for modest Fanny Burney and
quiet Jane Austen. Moreover she was the only one of the old tribe of
_romancieres_ who survived to join the new school of lady novelists, and
in her tabloid fiction rather than in the criminal biography, or the
_voyage imaginaire_, or the periodical essay, may best be studied the
obscure but essential link between the "voluminous extravagances" of the
"Parthenissa" kind and the hardly less long-winded histories of "Pamela"
and "Clarissa."

FOOTNOTES
[1]
_Letters from the Lady Mary Wortley Montagu_, Everyman edition, 422.

[2]
_Tatler_, Nos. 32, 59, 63.

[3]
See also Horace Walpole, _Letters_, edited by Mrs. P. Toynbee, I, 354.

[4]
Only rarely did women like Mary Astell or Mrs. Elizabeth Rowe become
authors to demonstrate a theory or to inculcate principles of piety, and
still more seldom did such creditable motives lead to the writing of
fiction. Perhaps the only one of the _romancieres_ not dependent in some
measure upon the sale of her works was Mrs. Penelope Aubin, who in the
Preface to _Charlotta Du Pont_ (dedicated to Mrs. Rowe) declares, "My
Design in writing, is to employ my leisure Hours to some Advantage to my
self and others ... I do not write for Bread."

[5]
The salacious landlady in Mrs. Lennox's _Henrietta_ tries to discourage
the heroine from reading _Joseph Andrews_ by recommending Mrs. Haywood's
works, "... 'there is Mrs. Haywood's Novels, did you ever read them?
Oh! they are the finest love-sick, passionate stories; I assure you,
you'll like them vastly: pray take a volume of Haywood upon my
recommendation.'--'Excuse me,' said Henrietta," etc. _The Novelist's
Magazine_ (Harrison), XXIII, 14.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

A LIST OF MRS. HAYWOOD'S WRITINGS

I. COLLECTED WORKS

A. The Works of Mrs. Eliza Haywood; Consisting of Novels, Letters,
Poems, and Plays.... In Four Volumes. Fo