literature--Samuel Richardson--The vogue of _Clarissa Harlowe_--Lady Mary
tells a story of the Richardson type--Henry Fielding--_Joseph
Andrews--Tom Jones--_Her high opinion of Fielding and Steele--Tobias
Smollett--_Peregrins Pickle_--Lady Vare's _Memoirs of a Lady of
Quality_--Sarah Fielding--Minor writers--Lord Orrery's _Remarks on
Swift_--Bolingbroke's works--Addison and Pope--Dr. Johnson

CHAPTER XV

LADY MARY ON EDUCATION AND WOMAN'S RIGHTS

The choice of books for children's reading--The dangers of a narrow
education--Lady Mary advocates the higher education of women--Girls
should be taught languages--Lady Mary's theories of education for
girls--Women writers in Italy--A "rumpus" made by ladies in the House of
Lords--Woman's Rights--Lady Mary's views on religion

CHAPTER XVI

ON THE CONTINENT (1745-1760)

Lady Mary stays at Avignon--She removes to Brescia--And then to
Lovere--She abandons all idea of Montagu joining her abroad--Her house
at Lovere--Her daily round--Her health--Her anxiety about her son--An
amazing incident--A serious illness--A novel in a letter--Her
correspondence attracts the attention of the Italian authorities--Sir
James and Lady Frances Steuart--Politics--She is in the bad books of the
British Resident at Venice--Lord Bute--The philosophy of Lady
Mary--Letters to Lady Bute and Sir James Steuart

CHAPTER XVII

LAST YEARS (1760-1762)

Lady Mary writes the history of her own times--Her health--Death of
Edward Wortley Montagu--His will--Lady Mary ponders the idea of
returning to England--She leaves Italy--She is held up at Rotterdam--She
reaches London--Horace Walpole visits her--Her last illness--Her
fortitude--Her death--She leaves one guinea to her son

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu (age 8) at the Kit-Cat Club--_Frontispiece_

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

Lady Mary Pierrepont

Evelyn Pierrepont, first Duke of Kingston

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, 1720

Sarah, Duchess of Marlborough

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

Frances, Countess of Mar

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu

Alexander Pope

Joseph Addison

Henrietta Louisa, Countess of Pomfret

Horace Walpole

John, Lord Hervey of Ickworth

Mary, Countess of Bute

Edward Wortley Montagu, Junior

Lady Mary Wortley Montagu:

Her Life and Letters

(1689-1762)

CHAPTER I

CHILDHOOD (1689-1703)

Birth of Mary Pierrepont, after Lady Mary Wortley