Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- General editor’s preface
- Acknowledgements
- Chronology
- Introduction
- Note on the text
- Volume the First
- Volume the Second
- Volume the Third
- Corrections and emendations
- Appendix A The History of England: facsimile
- Appendix B Marginalia in Oliver Goldsmith’s The History of England, from the Earliest Times to the Death of George II
- Appendix C Marginalia in Vicesimus Knox’s Elegant Extracts . . . in Prose
- Appendix D Sophia Sentiment’s letter in The Loiterer, 28 March 1789
- Appendix E Continuations of ‘Evelyn’ and ‘Catharine’ by James Edward Austen and Anna Lefroy
- Abbreviations
- Explanatory Notes
Love and Freindship
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 December 2020
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- General editor’s preface
- Acknowledgements
- Chronology
- Introduction
- Note on the text
- Volume the First
- Volume the Second
- Volume the Third
- Corrections and emendations
- Appendix A The History of England: facsimile
- Appendix B Marginalia in Oliver Goldsmith’s The History of England, from the Earliest Times to the Death of George II
- Appendix C Marginalia in Vicesimus Knox’s Elegant Extracts . . . in Prose
- Appendix D Sophia Sentiment’s letter in The Loiterer, 28 March 1789
- Appendix E Continuations of ‘Evelyn’ and ‘Catharine’ by James Edward Austen and Anna Lefroy
- Abbreviations
- Explanatory Notes
Summary
“Deceived in Freindship and Betrayed in Love.”
LETTER THE FIRST
From Isabel to Laura
How often, in answer to my repeated intreaties that you would give my Daughter a regular detail of the Misfortunes and Adventures of your Life, have you said “No, my freind never will I comply with your request till I may be no longer in Danger of again experiencing such dreadful ones.”
Surely that time is now at hand. You are this Day 55. If a woman may ever be said to be in safety from the determined Perseverance of disagreeable Lovers and the cruel Persecutions of obstinate Fathers, surely it must be at such a time of Life.
Isabel.
LETTER 2D
Laura to Isabel
Altho’ I cannot agree with you in supposing that I shall never again be exposed to Misfortunes as unmerited as those I have already experienced, yet to avoid the imputation of Obstinacy or ill-nature, I will gratify the curiosity of your daughter; and may the fortitude with which I have suffered the many Afflictions of my past Life, prove to her a useful Lesson for the support of those which may befall her in her own.
Laura
letter 3rd
Laura to Marianne
As the Daughter of my most intimate freind I think you entitled to that knowledge of my unhappy Story, which your Mother has so often solicited me to give you.
My Father was a native of Ireland and an inhabitant of Wales; my Mother was the natural Daughter of a Scotch Peer by an italian Opera-girl—I was born in Spain and received my Education at a Convent in France.
When I had reached my eighteenth Year I was recalled by my Parents to my paternal roof in Wales. Our mansion was situated in one of the most romantic parts of the Vale of Uske. Tho’ my Charms are now considerably softened and somewhat impaired by the Misfortunes I have undergone, I was once beautiful. But lovely as I was the Graces of my Person were the least of my Perfections. Of every accomplishment accustomary to my sex, I was Mistress.—When in the Convent, my progress had always exceeded my instructions; my Acquirements had been wonderfull for my Age, and I had shortly surpassed my Masters.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Juvenilia , pp. 101 - 141Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2006