Mary Robinson

The Widow; or, A Picture of Modern Times. 2 vols.

London: Hookham and Carpenter, 1794.

 

Synopsis of The Widow

Note: The London publishers Hookham and Carpenter originally published The Widow in 1794. English editions were also published in Ireland (1794) and Germany (1795), and the novel was translated into French and German in subsequent years.--Garside/Schöwerling, p 625; 1794:51

Lord Charles Seymour, anxious to escape London's hectic pace, drags his socialite wife, Lady Frances Seymour, to Harefield Castle in Devonshire. Frances spends her days reading, painting, playing the pianoforte, and writing letters to her friend and fellow socialite, Mrs. Amelia Vernon. Quickly bored with this daily routine, Frances ventures into the forest surrounding the castle and discovers the beautiful and mysterious Julia St. Laurence, who has recently moved into a nearby cottage.

The daughter of a wealthy American merchant, Julia has recently eloped with Sydney, a British soldier formerly stationed in Philadelphia. After Sydney's regiment is ordered back to England, Julia follows him without telling her family. During her transatlantic voyage, the ship sinks leaving few survivors. Meanwhile, Sydney hears of the shipwreck and, assuming Julia is dead, marries the manipulative and cruel Lady Clara Allford to improve his financial situation, though he still loves Julia. Ignorant of Sydney's assumptions and hasty remarriage, Julia believes that he has abandoned her when she cannot find him in England. Too ashamed to return to her family, Julia poses as a widow and establishes herself in a Devonshire cottage with the help of Mr. Moreton, a fellow shipwreck survivor. While at the cottage, she corresponds with Mrs. Anna Moreton who consoles Julia and offers her moral advice.

Meanwhile, Lady Frances's life becomes increasingly more animated when Lord Woodley (Lord Seymour's friend and Amelia's fiancé) appears at Harefield Castle in order to pursue his newfound attraction to Frances. Suspicious of Woodley's intentions, Amelia soon joins the castle party, both to distract Frances from her boredom and to keep close watch of her wayward fiancé. Before long, Woodley's letters to his old friend and mentor, Mr. Edward Howard, shift from praising the incomparable beauty of Frances to doting on the "finely formed . . . wood-nymph" Julia. Mr. Howard thoroughly disapproves of Woodley's libertinism and implores him to stop "the pursuit of disgraceful pleasures." Since Mr. Howard no longer will respond to his letters, Woodley details his fascination for Julia in his letters to another friend, Sidney (now known as Lord Allford), whose marriage has turned out miserably. Woodley's accounts of his latest love interest remind Allford of his own presumably dead, Julia. Nevertheless, at this point, Allford does not realize that Julia has survived the shipwreck.

After a number of nighttime visits and a series of lover letters, Woodley proposes to Julia, and she must confess that she is already married to Sydney, the British officer, and cannot pursue any other relationships as she desires to keep her virtue intact. Attempting to persuade Julia to accept his proposal, Woodley lies to her (not realizing that Sidney is Allford) and tells her that he recently watched Sidney, a childhood friend, die. Upon hearing this news, Julia falls ill with a violent fever. After this emotionally fraught episode, Woodley is called back to London on business where he sets up a meeting with Allford to relish recounting his experiences with Julia.

Even though Woodley returns to London, Amelia stays at the castle and, thinking that Frances and Woodley are in love, corresponds with Lady Clara to vent her jealousy and hatred. In an attempt to humble Frances, Amelia conspires to seduce Seymour. As several days pass and as Julia recovers from her fever, she plans to contact an English relation, who is none other than Mr. Howard, Woodley's moral mentor. Mr. Howard has been convalescing at Bath and takes pity on Julia, promising to return to London and become her guardian. In the meantime he has been in contact with her father who has recently set out to England in search of his daughter. As the Christmas season draws near, the Seymours and Amelia are all eager to return to London. Julia accompanies them, anxious to accept the protection of Mr. Howard as well as possible reconciliation with her father.

Though Woodley has returned to London several months earlier and has appeared to engage in another flirtation, he is still obsessed with Julia, and learning of her relationship with his old friend Mr. Howard, he sets a trap to abduct her, rape her, and return her to Philadelphia. While Howard is still at Bath, Woodley forges a letter to Julia summoning her to Howard's apartments. After Julia sets off to meet the man she believes is Mr. Howard, Seymour learns of her outing. Suspicious of Howard's summons, Seymour arms himself with his sword and follows her. Seymour finds her before any harm has been done and as he is convincing her of the ruse, Woodley enters the room and draws his sword, striking Seymour. After a short duel, Seymour mortally wounds Woodley, who dies after repenting of his unchilvalrous behavior. As a result of witnessing the bloody fight, Julia once again becomes deathly ill, delirious with fever. Seymour must flee to the continent to escape murder charges, but first he places the near-death Julia under the protection of his dear and trustworthy friend, Allford. Allford arrives at the Seymours', with the intention of removing Julia. As he enters the room, he and Julia recognize each other, and Julia faints (again). Allford and Julia apprise each other of their mutual confusion and Seymour negotiates a divorce with Clara so that Julia and Allford can legally legitimize their original marriage.

Allford and Julia travel to Italy where she lives as his mistress until his marriage to Clara can be dissolved. By the end of the novel all threads of the plot are resolved: Julia reconciles with her father, she and Allford return to England and after a legal battle ending Allford's marriage; and Howard dies leaving all of his property to Julia. Both Amelia and Clara receive their just deserts when Amelia marries a "foreign adventurer" who squanders her fortune, and dies. Clara dies shortly after her divorce, and following the threat of their own divorce, the other group of characters, Frances and Seymour, are reconciled.

Prepared by Dawn M. Vernooy Epp, University of Nebraska, April 2000