MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT
AND THE BEGINNINGS OF
FEMALE EMANCIPATION
IN FRANCE AND ENGLAND

MARY WOLLSTONECRAFT
AND THE BEGINNINGS OF
FEMALE EMANCIPATION
IN FRANCE AND ENGLAND

ACADEMISCH PROEFSCHRIFT TER VER-
KRIJGINGVAN DEN GRAAD VAN DOCTOR
IN DE LETTEREN EN WIJSBEGEERTE AAN
DE UNIVERSITEIT VAN AMSTERDAM OP
GEZAG VAN DEN RECTOR-MAGNIFICUS
Dr P. ZEEMAN, HOOGLEERAAR IN DE
FACULTEIT DER WIS- EN NATUURKUNDE,
IN HET OPENBAAR TE VERDEDIGEN IN
DE AULA DER UNIVERSITEIT OP VRIJDAG
17 NOV. 1922 DES NAMIDDAGS TE 4 UUR
DOOR

Jacob Bouten,
GEBOREN TE DORDRECHT

H. J. PARIS
V H FIRMA A. H. KRUYT
AMSTERDAM

TO

MY WIFE

PREFACE.

There is something particularly fascinating about the study of theliterature and philosophy of the eighteenth century, with its gradualevolution of lofty social ideals which the Revolution failed torealise. When the altered circumstances brought promotion within myreach, it completely brought me under its sway, and ultimately came todetermine my choice of a subject for an inaugural dissertation. It waswhile engaged upon tracing the influence of Rousseau's hopebringingtheories on his English disciple William Godwin, that the less boldlyassertive, but all the more humanly attractive personality of thelatter's first wife, Mary Wollstonecraft, attracted my attention. Myadmiration of her husband's intellect paled before my sympathy for hermore modest, but at the same time more emotional character. Where theindebtedness of Godwin to Rousseau and the Encyclopedians has beenmanifested so clearly in different works, the absence of any directattempt to prove and determine the extent of the relations betweenMary Wollstonecraft and the early French philosophers struck me as anomission for which I found it difficult to account, and made me turnto a subject to which I am fully aware that a book of the size of thepresent little volume does but scant justice.

I wish to avail myself of this opportunity to thankfully acknowledgethe valuable help and friendly encouragement received from ProfessorDr. A. E. H. Swaen, of the University of Amsterdam, whose unceasingkindness and ever-ready interest in the preparation of this treatise Ishall never forget.

Mr. K. R. Gallas, Lecturer on French Literature in the sameUniversity, has likewise a claim to my heartfelt gratitude for givingme the benefit of his extensive knowledge in making various suggestionswith regard to the chapters dealing with the literature of France.

My best thanks are also due to Mr. M. G. van Neck and Dr. P.Fijn van Draat for guiding my reading for the B.-examination, andparticularly to my first teacher of English, Mr. L. P. H. Eijkman,for giving me that interest in England and her language and literaturewhich has determined my subsequent career.

Amsterdam, November 1922.

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