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Search - Original Stories - With Five Illustrations - By William Blake - With An Introd. By E.V. Lucas

Original Stories With Five Illustrations By William Blake With An Introd By EV Lucas
Author: Mary Wollstonecraft

INTRODUCTION THE germ of the Originat Stm es was, I imagine, suggestion in the manner of publishers from lary Wollstonecrafts employer, Johnson of St. Pauls Ihurchyard, that something more or less in the lanner of Mrs. Trimmers History of the Robins, he great nursery success of 1786, might be a profitble speculation. For I doubt if the productio... more »n of book for children would ever have occurred sponmeously to an author so much more interested in he status of women and other adult matters. owever, the idea being given her, she quickly . rote the book-in l787 or 1788-carrying out in to a far higher power, in Mrs. Mason, the self- nfidence and rectitude of Mrs. Trimmers leading dy, Mrs. Benson, who in her turn had been preceded y that other flawless instructor of youth, Mr. Barlow. one of these exemplars could do wrong but the Irs. Mason whom we meet in the following pages far ranscends the others in conscious merit. Mrs. Benson 1 the Histomj of the Robiw with the author of hich Mary Wollstonecraft was on friendly terms rs sufficiently like the Protagonist of the Old estament to be, when among Mrs. Wilsons bees, 5xcessively pleased with the ingenuity and industry a 2 with which these insects collect their honey and wax, form their cells, and deposit their store but Mrs. Mason, as we shall see, went still farther. It has to be remembered that the Orzgnal Stories were written when the author was twenty-nine, five years before she met Gilbert Imlay and six years before her daughter Fanny Imlay was born. I mention this fact because it seems to me to be very significant. I feel that had the book been written after Fannys birth, or even after the Imlay infatuation, it would have been somewhat different not perhaps more entertaining, because its author had none of that imaginative sympathy with the young which would direct her pen in the direction of pure pleasure for them but more human, more kindly, better. One can have indeed little doubt as to this after reading those curious first lessons for an infant which came from Mary Wollstonecrafts pen in or about 1795, printed in volume two of the Posthz mous Works, l798, and which give evidence of so much more tenderness and reasonableness and at the same time want of Reason, which may have been Godwins God but will never stand in that relation either to English men or English children than the monitress of the Original Storks, the impeccable Mrs. Mason, ever suggests. I know of no early instance where a mother talks down to an infant more prettily continually descending herself to its level, yet never with any of Mrs. Masons arrogance and superiority. Not indeed that this poor mother, EDITORS INTRODUCTIOS v vith her impulsive warm heart wounded, and most f her illusions gone, and few kindly eyes resting upon er, could ever have cornpassed much of Mrs. Masons brosperous self-satisfaction and authority had she vished to for in the seven years between the com- osition of the Original Stories and the lessons for he minute Fanny Imlay, she had lived an emotional ifetime, and suffering much, pitied much. In Lesson X, which I quote, although it says lathing of charity or kindness, a vastly more human pirit is found than in any of Mrs. Masons homilies In our duty to the afflicted -See how much taller you are than William. 111 our years you have learned to eat, to walk, to talk. Why do you smile You can do much more, you hink you can wash your hands and face. Veiy vell. I should never kiss a dirty face. And you an comb your head with the prett comb you always ut by in your own drawer. To E e sure, you do all his to be ready to take a walk with me...

ISBN-13: 9781408637647
ISBN-10: 1408637642
Publication Date: 2/28/2008
Pages: 124
Rating:

0 stars, based on 0 rating

Publisher: Das Press
Book Type: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Amazon | Write a Review

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