Edited by Kelly Plante
The story of the so-called “Aliena” appearing in the third of Eliza Haywood’s four-volume The Female Spectator—largely considered the first periodical by a woman, for women— is the story of a woman who dresses in military garb to pass as a sailor to remain in close proximity to the lover who jilted her.
In this letter to the editor complete with editorial commentary, Haywood blends narrative techniques of fiction with the seductive allure of the “true story” using the warrior woman trope.
Printed as a four-volume set of (not articles but) “books,” The Female Spectator occupied a “higher” literary status than the cheaply printed broadside ballads in the long 18th century.
This letter from The Female Spectator provides a mid-to-upper-class stance on the woman warrior trope—which the commentator portrays as a “mad exploit” that is both “unfortunate” and ill-advised.
* Note: Letter 2 is not included in this edition as a modernized, glossed version. If you wish to read letter 2 in its original form, please visit the BOOK 14 ON GOOGLE BOOKS page.
The Female Spectator
Book 14
Letter 1 of 2
The Edition
CLARIBELLA’S LETTER TO THE FEMALE SPECTATOR
THE FEMALE SPECTATOR’S RESPONSE TO CLARIBELLA
Supplemental Material
BOOK 14 ON ECCO – A printable bibliographical table
BOOK 14 ON GOOGLE BOOKS – View Aliena’s story (for free) in its original appearance
PROJECT BIBLIOGRAPHY – Secondary sources that influenced and informed this edition
“AN UNDISPUTED RIGHT TO THIS OFFERING”: A Critical Edition of Eliza Haywood’s Dedicatory Epistle of The Female Spectator to Juliana Colyear, Duchess of Leeds
