第9章

Ihave，asIsaidbefore，learnedtheEnglishlawpiecemeal，bysufferingunderit。Myhusbandisalawyer；andhehastaughtitme，byexercisingovermytormentedandrestlesslife，everyquirkandnibbleofitstyranny；ofitsacknowledgedtyranny；——acknowledged，againIsay，notbywailing，angry，despairingwomen，butbyChancellors，ex-Chancellors，legalreformers，andmembersofbothHousesofParliament。Andyetnothingisdone!indeed，whentheSolicitor-General，May10th，inthissession，informedtheHousethatthedelayedMarriageBillwouldbebroughtforward"assoonastheHousehadexpressedanopinionontheTestamentaryJurisdictionBill，"therewasagood-humouredlaughattheveryvagueprospectheldout，——butnobodymurmured；forPage146

nobodygreatlycaredwhenitshouldcomeon；orwhetheritevercameonatall。

Nevertheless，solongashumannatureiswhatitis，somemarriagesmustbeunhappymarriages，insteadoffollowingthattheoryofintimateandsacredunionwhichtheyoughttofulfil:andthequestionis，therefore，whatistobetherelationofpersonslivinginastateofalienation，insteadofastateofunion，——alltheexistingrulesfortheirsocialpositionbeingbasedonthefirstalternative，——namely，thattheyareinastateofunion，——andonthesuppositionthatmarriageisindissoluble，thoughParliamenthasnowdecidedthatitisacivilcontract?Divorcedorundivorced，itisabsolutelynecessarythatthelawshouldstepin，toarrangethatwhichisdisarrangedbythismostunnaturalcondition。Itbecomesperfectlyabsurdthatthelawwhichappointsthehusbandlegalprotectorofthewoman，shouldnot(failinghimwhohasceasedtobeaprotector，andhasbecomeaverypowerfulfoe)itselfundertakeherprotection。Shestandstowardsthelaw，byanillustrationwhichI

haverepeatedlymadeuseof，——inthelightofanill-usedinferior；andsheistheonlyinferiorinEnglandwhocannotclaimtobesoprotected。

Thosewomenwhodesiretolearn，inamorePage147

formalanddirectmanner，whatthelawsare，——haveonlytorefertoMacqueen，Ferguson，Hosack，andotherlawwriters。Theretheymayread，——thatifacollectioncouldbemadeofallmunicipalrulesastodivorce，it"wouldappearlittlebetterthanaludicrousexhibitionofhumaninconsistencyandcaprice；"that，tillthecelebratedCouncilofTrent，eventheRomanCatholicChurchhadbeen"constantlyshiftingtoallpointsbetweentheoppositeextremesonthesubjectofdivorce；"thatundertheGreekChurch，andintheProtestantstatesofEurope，theutmostdiversityofrulesstillprevails，——"fromtheextremeofrefusingtogivedivorceavinculo，evenforadultery，——totheoppositeextremeofallowingdissolutionofmarriageforcauseswhichourlawaccountsperfectlyfrivolous；"thatwhentheCouncilofTrentpromulgateditscanonsDesacramentoMatrimonii，thesamechapterwhichsaid，"Accursedishewhoaffirmsthatmarriagecanbemadedissoluble，"alsocontainedasimilaranathemaagainstanyonewhoshouldaffirmmarriagetobeasuperiorconditiontovirginityorastateofcelibacy——anyonewhoshouldaffirmitsuperstitioustoforbidmarriageatcertainseasonsoftheyear——oranyonewhodeniedthattherightofjurisdictionPage148

inmatrimonialcasesbelongstotheEcclesiasticalCourts；

underwhichlastcanonwillcomeLordsCranworthandCampbell，andallthePeersandCommonsvotingwiththemforreforminthepiecemeallawofEngland；——ofthatcountrywhichpublishesaLiturgyforitsEstablishedChurch，containingaRomanCatholicceremonyformarriage；overrulesthevowsofthatceremonybyActsofParliament；evadesthembytheMarriageRegistrationAct；solemnlyquotesthem，asanargumentforkeepingwomentotheindissolublebond；andsetsthematdefiance(asaforminvolvingnolegalobligation)，whentheindissolublebondistobebrokenformen!

There，also，womenmaycomfortthemselvesbyreading，thatLordEldon，afterthirtyyears"experienceinthehighestcourtofjudicatureinthekingdom，reversedhisearlieropinions，andstatedthathe"sawnoreasonwhyawomanwasnotasmuchentitledtosuefordivorceasaman:"——thatMrHallamwrites，——"Nothingcanbemoreabsurdthanourmodernprivilegia；ourActsofParliamenttobreakthemarriagebond；neitherdoIseehowwecanjustifythedenialofredresstowomen，ineverycaseofadulteryanddesertion:"——thatMontesquieuaffirmedthelawtobe"verytyran-Page149

nical"whichgivestherighttomenanddeniesittowomen；——adding，thatwomenarelesslikelytoabusetheprivilegethanmen，becauseawomanrarelyimprovesherpositionbyrepudiatingherhusband。

TheymayreadMilton，Gibbon，andHume，——orthemorepiousPaley，——insuchchaptersandsectionsoftheseauthorsastreatonthesubject。Theymayreadalso，howtheScotchandEnglishsubjectsofQueenVictoriaareasdifferentlydealtwithasthoughtheyweresubjectsoftwodifferentcountries，andundertwodifferentsovereigns；andhow，fromtimetotime，greatandclevermenhaveexpressedtheiropinionoftheabsolutenecessityof"assimilating"thoseconflictinglaws。

Theymayreadlistsofthenamesofthoseatpresentemployedinlawofficesunderthecrown:andfind，totheiramazement，——inthathelplessgroupwhoconsiderthesereforms"sosurroundedwithdifficulty，"thattheycandonothing，——LordChancellorCranworth，andLordChiefJusticeCampbell，headingfamousandfamiliarlawyer——names；some，withalreadyanhereditaryclaimtodistinction，andsome，whoseableandenergeticpleadingwillmaketheirnamesaboasttotheirsons。TheymayreferPage150

totheformerspeechesofmenlikeLyndhurstandBrougham，——whosecelebritybegansoearlyinlife，thattheyarestillheretoenjoyandaddtoit；thoughtheiryouthfultriumphsarealmostamatterofhistorytotherisinggeneration。Allthis，womenmaystudy:andwhentheyhavereadallwhichtheyhavetime，patience，orinclinationtoread，andabilitytounderstand，——theymaytaketheircrochet-work，embroidery，or"Potichomanie，"

andruminateovertheirneedlesandpaste-brushes，howitisthatlawscontinuetobeinforce，whichsuchmenthemselveshavesorepeatedlycondemned，asamassoffolly，indecency，andcontradiction!

Ihope，duringthisperiodoftranquilreflection，therebelliousthoughtmaynotoccurtothetapestry-workingsex，thattheobstacletothislegalreformmustbe，thatmenfeartocurbthelicenseoftheirownpleasures。Itisimpossible，seeinghoweager，energetic，andenthusiastic，menareinotherreformswhosenecessityisonceprovedandadmitted，nottofancythatthereasonwhythisparticularchangeis"sosurroundedwithdifficulty"isbecauseitisextremelyunpalatabletothereformers!Ithink——tousethewordsoftheSolicitor-General——Page151

theHouse"willexpressanopinionontheTestamentaryJurisdictionBill"withinfinitelymorespeed，clearness，anddecision，thanonaMarriageReformBill。Everymanseemstodreadthatheissurrenderingsomeportionofhisownrightsoverwoman，inallowingtheselawstoberevised；evenwhileheadmitsthatabuseswhichare"adisgracetoEngland，"blotthestrangebarbarouscode，whichremainsintactwhileotherbarbarouslawshavegraduallybeenrepealedoraltered。

Toallthatwomencanreadonthesubject，Iaddthismorefamiliarlyeasytreatise；andIshallfollowthistreatisebyapublishedselectionof"Cases，decidedaccordingtoLaw，andcontrarytoJustice；"admittedtobesodecidedevenbythejudgesandcounselengagedinthem；thesentencesgivenbeingoftenaccompaniedbycourteousandsincereexpressionsofregretattheirmanifestoppression；andbyahopethatthecodemightbealtered，whichmadesuchsentencescompulsoryonthepersonswhosedutyitwas"toadministerthelawastheyfoundit。"Myhusbandhastaughtme，bysubpoenaingmypublisherstoaccountformyearnings，——thatmygiftofwritingwasnotmeantforthepurposestowhichIhavehithertoappliedit。ItwasnotPage152

intendedthatIshould"striveforpeaceandensueit"throughalifeofmuchoccasionalbitternessandmanyunjusttrials；thatIshouldprovemyliteraryability，bypublishingmelodiesandsongsforyounggirlsandwomentosinginhappierhomesthanmine，——orpoetryandproseforthemtoreadinleisurehours，——orevenpleasemyselfbybetterandmoreseriousattemptstoadvocatetherightsofthepeople，ortheeducationandinterestsofthepoor。

WhenMrNortonallowedme，Isay，tobepubliclysubpoenaedincourt，todefendhimselfbyaquibblefromajustdebt，andsubpoenaedmypublisherstomeetmethere，hetaughtmewhatmygiftofwritingwasworth。Sincehewouldnotleaveeventhatsourcetranquilandfreeinmydestiny，lethimhavethetriumphofbeingableatoncetoembitterandtoturnitsformercurrent。Hehasmademedreamthatitwasmeantforahigherandstrongerpurpose，——thatgiftwhichcamenotfromman，butfromGod。Itwasmeanttoenablemetorousetheheartsofotherstoexamineintoallthegrossinjusticeoftheselaws，——toaskthe"nationofgallantgentlemen，"whosecountrywomanIam，foroncetohearawoman"spleadingonthesubject。NotbecauseIdeservemoreattheirhandsPage153

thanotherwomen。WellIknow，onthecontrary，howmanyhundreds，infinitelybetterthanI，——morepious，morepatient，andlessrashunderinjury，——havewateredtheirbreadwithtears!Mypleatoattentionis，thatinpleadingformyselfIamabletopleadforalltheseothers。Notthatmysufferingsormydesertsaregreaterthantheirs；butthatIcombine，withthefactofhavingsufferedwrong，thepowertocommentonandexplainthecauseofthatwrong；whichfewwomenareabletodo。

Forthis，Ibelieve，Godgavemethepowerofwriting。TothisIdevotethatpower。Iabjureallotherwriting，tillIseetheselawsaltered。Icarenotwhatridiculeorabusemaybetheresultofthatdeclaration。Theywhocannotbearridiculeandabuse，areunfitandunabletoadvanceanycause；andoncemoreIdenythatthisismypersonalcause；itisthecauseofallthewomenofEngland。IfIcouldbejustifiedandhappytomorrow，Iwouldstillstriveandlabourinit；andifIweretodieto-morrow，itwouldstillbeasatisfactiontomethatIhadsostriven。Meanwhile，myhusbandhasalegallien(ashehaspubliclyproved)，onthecopyrightofmyworks。

LethimclaimthecopyrightofTHIS:Page154

andlettheLordChancellor，whoseofficeisthusdescribedinChamberlayne"sStateofEngland，——"Tojudge，notaccordingtotheCommonLaw，asotherCivilCourtsdo，buttomoderatetherigouroftheLaw，andtojudgeaccordingtoEquity，Conscience，andReason:andhisOathistodorighttoallmannerofPeople，poorandrich，aftertheLawsandCustomsoftheRealm，andtrulycounseltheKing，"——lettheLordChancellor，I

say，——the"SummaCancellarius"ofGreatBritain，cancel，inMrNorton"sfavour，——accordingtothelawsandcustomsofthisrealmofEngland，——myrighttothelabourofmyownbrainandpen；anddocketit，amongforgottenChanceryPapers，withaparodyofSwift"scontemptuouslabelling。

"OnlyaWoman"sPamphlet。"

ButlettherecollectionofwhatIwrite，remainwiththosewhoread；andaboveall，lettherecollectionremainwithyourMajesty，towhomitisaddressed；theonewomaninEnglandwhocannotsufferwrong；andwhoseroyalassentwillbeformallynecessarytoanyMarriageReformBillwhichtheLordChancellor，assembledPeers，andassembledCommons，mayPage155

thinkfittopass，intheParliamentofthisfreenation；where，withaQueenonthethrone，allothermarriedwomenarelegally"NON-EXISTENT。"

Iremain，Withthesincerestloyaltyandrespect，YourMajesty"shumbleanddevotedSubjectandServant，CAROLINEELIZABETHSARAHNORTON。No。3，CHESTERFIELDSTREET，MAYFAIR，This2nddayofJune，1855。