Memoirs of Modern Philosophers by Elizabeth Hamilton

A humorous satirical rendering of the negative impact of New Philosophical ideas on a small English rural community, Memoirs of Modern Philosophers, describes the unsettling consequences when a pair of traveling French revolutionaries, fresh from Paris, join the local New Philosophical group. The dangers of flaunting social mores, abandoning familial and societal responsibilities, and rejecting religious precepts are illustrated in male residents such as Mr. Myope (a thinly disguised version of William Godwin), Mr. Gubbles, and the local shopkeeper Mr. Glib. They all embrace New Philosophical ideas, but while they are subject to Hamilton’s ridicule, it is the female residents whom she describes as suffering more deeply and permanently. Hamilton suggests the dangers of New Philosophical ideas are far more hazardous for females who dabble in them. The different responses of the three heroines, Julia Delmont, Harriet Orwell, and Bridgetina Botherim, educate the reader as to the dangerous consequences of being at the vanguard of any societal change. However, while Hamilton illustrates the negative consequences of the New Philosophy, she is not adverse to portraying older, intelligent women whose interpolated tales reveal how a female can advance her social position and intellect without undermining the social fabric.