The Widow, or a Picture of Modern Times

The Novel

The Widow; or, A Picture of Modern Times was published in 1794: Julia, a beautiful and accomplished girl, the daughter of an American merchant, marries an English officer, who shortly afterwards quits Philadelphia with his regiment. Julia, supposing he has departed for England, leaves her family to follow him. On her passage the ship is wrecked, and only a few passengers survive; amongst others, Julia and a Mr Morton escape. Sidney, her husband, returns to Philadelphia, and, finding Julia gone, obtains leave to return home. He arrives in England, hears of the shipwreck, and concludes that she has perished. In a few months after he marries a second wife, rich, but of the most vulgar and detestable mind…


Contemporary Reviews

The British Critic, 1794 — If this be a picture of modern times, the times are bad indeed! - Mrs Robinson's is a sprightly, entertaining, and interesting pen. - We can commend this novel for its good writing and real merit.


The Monthly Review, 1794 — The principal merit of these volumes is their exhibiting a picture of modern times, in which the features of fashionable folly and depravity are drawn with a skilful hand, and with such strokes of deformity as are well adapted to excite contempt and indignation. The incidents are well contrived and arranged; the characters are agreeably diversified and strongly marked; and the sentiments, throughout, are such as ought to leave a due impression on the mind of the reader in favour of virtue.


The Author

Mary Robinson (née Darby) (1758-1800), a poetess and miscellaneous writer, was born in 1758, at Bristol. At the age of 15 she was married to an attorney of the name of Robinson, which precipitate step appears to have embittered the rest of her life. Being reduced in circumstances, she had recourse to the stage, and made her first appearance at Drury Lane in the character of Juliet, in which she was instructed by Mr. Garrick. Her reception was very flattering, and she continued to perform in various characters till her representation of Perdita, in the Winter’s Tale, when her beauty attracted the admiration of the Prince of Wales (afterwards George IV.) in consequence of which she quitted the stage, and became his mistress. This connection, however, was but of short duration. 


In 1784 she had the misfortune to be attacked by a violent rheumatism, which progressively deprived her of the use of her limbs, and she was partly dependent on her pen for the means of living. She died on the 26th of December, 1800, at Englefield Cottage, in Surrey, aged 43 years.