Simple histoire

First French edition of Inchbald's first and principal work of fiction, known as the first Catholic novel. Deschamps' translation is very faithful, up to the end of Volume II in the original, when his shock at a change of direction in the novel leads him to draw the work to a close; he inserts instead a "Conclusion" proposing to different appropriate endings instead of that chosen by Inchbald, including the opening of Volume III to demonstrate his point. Volumes III-IV, which he considered a different story, were separately published in 1792 as "Lady Mathilde". The story explores some unusual and daring themes, such as the Roman Catholic Church's attitude toward women, and female feelings and infidelities. The worldly and fickle heroine falls passionately in love with her guardian, a Roman Catholic priest. Her shocking conduct and feckless ways are attributed to her old-fashioned boarding school education and are contrasted with the virtue of her convent-educated daughter in the second part of the novel (i.e. "Lady Mathilde"). The novel was to exercise a powerful influence on several generations of novelists. "Jane Eyre" is held to be in part inspired by this work, and William Godwin was a great admirer of it, as was Maria Edgeworth.