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。
