In Canto II of William Hayley’s 1781 hilarious mock-epic The Triumphs of Temper, Penelope – an “ancient maid” responsible for looking after the young “nymph” Serena – finds a romance novel hidden under the girl’s bed.
Nancy Mitford and the myth of women’s…
In Canto II of William Hayley’s 1781 hilarious mock-epic The Triumphs of Temper, Penelope – an “ancient maid” responsible for looking after the young “nymph” Serena – finds a romance novel hidden under the girl’s bed.