rs had
enjoyed a large share of popularity. Most of her legitimate works were
advertised as "Written by Mrs. Eliza Haywood" and bore her name in full
prominently displayed on the title-page. That her signature possessed a
distinct commercial value in selling popular fiction was amusingly
illustrated by a bit of literary rascality practiced in 1727, when
Arthur Bettesworth, the bookseller, issued a chapbook called "The
Pleasant and Delightful History of Gillian of Croydon." After a long
summary of the contents in small type came the statement, "The Whole
done much after the same Method as those celebrated Novels, By Mrs.
ELIZA HAYWOOD," the forged author's name being emphasized in the largest
possible type in the hope that a cursory glance at the title-page might
deceive a prospective buyer.[17] Of her forty publications before 1728
only fifteen, of which five from their libelous nature could not be
acknowledged, failed to sail openly under her colors. Only once did she
employ any sort of pseudonym, and only in one case was her signature
relegated to the end of the dedication.[18] A word of scorn from the
literary dictator, however, was enough to turn the taste of the town,
not indeed away from sensational and scandalous fictions, but away from
the hitherto popular writer of them. Eliza Haywood was no longer a name
to conjure with; her reputation was irretrievably gone. It was no
unusual thing in those days for ladies in semi-public life to outlive
several reputations. The quondam Clio had already found the notoriety of
that name too strong for her comfort, and had been rechristened Mira by
the dapper Mr. Mallet.[19] Instead of adopting some such expedient Mrs.
Haywood found it more convenient simply to lapse into anonymity. Of the
four novels published within a year after "The Dunciad" none bore her
name on the title-page, though two had signed dedications and the others
were advertised as by her. Not one of them was re-issued. The tragedy
"Frederick, Duke of Brunswick-Lunenburgh," known to be of her make, was
a complete failure, and "Love-Letters on All Occasions" (1730) with
"Collected by Mrs. Eliza Haywood" on the title-page never reached a
second edition. Both her translations from the French, "L'Entretien des
Beaux Esprits" (1734) and "The Virtuous Villager" (1742), were
acknowledged at the end of the dedications, and both were unsuccessful,
although the anonymous predecessor of the former, "La Belle Assemblee"
(172