Mrs. Trollope's works, beginning with the "Domestic Manners of the
Americans," published in 1832, and ending with "Paris and London," which
appeared in 1856, amount to _one hundred and fourteen_ volumes, all, be
it remembered, written after her fiftieth year. Of her novels perhaps
the most successful and widely known were the "Vicar of Wrexhill," a
violent satire on the Evangelical religionists, published in
1837,--"Widow Barnaby," in 1839,--and "The Ward of Thorpe Combe," in
1847. "Michael Armstrong," printed in 1840, was written with a view to
assist the movement in favor of protection to the factory-operatives,
which resulted in the famous "Ten-Hour Bill." The descriptions were the
fruits of a personal visit to the principal seats of factory-labor. At
the time, this book created considerable sensation.

Two works of travel and social sketches, "Paris and the Parisians," and
"Vienna and the Austrians," were also very extensively read. With regard
to the second we deem it proper to observe that Mrs. Trollope suffered
herself to be so far dazzled by the very remarkable cordiality of her
reception in the exclusive society of Vienna, and by the flattering
intimacy with which she was honored by Prince Metternich and his circle,
as to have been led to regard the then dominant Austrian political and
social system in a more favorable light than was consistent with the
generally liberal tone of her sentiments and opinions.

Though late in becoming an author, Mrs. Trollope had at all periods of
her life been inclined to literary pursuits, and in early youth enjoyed
the friendship of many distinguished men, among whom were Mathias, the
well-known author of the "Pursuits of Literature," Dr. Nott, the Italian
scholar, one of the few foreigners who have been members of the Della
Crusca,--General Pepe, the celebrated defender of Venice, whom she knew
intimately for many years,--General Lafayette,--and others.

Both before and after she achieved literary celebrity, Mrs. Trollope was
very popular in society, for the pleasures of which she was especially
fitted by her talents. In Florence she gathered around her persons of
eminence, both foreign and native, and her interest in men and things
remained undiminished until within a very few years of her death. Even
at an advanced age her mind was ready to receive new ideas and to deal
with them candidly. We have in our possession letters written by her in
'54 and '55 on the much-abuse