10 April [1797]

William Godwin to Mary Hays, at Mr. Palmer's, corner of Little John Street, Gray's Inn Lane, 10 April [1797].1 

April 10.

    My fair neighbour desires me to announce to you a piece of news,2 which it is consonant to the regard that both she & I entertain for you, you should rather learn from us than from any other quarter. She bids me remind you of the earnest way in which you pressed me to prevail upon her to change her name, & she directs me to add, that it has happened to me, like many other disputants, to be entrapped in my own toils: in short, that we found that there was no way so obvious for her to drop the name of Imlay, as to assume the name of Godwin. Mrs. Godwin (who the devil is that?) will be glad to see you at No. 29, Polygon, Somers Town,3 whenever you are inclined to favour her with ^a^ call.

Address: Miss Hays | Mr Palmer’s | Corner of Little John Street | Gray’s Inn Lane

Postmark: 11 April 1797.

1 MS G 0321, Pforzheimer Collection, NYPL; Brooks, Correspondence 463; Clemit, Letters 1.197; Wedd, Love Letters 241.

2 Godwin and Wollstonecraft married secretly on 29 March at St. Pancras Church.

3 The Godwins' new address (from 6 April), not far from his separate quarters (for his work) in Chalton Street; both locations are near present day King's Cross. Hays does not visit the Godwins at their new home until 23 July.