Early Feminism.

Trotter (Cockburn), Catherine.
Fatal Friendship. A Tragedy. As it is Acted at the New-Theatre In Little-Lincolns-Inn-Fields.

First Editio, first issue very rare, browned. “When a woman appears in the world under any distinguished character the must expect to be the mark of ill nature” (Dedication) Catharine Trotter Cockburn (16 August 1679–11 May 1749) was an English novelist, dramatist and philosopher who wrote on various subjects, including moral philosophy and theology, and maintained a prolific correspondence. Her writings were didactic in nature, and while her songs contained amorous elements, they emphasized self-control and morality. Due to her father’s professional connections, her mother’s aristocratic ties, and her own remarkable talents, Catharine Trotter had a wide circle of acquaintances. Despite facing financial constraints and likely having little wealth of her own apart from her writing earnings, Trotter moved in esteemed social circles and was frequently welcomed as a guest in the homes of the wealthy and influential. Her beauty and genuine manners exuded an unassuming intellectual superiority. In 1698, her second tragedy, Fatal Friendship, was performed at the newly established theater in Lincoln’s Inn Fields. It was later published with a dedication to the Princess of Wales. The play not only solidified Trotter’s reputation as a playwright but also garnered a shower of complimentary verses and expanded her network of influential and fashionable friends. It is reasonable to assume that it brought considerable financial gain. Recent research, detailed in Anne Kelley, Catharine Trotter: An early modern writer in the vanguard of feminism (Ashgate: Aldershot, 2002) supports this claim, which has been authenticated by the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography
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