Biographical Directory 293of the American colonists and Irish Catholics. He was a leader in the
debate over constitutional limits on the authority of the King, and he
argued for the role of political parties in successfully combating royal
abuse of powers. Burke’s arguments in favor of conciliation with the
American colonies (1775), in combination with his arguments against
the French Revolution, gave him a reputation for contradictory politics.
It is clear that Burke’s infl uence on Wollstonecraft ran deep even as
she made opposing arguments about women and the family, the prog-
ress of civilization, the refi nement of manners, and the spread of rights
and republicanism.
Butler, Samuel (1612–1680). English poet best known for his mock-heroic
narrative poem “Hudibras” (1663 –1678). Butler satirized many of the
religious factions involved in the English Civil War. Wollstonecraft uses
his “caricature” of the Dissenters as an example of how a distorted por-
trait of a particular class of humans might in turn shape “their persons
as well as their minds.”
Catherine the Great, or Catherine II (1729 –1796). Became empress of
Russia after her husband, Peter III, was removed from offi ce and assas-
sinated. During her reign (1762–1796) the Russian empire expanded
and became recognizable as one of the great European powers. Cath-
erine was known for both her political and intellectual prowess. She
was very well read, especially in French literature and political theory,
and was known to have corresponded with both Voltaire and Diderot.
Furthermore, she is counted as one among several eighteenth-century
“enlightened despots” who attempted to wield reason to the benefi t of
their subjects. To this end, she drew on the writings of Montesquieu
to propose large-scale reforms of the Russian legal system. She also
sought to greatly expand national education.
Cerberus. In Greek mythology, the three-headed (or fi fty-headed, accord-
ing to some) watchdog of Hades. Cerberus could be subdued, with the
music of a lyre as Orpheus did, or with cake as Aeneas did. Wollstone-
craft references the Aeneas story when she describes the politician’s
ability to “silence Cerberus” with a sop dipped “in the milk of human
kindness.” A sop is a honey-soaked cake.
Cervantes, Miguel de (1547–1616). Famous Spanish novelist, playwright,
and poet of the Spanish Golden Age in literature. Here Wollstonecraft re-
fers to his canonical work Don Quixote (1605 –1615), which is considered
by some to be the fi rst modern European novel. Using a satirical lens, this
novel treats themes central to the previous literary tradition of chivalric
romance, such as love, social status, and the power of imagination.