Mary Berry, in letter of 2 January 1800: 'I have been reading [...] a new novel of Godwin's, in four vols., called "The Travels of St. Leon." it is an odd work, like all his, and, like all his, interesting, tho' hardly ever pleasantly so; and while one's head often agrees with his observations, and sometimes with his reasoning, never does one's heart thoroughly agree with his sentiments on any subject or in any character [...] I should tell you, which I know from Edwards, that it was written for bread, agreed for by the booksellers beforehand, and actually composed and written as the printers wanted it. I think you will see many marks of this throughout the work if you read it, which I should recommend to you, if, like me, you have not seen a [italics]readable[end italics] novel this age.'