"The writings of Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of Newcastle, are remarkable for their vivid depiction of the mores and mentality of seventeenth-century England. This edition includes all of Cavendish's Sociable Letters (1664), a collection of writings that comments on a wide range of aspects of seventeenth-century society, such as war and peace, science and medicine, English and Classical literatures, and social issues such as choosing a spouse, married life, infidelity, divorce, and the option of women not to marry." "This Broadview edition contains a critical introduction and a valuable selection of primary documents, including the letters Cavendish wrote during her courtship with William Cavendish; letters by two female family members; letters written by Aphra Behn, Dorothy Osborne, and Angel Day; and an essay by Francis Bacon."--Jacket.