ABSTRACT
AphraBehnstandsinaproblematicalrelationtothepredominantlypatriarchalattitudesthatgoverntheTorystateofnatureasreadthroughFilmer andHobbes.Themajorproblemperhaps,liesinrelationtogender.Behnat oncesupportsanddeconstructstheverypoliticsthatareassociatedwiththe Toryvisionofchurchandstate:'Behn'streatmentofgenderoftenseemsto complicateandrefract,ifnotindeedtocontradict,herpartypolitics,creatinginherworkthesenseofmultipleandincommensurateideological agenda'.1YetasJanetToddhasargued,forseventeenth-centuryfemale writerssuchasBehnandMargaretCavendish,thecourtprovidesamore enablingatmosphereinwhichtoworkthan'themasculineinstitutionsofan emergingbourgeoisdemocracy'.Oneexplanationforthisintheworksof royalistwomenwritersinthelaterseventeenthcentury,istheunqualified loyaltyaccordedtothemonarchasaresultofthebetrayalofthe1640sand 1650s,whenrepublicanismwasviewedbymanysuchwritersasascourge inflicteduponthisnationbyGod.Thepeople,saidAnne,LadyHalkett, 'paidnottthatsubjectionthatwasduetotheirelawfulKing'.Keeblepoints totheunequivocalsupportforpatriarchyroyalistwomendisplayedintheir memoirs.Bythesametoken,however,hepointstotheliberatingeffectthat thewarhaduponaristocraticandupperclasswomen,whoupuntilthen hadneverbeenexpectedtoactupontheirowninitiative.Theexperienceof exileandthenecessityofmovement'areameasure'forroyalistwomenof their'culturaljourney':'astheycomeoutoftheirhouses,sotheycomeout oftheirhouswifelyroles'.2Beliefinpatriarchyneednotnecessarily,therefore,resultintotalsubjection.
