Tortures, tragedies of blood, and heinous crimes added piquancy to Mrs.
Haywood's love stories, but were not the normal material of her
romances. Her talent was chiefly for "soft things." She preferred the
novel of intrigue and passion in which the characters could be run
through a breathless maze of amatory adventures, with a pause now and
again to relate a digressive episode for variety's sake. Typical of this
sort, the best adapted to the romancer's genius, is "The Agreeable
Caledonian: or, Memoirs of Signiora di Morella, a Roman Lady, Who made
her Escape from a Monastery at Viterbo, for the Love of a Scots
Nobleman. Intermix'd with many other Entertaining little Histories and
Adventures which presented themselves to her in the Course of her
Travels." No moralizing, no romantic idealism disturbs the rapid current
of events. It is a pure "cloak and sword" novel, definitely located in
Italy, with all the machinery of secret assignations, escapes from
convents, adventures on the road and at inns, sudden assaults, duels,
seductions, and revenge characteristic of Spanish fiction.

Don Jaques di Morella determines to marry his daughter, Clementina, to a
certain Cardinal, who has offered to renounce the scarlet hat for love
of her. When she piques her lover by her evident unwillingness to wed,
Don Jaques packs her off to a convent at Viterbo. By picking up a copy
of verses Clementina becomes acquainted with Signiora Miramene, who
relates the history of her correspondence with the Baron Glencairn.

Clementina becomes the instrument of the lovers, but no sooner sees the
lovely North Briton than she herself is captivated. In response to her
proffered affection, Glencairn manages by an extraordinary device to
convey her out of the convent. In spite of the rage of Dan Jaques they
escape to Sienna. The further surprising turns in their affairs to be
later communicated to the public.