The relevance of the theme is determined by its object: the transitional era (1650-1750) in Britain in intellectual discourse on moral postulates and values; it is possible to draw certain parallels with the current crisis of the moral canon. The crisis of ethical postulates manifested itself most clearly during the Restoration, giving rise to a special genre of literature, novels of wifely adultery. The present paper discusses the reflection of the crisis of moral and ethical values of 1650-1750 in Britain, as illustrated in Eliza Haywood’s didactic novel The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless (1751). The study demonstrates that despite the faded popularity of the female writer later in the century, today her works illustrate the unequal and subordinate position of an 18th-century woman in marriage. Although the idea of woman’s subordination in marriage was not new, in contrast to Puritan theologians who advocated the establishment of companionship in marriage, the emerging secular tradition chose to take the path of further restricting women’s freedom, finally confirming her secondary position. A striking example of the mouthpiece of patriarchal family values is The Lady’s New-Year’s-Gift; or, Advice to a Daughter, by the Marquess of Halifax. In contrast to Halifax, Haywood believed that a woman’s attempts to follow the implicit patriarchal family code negatively will affect her personality and lead to a breakdown. In her novel, Haywood pointed out the discrepancy between the atmosphere of the courtship period and the relationships that are subsequently established in the family; she lists the traps that a woman may face when she and her partner are mismatched, and also demonstrates how Halifax’s advice turns out to be unviable in a real family.