The Gunpowder Plot and Lord Mounteagle's Letter, Being a Proof, with Moral Certitude, of the Authorship of the Document: Together with Some Account of the Whole Thirteen Gunpowder Conspirators, Including Guy FawkesSpink, Henry
History
The Gunpowder Plot and Lord Mounteagle's Letter, Being a Proof, with Moral Certitude, of the Authorship of the Document: Together with Some Account of the Whole Thirteen Gunpowder Conspirators, Including Guy Fawkes
Spink, Henry
Gunpowder Plot, 1605; Monteagle, William Parker, Baron, 1574 or 1575-1622
[Footnote 112:——“_Narrative_” p. 57. As appears from the Lives of Mary
Ward, Father Gerard had known Mary Ward when a child in Yorkshire. Hence
he probably knew her uncles, John and Christopher Wright, and also Thomas
Percy.
Mary Ward was one of the greatest women-educationists and, in a sense,
women’s rights advocates England has ever seen. She ought to figure in the
Supplement to the “_National Dictionary of Biography_.” The following
word-portrait of Mary Warde we owe to the skilful hand of her kinswoman,
the gifted Winefrid Wigmore, a cousin once removed to Lady Mounteagle. It
is as Mary Ward, that wonderful Yorkshire-woman, appeared in the year
which witnessed the death of Shakespeare (1616). Perhaps the poet knew
her; if so, no wonder he knew how to describe queenly souls. “She was
rather tall (was Mary), but her figure was symmetrical. Her complexion was
delicately beautiful, her countenance and aspect most agreeable, mingled
with I know not what which was attractive.... Her presence and
conversation were most winning, her manners courteous. It was a general
saying ‘She became whatsoever she wore or did.’ Her voice in speaking was
very grateful, and in song melodious. In her demeanour and carriage, an
angelic modesty was united to a refined ease and dignity of manner, that
made even princes[A] find great satisfaction, yea, profit, in conversing
with her. Yet, these were withal without the least affectation, and were
accompanied with such meekness and humility as gave confidence to the
poorest and most miserable. There was nothing she did seem to have more
horror of than there should be anything in herself or hers that might put
a bar to the free access of any who should be in need of ought in their
power to bestow.”
No wonder that——with a brother to the right of him like Marmaduke Ward,
and with a niece to the left o£ him like Mary Ward, “that great soul,” who
in after years, “in a plenitude of vision planned high deeds as immortal
as the sun”[B]——Thomas Warde, the husband for eleven brief years (lacking
nine days) of Margery Warde (born Slater), was instrumental, under Heaven,
in giving effect to the all but too late repentance of the penitent,
Christopher Wright!]
[Footnote A: Mary Ward was the friend or acquaintance of some of the
greatest men and women in Europe. She was a friend of Queen Henrietta
Maria, the wife of Charles I. and daughter of Henry Bourbon, better known
as “King Harry of Navarre.”——See Macaulay’s poem, “_Ivry_.”]
[Footnote B: Line borrowed from Lord Bowen.——See his magnificent poem,
entitled, “Shadowland,” p. 214 of his “_Life_,” by Sir Henry Stewart
Cunningham, K.C.I.E. (Murray).]
[Footnote 113:——The second Edition is dated 1681. The Pamphlet was by a
Dr. Williams, afterwards Bishop of Chichester.——See “_National Dictionary
of Biography_.”]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account