The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume II.Cibber, Theophilus
History
The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume II.
Cibber, Theophilus
Poets, English -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Poets, Irish -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
Having raised a considerable sum, by the generosity of her own, and
the marquis's, relations, she returned to Antwerp, where she continued
with her lord, till the restoration of Charles II, upon which, the
marquis, after six years banishment, made immediate preparation for
his return to his native country, leaving his lady behind him to
dispatch his affairs there, who, having conducted them to his
lordship's satisfaction, she soon followed her consort into England.
Being now restored to the sunshine of prosperity, she dedicated her
time to writing poems, philosophical discourses, orations and plays.
She was of a generous turn of mind, and kept a great many young ladies
about her person, who occasionally wrote what she dictated. Some of
them slept in a room, contiguous to that in which her Grace lay, and
were ready, at the call of her bell, to rise any hour of the night, to
write down her conceptions, lest they should escape her memory.
The young ladies, no doubt, often dreaded her Grace's conceptions,
which were frequent, but all of the poetical or philosophical kind,
for though she was very beautiful, she died without issue: she is said
to have been very reserved and peevish, perhaps owing to the
circumstance just mentioned, of having never been honoured with the
name of mother.
Mr. Jacob says, that she was the most voluminous writer of all the
female poets; that she had a great deal of wit, and a more than
ordinary propensity to dramatic poetry; and Mr. Langbaine tells us,
that all the language and plots of her plays were her own, which, says
he, is a commendation preferable to fame built on other people's
foundation, and will very well atone for some faults in her numerous
productions. As the Duchess is said to be negligent, in regard to
chronology in her historical writings, so others have been equally
remiss, in this respect, with regard to her Grace, for, among the many
authors who have taken notice of her, not one has mentioned the year
in which she died, and even her monumental inscription, where one
might reasonably expect it, is silent, both in respect to her age, and
the time of her death. But Mr. Fulman, in the 15th volume of his MS.
collections in the Corpus Christi College Archives, observes, that she
died in London Anno 1673, and was buried at Westminster, January 7,
1673-4, where an elegant monument is erected to her memory, of which,
take the following account given by Dr. Crul in the Antiquities of
that Church. 'Against the skreen of the chapel of St. Michael, is a
most noble spacious tomb of white marble, adorned with two pillars of
black marble, with entablatures of the Corinthian order, embellished
with arms, and most curious trophy works; on the pedestal lye two
images, in full proportion, of white marble in a cumbent posture, in
their robes, representing William Cavendish, duke of Newcastle, and
Margaret his duchess, his second and last wife, being the daughter of
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