The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume III.Cibber, Theophilus
General
The Lives of the Poets of Great Britain and Ireland (1753) Volume III.
Cibber, Theophilus
Poets, English -- Biography -- Early works to 1800; Poets, Irish -- Biography -- Early works to 1800
'Most of them (says he) are the product of the leisure hours of a young
gentlewoman lately deceased; who in a remote country retirement, without
omitting the daily care due to a large family, not only perfectly
acquired the several languages here made use of; but the good morals and
principles contained in those books, so as to put them in practice, as
well during her life and languishing sickness, as the hour of her death;
in short she died not only like a Christian, but a Roman lady, and so
became at once the object of the grief, and comfort of her relations. As
much as I am obliged to be sparing in commending what belongs to me, I
cannot forbear thinking some of these circumstances uncommon enough to
be taken notice of: I loved her more, because she deserved it, than
because she was mine, and I cannot do greater honour to her memory, than
by consecrating her labours, or rather diversion to your Royal Highness,
as we found most of them in her escrutore, after her death, written with
her own hand, little expecting, and as little desiring the public should
have any opportunity, either of applauding or condemning them.'
Mr. Jacob tells us, that these Poems and Translations, shew the true
spirit, and numbers of poetry, a delicacy of turn, and justness of
thought and expression. They consist of Ecclogues; the Masque of the
Virtues against Love, from Guarini; some translations from the French
and Italians; Familiar Epistles, Odes and Madrigals.
Her poetry has great warmth, and tenderness of sentiment. The following
Epitaph on a lady of pleasure, was written by her,
O'er this marble drop a tear,
Here lies fair Rosalinde,
All mankind was pleas'd with her,
And she with all mankind.
And likewise this Epigram upon another lady of the same character.
Chloe, her gossips entertains,
With stories of her child-bed pains,
And fiercely against Hymen rails:
But Hymen's not so much to blame;
She knows, unless her memory fails,
E'er she was wed, 'twas much the same.
The following verses, which breathe a true spirit of tenderness, were
written by her, on her death-bed at Bath, when her husband was in
London,
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