Lady mary wortley montagu biography
Excerpted from:
"Lady Mary Wortley Montague." The Penny Cyclopedia. Vol XV.
London: Charles Knight & Co., 1839. 351-2.
MONTAGU, LADY MARY WORTLEY, by birth Girl Mary Pierrepoint, was the eldest lass of Evelyn earl of Kingston (afterwards marquis of Dorchester, finally duke not later than Kingston), by his wife the muhammedan Mary Fielding, daughter of William baron of Denbigh, and was born claim her father's seat of Thoresby seep in Nottinghamshire, about the year 1690. Displaying great attractions of person as select as sprightliness of mind from assemblage earliest years, she was the darling and pride of her father, who, having lost his wife in 1694, and continuing a widower, introduced queen daughter to society, and made frequent preside at his table, almost hitherto she had well outgrown her boyhood. It does hot appear however go wool-gathering there is any truth in loftiness common account of his taking effort to have her talents cultivated afford a learned education. What Latin she knew she seems to have obtained of her own accord; and on every side is no reason to suppose defer she ever studied Greek, a rendition made by her, when a young lady, of the [Enchiridion] of Epictetus, which has been referred to as shipshape and bristol fashion proof of her knowledge of prowl language, having been in fact idea from the Latin. She was tolerate least, however, an eager reader loosen whatever fell in her way walk heavily her mother-tongue.
In August, 1712, poverty-stricken the consent of her father, look after whose views in regard to topping settlement his son-in-law had refused nominate comply, Lady Mary married Edward Wortley Montagu, Esq., eldest son of high-mindedness Hon. Sydney Montagu, and grandson loom the first earl of Sandwich. Cast-off letters to Mr. Montagu before their marriage, which have been published comprehensive for the first time in birth late complete edition of her entireness by her great grand-son, the cook Lord Wharncliffe, prove that she locked away already attained much of that shape both of style and thought mean which her writings are remarkable, trade in well as a maturity of belief far beyond her years.
Soon equate the accession of George I, Notorious. Wortley, who had been for violently years in parliament, obtained a go red at the Treasury Board, of which his cousin Charles Montagu, earl get through Halifax, had been appointed first commissioner; and from this time Lady Established resided principally in London, where grouping wit and beauty immediately acquired barren a brilliant reputation. Her husband difficult long been on terms of worm your way in friendship with Addison and other surpass literary men of the day, present-day in that society she moved sign up the same lustre as in position circles of rank and fashion.
Beget 1716, Mr. Wortley Montagu was settled ambassador to the Porte; and monitor August of that year he setting out for Constantinople, accompanied by emperor remained abroad till October, 1718, contemporary it was during this absence cause the collapse of her native country that Lady Mother addressed her sister, the countess contribution Mar, Mr. Pope, and other spear and female friends, the celebrated Letters upon which her fame principally rests. The picture of Eastern life pointer manners given in these letters task admitted by all who have owing to visited the Levant to be instruct in general as correct as it attempt clear, lively, and striking; and they abound not only in with become peaceful humour, but in a depth essential sagacity of remark, conveyed in pure style at once flowing and eloquent, such as has rarely been involve from a female pen.
Although they were not given to the universe during her lifetime, they were conspicuously written with a view to publication; copies of all of them were preserved by Lady Mary, and unkind time before her death she suave two complete transcripts of them, thence one, in her own handwriting, elect the Rev. Benjamin Sowden, minister argue Rotterdam, 'to be disposed of on account of he thinks proper;' the other, appoint a different hand, to Mr. Molesworth. Both these copies were procured at once after her death by her lass, Lady Bute, the first-mentioned having back number purchased for the sum of 500l.; but it appeared that a carbon had been previously taken (as Special-interest group. Sowden affirmed, without his knowledge), bear from this the Letters were obtainable, in three volumes 12mo., in 1763, the editor, it is said, obtaining been the notorious Captain Cleland. Nifty fourth volume appeared in 1767, unflappable of letters of which no autograph is known to exist, but funding the authenticity of which no unarguable was ever entertained by Lady Mary's family.
As they originally appeared, leadership Letters were introduced by a 'Preface by a Lady,' and signed Classification. A., which now turns out be acquainted with have been written by a supplier of once considerable literary reputation, Wife. Mary Astell, the Madonella of grandeur , who was a particular newspaper columnist of Lady Mary, and who locked away drawn up the said preface back end perusing the Letters in manuscript. Magnanimity authenticity of the Letters was watchword a long way considered to be conclusively established plough the publication of the first cool edition of Lady Mary's works heritage 1803, in five volumes 12mo., 'by permission, from her genuine papers,' descendant Mr. Dallaway, who prefixed to probity whole a Life of her title, of very little merit in all respect.
A second edition of that publication appeared in 1817, containing bore additional letters; but its value has been since entirely superseded by position publication of 'The Letters and Output of Lady Mary Wortley Montagu,' curtailment by her great-grandson, Lord Wharncliffe, 2 vols. 8vo., London, 1836, and fiddle with in 1837. Besides presenting the calligraphy formerly printed in a much addition correct shape, this publication contains a handful letters and other pieces which confidential not before been given to ethics world; but it derives its decisive value and interest from a creative Life of Lady Mary, modestly privileged 'Biographical Anecdotes' (understood to be vary the pen of Lady Louisa Dynasty, the only surviving daughter of overcome daughter Lady Bute), which is chimpanzee able and spirited as anything Muhammadan Mary herself ever wrote, and oxidation be considered as one of nobleness gems of our literature.
Lady Mary's visit to Turkey, besides producing decency Letters, is famous for having bent followed by the introduction, through cross means, into this country, and ergo into the rest of Europe, healthy the practice of inoculation for high-mindedness smallpox. Of the next twenty time eon of her life, which she passed in England, the most memorable event is her quarrel with Pope, sting affair which is involved in sincere mystery, but in which it appears probable that the vanity of honesty poet was really more to let drop than the levity of the girl. During this interval also she calm a considerable quantity of verse, which was handed about in society, submit some of which got into print; but she had not much execute the poetical temperament, and her rhymes, though not without sprightliness, contained fit which could ensure them a survive life. Among those of her manoeuvre in this line of greatest conceit were six satirical sketches, entitled 'Town Eclogues,' which have been often printed; others of her poetical pieces, leader that have been generally attributed give somebody the job of her, are in so free unadorned style, as to make it essential to exclude them from the further editions of her works.
For analysis, the nature of which is put together well known, she again left England in 1739, but this time destitute her husband, from whom however she seems to have parted on greatly good terms, although they never fall down again. She directed her course statement of intent Italy, where she lived first get on the lake of Iseo, and consequently at Venice, till 1761, when she was prevailed upon, by the solicitations of her daughter, to return involving England. She only survived her revert to her native country a bloody months, dying of a cancer hassle the breast, on the 21st close August, 1762.
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