THE LADIES 1 PAGEA? V. LUCAS o THE LADIES' PAGEANT BY THE SAME AUTHOR THE OPEN ROAD THE FRIENDLY TOWN THE GENTLEST ART FIRESIDE AND SUNSHINE CHARACTER AND COMEDY LISTENER'S LURE THE LIFE OF CHARLES LAMB ANNE'S TERRIBLE GOOD-NATURE OVER BEMERTON'S : An Easy-going Chronicle. THE LADIES' PAGEANT COPYRIGHT, 1908, Bv THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. Set up and electrotyped. Published October, 19.38. S. Gushing Co. Berwick & Smith C< Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. MY daughter, Mrs. Holland, was confined three or four days ago of a little girl, and is doing very well. I am glad it is a girl ; all the little boys ought to be put to death. Sydney Smith 2018938 TABLE OF CONTENTS " IN THE BEGINNING " . F. W. Bain . . ; I. THE BUDS THE WORLD'S LILY Lord Tennyson . j 3 LOUISA IV. Wordsworth . 4 LITTLE PRINCESS ANNE . Thomas Fuller . . 4 LITTLE Miss POPE . 5 MISTRESS MARGARET HUSSEY . John Skelton 6 MISTRESS CHARLOTTE PULTENEY Ambrose Philips . 7 MISTRESS MARY PRIDEAUX William Strode . . 8 A YOUNG LADY FIVE MONTHS OLD . . . . . . Winthrop M. Praed . 9 NEIGHBOUR NELLY . Robert B. Brough ii MARJORIE FLEMING . . < Dr. John Brown . 12 II. VIRGINAL IANTHE ..... W S. Landor 17 LUCY . . . , John Ruskin / 17 A PHANTOM OF DELIGHT W. Wordsworth . 19 THE MAIDEN OF THE LAKES . Hartley Coleridge 20 MARIAN . . . . . George Meredith . 20 Table of Contents III. THE POETS AND THE IDEAL THE LADY OF THE SONNETS . PAGE W. Shakespeare . . 22 BEN'S IDEAL .... Ben Jonson ... 23 CASTARA William Habington . 23 CAMPION'S LADY Thomas Campion . 25 "MY DEAR MISTRESS" . Earl of Rochester . . 26 ROSALYNE .... Thomas Lodge . . 26 SAMELA Robert Greene . . 28 MY LUVE .... Robert Burns . . 29 JULIA Robert Herrick . . 29 THE SHEPHERD'S NYMPH Earl of Oxenford . 30 DlAPHENIA H Constable . . 32 A LADY SWEET AND KIND Anon 33 CHERRY RIPE .... Thomas Campion . 33 A DESCRIPTION OF A MOST NOBLE LADY John Hey wood . . 34 THREE ROSES .... W. S. Landor . . 37 MARGUERITE .... Matthew Arnold . . 37 MY LOVE . T R Lowell . . 40 AMATURUS .... W. R Cory ... 41 MAUD / nrd WMWI/C/IW. A 1 IV. A STATESMAN'S IDEAL THE CHARACTER OF Edmund Burke . . 45 MRS. BURKE .... 7. Macknight . . 47 V. A WEST-COUNTRY BEVY THE MILK-MAID o' THE FARM William Barnes . . 49 THE MAID VOR MY BRIDE 50 BLACKMWORE MAIDENS . ..5 2 MY LOVE is GOOD . . 53 Table of Contents RUTH A-RIDEN .... PAGE William Barnes . . 54 THE DEVON MAID . John Keats ... 56 VI. DAUGHTERS OF ERIN AN IRISH GIRL . . . V. V. V. . . 58 PEG OF LIMAVADDY W. M. Thackeray . 59 NORAH CREINA . Thomas Moore . . 65 THE STAR OF SLANE Anon. .... 66 MRS. VESEY .... T.Macknight . . 68 A THOROUGH-BRED . X. .... 69 VII. THE TENDER NORTH ROBBIE'S SUM OF THE WHOLE MATTER .... Robert Burns . . 73 Miss JANE SCOTT John Gay 75 BONNIE LESLEY Robert Burns . . 75 MARY MORISON 76 JEANIE MORRISON . William Motherwell . 77 HIGHLAND MARY Robert Burns . . 80 ... Joaquin Miller . . 8 1 JEAN Robert Burns . . 82 VIII. WAYSIDE FLOWERS THE GIRLS OF BETHLEHEM A. W. Kinglake . . 84 FAYAWAY Herman Melville . 86 PHILLIS Drummond of Haw- thornden ... 88 MOLLY MOG .... John Gay ... 89 THE ROMANY GIRL . R. W. Emerson . . 90 ANN Thomas de Quincey . 92 Table of Contents IX. THE HEROINES PAGE GODIVA W. S. Landor . . 95 JOAN OF ARC .... Thomas de Quincey . 98 .... Andrew Lang . . 100 MADAME ROLAND . . . Thomas Carlyle . . 101 ... W. S. Landor . .104 CHARLOTTE CORD AY . . Thomas Carlyle . .105 ... W, S. Landor . . 1 10 FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE . . H. W. Longfellow . 1 10 . Robert Holden . 112 X. SHAKESPEARE'S WOMEN SHAKESPEARE'S WOMEN . . John Ruskin . -113 PERDITA Shakespeare . . .116 JULIET AND HER NURSE . . . . .116 JULIET'S NURSE . . . Walter De la Marc . 119 MARINA Shakespeare , . . 1 20 SYLVIA ... 120 LADY PERCY .... ... 121 THE LADY BLANCH ... ... 122 DESDEMONA .... ... 123 CLEOPATRA .... ... 125 CORDELIA .... ... 127 VIOLA ... 129 BIANCA ... 130 SHAKESPEARE'S WOMEN . . Heinrich Heine . .130 XI. SIR WALTER'S LADIES SIR WALTER'S LADIES . . John Ruskin . .132 REBECCA Sir Walter Scott . .133 Di VERNON .... . 134 Table of Contents CATHERINE SETON Sir Walter Scott ROSE BRADWARDINE . 136 MISTRESS BETHUNE BALIOL . 138 VARIA ..... . 142 XII. A SPECIAL TRIO BEATRIX W. M. Thackeray . 144 CLARA MIDDLETON . George Meredith . . 146 Miss JANE Cox John Keats . . 148 XIII. GOOD COMPANY THE PRIORESS .... Chaucer . 150 HESTER JOHNSON Dean Swift . . 152 MRS. DlNGLEY .... ,, . 152 BELINDA ..... A. Pope . 154 THE BERRYS .... Horace Walpole . J 55 MARGARET FORDYCE R. B. Sheridan . . 156 Miss WALDRON . George Crabbe the Younger . 158 LADY ASHBURTON . Charles Greville . . 158 ... Lord Houghton . 1 60 STAFF NURSE: OLD STYLE W. . Henley 163 NEW STYLE . . 163 MRS. GROTE .... Fanny Kemble . . 164 MRS. PROCTER .... Henry James . 166 LADY EVERINGHAM . . . B. Disraeli . . 169 XIV. THE GENTLE LADY MORTON . , ' Sir Henry Wotton . 170 SISTER SAINT LUKE . -. John Hay . . 170 EDITH Lord Tennyson . Table of Contents MADAM LIBERALITY VISITOR Mrs. Ewing IV. E. Henley . 172 175 176 XV. MOTHERS EVE John Milton X 77 THE MOTHER OF MARCELLA . Cervantes . 178 A ROMAN WIFE T. E. Brown . 178 DAME HESTER TEMPLE . Thomas Fuller . 179 A FORECAST .... W. Wordsworth . . 180 GEORGE HERBERT'S MOTHER . John Donne . 180 POPE'S MOTHER . . . A. Pope . 182 SUSANNA WESLEY . Susanna Wesley . . 182 COWPER'S MOTHER . William Cowper . . 185 A ROMAN MOTHER . T. E. Brown . 189 XVI. THE WIFE PERFECT XVII. FAMILY FRIENDS THE SCHOOLMISTRESS W. Shenstone . 197 THE NURSE .... Katherine Tynan . 200 PREW, HIS MAID Robert Herrick . . 201 ALISON CUNNINGHAM R. L. Stevenson . . 201 MISTRESS NICELY: A PATTERN FOR HOUSEKEEPERS Thomas Hood . 202 SUPHY JOHNSTON Lord Cockburn . 20 3 THE OLD VIEW Sir R. Steeh . 205 ... J. Addison . . 205 XVIII. THE ADVENTURERS LADY HESTER STANHOPE A. W. Kinglake . . 206 ISOPEL BERNERS George Borrow . 208 X Table of Contents XIX. THALIA AND MELPOMENE A SlNGING-GlRL . /. W. Mackail . PAGE 212 PEG WOFFINGTON . . Anon 212 David Garrick . , 2I 3 MRS. BRACEGIRDLE . . Colley Gibber 214 KITTY CI.IVE . Various Writers . 214 MRS. SIDDONS . . Jo tin Wilson 216 . W. Hazlitt . 217 MRS. JORDAN . . Leigh Hunt . 218 MRS. SHERIDAN . C. R. Leslie . 2I 9 ... Thomas Moore 2 2O MALIBRAN Fanny Kemble 22O RACHEL .... 22 3 . Matthew Arnold . 224 XX. ADDISON AND STEELE'S GALLERY LEONORA . . . . . J. Addison . . 227 CLARINDA ... 231 MRS. TRUELOVE ... 235 LIDDY .... . Sir . Steele 237 THE PERVERSE WIDOW . 237 . J. Addison . 241 XXI. 1 DIANAS JULIANA BERNERS . . Thomas Fuller . 2 4 2 MRS. CARELESS An Old South Downer 243 MRS. DALYELL . . Nimrod . . 243 XXII. THE PARAGONS THE LADY MARGARET LEY . John Milton 2 4 6 MRS. ANNE KILLIGREW . . John Dryden 2 4 6 Table of Contents RACHEL, LADY RUSSELL . PAGE Bishop Burnet . . 250 Rachel, Lady Russell . 250 MRS. GODOLPHIN John Evelyn . .251 DOROTHY SELBY Anon 254 ANN BAYNARD Timothy Rogers . . 254 LADY FITZGERALD . W. Wordsworth . . 256 FRANCES DOBBS Jeremy Taylor . .257 INCOGNITA .... Anon 257 XXIII. THE BLUES MADGE NEWCASTLE . Herself . . .258 MARIA WYNDHAM . Anon 260 LYDIA WHITE .... Wilfred Whitten . . 262 THE BLUE STOCKINGS Leigh Hunt . . . 264 REGINA'S MAIDS OF HONOUR . Doctor Maginn . . 266 HARRIET MARTINEAU . 268 THE COUNTESS OF BLESSINGTON Leigh Hunt . . . 270 LADY MORGAN Dr. Maginn . .270 MARIA EDGEWORTH Leigh Hunt . . .271 MRS. NORTON .... Fanny Kemble . .271 LADY JOAN FITZ-WARENE B. Disraeli . . . 273 LITERARY LADIES . Joaquin Miller . . 274 XXIV. CHARACTERS MRS. FREELAND Anon. .... 275 MRS. COTTON .... Horace Walpole . . 275 MRS. HOLMAN .... 276 ANOTHER WIDOW . Washington Irving . 276 THE MARCHIONESS OF HAMP- SHIRE B. Disraeli . . . 277 MRS. ELTON .... Jane Austen . . 278 THE WIDOW BLACKET . Charles Lamb . . 283 Miss ANNE .... E.V.L. . . . 285 MEG MERRILEES John Keals . . .289 xii Table of Contents XXV. FRIENDS OF THE COURTLY THE QUEEN OF JAMES i. James i. PAGE 291 THE QUEEN OF BOHEMIA Sir Henry Wotton 292 LADY JANE MAITLAND . W. Drummond . 293 LUCY, COUNTESS OF BEDFORD . Ben Jonson . 293 THE COUNTESS OF ANGLESEA . Sir William Davenant 294 MARY, LADY WROTH Ben Jonson . 294 LADY S .... Thomas Carew 295 THE LADY ELIZABETH HASTINGS W. Congreve 2 9 6 Sir R. Steele 297 HOW AM I LIKE HER? . W. M. Praed 297 MRS. BIDDY FLOYD . Dean Swift . 299 BELINDA A. Pope 299 XXVI. SAINTS THE VIRGIN MARY . W. Caxton . . 300 SAINT EDGBURGH Thomas Ftiller 302 SAINT ZITA .... Reginald Balfour 302 SAINT CECILIA .... William Caxton . 303 SAINT ELIZABETH ' ' 33 XXVII. IMMORTAL SISTERS MARY LAMB .... Charles Lamb 307 DOROTHY WORDSWORTH . W. Wordsworth . 3 IO S. T. Coleridge . 3 IO EUGENIE DE GUERIN Matthew Arnold . 3" XXVIII. AUNTS AND GRANDMOTHERS AUNTIE R. L. Stevenson . 3H AUNT CAROLINE Alfred Cochrane . 3H OLD AUNT MARY J. Whitcomb Riley . 317 Table of Contents PAGE THE AUNT .... /. G. Whittier . 320 AUNT ANNE Mrs. W. K. Clifford . 721 GRANNY J. Whitcomb Riley o^* 323 CRAMMER'S SHOES . William Barnes . 325 To MY GRANDMOTHER Frederick Locker . 326 A GENTLEWOMAN OF THE OLD SCHOOL .... Austin Dobson 328 BEAUTIFUL WOMEN . Walt Whitman . 332 CHAUCER'S PRAISE OF WOMEN Chaucer 332 XXIX. THE TYRANTS SARAH, DUCHESS OF MARL- BOROUGH .... Horace Walpole . 334 IADY CORK .... James Bo swell 334 .... Fanny Kemble 335 MRS. DUNDAS .... Lord Cockburn 337 LADY DON AND MRS. ROCHEAD OF INVERLEITH . Lord Cockburn 338 THE OLD SCOTTISH LADIES . Dean Ramsay 340 Miss MACNABB 342 Miss HELEN CARNEGY . > 343 LADY HOLLAND Charles Greville . 345 ... Thomas Creevey . 347 XXX. DEAD LADIES BALLADE OF DEAD LADIES A. Lang 349 CLAUDIA HOMONCEA /. W. Mackail . 35 ELIZABETH L. H. . Ben Jonson . 35 1 MARGARET RATCLIF^E ... 35i MARGARET . . . W. Drummond . 352 LADY MARIE .... William Strode . 352 MRS, MARY NEUDHAM . ,, 353 Table of Contents PAGE LADY MARY VILLIERS . . Thomas Carew . . 353 ANNE WALTON . . . Anon 354 M'is. MARGARET PASTON . . John Dryden . . 354 MRS. CORBET . A. Pope . . .355 TERNISSA W. S. Landor . . 355 ROSE AYLMER .... 35 6 HESTER Charles Lamb . . 356 UNDER THE VIOLETS . . O. W. Holmes . .357 MY KATE . . . . . Barrett Browning . 359 CHARLOTTE LOCKER . . Frederick Locker . . 360 LADY LOUISA CONOLLY . . Sir George T. Napier . 361 CONCLUSION ALMA MATER . . . . T. E. Brown . . 367 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS XV I WILL be buried with this inscription over me : " Here lies C. L., the Woman-hater" I mean that hated One Woman : for the rest, God bless them, and when He makes any more, make 'em prettier. Charles Lamb THE LADIES' PAGEANT "IN THE BEGINNING " IN the beginning, when Twashtri came to the creation of woman, he found that he had exhausted his materials in the making of man, and that no solid ele- ments were left. In this dilemma, after profound meditation, he did as follows. He took the rotundity of the moon, and the curves of creepers, and the clinging of tendrils, and the trembling of grass, and the slenderness of the reed, and the bloom of flowers, and the lightness of leaves, and the tapering of the elephant's trunk, and the glances of deer, and the clustering rows of bees, and the joyous gaiety of sun- beams, and the weeping of clouds, and the fickleness of the winds, and the timidity of the hare, and the vanity of the peacock, and the softness of the parrot's bosom, and the hardness of adamant, and the sweetness of honey, and the cruelty of the tiger, and the warm glow of fire, and the coldness of snow, and the chattering of jays, and the cooing of the k6kila, and the hypocrisy of the crane, and the fidelity of the chakrawdka ; and com- pounding all these together, he made woman and gave her to man. The Ladies' Pageant But after one week, man came to him, and said : " Lord, this creature that you have given me makes my life miserable. She chatters incessantly, and teases me beyond endurance, never leaving me alone : and she requires incessant attention, and takes all my time up, and cries about nothing, and is always idle ; and so I have come to give her back again, as I cannot live with her." So Twashtri said : " Very well : " and he took her back. Then after another week, man came again to him, and said : " Lord, I find that my life is very lonely since I gave you back that creature. I remember how she used to dance and sing to me, and look at me out of the corner of her eye, and play with me, and cling to me ; and her laughter was music, and she was beautiful to look at, and soft to touch : so give her back to me again." So Twashtri said : " Very well : " and gave her back again. Then after only three days, man came back to him again, and said : " Lord, I know not how it is ; but after all, I have come to the conclusion that she is more of a trouble than a pleasure to me : so please take her back again." But Twashtri said : " Out on you ! Be off ! I will have no more of this. You must manage how you can." Then man said : " But I cannot live with her." And Twashtri replied : " Neither could you live without her." And he turned his back on man, and went on with his work. Then man said: "What is to be done? for I cannot live either with or without her. 1 ' F. W. Bain 2 I THE BUDS O, very beautiful are little girls, And goodly to the sight. /. G- Saxe Erotion <^y UNDERNEATH this greedy stone Lies little sweet Erotion ; Whom the Fates, with hearts as cold, Nipp'd away at six years old. Thou, whoever thou may'st be, That hast this small field after me, Let the yearly rites be paid To her little slender shade ; So shall no disease or jar Hurt thy house, or chill thy Lar ; But this tomb here be alone The only melancholy stone. Leigh Hunt The World's Lily *o