1 Women’s Works
===================================================================================
Volume 3: 1603 -1625
===================================================================================
Welcome to Women’s Works, Volume Three
xiii
I. LADIES OF THE COURT
ANNA of DENMARK (1574 - 1619)
Prince Henry to his mother, Queen Anna (April 1603)
King James to Queen Anna (13 May 1603)
Character Sketch by Maximilian, duke of Sully
Report of the Venetian Ambassador
Anna Regina to King James (August 1603)
Anna Regina to King James (September 1603)
Anna Regina to King James (November? 1603)
Anna Regina to King James (June 1604)
Anna Regina to Sir George Villiers (June 1616)
Anna Regina to King James (August 1616)
Anna Regina to George Villiers, Viscount Villiers (August 1616)
Anna Regina to King James (July 1617)
Anna Regina to George Villiers, Earl of Buckingham (Sept. 1617)
Anna Regina to King James (June1618)
Anna Regina to George Villiers, Marquess Buckingham (Sept. 1618)
Queen Anna’s Jewels: A Mystery (1619-1625)
ARBELLA STUART (1575-1615)
Arbella to her grandmother, Elizabeth Talbot (8 Feb. 1587/8)
Bess of Hardwick to Lord Burghley (December 1602)
Lady Arbella’s Adventure: Instructions for the Earl of Hertford (December 1602)
Apology to Queen Elizabeth (early Jan. 1603)
Declaration of Arbella Stuart (2 March 1602/3)
Lady Arbella to Sir Henry Brounker (7 March 1602/3)
Lady Arbella to Sir Henry Brounker (9 March 1602/3)
Lords of the Council to the Dowager Countess of Shrewsbury (14 March 1602/3)
Sir Anthony Weldon, from The Court and Character of King James
Lady Arbella to Uncle Gilbert Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury (16 Sept. 1603)
Lady Arbella to Uncle Gilbert Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury (8 Dec. 1603)
Lady Arbella to Aunt Mary Talbot, Countess of Shrewsbury (8 Dec. 1603)
The Venetian Ambassador’s report (30 May 1607)
Lady Arbella to Uncle Gilbert Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury (17 June 1609)
Lady Arbella to the Privy Council (July 1610)
Lady Arbella to the King James (c. Oct. 1610)
Lady Arbella to the King James (c. Dec. 1610)
Lady Arbella to her husband, William Seymour (n.d. 1610)
Lady Arbella to the Lord Chief Justices (c. Feb. 1610/1)
1
5
7
8
8
9
9
10
10
14
14
14
15
15
16
16
17
21
22
22
23
24
24
25
26
28
29
29
30
31
31
32
33
33
33
34
34
• Women’s Works, vol. 3 •
CECILY BOULSTRED (1584-1609)
Ben Jonson (“Sir John Roe”): An Elegy to Mistress Boulstred
Ben Jonson’s Muse (Song: To Celia, Song to Celia, Shall I not my Celia Bring?)
Ben Jonson: On the Court Pucell
Francis Anthony: “Mistress Cecily Boulstred,” from Aurum Potabile
Sir Edward Herbert: Epitaph. Caecil. Boulser
John Donne: from Elegy on Mistress Boulstred and Elegy IX
Ben Jonson: Epitaph
Cecilia Boulstred: News of my Morning Work
Thomas Carew: Ingrateful Beauty Threatened
Sir Thomas Roe: from Embassy to the Court of the Great Mogul, 1615-1619)
36
36
39
41
45
47
48
49
49
51
52
LUCY (HARINGTON) RUSSELL (1581-1627)
John Donne: Holy Sonnet 10
John Donne: from Elegy on Mistress Boulstred
John Donne: from Elegy to the Lady Bedford
Lucy Russell: Elegy on Mistress Boulstred (1609)
53
54
55
55
56
II. LITIGANTS
ELIZABETH BRYDGES (1575-1617)
Frances, Lady Chandos, to the Earl of Rutland (2 June 1587)
Affidavit of Charles Lister (11 Dec. 1598)
Elizabeth, Lady Russell, to Robert Cecil (24 June 1597 and September 1599)
Elizabeth, Lady Kennedy, to Robert Cecil, Viscount Cranborn (n.d., 1604)
Death notice (October 1617)
59
59
62
63
66
69
ANNE CLIFFORD (SACKVILLE HERBERT) (1590 - 1676)
From A True Memorial of the Life of Me (1589-1603)
From the Knole Diary (March 1602/3-Jan. 1614/5)
From The Life of Me (Sep. 1605-20 Jan. 1615/6)
From the Knole Diary (Jan. 1615/6-24 March 1615/6)
From The Life of Me (2 April 1616-24 April 1616)
From the Knole Diary (2 May 1616-30 June 1623)
From The Life of Me (July 1623-3 June 1628)
From The Kendal Diary (1584-1650)
70
74
75
78
81
81
81
86
87
MARGARET CUNNINGHAM (HAMILTON MAXWELL) (1587 – 1622?)
A Part of the Life of Margaret Cunningham (1608)
The True Copy of a Letter (19 May 1607)
Lines (1607)
Unto my Lady Marquess of Hamilton (2 Oct. 1622)
Anna Cunningham to Rev. John Livingston (1630s)
89
91
101
104
105
109
DISCOURSE: Of Husbands Beating their Wives, Of Divorce, Of Civil & Canon Law
110
PETITIONS: Writing for Women’s Rights (1603-1625)
111
ELIZABETH (THROCKMORTON) DALE (1569?-1640)
Lady Elizabeth Dale: Petition to the Parliament (1624)
114
120
3 III. ACTIVISTS
ELIZABETH ARNOLD (fl. 1616)
Against the Painting of Women (1616)
121
123
RACHEL SPEGHT (PROCTER) (1598 - c. 1661)
From A Muzzle for Melastomus (1617)
Mortality’s Memorandum, part 1: The Dream (1621)
125
128
135
ESTER SOWERNAM, pseud.
Ester Hath Hanged Haman (1617)
139
140
IV. SINNERS
The WITCHES OF PENDLE FOREST (d. 1612)
From A Wonderful Discovery of Witches in Lancaster (1613)
161
165
The FLOWERS OF BELVOIR CASTLE (d. 1618, 1619)
From A Wonderful Discovery of the Witchcrafts near Belvoir Castle (1613)
190
192
ELIZABETH SAWYER, Witch of Edmonton (d. 1621)
From A True Declaration (1621)
199
201
ELIZABETH JENNINGS (b. 1610, fl. 1622)
The Bewitchment of Elizabeth Jennings (1622)
208
209
MARGARET FEARNSIDE (d. 1608)
The Arraignment and Burning of Margaret Fernseed
213
215
MARTHA SCAMBLER
From Deed Against Nature and Monsters by King
218
221
BESSIE CLARKSON (1603 - 1625)
The Conflict in Conscience of Bessie Clarkson (1625)
224
225
V. MOTHERS
ROSE (LOCKE) HICKMAN THROCKMORTON (1526 - 1613)
Certain Old Stories Recorded by an Aged Gentlewoman (1610)
233
235
DOROTHY (KEMPE) LEIGH (1561-1613)
From The Mother’s Blessing (1616)
243
244
OF MIDWIVES
249
ELIZABETH (KNYVETT) CLINTON (1575 - 1638)
The Countess of Lincoln’s Nursery (1622)
250
252
MOTHER’S MILK IN MEDICAL DISCOURSE
256
ELIZABETH (BROOK) JOCELIN (1595-1622)
A Mother’s Legacy to her Unborn Child (1621; pub. 1624)
258
260
VI. POETS
WOMEN’S RITES
Lullabies (1603-1625)
Lover’s Laments (1603-1625)
Anon., Song of the Marrying Maiden
262
262
265
266
ELIZABETH MELVILLE (COLVILLE) (1582? - 1640)
Invocation
Sonnets 3-4
From Love’s Lament for Christ’s Absence
A Godly Dream in Scots (1603) and English (1604)
Letters to John Livingston (1626 -1631)
267
268
269
269
271
281
• Women’s Works, vol. 3 •
MARY OXLIE (REIDHEAD) (fl. 1616)
To the Author (1616)
To William Drummond (1616)
291
292
292
MARY (GREY) DRAYTON (1585-1643)
On the Decease of My Incomparable Sister (1615)
A Funeral Pyramid
To the Soul
293
293
294
294
PENELOPE GREY (SALTER) (b. 1591-c.1640)
Parodia (1615)
295
295
ANNE (GREY) MASTERS (1595-1645)
To Her Soul-Loved Sister (1615)
296
296
AEMILIA (BASSANO) LANYER (1569 -1645)
From Salve Deus Rex Judaeorum (1611):
To the Doubtful Reader
To the Virtuous Reader
To the Queen’s Most Excellent Majesty
To the Lady Elizabeth’s Grace
The Author’s Dream: to Mary, Countess of Pembroke
On Beauty: to Margaret Clifford, Countess of Cumberland
From the Preamble
An Apology for Women
To My Lady of Cumberland / To the Lady Dowager of Cumberland
The Description of Cookham
297
299
299
300
302
302
302
303
304
305
308
311
ELIZABETH (TANFIELD) CARY (1585? - 1639)
The Tragedy of Mariam, Fair Queen of Jewry (1613)
314
316
MARY (SIDNEY) WROTH (1587 - c. 1652)
W. Herbert: Elegy (1603)
Mary Wroth: Penshurst Mount (1603 and 1621 texts, in parallel)
From Love’s Victory (c. 1615)
From Pamphilia to Amphilanthus (1621)
From The Countess of Montgomery’ s Urania (1621)
Sir Edward Denny: To Pamphilia (1621)
Mary Wroth: Railing Rhymes Returned (1621)
Letter to Buckingham (1621)
347
348
349
352
353
361
372
373
373
GENDER. CLASS and POLITICS
The Diggers of Warwickshire to All other Diggers
King James, The Wiper of the People’s Tears (1623)
“A Lady”: An Answer to the Wiper-Away (1623)
Anon., To Saint Elizabeth: The Petition of the Commons (1623)
375
376
380
382
383
TEXTUAL NOTES
BIBLIOGRAPHY OF WORKS CITED
FIRST-LINE INDEX TO POETRY
GENERAL INDEX
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
389
404
409
411
416