Mary Sidney Herbert
Mary Sidney Herbert, born on October 27, 1561, was a prominent English noblewoman and literary figure, recognized for her significant contributions to literature during the late 16th and early 17th centuries. As the daughter of Sir Henry and Lady Mary Sidney, she was educated at home and excelled in languages, music, and needlecraft, earning admiration for her artistic talents. In 1577, she married Henry Herbert, the second Earl of Pembroke, and together they had four children who achieved notable positions in society.
Following the death of her famed brother, Philip Sidney, in 1586, Mary became a devoted patron of the arts, supporting contemporary writers and overseeing the publication of her brother’s works, including "Arcadia." Although much of her poetry remained unpublished, she authored a pastoral dialogue and translations, notably "A Discourse of Life and Death" and "Antonius," which contributed to the development of English blank verse. Mary Sidney Herbert is often regarded as the first significant female English writer, and her legacy continues to inspire discussions on women's contributions to literature, despite the loss of much of her work. She passed away on September 25, 1621, and was laid to rest in Salisbury Cathedral alongside her husband.
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Mary Sidney Herbert
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- Born: October 27, 1561
- Birthplace: Tickenhall near Bewdley, Worcestershire, England
- Died: September 25, 1621
- Place of death: London, England
Biography
Mary Sidney was born on October 27, 1561 at Tickenhall, near Bewdley in Worcestershire, the third daughter of Sir Henry and Lady Mary Sidney. Her mother was the daughter of John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland, and a close friend of Queen Elizabeth. Her elder brother Philip became one of the principal writers of his era, while the elder of her two younger brothers, Robert, became an influential courtier and Earl of Leicester. She was educated at home, mastering several languages and the standard humanist curriculum, although she was more highly praised for her feminine accomplishments: her artistry as a singer and lute-player, and her skill in needlecraft—she was often cited as a standard for celebratory comparison in music and needlework alike.
When her older sister Ambrosia died, Mary was invited to take her place at court in 1575. Her brother Robert arranged her marriage to Henry Herbert, the second Earl of Pembroke, in 1577; she was sixteen and he forty-three. Henry had been married twice before, once to Catherine Grey, the sister of the unlucky Lady Jane, whom Mary’s maternal grandfather had contrived to enthrone for nine days. Mary Sidney and Henry Herbert had four children who survived infancy. Their elder son, William, inherited his father’s title in 1601 and became lord chamberlain of the court and chancellor of Oxford University. The younger, Philip, a favorite of James I, succeeded his brother as the fourth earl in 1630 and became vice-chancellor of Oxford in 1641 after deserting Charles I to join Parliamentarians.
The Herberts’ principal residences were a country estate at Wilton, near Salisbury, and their London residence, Baynards Castle. It was at Wilton that Philip Sidney began Arcadia, allegedly at his sister’s instigation; when he died in 1586, she was barred from attending his funeral or contributing to any of the collections of eulogies published in is honor. However, she spent the rest of her life working in his name as a literary patron, giving money to his friends—including Samuel Daniel, Nicholas Breton and Ben Jonson—supervising the 1593 and 1598 editions of Arcadia and translating works in which he had taken an interest. Her poetry, heavily influenced by her brother’s example, mostly went unpublished, although a pastoral dialogue in praise of Elizabeth reached print in 1602, a year after her husband’s death and her best-known works were paraphrases of the psalms. Her translations include A Discourse of Life and Death from the French of Robert de Mornay and Antonius, a version of Robert Garnier’s Marc Antoine that provided the first English version of the oft-recycled story of Antony and Cleopatra and offered a significant early exemplar of blank verse drama.
The Countess of Pembroke was undoubtedly the first female English writer of any great importance, and modern feminists can only regret that much of her own work was lost, while the poets who dedicated works to her by the score preferred to praise her other qualities. She died of smallpox on September 25, 1621, and was buried with her husband in Salisbury Cathedral.