[182] Stanley’s Memorials of Westminster Abbey, p. 247.
M. Montégut says that, during her later years she was often spoken of as “That fool, Mad Madge of Newcastle”. Yet Kippis states that the Rev. Knightly Chatwood, afterwards Dean of Gloucester, “wrote a preposterously over-laudatory elegy” on her death, “in whose guilt the author of this note would be involved, were he to produce any quotation from so impious a performance”.
Of course the Duchess has much to say about her own literary powers. Here is a specimen of it:—
“But it pleased God to command his Servant Nature to indue me with a Poetical and Philosophical Genius, even from my Birth: for I did write some Books in that kind, before I was twelve years of Age”.
One very precious and very touching criticism of our Duchess has happily been preserved. It was made by her devoted husband, the Duke himself. A friend had congratulated him on having such a very wise woman as his wife; whereupon, he exclaimed with genuine emotion: “Sir, a very wise woman is a very foolish thing”.[183]
[183] Richardsonia, by Jonathan Richardson, pp. 249, 250.
It is consoling to learn that the Duchess could sometimes condescend to lower matters than literature. We have Her Grace’s own authority for stating that she was fond of dress. She says:—
“I took great delight in attiring, fine dressing, and fashions, especially such fashions as I did invent myself, not taking that pleasure in such fashions as was invented by others: also I did dislike any should follow my Fashions, for I always took delight in a singularity, even in accoutrements of habits, but whatsoever I was addicted to, either in fashion of Cloths, contemplation of Thoughts, actions of Life, they were Lawful, Honest, Honourable, and Modest, of which I can avouch to the world with a great confidence, because it is a pure Truth”.
Next, let us hear what Pepys has to say about her dress and other matters, in an entry in his Diary containing another notice of “The Humorous Lovers”.