A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Newcastle, Margaret Cavendish, Duchess of
NEWCASTLE, MARGARET CAVENDISH, DUCHESS OF,
Youngest daughter of Sir Charles Lucas, was born at St John's, near Colchester, in Essex, towards the latter end of the reign of James the First. She lost her father in infancy, but her mother gave her daughters a careful education. Margaret early displayed a taste for literature, to which she devoted most of her time. In 1643, she WAS chosen maid of honour to Henrietta Maria, wife to Charles the First The Lucas family being loyal, Margaret accompanied her royal mistress when driven from this country to her native land. At Paris, she married, in 1645, the Marquis of Newcastle, then a widower, and went with him to Rotterdam, and afterwards to Antwerp, where they continued during the remainder of the exile; through which time they were often in great distress, from the failure of the rents due to her husband
On the accession of Charles the Second, the marquis, after sixteen years' absence, returned to England. The marchioness remained at Antwerp to settle their affairs; and having done this successfully, she rejoined her husband, and the remainder of her life was spent in tranquility, and the cultivation of literature. She kept a n amber of young ladies in her house, and some of them slept near her room, that they might be ready to rise at the sound of her bell, and commit to paper any idea that occurred to her. She produced no less than thirteen folios, ten of which are in print. She says of herself, "That it pleased God to command his servant, Nature, to endow her with a poetic and philosophical genius even from her birth, for she did write some books even in that kind before she was twelve years of age."
Her speculations must at least have had the merit of originality, since she was nearly forty, she tells us, before she had read any philosophical authors. One of her maxims was, never to revise er own works, "lest it should disturb her following conceptions."
Her writings, though now almost forgotton, were received with the most extravagant encomiums, from learned bodies and men of eminent erudition. Whatever may be the foundation of this lady's pretension to philosophy, she certainly added to acuteness of mind, great imagination and powers of invention; but she was deficient in judgment, correctness, and cultivation. She composed plays, poems, orations, and philosophical discourses. Among these were, "The World's Olio," "Nature's Picture, drawn by Fancy's Pencil to the Life," "Orations of divers sorts, accommodated to divers places," "Plays," "Philosophical and Physical Opinions," "Observations upon Experimental Philosophy;" to which is added, "The Description of a New World," "Philosophical Letters," "Poems and Phancies," "CCXI Sociable Letters," "The Life of the thrice noble, high, and puissant Prince, William Cavendish, Duke, Marquis, and Earl of Newcastle; Earl of Ogle, Viscount Mansfield, and Baron of Bolsover, of Ogle, Bothal, and Hepple; gentleman of his majesty's bed-chamber; one of his majesty's most honourable privy-council; knight of the most noble order of the Garter; his majesty's lieutenant in Ayre Trent North; who had the honour to be governor to our most glorious king and gracious sovereign in his youth, when he was Prince of Wales; and soon after was made captain-general of all the provinces beyond the river of Trent, and other parts of the kingdom of England, with power, by a special commission, to make knights. Written by the thrice noble and excellent princess, Margaret, Duchess of Newcastle, his wife."
This work, styled "the crown of her labours," was translated into Latin, and printed in 1667. She also wrote a great number of plays. The duchess died in 1673, and was buried, January 7th., 1674, in Westminster Abbey. She was graceful in her person, and humane, generous, pious, and industrious, as the multitude of her works prove. She says of herself, in one of her last works, "I imagine all those who have read my former books will say I have writ enough, unless they were better; but say what you will, it pleaseth me, and, since my delights are harmless, I will satisfy my humour"