ENGLISH 313: AUGUSTAN WRITERS I
(English Literature, 1660-1714)
Fall 1999

From Margaret Cavendish's A True Relation

My Father was a Gentleman, which Title is grounded and given by Merit, not by Princes; and 'tis the act of Time, not Favour; and though my Father was not a Peer of the Realm, yet there were few Peers who had much greater Estates, or lived more noble therewith: yet at that time great Titles were to be sold, and not at so high rates, but that his Estate might have easily purchased, and was prest for to take; but my Father did not esteem Titles, unless they were gained by Heroick Actions; and the Kingdome being in a happy Peace with all other Nations, and in it self being governed by a wise King, King james, there was no imployments for Heroick Spirits; and towards the latter end of Queen Elizabeths reign, as soon as he came to Man's estate, he unfortunately kill'd one Mr. Brooks in a single Duel; for my Father by the Laws of Honour could do no less than call him to the Field to question him for an injury he did him, where their Swords were to dispute, and one or both of their lives to decide the argument, wherein my Father had the better; and though my Father by Honour challeng'd him, with Valour fought him, and in Justice kill'd him, yet he suffered more than any Person of Quality usually doth in cases of Honour; for though the Laws be rigorous, yet the present Princes most commonly are gratious in those misfortunes, especially to the injured: but my Father found it not, for his exile was from the time of his misfortunes to Queen Elizabeths death; for the Lord Cobham being then a great Man with Queen Elizabeth, and this Gentleman Mr. Brooks a kinde of a Favourite, and as I take it Brother to the then L. Cobham, which made Queen Elizabeth so severe, not to pardon him: but King James of blessed memory gratiously gave him his pardon, and leave to return home to his Native Country, wherein he lived happily, and died peaceably, leaving a Wife and eight Children, three Sons, and five Daughters, I being the youngest Child he had, and an Infant when he died.

    As for my breeding, it was according to my Birth, and the Nature of my Sex, for my Birth was not lost in my breeding, for as my Sisters was or had been bred, so was I in Plenty, or rather with superfluity; Likewise we were bred Vertuously, Modestly, Civilly, Honorably, and on honest principles: as for plenty, we had not only, for Necessity, Convenience, and Decency, but for delight and pleasure to a superfluity; 'tis true, we did not riot, but we lived orderly.

. . .

But this unnatural War came like a Whirlwind, which fell'd down their Houses, where some in the Wars were crusht to death, as my youngest Brother Sir Charles Lucas, and my brother Sir Thomas Lucas; and though my Brother Sir Thomas Lucas died not immediately of his Wounds, yet a Wound he received on his head in Ireland shortned his life.

. . .

   But sometime after this War began; I knew not how they lived; for though most of them were in Oxford, wherein the King was, yet after the Queen went from Oxford, and so out of England, I was parted from them; for when the Queen was in Oxford, I had a great desire to be one of her Maids of Honour, hearing the Queen had not the same number she was used to have, whereupon I wooed and won my Mother to let me go, for my Mother being fond of all her Children, was desirous to please them, which made her consent to my requests.  But my Brothers and sisters seem'd not very well pleas'd, by reason I had never been from home, nor seldome out of their sight; for though they knew I would not behave my self to their, or my own dishonour, yet they thought I might to my disadvantage, being unexperienced in the World . . . . and indeed I was so afraid to dishonour my Friends and Family by my indiscrete actions, that I rather chose to be accounted a Fool, than to be thought rude or wanton; in truth my bashfulness and fears made me repent my going from home to see the World abroad, and much I did desire to return to my Mother again, or to my Sister Pye. . . but my Mother advised me there to stay.

. . .

She made her house her cloyster, inclosing her self, as it were therein, for she seldom went abroad, unless to Church, but these unhappy Warrs forc't her out; by reason she and her children were loyall to the King, for which they plundered her, and my Brothers of all their Goods, Plate, Jewells, Money, Corn, Cattle, and the like, cut down their Woods, pull'd down their Houses and sequestred them from their Lands and Livings; but in such misfortunes, my Mother was of an Heroick Spirit, in suffering patiently where there is no remedy, or to be industrious where she thought she could help; She was of a grave Behaviour, and has such a Majestick Grandeur, as it were continually hung about her, that it would strike a kind of an awe to the beholders, and command respect from the rudest, I mean the rudest of civiliz'd people, I mean not such Barbarous people, as plundered her, and used her cruelly, for they would have pulled God out of Heaven, had they had power, as they did Royaltie out of his Throne. . . . But as I said, my mother lived to see the ruin of her Children, in which was her ruin, and then dyed. . .

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