Mary Masters, Poems on Several Occasions (1733). Forgotten Books, 2018. Courtesy Amazon.com.
Mary Masters (?1694-1771?) was an English poet.[1]
Life[]
Masters was born (according to Mary Scott) at Otley (near Leeds), Yorkshire.[1] She was of humble birth, and her genius was "always discountenanced by her parents."[2]
She is spoken of as "chaste, moral, and religious," and "an agreeable and ingenious writer" (Monthly Review, 1st ser. xiii. 155). She seems to have been known to most of the literati of the day; and Dr. Johnson, whom she occasionally visited, is said to have revised her volumes and "illuminated them here and there with a ray of his own genius" (Boswell, edit. Croker, 1860, p. 743).[2]She is also associated with the editor of the Gentleman's Magazine, Edward Cave, whose house was where she sometimes resided when visiting London.[3]
She was patronized by Lord Burlington.[4] In 1733 she published her debut collection, Poems upon Several Occaasions, by subscription; the earliest volume of poems in English to be published by a woman in that way.[1]
She is supposed to have died about 1759.[2]
Writing[]
In her Familiar Letters and Poems upon several Occasions (London, 1755) there are 3 "Short Ejaculations," the 1st of which, the well-known, "'Tis religion that can give Sweetest pleasures while we live," has been adopted in most hymnals. The original consists of 6 lines only; 2 more were added in Rippon's 'Selection' (1787), and. the 8 lines divided into 2 stanzas, in which form the hymn is now known. An ejaculation for use "At the Altar," and beginning, "My ador'd Redeemer! deign to be," is sometimes met with.[2]
Recognition[]
Her poetry was anthologized in Poems by Eminent Ladies, 1755.
Publications[]
Poetry[]
- Poems on Several Occasions. London: printed for the author by T. Browne, 1733.[5]
Collected editions[]
- Familiar Lettes and Poems on Several Occasions. 1755.
Eccept where noted, bibliographical information courtesy WorldCat.[6]
See also[]
References[]
Hadden, James Cuthbert (1894) "Masters, Mary" in Lee, Sidney Dictionary of National Biography 37 London: Smith, Elder, p. 25. Wikisource, Web, Mar. 13, 2017.- Smith, Gwen D. (2000). "Women Writers - 17th & 18th century". Rare Book and Texana Collections. University of North Texas. Retrieved 1 February 2015.
Notes[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Mary Masters, Orlando: Women's writing in the British Isles from the beginning to the present, University of Cambridge. Web, Mar. 13, 2017.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Hadden, 25.
- ↑ Smith 2000.
- ↑ Marilyn L. Williamson, Mary Masters (fl. 1733) and Mary Barber (1690-1757), Raising Their Voices: British women writers, 1650-1750, Wayne State University Press, 1990, 126.
- ↑ Poems on Several Occasions, Hathi Trust Digital Libary. Web, Mar. 13, 2017.
- ↑ Search results = au:Mary Masters, WorldCat, OCLC Online Computer Library Center Inc. Web, Mar. 13, 2017.
External links[]
- Poems
- Masters in A Book of Women's Verse: "To One who Questioned her being the Author of some Verses," "Answer to a Panegyrick by one who supposed her handsome"
- Mary Masters at Hymnary (2 hymns)
- Mary Masters (4 poems) at Poetical Scavenger
- About
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain, the Dictionary of National Biography (edited by Leslie Stephen). London: Smith, Elder, 1885-1900. Original article is at: Masters, Mary
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