[We find by Letter xix. that the Duchefs of Buckinghamshire would have had Mr. Pope to draw her husband's Character. But though he refused this office, yet in his Epiftle, on the Characters of Women, thefe lines, To heirs unknown defcends th' unguarded store, are fuppofed to mark her out in fuch a manner as not to be mistaken for another; and having faid of himself, that he held a lye in profe and verse to be the fame: All this together gave a handle to his enemies, fince his death, to publish the following Paper (intitled The Character of Katharine, &c.) as written by him. To which (in vindication of the deceafed Poet) we have fubjoined a Letter to a friend, that will let the Reader fully into the hiftory of the writing and publication of this extraordinary CHARACTER.] The CHARACTER of KATHARINE, LATE Duchefs of Buckinghamshire and Normanby. By the late Mr. POPE. HE was the daughter of James the second, and SHE of the Countefs of Dorchefter, who inherited the Integrity and Virtue of her father with happier fortune. She was married firft to James earl of Anglesey; and fecondly, to John Sheffield duke of Buckinghamshire and Normanby; with the former The exercised the virtues of Patience and Suffering, as long as there was any hopes of doing good by either; with the latter all other Conjugal virtues. The man of fineft fenfe and fharpeft difcernment, fhe had the happiness to please; and in that, found her her only pleasure. When he died, it feemed as if his fpirit was only breathed into her, to fulfil what he had begun, to perform what he had concerted, and to preferve and watch over what he had left, bis only fon; in the care of whofe Health, the forming of whofe Mind, and the improvement of whofe Fortune, he acted with the conduct and fenfe of the Father, foften'd, but not overcome, with the tenderness of the Mother. Her Understanding was fuch as must have made a figure, had it been in a man; but the Modesty of her sex threw a veil over its luftre, which nevertheless fupprefs'd only the expreffion, not the exertion of it; for her fenfe was not fuperior to her Refolution, which, when once fhe was in the right, preferv'd her from making it only a tranfition to the wrong, the frequent weakness even of the best women. She often followed wife counfel, but fometimes went before it, always with fuccefs. She was poffeffed of a fpirit, which affifted her to get the better of thofe accidents which admitted of any redrefs, and enabled her to fupport outwardly, with decency and dignity, those which admitted of none; yet melted inwardly, through almoft her whole life, at a fucceffion of melancholy and affecting objects, the loss of all her Children, the misfortunes of Relations and Friends, public and private, and the death of those who were dearest to her. Her Heart was as compaffionate as it was great: Her Affections warm even to follicitude : her Friendship not violent or jealous, but rational and perfevering: her Gratitude equal and conftant to the living; to the dead boundless and heroical. What perfon foever she found worthy of her esteem, The would not give up for any power on earth; and the greateft on earth whom he could not esteem, obtain❜d from her no farther tribute than Decency. Her Good-will was wholly directed by merit, not by accident; not measured by the regard they pro N 4 fefs'd fefs'd for her own defert, but by her idea of theirs: And as there was no merit which fhe was not able to imitate, there was none which fhe could envy: therefore her Converfation was as free from detraction, as her Opinions from prejudice or prepoffeffion. As her Thoughts were her own, fo were her Words; and fhe was as fincere in uttering her Judgment, as impartial in forming it. She was a fafe Companion, many were ferv'd, none ever fuffered by her acquaintance: inoffenfive, when unprovoked; when provoked, not ftupid: But the moment her enemy ceafed to be hurtful, fhe could ceafe to act as an enemy. She was therefore not a bitter but confiftent enemy: (tho indeed, when forced to be fo, the more a finish'd one for having been long a making.) And her proceeding with ill people was more in a calm and fteddy courfe, like Juftice, than in quick and paffionate onsets, like Revenge. As for those of whom the only thought ill, fhe confidered them not so much as once to wish them ill; of fuch, her Contempt was great enough to put a stop to all other Paffions that could hurt them. Her Love and Averfion, her Gratitude and Refentment, her Efteem and Neglect were equally open and ftrong, and alterable only from the alteration of the perfons who created them. Her Mind was too noble to be infincere, and her Heart too honest to stand in need of it; fo that fhe never found cause to repent her Conduct either to a friend or an enemy. There remains only to speak of her Perfon, which was most amiably majestic, the niceft eye could find no fault in the outward lineaments of her Face or proportion of her Body: it was fuch, as pleas'd wherever she had a defire it fhould; yet fhe never envied that of any other, which might better please in general: In the fame manner, as being content that her merits were esteemed where The fhe defired they fhould, fhe never depreciated those of any other that were efteemed or preferred elfewhere. For fhe aimed not at a general love or a general esteem where he was not known; it was enough to be poffefs'd of both wherever he was. Having lived to the age of Sixty-two years; not courting Regard, but receiving it from all who knew her; not loving Bufinefs. but difcharging it fully wherefoever duty or friendship engaged her in it; not following Greatnefs, but not declining to pay respect, as far as was due from independency and difintereft; having honourably abfoly'd all the parts of life, the forfook this World, where fhe had left no act of duty or virtue undone, for that where alone fuch acts are rewarded, on the 13th Day of March, -1742-3 *. *The above Character, was written by Mr. Pope "fome years before her Grace's Death." So the printed Edition. Mr. Mr. POPE to JAMES MOYSER, of Be I DEAR SIR, verly, Efq; Bath, July 11, 1743. Am always glad to hear of you, and where I can, I always enquire of you. But why have you omitted to tell me one word of your own health? The account of our friend's is truly melancholy, added to the circumftance of his being detained (I fear, without much hope) in a foreign country, from the comfort of seeing (what a good man moft defires and beft deferves to fee to the laft hour) his Friends about him. The public news + indeed gives every Englishman a reasonable joy, and I truly feel it with you, as a national joy, not a party one; nay as a general joy to all nations where bloodfhed and mifery muft have been introduced, had the ambition and perfidy of prevail'd. I come now to answer your friend's question; The whole of what he has heard of my writing the Character of the old ‡ Duke of Buckingham is untrue. I do not remember ever to have seen it in MS. nor have I ever feen the pedigree he mentions, otherwife than after the Duchefs had printed it with the Will, and fent one to me, as, I fuppofe, fhe did to all her acquaintance. I do not wonder it should be reported I writ that Character, after a ftory which I will tell you in your ear, and to yourfelf only. There was another Character written of her Grace by herself (with what help, I know not) *Mr. Bethel. + The Victory at Dettingen. He fays the old Duke, because he wrote a very fine Epitaph for the Son, |