THE CHARACTER OF

KATHERINE,

LATE

DUTCHESS OF BUCKINGHAMSHIRE AND

NORMANBY.

BY THE LATE MR. POPE.

SHE was the daughter of James the Second, and of the Countess of Dorchester, who inherited the integrity and virtue of her father with happier fortune. She was married first to James earl of Anglesey; and secondly, to John Sheffield duke of Buckinghamshire and Normanby; with the former she 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 finest sense and sharpest discernment, she had the happiness to please; and, in that found her only pleasure. When he died, it seemed as if his spirit was only breathed into her, to fulfil what he had begun, to perform what he had concerted, and to preserve and watch over what he had left, his only son; in the care of whose health, the forming of whose mind, and the improvement of whose fortune, she acted with the conduct and sense of the father, softened, but not overcome, with the tenderness of the mother. Her

understanding was such as must have made a figure had it been in a man; but the modesty of her sex threw a veil over its lustre, which nevertheless suppressed only the expression, not the exertion of it; for her sense was not superior to her resolution, which, when once she was in the right, preserved her from making it only a transition to the wrong, the frequent weakness even of the best women. She often followed wise counsel, but sometimes went before it, always with success. She was possessed of a spirit, which assisted her to get the better of those accidents which admitted of any redress, and enabled her to support outwardly, with decency and dignity, those which admitted of none; yet melted inwardly, through almost her whole life, at a succession 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 compassionate as it was great her affections warm even to solicitude; her friendship not violent or jealous, but rational and persevering her gratitude equal and constant to the living; to the dead boundless and heroical. What person soever she found worthy of her esteem, she would not give up for any power on earth; and the greatest on earth whom she could not esteem, obtained from her no farther tribute than decency. Her good will was wholly directed by merit, not by accident; not measured by the regard they professed for her own desert, but by her idea of theirs and as there was no merit which she was not able to imitate, there was none which she could envy therefore her con

versation was as free from detraction as her opinions
from prejudice or prepossession. As her thoughts
were her own, so were her words; and she was as
sincere in uttering her judgment, as impartial in form-
ing it. She was a safe companion; many were
served, none ever suffered, by her acquaintance: in-
offensive, when unprovoked; when provoked, not
stupid but the moment her enemy ceased to be hurt-
ful, she could cease to act as an enemy. She was
therefore not a bitter but consistent enemy: (though
indeed, when forced to be so, the more a finished
one for having been long a making.) And her pro-
ceeding with ill people was more in a calm and
steady course, like justice, than in quick and passion-
ate onsets, like revenge. As for those of whom she
only thought ill, she considered them not so much as
once to wish them ill; of such, her contempt was
great enough to put a stop to all other passions that
could hurt them. Her love and aversion, her grati-
tude and resentment, her esteem and neglect, were
equally open and strong, and alterable only from the
alteration of the persons who created them. Her
mind was too noble to be insincere, and her heart too
honest to stand in need of it; so that she never found
cause to repent her conduct either to a friend or an
enemy. There remains only to speak of her perso
which was most amiably majestic; the nicest
could find no fault in the outward lineaments
face or proportion of her body: it was s
pleased wherever she had a desire it should
never envied that of any other, which n
please in general: in the same manner a

tent that her merits were esteemed where she ceste. they should, she never depreciatec those of arter that were esteemed or preferred elsewhere F: aimed not at a general love o: & genen enter where she was not known: It was enoug sessed of both wherever she was hav

the age of sixty-two years: no.courag regar. receiving it from all who knew he

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siness, but discharging r fuly wherescese

friendship engaged her noivo

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Your, etc.

PE TO JAMES MOTSER, OF
BEVERLEY, ESQ.

Bath, July 11, 1743.

I am always glad to hear of you, and where I can Labas enquire of you. But why have you omit dalene word of your own health! The account of our friends' is truly melancholy, added to

versation was as free from detr
from prejudice or prepossessi
were her own, so were her v
sincere in uttering her judgme
ing it. She was a safe co
served, none ever suffered, b
offensive, when unprovoke
stupid but the moment her
ful, she could cease to act
therefore not a bitter but c
indeed, when forced to b
one for having been long
ceeding with ill people
steady course, like justice
ate onsets, like revenge.
only thought ill, she cons
once to wish them ill;
great enough to put a st
could hurt them. Her lo
tude and resentment, her
equally open and strong, ar
alteration of the persons w.
mind was too noble to be insin
honest to stand in need of it; so

ace of his being detained (I fear without much hope) in a freign country, from the comt of seeing (what a good man most desires and best deserves to see to the last hour) his friends about

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 bloodshed and misery must have been introduced, had the ambition and perfidy

cause to repent her conduct eithe
enemy. There remains only to spe.
which was most amiably majestic ;
could find no fault in the outward line.
face or proportion of her body: it w
pleased wherever she had a desire it shoul
never envied that of any other, which mig
please in general: in the same manner as b