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Untitled Article
sind an expression upon the whole of sensual intelligence , but not offensively such . This she retained in after life , together with the fine eyes and the
look of good-humour ; but the unlimited power of self-indulgence had not helped to refine it ; — a deterioration , which many a higher-born Duchess has shared with her . We used
often to see her buying flowers at the nursery-grounds , and riding out in her chaise and four , or barouche , often with the Duke and others . Latterly , very shortly before her death , we repeatedly met her by herself ,
but always in the chaise and four , with postillions in the ducal livery . She seemed to Say , but more innocently than the personage in the play , " I am Duchess of Malfy still . " We used to think that with this
fondness for air and exercise , and her natural good-humour , she would attain to long life ; but there was more air than exercise , and more luxury than
either ; and poor Duchess Harriet was too rich , and had too many good things , to continue to enjoy any . Had she remained Harriet Mellon , and
disposed of benefit tickets as of old , she would probably have been alive and merry still . ^ However , she had a fine wondering time of it , —a romance
of real life ; and no harm ' s done , not even to the peerage ! The first person among the ' * gentry , * who took a wife from the stage , was Martin
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Folkes , the antiquary , a man of fortune , who about the year 1713 married Lucretia Bradshaw , a performer of the sprightly heroines of Farquhar and Vanbrugh . The author of
the < History of the English Stage / quoted in the work mentioned below , calls her " one of the greatest and most promising genii of her time ;" and says that Mr Folkes made her his wife " for her
exemplary and prudent conduct . " He adds , that " it was a rule with her , in her profession , to make herself mistress of her art , and leave the figure and action to nature . " What he means
by this is not clear . Perhaps for " art" we should say " part ;" which would imply that the fair Lucretia got her dialogue well by rote , and then gave herself up , without further study , to the impulses of the character ; which in such lively ones as those of Corinna in the
Confederacy , ' and Angelica in the i Constant Couple , ' probably disposed the spirited virtuoso to inquire whether she could be as prudent as she was agreeable . From her performance of characters of this
description Mr Nichols somewhat hastily infers that she must have been " a handsome woman at least , had a good figure , and probably only second-rate theatrical talent . " * Be , this as it may , the poor lady ultimately lost her reason . We are not told anything of her origin or connexions .
* Literary Anecdotes of the Eighteenth Century , vol . ii . p , £ 88 .
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158 Duchess of Si A Ibans ; and
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Sept. 1, 1837, page 158, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1835/page/14/
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