Mary Sidney facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Mary Herbert
Portrait of Mary Herbert (née Sidney), by Nicholas Hilliard, c. 1590.
Countess of Pembroke
Tenure	19 January 1601 - 19 January 1601
Known for	Literary patron, author
Born	27 October 1561 Tickenhill Palace, Bewdley, England
Died	25 September 1621 London, England
Buried	Salisbury Cathedral
Noble family	Sidney
Spouse(s)	Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke
Issue	William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke Katherine Herbert Anne Herbert Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke
Father	Henry Sidney
Mother	Mary Dudley

Mary Herbert, also known as Mary Sidney, was an important English writer and supporter of other writers. She was born on October 27, 1561, and passed away on September 25, 1621. She was one of the first English women to become famous for her poems and for helping other authors.

When she was 39, Mary was listed among the best writers of her time. This list included her brother Philip Sidney, Edmund Spenser, and William Shakespeare. Her play Antonius helped bring back a type of speech called "soliloquy" in plays. It also likely inspired Shakespeare's famous play Antony and Cleopatra. Mary was also known for translating poems, especially a beautiful version of the Psalms from the Bible.

Biography

Early Life and Education

Mary Sidney was born on October 27, 1561, at Tickenhill Palace in Bewdley, England. She was one of seven children born to Sir Henry Sidney and Mary Dudley. Her older brother was Sir Philip Sidney, a famous poet. Her younger brother was Robert Sidney, 1st Earl of Leicester.

As a child, Mary spent a lot of time at the royal court. Her mother was a close friend and helper to Queen Elizabeth I. Mary received a good education, just like her brother Philip. She learned music, needlework, Latin, French, and Italian.

Marriage and Family Life

Arms of Herbert: Per pale azure and gules, three lions rampant argent

In 1577, Mary Sidney married Henry Herbert, 2nd Earl of Pembroke. He was a powerful nobleman and a friend of her family. Her father and uncle helped arrange this marriage.

After her marriage, Mary and her husband managed several large estates. These included places like Wilton House and Baynard's Castle in London. They even hosted Queen Elizabeth I for dinner at their home.

Mary and Henry had four children:

• William Herbert, 3rd Earl of Pembroke (1580–1630) was their oldest son.
• Katherine Herbert (1581–1584) sadly died when she was a baby.
• Anne Herbert (born 1583) was also thought to be a writer.
• Philip Herbert, 4th Earl of Pembroke (1584–1650) became an Earl after his brother. Both Philip and William were honored in the first collection of Shakespeare's plays, called the First Folio.

Mary Sidney was also the aunt of another poet, Lady Mary Wroth.

Later Years and Interests

Mary's husband passed away in 1601. After his death, she had less money than she might have expected. This was common at the time, as most of an estate went to the oldest son.

Besides her love for writing, Mary had many other interests. She had a chemistry lab at Wilton House. There, she created medicines and even invisible ink! From 1609 to 1615, she likely spent most of her time at Crosby Hall, London in London.

In 1616, she traveled to Spa, Belgium with her doctor. She enjoyed pistol shooting with friends there. Mary Herbert died from smallpox on September 25, 1621, when she was 59 years old. She was buried in Salisbury Cathedral, next to her husband.

Literary Career

Wilton House: A Poet's Paradise

The title page of Sidney's The Tragedy of Antony, her interpretation of the story of Mark Antony and Cleopatra.

Mary Sidney made Wilton House a special place for writers, calling it a "paradise for poets." This group of writers, known as the "Wilton Circle," met at her home. Famous writers like Edmund Spenser, Samuel Daniel, and Ben Jonson were part of this group.

One writer, John Aubrey, said that Wilton House was like a "college" because so many smart and talented people were there. Mary was known as the greatest supporter of writers and learning among women of her time. Many books were dedicated to her, more than to any other woman who was not a queen.

Her brother, Philip Sidney, wrote much of his famous work, Arcadia, while at Wilton House with Mary. He also likely started his English version of the Psalms there.

The Sidney Psalter

Philip Sidney had translated 43 of the 150 Psalms before he died in 1586. Mary finished his work, translating the remaining Psalms (44 to 150). She used many different poetic styles, making the collection very impressive. This collection is often called The Sidney Psalms or The Sidney-Pembroke Psalter.

Even though the Psalms were not printed during her lifetime, many handwritten copies were shared. This work greatly influenced English religious poetry in the late 1500s and early 1600s. The poet John Donne even wrote a poem praising her Psalms.

Mary also helped publish her brother's important work, An Apology for Poetry. She shared her Psalter around the same time. Both works argued that poetry could teach people good morals, especially about religion. Mary also edited and published her brother's Arcadia.

Other Writings and Influence

Mary Sidney's play Antonius was a translation of a French play. She also translated two other works: A Discourse of Life and Death and Petrarch's The Triumph of Death. Her own original poems include "A Dialogue betweene Two Shepheards" and two poems dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I and her brother Philip.

Mary and her husband also supported a theater group called Pembroke's Men. This was one of the early groups to perform plays by Shakespeare. Some say Shakespeare's own company, "The King's Men," performed at Wilton House.

Mary's poetic epitaph (a short text on a tombstone) sums up how people saw her:

Because of her writing talents and her family's connections to Shakespeare, some people have suggested that Mary Herbert might have been the true author of William Shakespeare's plays. This is part of the Shakespeare authorship question.

Related pages

• Philip Sidney
• Isabella Whitney
• Sidney Psalms
• Edmund Spenser
• Samuel Daniel

See also

In Spanish: Mary Sidney para niños