Poems (1686)

This modest volume opens a window onto the vibrant yet fragile world of a young Restoration poet who served at the court of Mary of Modena. Her verses capture the sparkle of courtly festivities while hinting at the underlying melancholy that marked her brief life. Written with a natural ease, the poems blend wit, imagination, and a sincere personal voice.

The collection ranges from lively epigrams and playful pastoral dialogues to more solemn meditations on love, loss, and mortality. In pieces such as “On Death” and “A Farewell to Worldly Joys,” she confronts the inevitability of fate with a quiet courage, while lighter works like “The Complaint of a Lover” sparkle with clever wordplay. Throughout, the poet’s keen eye for detail renders scenes of painted nymphs, royal celebrations, and intimate grief with vivid color.

Accompanied by a scholarly introduction that situates her work within the literary landscape of the 1680s, listeners gain both historical context and appreciation for a talent that, though brief, shines with enduring charm.