Celebrate!

At last the web-site is up online (south-west women writers).

By chance I find today that one of these Devonian women writers is to be celebrated; the 350th anniversary of Mary, Lady Chudleigh's baptism at Clyst St. George is this very day so I think it's an excellent date to recover my blog-posting (except it took a while to find again and for a moment I thought the whole package of notes had gone, invisible in virtual space).

Fitting I guess if I can find one of her poems. Let's see ......

Here's one:

Song by Lady Mary Chudleigh


Why Damon, why, why, why so pressing?
The Heart you beg's not worth possessing:
Each Look, each Word, each Smile's affected,
And inward Charms are quite neglected:
Then scorn her, scorn her, foolish Swain,
And sigh no more, no more in vain.

Beauty's worthless, fading, flying;
Who would for Trifles think of dying?
Who for a Face, a Shape, wou'd languish,
And tell the Brooks, and Groves his Anguish,
Till she, till she thinks fit to prize him,
And all, and all beside despise him?

Fix, fix your Thoughts on what's inviting,
On what will never bear the slighting:
Wit and Virtue claim your Duty,
They're much more worth that Gold and Beauty:
To them, to them, your Heart resign,
And you'll no more, no more repine.