Karaca 1

Oğuzhan Karaca

N19136934

Prof. Dr. Hande Seber

İDE 720 British Women Poets

Major Paper I

19 November 2019

Like Brother Like Sister: Mary Sidney Herbert

Mary Sidney Herbert, The Countess of Pembroke, who was addressed by Edmund

Spenser as the “most honourable and bountiful” (Hannay, Philip’s Phoenix 60), stepped into an

era in which proverbs like “An eloquent woman is never chaste” (Hannay, The Collected Works

22) were wandering through the consciousness of the society. She was born at Tickenhall Palace

in Worcestershire in 1561, as the fourth recorded child of Henry and Mary Sidney. Her father

Sir Henry Sidney was “Lord President of the Marches of Wales and Lord Deputy of Ireland,

who had been educated with the young King Edward” (Wilson 434). Her mother was also a

noble person whose father was the Duke of Northumberland (433). Along with her important

and respected family, everything that would give Countess of Pembroke the chance to produce

and voice herself was on hand: she had the best education available to women, she married

wealthy Henry Herbert and she had her brother, the celebrated courtier and author Philip Sidney

(Hannay, Philip’s Phoenix 27), who would soon pass away and became the main inspiration for

her complete embarking on literature. Mary’s mother and uncle were Queen Elizabeth’s close

companions and before getting married to the Count of Pembroke, Henry Herbert, Mary

appeared at Queen Elizabeth’s court for two years (Seber 110). In her book Philip’s Phoenix,

Margaret Hannay explains Mary’s education as “Mary Sidney obviously knew French and

Italian well, […] dedications to her in Latin and Greek would suggest that she also knew those

languages. From her later accomplishments, we know that her education did include the

standard elements of the humanist curriculum: the classics, the Church Fathers, poetry, music,
 Karaca 2

and medicine” (27). Given that it was not common for a woman in Elizabethan age to receive

this extent of education, Mary Sidney was fortunate and she did not refrain to use her abilities

and acquisitions in the field of literature. She worked with her brother Philip on their verse

translations of Psalms. However, she earned her reputation following her brother’s death,

especially after she revised and published his Arcadia, translated Philippe de Mornay’s A

Discourse of Life and Death (1592), Francesco Petrarca’s The Triumph of Death (1351) and

Robert Garnier’s Mark Antoine (1578) (110-111). In Writing After Sidney, Gavin Alexander

states that ”During Philip Sidney’s lifetime his sister’s role in fostering his writing was key. She

may have given him ideas for works and the Arcadia followed on from their shared reading of

continental romances. Sidney commemorated this influence by giving her ownership of his

great work, The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia” (81). Even though they were seen as

defective forms, translations were perfect hideouts for women writers and poets to posit their

ideas. It is seen that Mary Sidney have actually taken a step further and implemented this

method in her poetry as well. It is thought by some critics that especially in her poem “To the

Angel Spirit of the Most Excellent Sir Philip Sidney” (ca. 1595), though she invokes and praises

her brother Philip who died in a war for Protestant cause, she might also have given some

messages to the queen. In Philip’s Phoenix, Hannay beautifully summarizes Mary Herbert’s

literary personality as “In an age when women were required to be chaste, silent, and obedient,

she may have been chaste—but she was certainly eloquent and assertive. She was able to

challenge the norms for women while appearing to follow them, empowered by her own clever

self-promotion, her brother's legendary death, and her husband's money” (Preface). This paper

sets out to demonstrate two poems by Mary Herbert underlying her lament over her brother

Philip Sidney in “To the Angel Spirit of the Most Excellent Sir Philip Sidney”, from which she

might have deviated her purpose, and expressing her gratitude and courtesy to Queen Elizabeth

in “To the Thrice-Sacred Queen Elizabeth” (1599).

 Karaca 3

After writing her first poem “The Doleful Lay of Clorinda” (1595) and completed her

translation of Psalms, Herbert wrote the elegy “To the Angel Spirit of The Most Excellent Sir

Philip Sidney”, in which she refers to her brother Philip who died at the battle of Zutphen

fighting against Spanish (89). This elegy can be found in two versions: the former survived in

Samuel Daniel’s papers and the latter is a copy, intended to accompany her gift of the Psalms

to Queen Elizabeth, along with her other poem “To the Thrice-Sacred Queen Elizabeth” (Croft

31).

Herbert starts “To the Angel Spirit” by referring to Philip as “pure spirit” whose “divine

muse” merges with her “mortal muse” and creates the “coupled work” (1-6). Here, she presents

Philip as the fundamental creator who inspires her to complete the work that has already been

commenced by himself, alluding that the “coupled work” emerged from their mutual

endeavour. At this point, Hannay underlines the possibility of Herbert’s allusion to the queen.

Perchance, Mary Sidney deliberately started the poem by referring to her brother with such

words such as “pure”, “blessed”, and “powerful”, as she may have wanted the queen to feel her

suffering and reproach. In this way, Herbert might also have suggested that the queen did not

struggle as much as Sir Philip did, and also did not appreciate the deeds of her brother (121).

This possibility even strengthens considering that the Sidneys, who were devoted Protestant

family, felt that “queen should adopt a more aggressive policy in support of Protestant factions

on the continent (especially the Netherlands)” (Ferguson 226). In other words, Mary and her

family probably thought that Philip would not have died if the queen had favoured him as she

should have done. In the continuation of the poem, Herbert compares Sidney’s hymns to those

of King David’s, who is the supposed author of the Psalms, and by doing so, she elevates

Philip’s position to divine level. Following this, she refers to the pain and agony her brother

suffered once he was wounded, as the lines indicate “Deep wounds enlarged, long festered in

their gall / Fresh bleeding smart: no eye-but heart-tears fall” (19-20). At this point, Ryan Croft
 Karaca 4

asserts that “Faced with Sidney’s absence and “this halfe maim’d peece” that is his legacy- and

her object to mend- Herbert reawakens the pain of losing” (38).

In the continuation of the poem, she quite directly mentions that her only purpose is to

honour her brother, and his great worth exceeds “Nature’s store” (36). She further associates

Philip with the bird of Phoenix, which is again associated with Jesus Christ’s resurrection, as

in the lines “Sole born perfection’s kind, / Phoenix thou wer. / So rare thy fairest mind, /

Heav’nly adorned” (37-39). With this comparison, she praises him as a divine being who is

equal to Christ and stresses the fact that through his works and recognition, Philip, who is

heavenly adorned, will always be alive. Following this, there comes the part in which Mary

Sidney implicitly hints at her concern: “And who but doth, hath wisdom’s open eyes, / Not

owly blind the fairest light still flies, / Confirm no less? At least ‘tis sealed above” (54-56). She

mentions that the wisdom of her brother is even acknowledged in heaven, so the ones who have

the open eyes of the wisdom, will confirm this truth (Abrams 959). The use of the phrase “at

least”, seems noteworthy in that its deliberate use probably refers to the ones who did not

appreciate him. It might be an exaggeration to say that “the ones” might be Queen Elizabeth,

who is the one who did not appreciate Philip Sidney for the Protestant cause. Yet, this

possibility even gains strength with the following lines “As here thy works so worthily

embraced, / By all of worth, where never envy bites” (62-63). Here, she might have used the

word “envy” to refer to the troubled relationship between the queen and Sir Philip Sidney, yet

this remark does not go further than an assumption. After emphasizing that her brother is in

heaven as the line indicates “Thy angel’s soul with highest angels placed” (59), she mentions

the Graces as entities who “had each wond’rous part in all their beauties clad” (65-66). Here,

she might have pointed out the possibility of women’s creativity by referring to the goddesses

of fertility and human creativity in classical mythology.

Towards the end of the poem, she speaks out her sorrow because of Philip’s unfinished

life of writing as the lines state “Had Heav’n so spared the life of life to frame, / The Rest? But
 Karaca 5

ah, such loss, / Yet there will live thy-ever praised name” (74-77). Asserting that his name and

fame will be eternal, she also refers to the wound that her brother had during the battle as it is

seen in the lines “Dissolved to ink, while pen’s impressions move, / The bleeding veins of

never-dying love” (79-80). She makes an analogy between his bleeding veins and the lines she

is creating at the moment, in that instead of fighting with a sword like his brother did, now she

is using her pen and ink. When it is considered that one copy of Psalms, including this poem,

was given to the queen by Mary, this can be interpreted as a political statement, especially

thinking that Philip Sidney and Queen Elizabeth had a problematic relationship (Brackett 416).

This action shows that one of the purposes behind this gift of Mary may have been making

insinuations to the queen, by instilling her peculiar feelings about her brother within her elegy.

Herbert ends the poem stressing that her misery is so bitter that it can meet his brother at heaven,

the “highest sphere” (89). Even though the poem is an elegy, it is seen that Herbert does not try

to arouse pity for her situation. She explicitly mourns over her brother, yet also uses the

background of the poem as a platform in which she can give voice to her emotions through her

well used word usage. Croft asserts that this poem “declares her own poetic mastery and

authorial identity” (32), and as Seber well observes, the poem reaches beyond a simple elegy

(120).

Mary Herbert was a staunch Protestant as his brother was, so her this particular

feature is quite intensely felt in her dedicatory poem “To the Thrice-Sacred Queen

Elizabeth” (Brackett 416), in which she includes many religious references. Starting from

the beginning, Herbert begins to praise the queen and her divine virtues as the lines indicate

“and with thy happy greatness daily grows, / […]/ but knowing more thy grace, abler thy

mind. / What heavenly powers thee highest throne assigned” (2-12). Following lines express

that Herbert is thankful for the queen as she thinks that by writing this poem, she might have

disturbed her, especially in a situation in which she is preoccupied with maintaining the order

as the “chief” authority in that turbulent period in Europe. With the lines “Yet dare I so, as
 Karaca 6

humbleness may dare, / cherish some hope they shall acceptance find.”, Herbert hopes her

works to be accepted by the queen (Seber 117). As of fourth stanza, Herbert brings forth the

subject of her brother Sir Philip. After expressing her sorrow about her brother’s death, she

asserts that what her brother started working on, which is the translation of Psalms, will be

concluded by herself. To depicture this incomplete project, she uses weaving metaphor as in

the lines “How can I name whom sighing signs extend, / and not unstop my tears eternal

spring? / but he did warp, I weaved this web to end” (25-27). This metaphor might also stand

for the creativity of women like herself in that it is Mary who completed this work and

presented it to the queen. Along with the reference to Psalms, Herbert here also gives place

to her sibling Philip, whose memory is enlarged with “sighing signs”. (227) She again

presents Sidney’s death as martyrdom for the Protestant cause and reminds Elizabeth of this

truth.

Furthermore, one can notice how Herbert presents the queen as a supporter of

literature (Seber 118) as the lines suggest “Thy breast the Cabinet, thy seat the shrine, where

Muses hang their vowed memories: / where Wit, where Art, where all that is divine

conceived best, and best defended lies” (45-48). The comparison of the throne of the queen

to the dwelling of the muses and laurels which are associated with poets is a direct reference

to Elizabeth’s appreciation of literature (Seber 118). Herbert also marks that as the result of

her offering of the poems, it is the queen who bestows her “a livery robe” in return, making

Herbert her follower. For this reason, “Elizabeth not only acts as England’s defender, but

also as a defender of art, a warrior monarch. (Brackett 417). Herbert further presents Queen

Elizabeth as a woman whose great warrior power is compared to that of biblical David.

Stanza nine compares King David to Elizabeth in that they both had to struggle against their

enemies who tried to supersede them, as the lines indicate “For even thy rule is painted in

his reign, / both clear in right; both nigh by wrong oppressed; / And each at length / possessed

of place, and each in peace possessed” (65-68). However, it is debatable that the process of
 Karaca 7

their succeeding to the throne was peaceful, as David had to put down many revolts including

his own son’s, while the queen had her cousin beheaded (Ferguson 228). Herbert again

compares Elizabeth to David in that they both are honourable and glorious warriors, yet as

the lines “But soft, my muse, thy pitch is earthly low; / Forbear this heaven where only eagles

fly.” (79-80) state, Elizabeth is not a traditional warrior, thus war remains a suitable topic

for conversation of men, not for Herbert to mention to the queen, some critics suggest

(Brackett 418).

Penultimate stanza also remarks the power of the queen and England with the lines

“Kings on a Queen enforced their states to lay, / Mainlands for empire waiting on an isle; / Men

drawn by worth a woman to obey, / One moving all, herself unmoved the while” (81-84).

Namely, “mainlands”, which might be a reference to the colonies, are tied to England and to a

woman who is Elizabeth that controls them all. She is in the centre and as a catalyst, she only

influences what is around but not quite affected. As Herbert comes to the end of her dedication,

she underlines the insignificance of her muse, referring it as an ordinary “handmaid” when

confronted with the “lightsome light” of the queen as the lines indicate “Thy utmost can but

offer to her sight/ Her handmaid's task, which most her will endears, / And pray unto thy pains

life from that light/ Which lively lightsome, court and kingdom cheers” (89-92). Herbert again

sublimes the position of Elizabeth and wishes her more “triumphs” than did David, the author

of the original Psalms (Brackett 418).

In conclusion, for the most part of “To the Thrice-Sacred Queen Elizabeth”, the poem

seems to be structured upon glorifying the queen, whereas “To the Angel Spirit of the Most

Excellent Sir Philip Sidney” appears to be more of a lament, bearing Herbert’s reprehension.

However, upon closer examination of both poems, one can find small glimpses of Herbert’s

distress about the treatment of her brother which shows itself in the form of her allusive and

ambiguous word usage. Even though Mary Sidney is known for her excellent translations and

her being the master of these important poems in Elizabethan England, she still had to work
 Karaca 8

within the margins and use the typical means for women writing: elegy and dedication.

However, through her use of worthy words, the Countess of Pembroke demonstrates that

eloquence, not quietness, is the indication of her spirituality (Hannay “Wisdome” 78).
 Karaca 9

Works Cited
Primary Sources

Herbert, Mary. “To the Angel Spirit of the Most Excellent Sir Philip Sidney.” The Norton

Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams and Stephen Greenblatt. New York:

W.W. Norton & Company, 2000. 958-960. Web.

Sidney, Mary. “To the Thrice-Sacred Queen Elizabeth.” The Norton Anthology of Poetry. Ed.

Margaret Ferguson, et al. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2005. 226-230. Print.

Secondary Sources

Alexander, Gavin. Writing After Sidney: The Literary Response to Sir Philip Sidney 1586-

1640. New York: Oxford University Press, 2006. Print.

Brackett, Virginia. The Facts on File Companion to British Poetry, 17th and 18th-Centuries.

New York: Facts on File, 2008. Web.

Croft, Ryan J. “Sidney’s Wounds: Poetic Physicality, Revision, and Remembrance in the

Sidney Circle.” Sidney Journal 31.2 (2013): 31-51. Web. 28 Oct. 2019.

Hannay, Margaret P. Noel J. Kinnamon and Michael G, eds. The Collected Works of Mary

Sidney Herbert, Countess of Pembroke. Oxford: Clarendon, 1998. Web.

---. Philip’s Phoenix: Mary Sidney, Countess of Pembroke. New York: Oxford UP, 1990.

Print.

---. “‘Wisdome the Wordes’: Psalm Translation and Elizabethan Women's Spirituality.”

Religion & Literature 23.3 (1991): 65-82. JSTOR. Web. 28 Oct. 2019.

Seber, Hande. “Elizabeth Çağı Şiir Geleneğinde “Soylu ve Güzel Leydi”: Pembroke Kontesi

Mary Sidney Herbert.” Ortaçağdan On Yedinci Yüzyıla İngiliz Kadın Yazarlar. Ed. Prof.

Dr. A. Deniz Bozer. Ankara: Hacettepe Üniversitesi Yayınları, 2014. 107-131.

 Karaca 10

Wilson, Katharina M., ed. Women Writers of Great Britain and Europe: An Encyclopedia.

New York: Garland, 1997. Print.