[860]Venetia Stanley[DW]was daughter of Sir ... Stanley.
She was a most beautifull desireable creature; and beingmatura virowas left by her father to live with a tenant and servants at Enston-abbey[LXVIII.](his land, or the earl of Derby's) in Oxfordshire; but as private as that place was, it seemes her beautie could not lye hid. The young eagles had espied her, and she was sanguine and tractable, and of much suavity (which to abuse was greate pittie).
[LXVIII.]At the west end of the church here[DX]were two towers as at Welles or Westminster Abbey, which were standing till about 1656. The romes of the abbey were richly wainscotted, both sides and roofe.
[LXVIII.]At the west end of the church here[DX]were two towers as at Welles or Westminster Abbey, which were standing till about 1656. The romes of the abbey were richly wainscotted, both sides and roofe.
In those dayes Richard, earle of Dorset (eldest son[861]and heire to the Lord Treasurer, vide pedegree)lived in the greatest splendor of any nobleman of England. Among other pleasures that he enjoyed, Venus was not the least.[LXIX.]This pretty creature's fame quickly came to his Lordship's eares, who made no delay to catch at such an opportunity.
[LXIX.]Sam. Daniel:—Cheekes of Roses, locks of amber | To b'emprisond in a chamber | etc.
[LXIX.]Sam. Daniel:—Cheekes of Roses, locks of amber | To b'emprisond in a chamber | etc.
I have now forgott who first brought her to towne, but I have heard my uncle Danvers[862]say (who was her contemporary) that she was so commonly courted, and that by grandees, that 'twas written over her lodging one nightin literis uncialibus,
PRAY COME NOT NEER,FOR DAME VENETIA STANLEY LODGETH HERE.
The earle of Dorset, aforesayd, was her greatest gallant, who was extremely enamoured of her, and had[863]one if not more children by her. He setled on her an annuity of 500li.per annum.
Among other young sparkes of that time, Sir Kenelme Digby grew acquainted with her, and fell so much in love with her that he married her, much against the good will of his mother; but he would say that 'a wise man, and lusty, could make an honest woman out of a brothell-house.' Sir Edmund Wyld had her picture[LXX.](and you may imagine was very familiar with her), which picture is now (vide) at Droitwytch, in Worcestershire, at an inne, where now the towne keepe their meetings. Also at Mr. Rose's, a jeweller in Henrietta-street in Convent garden, is an excellent piece of hers, drawne after she was newly dead.
[LXX.]Venetia Stanley:—her picture is at the earl of Rutland's at Belvoir.—From my cosen Montague.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 25.
[LXX.]Venetia Stanley:—her picture is at the earl of Rutland's at Belvoir.—From my cosen Montague.—MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 25.
She had a most lovely and sweet-turn'd face, delicate darke-browne haire. She had a perfect healthy constitution; strong; good skin; well proportioned; much enclining to aBona Roba(near altogether). Her face, a short ovall; darke-browne eie-browe, about which much sweetness, as also in the opening of her eie-lidds. The colour of hercheekes was just that of the damaske rose, which is neither too hott nor too pale. She was of a just[864]stature, not very tall.
Sir Kenelme had severall pictures of her by Vandyke, &c.[LXXI.]He had her hands cast in playster, and her feet, and her face. See Ben: Johnson's 2d volumne, where he hath made her live in poetrey, in his drawing of her both body and mind:—
[LXXI.]Her picture by Vandyke is now at Abermarleys, in Carmarthenshire, at Mr. Cornwalleys' sonne's widowe's (the lady Cornwalleys's) howse, who was the daughter and heire of ... Jones, of Abermarles.
[LXXI.]Her picture by Vandyke is now at Abermarleys, in Carmarthenshire, at Mr. Cornwalleys' sonne's widowe's (the lady Cornwalleys's) howse, who was the daughter and heire of ... Jones, of Abermarles.
'Sitting, and ready to be drawne,What makes these tiffany, silkes, and lawne,Embroideries, feathers, fringes, lace,When every limbe takes like a face!'—&c.
'Sitting, and ready to be drawne,What makes these tiffany, silkes, and lawne,Embroideries, feathers, fringes, lace,When every limbe takes like a face!'—&c.
[865]When these verses were made she had three children by Sir Kenelme, who are there mentioned, viz. Kenelme, George, and John.
She dyed in her bed suddenly. Some suspected that she was poysoned. When her head[866]was opened there was found but little braine, which her husband imputed to her drinking of viper-wine; but spitefull woemen would say 'twas a viper-husband who was jealous of her that she would steale a leape. I have heard some say,—e.g. my cosen Elizabeth Falkner,—that after her mariage she redeemed her honour by her strick't living. Once a yeare the earle of Dorset invited her and Sir Kenelme to dinner, where the earle would behold her with much passion, and only kisse her hand.
Sir Kenelme erected to her memorie a sumptuouse and stately monument[867]at ... Fryars[868](neer Newgate-street) in the east end of the south aisle, where her bodie lyes in a vault of brick-worke, over which arethree steps[869]of black marble, on which was a stately altar of black marble with 4 inscriptions in copper gilt affixed to it: upon this altar her bust of copper gilt, all which (unlesse the vault, which was onely opened a little by the fall) is utterly destroyed by the great conflagration. Among the monuments in the booke mentioned in Sir Kenelm Digby's life, is to be seen a curious draught of this monument, with copies of the severall inscriptions.
About 1676 or 5, as I was walking through Newgate-street, I sawe Dame Venetia's bust standing at a stall at the Golden Crosse, a brasier's shop. I perfectly remembred it, but the fire had gott-off the guilding: but taking notice of it to one that was with me, I could never see it afterwards exposed to the street. They melted it downe. How these curiosities would be quite forgott, did not such idle fellowes as I am putt them downe!
Memorandum:—at Goathurst, in Bucks[870], is a rare originall picture of Sir Kenelme Digby and his lady Venetia, in one piece, by the hand of Sir Anthony van Dyke. In Ben. Johnson's 2d volumne is a poeme called 'Eupheme[DY], left to posteritie, of the noble lady, the ladie Venetia Digby, late wife of Sir Kenelme Digby, knight, a gentleman absolute in all numbers: consisting of these ten pieces, viz. Dedication of her Cradle; Song of her Descent; Picture of her Bodie; Picture of her Mind; Her being chose a Muse; Her faire Offices; Her happy Match; Her hopefull Issue; Her ἈΠΟΘΕΩΣΙΣ, or Relation to the Saints; Her Inscription, or Crowne.'
Her picture drawn by Sir Anthony Vandyke hangs in the queene's draweing-roome, at Windsor-castle, over the chimney.
Venetia Stanley was (first) a miss to Sir Edmund Wyld; who had her picture, which after his death, serjeant Wyld (his executor) had; and since the serjeant's death hangs now in an entertayning-roome at Droitwich in Worcestershire. The serjeant lived at Droitwich.
Notes.[DW]Aubrey gives in trick the coat:—'argent on a bend azure 3 bucks' heads caboshed or [Stanley, earl of Derby].' Another hand has enlarged this first sentence to 'daughter of Sir Edward Stanley of Eynstonn in com. Oxon, son of Sir Thomas Stanley, knight, younger son to Edward, earl of Derby.' A note by 'E. M.' (? Edmund Malone) says, 'This is Anthony Wood's handwriting.' It is certainly not; but it very probably is Sir William Dugdale's, which is sometimes mistaken for Wood's.[DX]Einsham abbey is the place meant. See the facsimile in Clark's Wood'sLife and Times, i. 228.[DY]In MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 70valso, this is quoted, but there scored out, as 'Eupheme, being a poem left to posterity,' &c. There, for 'a Muse,' Aubrey reads 'his Muse.'
[DW]Aubrey gives in trick the coat:—'argent on a bend azure 3 bucks' heads caboshed or [Stanley, earl of Derby].' Another hand has enlarged this first sentence to 'daughter of Sir Edward Stanley of Eynstonn in com. Oxon, son of Sir Thomas Stanley, knight, younger son to Edward, earl of Derby.' A note by 'E. M.' (? Edmund Malone) says, 'This is Anthony Wood's handwriting.' It is certainly not; but it very probably is Sir William Dugdale's, which is sometimes mistaken for Wood's.
[DW]Aubrey gives in trick the coat:—'argent on a bend azure 3 bucks' heads caboshed or [Stanley, earl of Derby].' Another hand has enlarged this first sentence to 'daughter of Sir Edward Stanley of Eynstonn in com. Oxon, son of Sir Thomas Stanley, knight, younger son to Edward, earl of Derby.' A note by 'E. M.' (? Edmund Malone) says, 'This is Anthony Wood's handwriting.' It is certainly not; but it very probably is Sir William Dugdale's, which is sometimes mistaken for Wood's.
[DX]Einsham abbey is the place meant. See the facsimile in Clark's Wood'sLife and Times, i. 228.
[DX]Einsham abbey is the place meant. See the facsimile in Clark's Wood'sLife and Times, i. 228.
[DY]In MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 70valso, this is quoted, but there scored out, as 'Eupheme, being a poem left to posterity,' &c. There, for 'a Muse,' Aubrey reads 'his Muse.'
[DY]In MS. Aubr. 6, fol. 70valso, this is quoted, but there scored out, as 'Eupheme, being a poem left to posterity,' &c. There, for 'a Muse,' Aubrey reads 'his Muse.'