Bess of Hardwick was a c16th century woman who started in the lowish gentry and ended up the second richest woman in England (after Elizabeth the First) due to outliving four husbands, each richer than the last. She built some marvellous houses, including Chatsworth. The present queen is a descendant of hers.

The other day I heard a 4 line piece of doggerel, attributed I think to Walpole, written about 100 years after her death, about her sharing or comforting 4 marriage beds and so improving herself. I had no access to pen or paper, andthese days my memory is lousy I lost the exact words. Can anyone help?

Four times the nuptial bed she warm'd,
And every time so well perform'd,
That when death spoil'd each husband's billing,
He left the widow every shilling.
Fond was the dame, but not dejected;
Five stately mansions she erected
With more than royal pomp, to vary
The prison of her captive
When Hardwicke's towers shall bow their head,
Nor mass be more in Worksop said;
When Bolsover's fair fame shall tend,
Like Olcotes, to its mouldering end;
When Chatsworth tastes no Can'dish bounties,
Let fame forget this costly countess.



[gutenberg.teleglobe.net]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/11/2021 08:23AM by JohnnySansCulo.

Four times the nuptial bed she warm'd,
And every time so well perform'd,
That when death spoil'd each husband's billing,
He left the widow every shilling.
Fond was the dame, but not dejected;
Five stately mansions she erected
With more than royal pomp, to vary
The prison of her captive Mary.
When Hardwicke's towers shall bow their head,
Nor mass be more in Worksop said;
When Bolsover's fair fame shall tend
Like Olcotes, to its mouldering end;
When Chatsworth tastes no Ca'ndish bounties,
Let fame forget this costly countess.


Slight correction for 'captive Mary'. Seemingly a sonnet in tetrameter with rhyming couplets.

Thanks so much Johnny and Hugh - I'd punted about for ages trying to find it with no luck at all! Not surprising really - you'd have thought 'nuptial bed' would have stuck in my head!