1 00:00:00,800 --> 00:00:04,440 Speaker 1: Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of I Heart Radio 2 00:00:04,640 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: and Grim and Mild from Aaron Mankey listener discretion advised, Hey, 3 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:14,360 Speaker 1: this is Danish Swartz, the host of Noble Blood. If 4 00:00:14,400 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: you want to support the show, we have a Patreon 5 00:00:17,360 --> 00:00:20,840 Speaker 1: in the episode description, where I publish episode scripts, do 6 00:00:20,920 --> 00:00:23,720 Speaker 1: a monthly bonus episode, and have access to a ton 7 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:27,120 Speaker 1: of exclusive merch like a monthly sticker club. There is 8 00:00:27,200 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: merch for sale, the only actual I know. There's some 9 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:32,920 Speaker 1: like weird bootleg merch out on the internet, but the 10 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,400 Speaker 1: actual merch is at a website called d f t 11 00:00:35,520 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 1: b a dot com. The link is also in the 12 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:42,280 Speaker 1: episode description. Makes a great holiday gift and I hate 13 00:00:42,320 --> 00:00:45,640 Speaker 1: asking for anything, but I wrote a book that's coming 14 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,840 Speaker 1: out in February. It's a sequel to my novel Anatomy 15 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 1: A Love Story. This one is called Immortality a Love Story. 16 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:56,440 Speaker 1: There are cameos from several characters that I've talked about 17 00:00:56,480 --> 00:00:58,960 Speaker 1: on this podcast. And if you like Noble Blood, I 18 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:01,600 Speaker 1: really think you're gonna get and so if you're interested, 19 00:01:01,800 --> 00:01:05,480 Speaker 1: pre orders would be incredibly helpful. That link also in 20 00:01:05,520 --> 00:01:08,840 Speaker 1: the episode of description. But the real support is just 21 00:01:09,080 --> 00:01:20,840 Speaker 1: listening and so thank you so much. Thirty two miles 22 00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:25,400 Speaker 1: southeast of London, stands one of the best surviving examples 23 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:31,200 Speaker 1: of medieval English architecture. Penn's Hurst Palace. Today part of 24 00:01:31,240 --> 00:01:33,959 Speaker 1: the house and its gardens are open to the public. 25 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: Anyone can go visit the fourteen century home that was 26 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: built for the then Lord Mayor of London, which then 27 00:01:41,440 --> 00:01:45,080 Speaker 1: later became part of the Crown's estate. Henry the Eighth 28 00:01:45,280 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: would use the home as his hunting estate, evidently hunting 29 00:01:49,280 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: both game and wives, and Bolin's childhood home, Heaver Castle, 30 00:01:55,280 --> 00:01:58,320 Speaker 1: was just a few miles away. Even if you don't 31 00:01:58,320 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: get the opportunity to visit Penshurst in person, there's a 32 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:06,480 Speaker 1: good chance that, if you're a connoisseur of historical costume dramas, 33 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: the estate will pop up somewhere on your screen. Films 34 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: like Anne of a Thousand Days, The Other Bolin Girl, 35 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 1: even The Princess Bride, along with BBC dramas like Elizabeth 36 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:23,559 Speaker 1: R and Wolf Hall, all feature scenes filmed at Penshurst. 37 00:02:24,240 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: But for all of the screen time Hollywood has given Penshurst, 38 00:02:28,040 --> 00:02:31,640 Speaker 1: they're still yet to adapt a story actually centered on 39 00:02:31,680 --> 00:02:36,360 Speaker 1: the family that once was based there. The Sydney's In 40 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:40,800 Speaker 1: fifteen fifty two, Henry, the eighth son King Edward, would 41 00:02:40,800 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 1: grant Penshurst to his courtier, Sir William Sidney. William had 42 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:51,360 Speaker 1: three grandchildren, Philip Sydney, the famous poet and elizabeth Ian courtier, 43 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:56,119 Speaker 1: Robert Sydney, a statesman and patron of the arts, and 44 00:02:56,440 --> 00:03:02,000 Speaker 1: Mary Sidney, a poet and patron herself. Thanks to them, 45 00:03:02,160 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: Penshurst became something of a literary hot spot. The poem 46 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:10,840 Speaker 1: to Penshurst by Ben Johnson goes so far as to 47 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 1: compare it to a meeting place of the muses in 48 00:03:13,880 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: Greek mythology, so it's no surprise that Robert Sidney's own daughter, 49 00:03:19,840 --> 00:03:25,240 Speaker 1: also named Mary, would gain literary aspirations growing up in 50 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: such a place. In fact, Young Mary, who would grow 51 00:03:29,520 --> 00:03:33,560 Speaker 1: up into a woman named Lady Mary Roth, would come 52 00:03:33,560 --> 00:03:38,840 Speaker 1: to be known as England's first female novelist. Her prose 53 00:03:39,040 --> 00:03:44,520 Speaker 1: romance The Countess of Montgomery's Urania, was praised by fellow writers, 54 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: but not seen as favorably by the members of Queen 55 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:53,760 Speaker 1: Anne's court, who thought Mary's characters suspiciously resembled some of 56 00:03:53,800 --> 00:03:57,760 Speaker 1: their own. As will come to see the story of 57 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:02,120 Speaker 1: Lady Mary Roth and her literary career is perhaps the 58 00:04:02,280 --> 00:04:06,400 Speaker 1: best real life representation of the idea put forth by 59 00:04:06,480 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: Virginia Wolf in a Room of One Zone that any woman, 60 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,560 Speaker 1: even a noble one, who put her name on her 61 00:04:14,560 --> 00:04:22,520 Speaker 1: writing would quote risk being thought a monster. I'm Dani Schwartz, 62 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:38,039 Speaker 1: and this is noble blood. On October Mary Roth was 63 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:42,320 Speaker 1: born Mary Sydney, the eldest daughter of Sir Robert Sidney 64 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:46,640 Speaker 1: and his wife, the Heiress Lady Barbara Gamage. The late 65 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: fifteen eighties was a time of radical change within the 66 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:54,839 Speaker 1: Sydney family. Just two years before Mary was born, her 67 00:04:54,880 --> 00:04:58,479 Speaker 1: father was elected to his first political post as a 68 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,880 Speaker 1: Member of Parliament. That was the same year he and 69 00:05:02,040 --> 00:05:05,240 Speaker 1: his brother Philip would go to the Netherlands to fight 70 00:05:05,320 --> 00:05:09,720 Speaker 1: a battle against Spain, but only the former would return alive. 71 00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: Upon his brother's death, Robert Sidney inherited Penshurst, which would 72 00:05:15,080 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: then become Mary's childhood home. To better understand Mary's future work, 73 00:05:20,720 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: it makes sense to spend a bit of time thinking 74 00:05:23,240 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: about her uncle and his legacy. Remember, her father was 75 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:32,640 Speaker 1: one of three literary siblings. There was Philip, Robert and Mary. 76 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:37,600 Speaker 1: Philip died at age thirty one, leaving behind a prolific 77 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:41,200 Speaker 1: body of work that had yet to be published. Writing 78 00:05:41,360 --> 00:05:44,560 Speaker 1: was not his primary focus in his lifetime, but his 79 00:05:44,680 --> 00:05:49,279 Speaker 1: talent was undeniable. C. S. Lewis once called him quote 80 00:05:49,520 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: without equal before Shakespeare, a reputation that has stuck to 81 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:56,600 Speaker 1: this day. If you're going to be in second place 82 00:05:56,640 --> 00:05:59,880 Speaker 1: to anyone, Shakespeare isn't the worst person to be behind. 83 00:06:00,960 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: Robert's most famous works include his Sequence of a Hundred Nates, Sonnets, 84 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:11,440 Speaker 1: Astrophil and Stella, and the pastoral romance Arcadia. Arcadia would 85 00:06:11,440 --> 00:06:14,920 Speaker 1: come to be known as the Countess of Pembrooke's Arcadia 86 00:06:15,400 --> 00:06:19,679 Speaker 1: after his sister, Mary, Countess of Pembroke, our Mary's aunt. 87 00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:23,080 Speaker 1: Not only is the work dedicated to her, but it 88 00:06:23,200 --> 00:06:26,000 Speaker 1: was she, Countess Mary, who was the one to take 89 00:06:26,040 --> 00:06:31,240 Speaker 1: on the responsibility of editing and publishing Arcadia after Philip's death. 90 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:35,040 Speaker 1: The style and substance of Arcadia would go on to 91 00:06:35,080 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 1: influence a number of writers, namely Shakespeare himself and one 92 00:06:40,920 --> 00:06:45,960 Speaker 1: Lady Mary Roth. But before we get there, let's speak 93 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:49,400 Speaker 1: some more about the young Mary. Only a year after 94 00:06:49,440 --> 00:06:53,320 Speaker 1: she was born, Robert, her father, would also inherit Philip's 95 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: post as governor to the town of Flushing in the Netherlands, 96 00:06:57,360 --> 00:07:00,279 Speaker 1: which meant he spent most of his time abroad while 97 00:07:00,320 --> 00:07:04,479 Speaker 1: his family remained in England. When Mary wasn't at Penshurst, 98 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:07,560 Speaker 1: much of her childhood was spent at the London castle 99 00:07:07,640 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: of her aunt, the Countess Mary. Countess Mary had also 100 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: turned her home into a literary gathering place, and it 101 00:07:14,960 --> 00:07:18,480 Speaker 1: can be assumed young Mary had access to an extensive 102 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: collection of classics, humanist works, and the yet to be 103 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: published Philip Sidney works. The Countess's literary work went far 104 00:07:27,800 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 1: beyond the editing and publishing of Arcadia. She translated multiple 105 00:07:32,480 --> 00:07:37,040 Speaker 1: works from French to English and published Psalms, a joint 106 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: project she began working on with Philip before his death. 107 00:07:41,280 --> 00:07:45,800 Speaker 1: The final collection included forty three of his revised psalms 108 00:07:45,840 --> 00:07:49,600 Speaker 1: and a hundred and seven of her own. Notably, she 109 00:07:49,840 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 1: used her own name on all of these works, a 110 00:07:53,160 --> 00:07:56,920 Speaker 1: rare occurrence for the age. As you could predict, the 111 00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:01,239 Speaker 1: Countess would also be a major influence un Mary's future writing. 112 00:08:02,160 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: Splitting her time between the Countess's home and Penn'shurst, it 113 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,200 Speaker 1: was almost a given that Mary would receive a literary 114 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:14,240 Speaker 1: education her education was likely the responsibility of tutors and 115 00:08:14,360 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 1: her mother, championed by her father abroad. Much of our 116 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 1: knowledge of Mary's childhood comes from exchanges between her father 117 00:08:23,040 --> 00:08:27,320 Speaker 1: and her adviser, in which Robert asks for frequent updates 118 00:08:27,360 --> 00:08:31,800 Speaker 1: about his daughter's education. She was quote very forward in 119 00:08:31,880 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 1: her learning, writing, and other exercises she has put to 120 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: as dancing and the virginals end quote. The advisor replied, well, 121 00:08:41,280 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 1: it was not uncommon for a girl of noble birth 122 00:08:44,240 --> 00:08:48,040 Speaker 1: to receive an informal education. It was still not yet 123 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: a universal practice, and Robert's particular emphasis on his daughter's 124 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,920 Speaker 1: reading and writing was a reflection of their family values. 125 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:00,400 Speaker 1: As much as the Sydney family was involved old in 126 00:09:00,440 --> 00:09:04,360 Speaker 1: the literary world, they were equally involved in court life. 127 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:08,040 Speaker 1: One of the earliest anecdotes we have from Mary's court 128 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:11,760 Speaker 1: life is of her performing a dance for Queen Elizabeth 129 00:09:11,920 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: on a royal visit to pence Hurst, and again a 130 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:19,679 Speaker 1: dance in court in sixteen o two. Manuscripts preserved at 131 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:24,319 Speaker 1: Penshurst tell us the teenaged Mary was quote much commended 132 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:28,920 Speaker 1: by her majesty. In sixteen oh three, following King James's 133 00:09:28,920 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 1: ascension to the throne. Mary's father returned to England, he 134 00:09:33,360 --> 00:09:37,800 Speaker 1: was named Baron Sydney of Penshurst and appointed chamberlain to 135 00:09:37,840 --> 00:09:42,079 Speaker 1: the Queen Consort Anne of Denmark, further cementing the Sydney 136 00:09:42,120 --> 00:09:47,080 Speaker 1: family's place in court. The following year, King James married 137 00:09:47,160 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: the seventeen year old Mary to Sir Robert Roth, the 138 00:09:51,280 --> 00:09:55,720 Speaker 1: son of a wealthy Essex landowner, Promising as the marriage 139 00:09:55,800 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: might have seemed on paper, it was truly a match 140 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 1: made in hell. Despite marrying into the Sydney family, Robert 141 00:10:04,840 --> 00:10:08,480 Speaker 1: Roth had little to no interest in literature, as the 142 00:10:08,520 --> 00:10:13,640 Speaker 1: Poetry Foundation points out, quote during his entire career, only 143 00:10:13,720 --> 00:10:17,360 Speaker 1: one book was dedicated to him, a treatise on mad 144 00:10:17,400 --> 00:10:21,800 Speaker 1: dogs end quote. He preferred to spend his time hunting, 145 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: which didn't win him any favors with his wife, but 146 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:27,959 Speaker 1: gained him quite a bit of favor with King James, 147 00:10:28,200 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: who knighted him in sixteen o three. Ben Johnson, friend 148 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:36,600 Speaker 1: of the Sydneys and the famous prominent poet and playwright 149 00:10:36,640 --> 00:10:40,600 Speaker 1: who was quoted earlier for his love of Pencers, once 150 00:10:40,679 --> 00:10:45,560 Speaker 1: noted quote, my lady Roth is unworthily married on a 151 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:50,880 Speaker 1: jealous husband end quote. Even more harshly. A servant of 152 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:55,960 Speaker 1: Mary's once described her husband as quote the foulest churl 153 00:10:56,120 --> 00:11:00,480 Speaker 1: in the world end quote. He was most likely guilty 154 00:11:00,600 --> 00:11:07,239 Speaker 1: of philandering, gambling, and excess drinking. However, her husband's favorable 155 00:11:07,320 --> 00:11:11,120 Speaker 1: relationship with King James meant that Mary's place in court 156 00:11:11,520 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 1: was further secured. She was welcomed into Queen Anne's inner 157 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:19,640 Speaker 1: circle and became a staple in court. Masks, a form 158 00:11:19,720 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 1: of music and dance performance that was highly popular in 159 00:11:23,559 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 1: sixteenth century Europe. The first mask she performed in in 160 00:11:28,320 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: six oh five was written by Ben Johnson himself, and 161 00:11:32,840 --> 00:11:38,280 Speaker 1: the subject matter is incredibly upsetting but also perhaps unsurprising 162 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:44,640 Speaker 1: for English nobility. Titled The Mask of Blackness, Mary performed 163 00:11:44,679 --> 00:11:49,160 Speaker 1: alongside Queen Anne and ten other friends as they donned 164 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:55,520 Speaker 1: black face to play quote black Ethiopian nymphs called the 165 00:11:55,640 --> 00:12:00,320 Speaker 1: Twelve Daughters of Niger. The mask was so successful that 166 00:12:00,400 --> 00:12:05,880 Speaker 1: it inspired numerous other performances, including a sequel, The Mask 167 00:12:06,040 --> 00:12:10,680 Speaker 1: of Beauty, in which Anne and Mary reprised their roles. 168 00:12:11,040 --> 00:12:16,280 Speaker 1: While generally received positively at the time, some reviews negatively 169 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:23,480 Speaker 1: considered the women's performances as Ethiopian nymphs. Quote unconvincing, You 170 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:28,960 Speaker 1: don't say. Though her life was entwined with life at court, 171 00:12:29,440 --> 00:12:34,520 Speaker 1: Mary's literary career was simultaneously starting to begin. We know 172 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:38,720 Speaker 1: from our earliest reference to her work that her writing 173 00:12:38,800 --> 00:12:43,800 Speaker 1: must have begun circulating before sixteen thirteen, during the time 174 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:47,200 Speaker 1: of her marriage. We have documented praise of her writing 175 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:51,640 Speaker 1: from prominent figures in the literary scene such as William Drummond, 176 00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:56,079 Speaker 1: George Wither, and numerous others, But it wasn't until her 177 00:12:56,160 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 1: husband's death that Mary's career really began to take shape. 178 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:07,600 Speaker 1: In sixteen fourteen, Mary gave birth to a son, James. 179 00:13:08,160 --> 00:13:11,640 Speaker 1: Only a month later, her husband, Robert died of gang 180 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:15,719 Speaker 1: green Because it wasn't enough to be terrible in his lifetime, 181 00:13:16,240 --> 00:13:20,479 Speaker 1: Robert left behind a pile of debt twenty three thousand 182 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 1: pounds that was now Mary's responsibility. On top of that, 183 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: young baby James tragically died two years later, and the 184 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:34,360 Speaker 1: death of the air meant that Mary lost the Wrath estate. 185 00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:39,520 Speaker 1: It went to whoever the next heir was. It's unclear 186 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:43,960 Speaker 1: how Mary dealt with the debt. The Sydneys, despite their status, 187 00:13:44,360 --> 00:13:49,040 Speaker 1: were not actually particularly monetarily wealthy. One of the first 188 00:13:49,160 --> 00:13:53,200 Speaker 1: major disputes in the marriage was over Mary's father's failure 189 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:56,880 Speaker 1: to pay the proper dowry. But we do know that 190 00:13:56,960 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: Mary eventually was able to turn her folks us toward 191 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:06,040 Speaker 1: new work and new love. Going forward, I'd like to 192 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:09,880 Speaker 1: tell the story of Mary's life through her most famous, 193 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:13,920 Speaker 1: or depending on who you ask, infamous work, The Countess 194 00:14:13,920 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 1: of Montgomery's Urania, published in sixty one. It's unknown when 195 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 1: exactly Mary began writing the prose romance, but it could 196 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:26,800 Speaker 1: have been as early as sixteen fifteen. It was also 197 00:14:26,840 --> 00:14:31,280 Speaker 1: around that time that Mary withdrew from court life. Whether 198 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:34,200 Speaker 1: it was of her own accord or a forced exile, 199 00:14:34,600 --> 00:14:38,080 Speaker 1: we don't know for sure. Maybe it was a consequence 200 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:42,960 Speaker 1: of her husband's dad somehow, but either way, Urania's title 201 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 1: page is a perfect bridging of Mary's past and Mary's present. 202 00:14:48,360 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: Underneath the word title, we get this mouthful of a byeline, 203 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:56,920 Speaker 1: Let Me take a deep breath, written by the right 204 00:14:57,080 --> 00:15:01,480 Speaker 1: Honorable the Lady Mary Roth, daughter to the right Noble Robert, 205 00:15:01,520 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: Earl of Leicester, and niece to the ever famous and 206 00:15:04,560 --> 00:15:08,000 Speaker 1: renowned Sir Philip Sidney Knight, and to the most excellent 207 00:15:08,120 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 1: Lady Mary, Countess of Pembroke. Late deceased Countess Mary died 208 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:18,240 Speaker 1: the same year as Uranias publication. Perhaps notably, there is 209 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:22,520 Speaker 1: no mention of her late husband. Roth's name may have changed, 210 00:15:23,000 --> 00:15:27,680 Speaker 1: she would always be a Sydney. It's once again worth 211 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:31,400 Speaker 1: noting that it was extremely uncommon for a woman to 212 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:34,600 Speaker 1: put her own name on her work, which makes the 213 00:15:34,680 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 1: nod to Countess Mary in the byline more touching, as 214 00:15:38,440 --> 00:15:40,480 Speaker 1: if she carved a path for her niece to be 215 00:15:40,520 --> 00:15:44,080 Speaker 1: able to do it herself. To add the names of 216 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:47,440 Speaker 1: the prominent men and writers in her family may have 217 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:50,600 Speaker 1: been a move to legitimize her work, but it wasn't 218 00:15:50,640 --> 00:15:53,680 Speaker 1: something the Countess ever did in her own published work. 219 00:15:54,320 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 1: So the nod to Robert who encouraged her education, Countess Mary, 220 00:15:58,840 --> 00:16:01,400 Speaker 1: who showed her niece what her own future could be, 221 00:16:01,920 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: and Philip, whose style was the foundation for Urania, can 222 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 1: also be read just as a show of respect to 223 00:16:08,640 --> 00:16:12,600 Speaker 1: her family above all else in regards to that style. 224 00:16:12,760 --> 00:16:16,560 Speaker 1: The academic Rice A. Bear, introducing a digital collection of 225 00:16:16,680 --> 00:16:21,560 Speaker 1: Roth's works, argues that Philip's inspiration on Roth's writing can 226 00:16:21,600 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: be seen in its form as quote, a long and 227 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 1: rambling prose romance interspersed with poems. That's the style Philip 228 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:33,840 Speaker 1: could be credited with bringing back into fashion, and one 229 00:16:33,920 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: that his niece Mary further innovated. The titular Countess herself 230 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 1: also had connections to the Sydneys. She was Susan Daver, 231 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:49,480 Speaker 1: Countess of Montgomery, Mary's close friend and wife to Countess 232 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:54,520 Speaker 1: Mary's youngest son, making her Mary Roth's cousin in law. 233 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 1: Countess Mary's oldest son is also going to be important here. 234 00:16:59,720 --> 00:17:04,800 Speaker 1: He is William Herbert, the third Earl of Pembrooke, a politician, poet, 235 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:08,880 Speaker 1: and once Chancellor of Oxford. If you recognize the name 236 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 1: Pembroke College, he's that guy. He will play an important 237 00:17:13,040 --> 00:17:17,000 Speaker 1: role in Urania, but probably not when you're expecting, and 238 00:17:17,119 --> 00:17:21,000 Speaker 1: more on that later anyway. As the professor Naomi J. 239 00:17:21,160 --> 00:17:24,159 Speaker 1: Miller points out in her article, not much to be 240 00:17:24,240 --> 00:17:28,800 Speaker 1: marked narrative of the woman's part in Lady Mary Roth's Urania. 241 00:17:29,040 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 1: Mary honoring her friend in the title of her work 242 00:17:32,520 --> 00:17:36,919 Speaker 1: is an early signifier to readers that Urania will differentiate 243 00:17:37,000 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 1: itself from the prose romance that was being written by 244 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:42,640 Speaker 1: men in the ways in which you will honor female 245 00:17:42,680 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 1: friendship and in the level of personhood it gives female characters. 246 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:52,720 Speaker 1: So now into the story itself. There are hundreds of 247 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:56,400 Speaker 1: characters in the prose piece, but they all loosely revolve 248 00:17:56,440 --> 00:18:02,760 Speaker 1: around the tale of two lovers, Pamphilia and Amphilanthus. Pamphilia 249 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:05,920 Speaker 1: is a queen of an island kingdom of the same name, 250 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:11,440 Speaker 1: while Amphilanthus is the emperor of Romans and notably her 251 00:18:11,480 --> 00:18:15,600 Speaker 1: first cousin. Can you guess where this is going. The 252 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,879 Speaker 1: name Pamphilia, like many of the names and characters in 253 00:18:19,920 --> 00:18:25,800 Speaker 1: this story, is of Greek origin and means all loving. Amphilanthus, 254 00:18:25,840 --> 00:18:30,360 Speaker 1: on the other hand, means lover of two. The conflict 255 00:18:30,560 --> 00:18:34,760 Speaker 1: keeping these lovers apart is in their names. Pamphilia is 256 00:18:34,800 --> 00:18:40,440 Speaker 1: a constant character, while Amphilanthus is inconsistent. The lovers cannot 257 00:18:40,440 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 1: be together because Amphilanthus is constantly pursuing other women, begging 258 00:18:45,480 --> 00:18:48,919 Speaker 1: Pamphilia to take him back each time. It is an 259 00:18:48,960 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 1: obstacle that is purely an interpersonal conflict. There are no 260 00:18:54,000 --> 00:18:59,119 Speaker 1: warring families keeping them apart, no meddling mythological forces, no 261 00:18:59,280 --> 00:19:02,720 Speaker 1: comedy of air hers. That alone would be a fresh 262 00:19:02,800 --> 00:19:06,120 Speaker 1: take on the genre, but added to it is Roth's 263 00:19:06,119 --> 00:19:12,119 Speaker 1: assertion that amphilitis is not morally worthy of Pamphilia. The 264 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 1: morality by which she defines Pamphilia is non traditional. While 265 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:21,680 Speaker 1: she takes measures to inform the audience of Pamphilia's femininity, 266 00:19:22,160 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: her quote virtues are not the ones regularly associated with 267 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:34,159 Speaker 1: women in romances, chastity, purity, et cetera. Instead, Pamphilia is 268 00:19:34,200 --> 00:19:38,040 Speaker 1: defined by her loyalty to her loved ones, putting forth 269 00:19:38,080 --> 00:19:42,639 Speaker 1: a virtue that should be prioritized by both genders. The 270 00:19:42,720 --> 00:19:46,239 Speaker 1: women in Pamphelia's life also play an important role in 271 00:19:46,280 --> 00:19:49,520 Speaker 1: her narrative. When she falls into a depression due to 272 00:19:49,640 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 1: her beloved infidelity, she seeks the advice of her friends 273 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:57,040 Speaker 1: as to how to deal with this conflict. Again a 274 00:19:57,160 --> 00:20:02,200 Speaker 1: novel subject to give importance to in fictionate this time. Pamphelia, 275 00:20:02,280 --> 00:20:05,879 Speaker 1: as you have likely figured out, is a representation of 276 00:20:06,000 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: Mary herself. She is a strong queen whose autonomy is 277 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:14,880 Speaker 1: supported by her father and uncle and Philanthus. Her lover 278 00:20:15,320 --> 00:20:20,360 Speaker 1: represents her cousin William Herbert. In your ania, Pamphelia expresses 279 00:20:20,400 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 1: her love of a Philanthus by writing him love poems. 280 00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:29,200 Speaker 1: In reality, Mary wrote a play entitled Love's Victory given 281 00:20:29,240 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 1: to William, along with a cipher that, when solved, spelled 282 00:20:33,800 --> 00:20:39,440 Speaker 1: their fictional counterparts names. She really was the Taylor Swift 283 00:20:39,640 --> 00:20:43,440 Speaker 1: of her time because he was her cousin. The Countess 284 00:20:43,440 --> 00:20:47,800 Speaker 1: Mary's son, Mary Roth knew William well growing up. His 285 00:20:47,920 --> 00:20:50,520 Speaker 1: brother Philip even lived with her in the Sydneys for 286 00:20:50,600 --> 00:20:53,760 Speaker 1: some time, with William visiting most days of the week. 287 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 1: It's unknown if their affair started before, during, or after. 288 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: There was spective marriages. William got married only a few 289 00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:07,199 Speaker 1: months after Mary. It's easy to guess why Mary was 290 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:10,800 Speaker 1: drawn to William. Her own husband had no interest in 291 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:14,880 Speaker 1: literary pursuits, whereas William was someone she trusted to keep 292 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:18,800 Speaker 1: her intellectually engaged. On top of that, he was known 293 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:23,159 Speaker 1: as being particularly handsome. We do know that at some 294 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:26,720 Speaker 1: point after the death of her husband, Mary and William 295 00:21:26,800 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 1: had at least two illegitimate children, a daughter Catherine and 296 00:21:32,040 --> 00:21:37,240 Speaker 1: son William, information confirmed by one of the elder William's cousins. 297 00:21:37,920 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 1: In the continuation of Your Ania that was published after 298 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:45,760 Speaker 1: Mary's death, she introduced a new character, a night called 299 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:49,280 Speaker 1: fair Design, who does not have a proper name due 300 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:53,119 Speaker 1: to his status as an illegitimate child. Won the text 301 00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:58,600 Speaker 1: heavily hints belongs to Pamphilia and and Philanthus, So how 302 00:21:58,640 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 1: does the story end? Spoilerlert to anyone who is going 303 00:22:02,480 --> 00:22:07,560 Speaker 1: straight from this podcast to read Urania. Pamphilia and amphilanthus, 304 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:11,840 Speaker 1: much like Rath and Herbert, do not end up together. 305 00:22:12,680 --> 00:22:16,880 Speaker 1: Despite a prolific career as a nobleman, courtier and founder 306 00:22:16,920 --> 00:22:21,080 Speaker 1: of an incredibly famous college. The longest section of William's 307 00:22:21,119 --> 00:22:27,159 Speaker 1: Wikipedia is entitled quote Arranged marriages and Mistresses. In one 308 00:22:27,240 --> 00:22:30,600 Speaker 1: of his own poems reads the line quote can you 309 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 1: suspect a change in me and value your own constancy? 310 00:22:35,560 --> 00:22:41,440 Speaker 1: End quote. Catherine and William were not his only illegitimate children. 311 00:22:41,960 --> 00:22:44,639 Speaker 1: Before his first marriage, he had an affair with a 312 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:48,240 Speaker 1: woman named Mary Fitton. Fitton was a maid of honor 313 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:51,640 Speaker 1: to Queen Elizabeth and is thought to be the mysterious 314 00:22:52,040 --> 00:22:55,359 Speaker 1: Dark Lady who is the subject of a series of 315 00:22:55,400 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 1: Shakespeare's sonnets. William admitted he was her child's father there, 316 00:23:00,480 --> 00:23:03,000 Speaker 1: but refused to marry her, and was thus sent to 317 00:23:03,080 --> 00:23:06,640 Speaker 1: Fleet Prison for a brief period in sixteen o one, 318 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:10,040 Speaker 1: likely by the hand of Elizabeth herself, due to causing 319 00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 1: scandal with one of her maids of honor. He and 320 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:17,560 Speaker 1: Fitton were barred from Elizabethan court, but luckily for William, 321 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 1: around this time, the Elizabethan era was coming to an end. 322 00:23:23,040 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 1: Many contemporaries believed William to be a favorite of Queen 323 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:30,159 Speaker 1: Anne and that it was through her influence that he 324 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:34,400 Speaker 1: gained the position of Lord Chamberlain to King James, Queen 325 00:23:34,440 --> 00:23:39,840 Speaker 1: Anne's husband, in sixteen fifteen. Not so coincidentally, this was 326 00:23:39,880 --> 00:23:43,919 Speaker 1: the time Wroth began to withdraw from court life, or 327 00:23:44,200 --> 00:23:48,879 Speaker 1: more likely fell out a favor with Queen Anne. Again, 328 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:53,919 Speaker 1: not so coincidentally, a similar story plays out in Urania. 329 00:23:54,280 --> 00:23:57,760 Speaker 1: There are references throughout to a jealous queen who will 330 00:23:57,800 --> 00:24:01,040 Speaker 1: go so far as to exile weaker rivals from court 331 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,960 Speaker 1: in order to keep her lover to herself. This might 332 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,800 Speaker 1: have been enough to cause outrage, but compared to some 333 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:12,439 Speaker 1: other allusions in Urania, the characterization of the queen was 334 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 1: too vague to draw a straight line to Anne with 335 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 1: her other characters. Though Mary did not pull her punches 336 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:24,240 Speaker 1: in imitating real life court scandals, the one that caused 337 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:27,399 Speaker 1: the biggest stir was in reference to the marriage of 338 00:24:27,440 --> 00:24:32,720 Speaker 1: Honora Denny and James Hay in Urania, Roth describes a 339 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:36,919 Speaker 1: scene in which Sarellius or Hay has to step in 340 00:24:37,160 --> 00:24:41,280 Speaker 1: to save his wife's life from her father's violent rage 341 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:46,600 Speaker 1: after she's accused of adultery. Edward Denny, the father in question, 342 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:54,040 Speaker 1: was infuriated. Denny expressed his rage through how Else poetry. 343 00:24:54,119 --> 00:24:59,400 Speaker 1: He wrote a scathing and offensive poem about Wrath, addressed 344 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:04,439 Speaker 1: to Pamphilia from the Father in law of Cerelius. It 345 00:25:04,560 --> 00:25:10,800 Speaker 1: begins quote hermaphrodite in show indeed a monster, as by 346 00:25:10,920 --> 00:25:16,440 Speaker 1: thy words and works all men may const thy wraithful spirit, 347 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:20,800 Speaker 1: conceived an idle book, brought forth a fool, which, like 348 00:25:20,920 --> 00:25:25,560 Speaker 1: the damn doth look. As Mary Ellen Lamb points out 349 00:25:25,600 --> 00:25:29,120 Speaker 1: in her book Gender and Authorship in the Sydney Circle, 350 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:35,280 Speaker 1: Denny's critique is heavily gendered. In calling Rath a hermaphrodite, 351 00:25:35,520 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 1: he attempts to punish her for the ways she's transgressed 352 00:25:38,880 --> 00:25:43,479 Speaker 1: gender boundaries. The dame he refers to as is a 353 00:25:43,520 --> 00:25:48,960 Speaker 1: word for a domesticated female animal, saying she's subhuman but 354 00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:54,320 Speaker 1: she's still female. Roth replied almost immediately with a poem 355 00:25:54,440 --> 00:25:58,480 Speaker 1: of her own. It's rhymes, matching Denny's word for word. 356 00:25:59,440 --> 00:26:03,280 Speaker 1: Her map dite incense in art a monster as by 357 00:26:03,320 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 1: your railing rhymes, the world may conster your spiteful words 358 00:26:07,880 --> 00:26:12,080 Speaker 1: against a harmless book shows that an ass much like 359 00:26:12,200 --> 00:26:17,320 Speaker 1: the sire doth look Denny, not being a real poet himself, 360 00:26:17,960 --> 00:26:20,640 Speaker 1: sort of set himself up for this kind of besting, 361 00:26:21,280 --> 00:26:25,199 Speaker 1: and it shows a truly astonishing level of hubris. It 362 00:26:25,320 --> 00:26:28,280 Speaker 1: kind of reminds me of men on Twitter who think 363 00:26:28,320 --> 00:26:34,160 Speaker 1: they might be able to win a set against Serena Williams. Unfortunately, 364 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:37,439 Speaker 1: talent means almost nothing when you're a woman in a 365 00:26:37,440 --> 00:26:42,480 Speaker 1: man's world. Denny's response assured that Urania would be a scandal, 366 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:47,240 Speaker 1: leaving Mary in a treacherous situation. In a letter between 367 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:50,600 Speaker 1: two members of court, the gossip quote in her book 368 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:54,920 Speaker 1: of Urania, she doth papply and grossly play upon him 369 00:26:54,920 --> 00:26:58,359 Speaker 1: and his late daughter, Lady Hayes, besides many others she 370 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:01,680 Speaker 1: makes bold with, and they say takes great liberty, or 371 00:27:01,800 --> 00:27:05,840 Speaker 1: rather license to reduce whom she please, and thinks she 372 00:27:06,040 --> 00:27:10,359 Speaker 1: dances in a net. Mary's course of action was to 373 00:27:10,480 --> 00:27:13,960 Speaker 1: deny her connection to the book's publication. She wrote to 374 00:27:14,000 --> 00:27:16,639 Speaker 1: a personal friend and a favorite of King James, the 375 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:19,639 Speaker 1: Duke of Buckingham, arguing it was only meant to be 376 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:23,440 Speaker 1: shared among friends, and she volunteered to stop the sale 377 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:27,160 Speaker 1: of it. Based on the detail of the title page 378 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:31,240 Speaker 1: and Mary's annotations in her copies, we can assume she 379 00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:36,720 Speaker 1: was lying. The court fuss did, however, mean that Urania 380 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:41,920 Speaker 1: was never reprinted and Mary would forever be considered a pariah. 381 00:27:42,119 --> 00:27:44,480 Speaker 1: After that, we know Mary began to work on the 382 00:27:44,520 --> 00:27:48,840 Speaker 1: second part of Urania and her play Loves Victory, the 383 00:27:48,880 --> 00:27:52,840 Speaker 1: one she gifted to William. Speaking of William, we do 384 00:27:52,960 --> 00:27:56,960 Speaker 1: not know exactly when he ended the affair with Mary, 385 00:27:56,960 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 1: but we know her characterization of him as amphil Lanthis 386 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:06,000 Speaker 1: the Philanderer was an accurate one. The latter part of 387 00:28:06,040 --> 00:28:09,200 Speaker 1: Mary's life was sadly devoted to paying off the debt 388 00:28:09,320 --> 00:28:12,800 Speaker 1: left behind by her late husband. Though her father could 389 00:28:12,800 --> 00:28:17,159 Speaker 1: not aid financially, he did refuse requests from the Secretary 390 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:21,040 Speaker 1: of State to pressure Mary into paying, assuring him that 391 00:28:21,119 --> 00:28:25,439 Speaker 1: Mary was capable of handling her affairs. It's likely that 392 00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:30,280 Speaker 1: Mary died between sixteen fifty one and sixteen fifty three, 393 00:28:30,680 --> 00:28:35,480 Speaker 1: and sadly no literary work survived from the last thirty 394 00:28:35,560 --> 00:28:39,720 Speaker 1: years of her life. Still, despite the scandal. No one 395 00:28:39,760 --> 00:28:44,640 Speaker 1: could take away Mary's status as the country's first female novelist. 396 00:28:45,200 --> 00:28:48,400 Speaker 1: It would be over forty years before the next english 397 00:28:48,440 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 1: woman published fiction under her own name. She was Margaret Cavendish, 398 00:28:53,840 --> 00:28:57,680 Speaker 1: Duchess of Newcastle, and in the preface to her sixteen 399 00:28:57,720 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 1: sixty four work Sociable Letter, she cheekily quoted the final 400 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:07,120 Speaker 1: couplet from Denny's poem to Mary, in which he argues 401 00:29:07,160 --> 00:29:11,720 Speaker 1: that wise and worthy women don't write fiction. Work go 402 00:29:11,840 --> 00:29:15,840 Speaker 1: the works, leave idle books alone. For wise and worthier 403 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 1: women have written none. That's the story of Lady Mary Roth. 404 00:29:27,280 --> 00:29:30,320 Speaker 1: But stick around after a brief sponsor break to hear 405 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:43,640 Speaker 1: a little bit more about her literary legacy. While Urania 406 00:29:43,760 --> 00:29:48,400 Speaker 1: drew largely ire from contemporaries, it had one supporter in 407 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:53,520 Speaker 1: Ben Johnson. Not only did Johnson believe that Penshurst enhanced 408 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:58,160 Speaker 1: his literary mind, but Mary herself. In a sonnet to 409 00:29:58,200 --> 00:30:02,040 Speaker 1: the Noble Lady the Lady may Erry Roth, Johnson argues 410 00:30:02,080 --> 00:30:05,400 Speaker 1: that Mary's work made him not only a better poet, 411 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 1: but a better lover. If William could not learn from 412 00:30:09,160 --> 00:30:14,520 Speaker 1: am Philanthusis flaws, perhaps Johnson did I that have been 413 00:30:14,600 --> 00:30:18,000 Speaker 1: a lover and could show it, though not in these 414 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:23,160 Speaker 1: in rhythms. Not wholly dumb, since I ascribe your sonnets 415 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:28,520 Speaker 1: and become a better lover and much better poet. It's 416 00:30:28,560 --> 00:30:33,440 Speaker 1: a lesson every lover today can learn loyalty and constancy 417 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:54,400 Speaker 1: above all, don't be an Amphilanthus. Noble Blood is a 418 00:30:54,440 --> 00:30:57,560 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio and Grim and Mild from 419 00:30:57,560 --> 00:31:02,480 Speaker 1: Aaron Manky. Noble Blood is hosted by me Danishwartz. Additional 420 00:31:02,520 --> 00:31:07,160 Speaker 1: writing and researching done by Hannah Johnston, hannah's Wick, Miura Hayward, 421 00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:10,960 Speaker 1: Courtney Sunder, and Laurie Goodman. The show is produced by 422 00:31:11,000 --> 00:31:16,040 Speaker 1: rema Il Kali, with supervising producer Josh Thaine and executive 423 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:20,320 Speaker 1: producers Aaron Manky, Alex Williams, and Matt Frederick. For more 424 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:24,080 Speaker 1: podcasts from I heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, 425 00:31:24,360 --> 00:31:27,480 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.