Lucy Countess of Bedford, Jonson, and Donne

Abstract

This study presents a biography of Lucy Harington Russell, Countess of Bedford (1581-1627) and a study of her influence on the poets for whom she was patron and friend. The biography of Lady Bedford in Chapter I includes a character study of her husband, a comment on Lady Bedford's supposed puritanism, and a review of the Bedford finances. Although there is an unfortunate scarcity of information about Lady Bedford's life in the years she was most influential as a literary patron, her life after 1612 is well documented. In particular, thirty-six surviving letters reveal her interests and activities, and her mature character: these are examined in the text of this study, and reproduced in full in Appendix II. Chapter II presents a preliminary study of Lady Bedford as a literar; patron. It begins with a brief general comment on patronage in the Jacobean era and a sketch of Lady Bedford's education. Lady Bedford's relationships with Drayton, Florio and Daniel are then outlined, and important works examined. The chapter concludes with a brief comment on Lady Bedford's life at Twickenham, and an outline of the suggested composition of her Twickenham circle.