A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Thomas, (Mrs.)
THOMAS (MRS.) known to the World by the poetical name of Corinna.
From her very birth, in 1675, she was of so delicate and tender a constitution, that had she not been of a gay disposition, and possessed of a vigorous mind, she must have been more unhappy than she actually was. Her father dying when she was scarce two years old, and her mother not knowing his real circumstances, some inconveniences were incurred, in bestowing upon him a pompous funeral. When her mother married him, on the supposition of his being wealthy, he was upwards of sixty, and herself eighteen, but she was miserably deceived. She disposed of two houses her husband kept, one in town, the other in Essex, and retired into a private lodging. Here it was her misfortune to become acquainted with a certain philosophical doctor, who pretended he had made a discovery of the philosopher's stone, and so far insinuated himself into her good opinion, that she was prevailed upon to advance £. 300 upon the credit of his invention, in order to prepare works for the grand operation. But coming to the last trial, when the success was every moment expected, all his works were blown up at once, and her eyes were opened to see how grossly she had been imposed upon. But I should have observed, that during the process, the doctor acted the part of a tutor to Corinna, in arithmetic, Latin, and mathematics, to which she discovered a very strong propensity.
Mrs. Thomas, on this occasion, suffered a good deal of secret anguish; she was ashamed of having reduced her fortune, and impoverished her child, by listening to the insinuations of a villain. Time and patience at last overcame it; and when her health, which by this accident had been much impaired, was restored, she took a house in. Bloomsbury, and by œconomy, and an elegant appearance, was supposed to be better in the world than she really was. Her husband's clients received her like one risen from the dead; they visited and promised to serve her. At last the duke of Montague advised her to let lodgings, which way of life she declined, as her talents were not suited for dealing with ordinary lodgers; "but if I knew," added she, "any family that desired such a conveniency, I would readily accommodate them." "I take you at your word," replied the duke, "I will become your sole tenant;" and accordingly he used to meet there some of his noble friends to concert about the revolution: after it took place, they took leave of the lady, with promises of obtaining a pension, or some place in the household for her: she had a very good claim to some appointment, having been ruined by the shutting up the exchequer, but nothing came of these promises. The duke of Montague indeed made offers of service, and being captain of the band of pensioners, she asked him to admit Mr. Gwynnet, who had made love to her daughter, in such a post. This he promised, but desired that her daughter should ask him for it; but how amazed was she to find her, who had never discovered the least instance of disobedience, absolutely refuse to ask any favour of his grace: and continuing obstinate in her resolution, her mother obliged her to explain herself. Upon which she told her that his designs were dishonourable: the explanation was but too satisfactory; and his mean and ungenerous conduct too apparent to admit of any excuse.
In the mean time Corinna continued to improve her mind by reading the politest authors. Upon Mr. Gwynnet's first discovering his passion, she remonstrated with him on the inequality of their fortunes, as her affairs were then in a very perplexed situation. This objection was soon surmounted by a lover, especially as his father had already given him possession of the greatest part of his estate, and leave to please himself. Mr. Gwynnet no sooner obtained this than he came to London, and claimed Corinna's promise of marriage: but her mother being then in a very weak condition, she could not abandon her in that distress, to die among strangers. She therefore told Mr. Gwynnet, that as she had not thought sixteen years long in waiting for him, he could not think six months long in expectation of her. He replied, with a sigh, "Six months, at this time, my Corinna, is more than sixteen years have been; you have put it off now, and God will put it off for ever." It proved as he had foretold; he next day went into the country, made his will, sickened, and died, 1711, leaving her the bequest of 600 l. and, adds she, "Sorrow has been my food ever since." Had she providentially married him, she had been secure from the distresses of poverty: but duty to her parent was more prevalent than considerations of convenience. After the death of her lover she was barbarously used: his brother stifled the will, which compelled her to have recourse to law; he smothered the old gentleman's conveyance deed, by which he was enabled to make a bequest, and offered a large sum of money to any person to blacken Corinna's character, but could find none wretched enough for his purpose. At last, to shew her respect to the memory of her deceased lover, she consented to an accommodation, to receive 200 l. down, and 200 l. at the year's end. The first payment was made, and distributed instantly among her mother's creditors; but when the other became due, he bid her defiance, stood suit on his own bond, and held her out four terms. He carried it from one court to another, till at last it was brought to the bar of the house of lords; and as that is a tribunal where the chicanery of lawyers can have no weight, he thought proper to pay the money without a hearing. The gentlemen of the long robe had made her sign an instrument, that they should receive the money and pay themselves, and she received but 13 l. 16 s. which reduced her to the necessity of absconding from her creditors, and starving in an obscure corner, till she was betrayed by a false friend, and hurried to gaol. Besides all her other calamities, she fell into a dangerous fit of illness by a mere accident. In April 1711, she swallowed the middle bone of the wing of a large fowl, being above three inches long; she had the end in her mouth, and speaking hastily, it went forcibly down in the act of inspiration. At first she felt no pain; but in a few days she complained of a load at her stomach. After this she fell into a violent pain, convulsions, and swooning fits, and was seized with a malignant fever. In this deplorable condition she continued, except some small intervals, for about two years, notwithstanding all that the most eminent physicians could do for her. They sent her to Bath, where she found relief, and continued tolerably well for some years, even to bear the fatigue of an eight years suit with an unjust executor.
Being deprived of a competent fortune by cross accidents, she suffered all the extremities of a close imprisonment, and was in want of all the necessaries of life, lying on boards for two years. On recovering liberty, and beginning to use exercise, she was judged to be in a dropsy; but no medicines taking place, was given over as incurable; when nature unexpectedly helped itself: but the water in her stomach gathered again, and was always attended with a hectic or suffocating asthma. Amongst her other misfortunes, she suffered the displeasure of Mr. Pope, who gave her a place in his Dunciad. Mr. Pope once paid her a visit, in company with Henry Cromwell, Esq; whose letters, by some accident, fell into her hands, with some of Pope's answers. As soon as that gentleman died, Mr. Curl found means to wheedle them from her, and immediately committed them to the press. This so enraged Mr. Pope, that he never forgave her. Not many months after she had been released from her gloomy habitation, she took a small lodging in Fleet-street, where she died 1730, aged 56, and was interred in the church of St. Bride.
Corinna, considered as an authoress, is of the second rate: she had not so much wit as Mrs. Behn, or Mrs. Manley, nor so happy a power of intellectual painting, but her poetry is soft and delicate, her letters sprightly and entertaining. Her poems were published after her death, by Curl; and two volumes of letters, which passed between her and Mr. Gwynnet.