A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Beaufort, (Margaret)
Only daughter and heir of the duke of Somerset, sprung from John of Gaunt, duke of Lancaster. She married Edmund earl of Richmond, half-brother of Henry VI. son of Sir Owen Tudor, and Catherine of France, relict of Henry V. By him she had one son, afterwards Henry VII. On her first husband's death, she espoused Sir Henry Stafford, and afterwards Lord Stanley; but had no children by either, so that Henry was the sole heir of all her possessions.
This illustrious lady must be mentioned both as an author and patroness of letters; she was the third female writer England produced. By the course of her education, she was tolerably qualified for a studious life. She attained a perfect acquaintance with the French language, and had some skill in the Latin; but lamented that she had not rendered herself a complete mistress of it in her youth. A fine library was collected by her, not for the purpose of ornament, the gratification of vanity, or ostentation, but for use. She wished to enrich her mind with valuable knowledge; and it contained the best Latin, French, and English books, of which she could at that time acquire the possession. Her works were of the devotional kind, and for the most part translations. One was the Fourth Book of Dr. John Gersons Treatise on the Imitation of Christ, translated from the French: another was entitled. The Mirror of Golde for the Sinful Soule. It had been originally written in Latin, under the title of Speculum Aureum Peccatorum but it was from the French that the countess of Richmond made her translation. She likewise drew up, at the desire of the king her son, and by his authority, orders with regard to the precedence of great and noble ladies at public processions, and particularly at funerals.
But it is not on her character as a writer, that the countess's real reputation is grounded. This must be sought for in her munificent institutions, for the encouragement of piety and learning. She appointed and endowed two public lectures in divinity, one at Oxford, and the other at Cambridge. At the last university, she made provision for a preacher, to deliver at least six sermons every year, in several churches belonging to the dioceses of London, Ely, and Lincoln; and she founded a free grammar-school at Winborne, in Dorsetshire. These were only the beginnings of the lady Margaret's benefactions. In 1506, she completed the foundation of Christ's College, Cambridge, and provided so plentifully for it, out of her own lands and possessions, that her revenues alone afford a maintenance for a master, twelve fellows, and forty-seven scholars. A judgment may be formed of the succeeding usefulness and reputation of this institution, when it is observed, that, among the other learned ornaments of it, the names may be reckoned of Leland, Broughton, Ames, Mede, Cudworth, More, Burnet, Outram, Lightfoot, Milton, Howe, and Sanderson.
Having displayed so much bounty at Cambridge, she was disposed to extend her beneficence to distant places, and other objects: but, through the influence of John Fisher, bishop of Rochester, who had been her confessor and chaplain, she was prevailed upon to carry still farther her patronage to her favourite university. Accordingly, she became the foundress of St. John's College, but died before the design was completed. Her executors, however, were zealous and speedy in fulfilling the purposes of her will. It is needless here to enumerate the many illustrious names this college can likewise boast of.
She was buried in Westminster-abbey. Her charities and the humility which made her not disdain the lowest offices of kindness to the poor, efface the remembrance of her superstition and mistaken zeal, which regretted the times of the crusades.