A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Phillips, (Katherine)
PHILLIPS (KATHERINE), the celebrated Orinda, Daughter of John Fowler, a Merchant of London, born 1631, died 1664.
At eight years of age she was sent to a boarding school at Hackney; where she was distinguished very early for her skill in poetry. Mr. Aubrey tells us, 'that she was very apt to learn, and made verses when at school; that she devoted herself to religious duties when very young; and would pray by herself an hour together; that she read the Bible through before she was full five years old; that she could say by heart many chapters and passages of scripture; was a frequent hearer of sermons, which she would bring away entire in her memory.'
She became afterwards a perfect mistress of the French tongue, and was taught the Italian by her ingenious friend, Sir Charles Cotterel. Bred up in the presbyterian principles, she declares she deserted them as soon as she was capable of judging for herself. She married James Phillips, of the Priory of Cardigan, Esq. about 1647; by whom she had one son, who died in his infancy, and one daughter, married to ——— Wogan, Esq. of Pembrokeshire. She proved, in all respects, an excellent wife, particularly for the assistance afforded him in his affairs, which being greatly encumbered, she by her powerful interest with Sir Charles Cotterel, and other great friends, by her good sense, and excellent management, in a great measure, extricated him out of the embarrassments in which he was involved.
As she had naturally a poetical genius, she composed many poems on various occasions, in her recess at Cardigan, and elsewhere, which being dispersed among her friends and acquaintance, were collected together by an unknown hand, and published in 8 vo. in 1663. This ungenerous treatment affected her so much that it gave her a severe fit of illness. Her remarkable humility, good-nature, and agreeable conversation greatly endeared her to all her acquaintance; and her polite and elegant writings procured her the friendship and correspondence of many learned and eminent men; and on her going to Ireland with the viscountess Dungannon, to transact her husband's affairs there, her great merit soon recommended her to the regard of those illustrious peers, Ormond, Orrery, Roscommon, and many other persons of distinction, who shewed her singular marks of esteem; and at the pressing instances of those noblemen, particularly lord Roscommon, she translated from the French of Corneille, into English, the tragedy of Pompey, which was acted on the Irish stage several times with great applause in the years 1663 and 64. It was likewise afterwards acted very successful at the duke of York's theatre, 1678.
She likewise translated from the French of Corneille, the tragedy of Horace. Sir John Denham added a fifth act to the play, which was represented at the court by persons of quality.
While in Ireland, she was very happy in renewing a former intimacy with the famous Dr. Jeremy Taylor, bishop of Down and Connor; who some time before, had done her much honour by writing and publishing, A Discourse of the Nature, Offices, and Measures of Friendship, with Rules of conducting it. In a Letter to the most ingenious and excellent Mrs. Katherine Phillips.
Mrs. Phillips left Ireland, 1663, and went to Cardigan, where she spent some time, and then going to London, to enjoy the conversation of her friends, she was seized with the small-pox, died of it in Fleet-street, in the thirty-third year of her age, and was buried in the church of St. Bennet Sherehog, under a large monumental stone, where several of her ancestors were before interred.
She was of a middle stature, rather fat, and ruddy complexioned. In 1667 were published, in folio, Poems by the most deservedly admired Mrs. Catherine Phillips, the matchless Orinda. To which are added, M. Corneille's Pompey and Horace, Tragedies, with several other Translations from the French; and her Picture before them, engraved by Faithorne. There was likewise another edition in 1678; in the preface to which we are told, 'that she wrote her familiar letters with good facility, in a very fair hand, and perfect orthography; and if they were collected with those excellent discourses she wrote on several subjects, they would make a volume much larger than that of her Poems.' In 1705, a small volume of her Letters to Sir Charles Cotterel was published, under the title of Letters from Orinda to Poliarchus. The editor of which tells us, that 'they were the effect of an happy intimacy between herself and the late famous Poliarchus, and are an admirable pattern for the pleasing correspondence of a virtuous friendship. They will sufficiently instruct us how an intercourse of writing, between two persons of different sexes, ought to be managed with delight and innocence.'
Her poems are more admired for propriety and beauty of thought, than harmony of versification.