, an English lady of distinguished talent, by marriage related to
, an English lady
of distinguished talent, by marriage related to the Sandwich family, was the eldest daughter of Evelyn Pierrepoint,
duke of Kingston, and the laoy Mary Fielding, daughter
of William earl of Denbigh. She was born about 1690,
and lost her mother in 1694. Her capacity for literary
attainments was such as induced her father to provide her
with the same preceptors as viscount Newark, her brother;
and under their tuition, she made great proficiency in the
Greek, Latin, and French languages. Her studies were
afterwards superintended by bishop Burnet, and that part
of life which by females of her rank is usually devoted to
trifling amusements, or more trifling “accomplishments,
”
xvas spent by her in studious retirement, principally at
Thoresby and at Acton, near London. Her society was
confined to a few friends, among whom the most confidential appears to have been Mrs. Anne Wortley, wife of the
hon. Sidney Montagu, second son of the heroic earl of
Sandwich. In this intimacy originated her connection
with Edward Wortley Montagu, esq. the eldest son of this
lady; and after a correspondence of about two years, they
were privately married by special licence, which bears
date August 12, 1712. Mr. Wortley was a man possessed
of solid rather than of brilliant parts, but in parliament,
where at different periods of his life he had represented the
cities of Westminster and Peterborough, and the boroughs
of Huntingdon and Bossiney, he acquired considerable
distinction as a politician and a speaker. In 1714 he was
appointed one of the lords commissioners of the treasury,
and on this occasion his lady was introduced to-the court
of George I. where her beauty, wit, and spirit were universally admired. She lived also in habits of familiar acquaintance with two of the greatest geniuses of the age,
Addison and Pope; but it did not require their discernment to discover that, even at this time, she was a woman
of very superior talents.