Essays; “A Chambermaid” by Thomas Overbury (6/142) “she hath paid for her credulity often, and now grows weary”

In an effort to educate myself, I am reading The Oxford Book of Essays, chosen and edited by John Gross. [copies for sale here] There’s 142 of the blighters, so it will take me all year. To make this “stick” I am going to blog each essay.

This essay is online

Who was the author: Sir Thomas Overbury (baptized 1581 – 14 September 1613) was an English poet and essayist, also known for being the victim of a murder which led to a scandalous trial. His poem A Wife (also referred to as The Wife), which depicted the virtues that a young man should demand of a woman, played a significant role in the events that precipitated his murder.^[1]

… James I was so irate at Overbury’s arrogance in declining the offer that he had him thrown into the Tower of London on 22 April 1613, where he died on 14 September.^[10]

What happened the year they were born (and the C02 ppm): 1581 Drake knighted for circumcising (joke) the world – 270ppm

The Big Events they were alive for: The Armada. Most of Shakespeare’s plays. Early colonialism. The Death of Elizabeth, coming of James.

What happened in the year they died (and the C02 ppm): 1613 270ppm

My awareness of/appreciation of this author (if any): zero.

What’s the essay?

The essay is called “A Chambermaid.” It’s 1 page long. For me, the key take-aways were that reading fiction can Corrupt You.

Best line(s)

“she hath terrible dreams when she’s awake, as if she were troubled with the nightmare.”

“she hath paid for her credulity often, and now grows weary”

Stuff I had to look up

xx

Stuff worth thinking about.

“she hath paid for her credulity often, and now grows weary” – what a great line!!!

Stuff to look up

Who was the Greene referred to?

Robert Green –

Romance Writing for the 16th Century – Cassidy Cash

The Mirror of Knighthood?  “This article focuses on the Renaissance translator Margaret Tyler who in 1578 published The Mirrour of Princely Deeds and Knighthood from the Spanish of Diego Ortúñez de Calahorra’s Espejo de príncipes y cavalleros, the first translation of an entire chivalric romance from the Spanish, the success of which started a long-lasting vogue for reading romance in England.”

Connects to (watch this space – if there are later essays that resonate with this one, I’ll come back and add a link to the post for that essay).