"To Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York"
By Katherine Philips

Transcription, correction, editorial commentary, and markup by Staff and Research Assistants at The University of Virginia, John O'Brien, Sara Brunstetter, Rachel Retica

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London : Printed by J.M. for H. Herringman, 1667This text is based on transcriptions created by the Early English Books Online Texts Creation Partnership, a library-based project directed by the University of Michigan and Oxford University. Their digital text was produced from the 1667 edition, published by Henry Herringman in London in 1667, three years after Philips's death, but with the collaboration of her late husband. We have also consulted The Collected Works of Katherine Philips, edited by Patrick Thomas (Essex: Stump Cross Books, 1990), which takes Philips's manuscript versions of her poems as its copytext. Annotations have been provided by faculty and students at the University of Virginia. For a full description of this object, see its ESTC entry.

Editorial Statements

Research informing these annotations draws on publicly-accessible resources, with links provided where possible. Annotations have also included common knowledge, defined as information that can be found in multiple reliable sources. If you notice an error in these annotations, please contact lic.open.anthology@gmail.com.

Original spelling and capitalization is retained, though the long s has been silently modernized and ligatured forms are not encoded.

Hyphenation has not been retained, except where necessary for the sense of the word.

Page breaks have been retained. Catchwords, signatures, and running headers have not. Where pages break in the middle of a word, the complete word has been indicated prior to the page beginning.

Materials have been transcribed from and checked against first editions, where possible. See the Sources section.

Citation

Philips, Katherine. "To Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York". Poems by the most deservedly admired Mrs. Katherine Philips, the matchless Orinda; to which is added Monsieur Corneille's Pompey & Horace, tragedies; with several other translations out of French, Printed by J.M. for H. Herringman, 1667 , pp 11-12 . Literature in Context: An Open Anthology. http://anthologydev.lib.virginia.edu/work/Philips/philips-to-the-duchess-of-york. Accessed: 2024-12-03T17:21:57.364Z

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11 To Her Royal Highness the Duchess of York^York, on her commanding me to send her some things that I had written.YorkThe Duchess of York was Anne Hyde, wife of the future King James II of England. 1To you whose Dignity strikes us with aw, 2And whose far greater Judgment gives us law, 3(Your Mind b'ing more transcendent then your State, 4For while but Knees to this, Hearts bow to that,) 5These humble Papers never durst^durstdurstThe simple past of dare. come near, 6Had not your pow'rful Word bid them appear; 7In which such majesty, such sweetness dwells, 8As in one act obliges, and compels. 9None can dispute commands vouchsaf'd^vouchsafedvouchsafedTo grant by graciousness or condescension (Oxford English Dictionary). by you. 10What shall my fears then and confusion doe? 11They must resign, and by their just pretence 12Some value set on my obedience. 13For in religious Duties, 'tis confest, 14The most Implicite are accepted best. 12 15If on that score your Highness will excuse 16This blushing tribute of an artless Muse, 17She may (encourag'd by your least regard, 18Which first did worth create, and then reward) 19At modest distance with improved strains 20That Mercy celebrate which now she gains. 21But should you that severer justice use, 22Which these too prompt Approches may produce, 23As the swift Doe which hath escaped long, 24Believes a Vulgar shot would be a wrong; 25But wounded by a Prince falls without shame, 26And what in life she loses, gains in fame: 27So if a Ray from you chance to be sent, 28Which to consume, and not to warm, is meant; 29My trembling Muse at least more nobly dies, 30And falls by that a truer sacrifice.