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    The Progress of Liberty: 'Hail, Liberty! legitimate of Heaven!''
    The Progress of Liberty: 'Hail, Liberty! legitimate of Heaven!''
    The Progress of Liberty: 'Hail, Liberty! legitimate of Heaven!''
    Ebook61 pages45 minutes

    The Progress of Liberty: 'Hail, Liberty! legitimate of Heaven!''

    By Mary Robinson

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    About this ebook

    Mary Robinson was born in Bristol, England on 27th November 1757.

    Her father, Nicholas Darby, a naval captain, deserted her mother, Hester, for his mistress when Mary was still a child. Without the support of her husband, Hester Darby supported her five children by opening a school for young girls in Little Chelsea, London, (where Mary was teaching by her 14th birthday). On a short return to the family, Captain Darby had the school closed which under English law he was entitled to do.

    Mary, who at one point attended a school run by the social reformer and poet Hannah More, came to the attention of actor David Garrick. Acting was to her way into the arts, although in those times it was also a chaotic and difficult time for any actress.

    A marriage at 15 to a clerk who claimed a large inheritance proved troublesome. After the marriage Mary discovered that her husband had no inheritance but he did have a taste for living way beyond his means and for multiple affairs that he made no effort to hide. Her husband though was now arrested and imprisoned for debt in Fleet Prison. Mary and their six-month old child accompanied him.

    However it was here that she discovered she could publish poetry and earn money, as well as be distracted from the harsh reality around her. The result was ‘Poems by Mrs. Robinson’, published in 1775.

    After their release from prison Mary returned to the theatre. Her first performance was playing Juliet, at Drury Lane Theatre in December 1776. Playing Perdita ‘A Winter’s Tale’ at 21 in 1779 attracted the attention of the young Prince of Wales and the offer of twenty thousand pounds to become his mistress.

    However, the Prince ended the affair in 1781 and refused to pay the promised sum.

    From the late 1780s, Mary’s poetry distinguished her so much that she was referred to as ‘the English Sappho’. In addition she authored eight novels, three plays, feminist treatises, and an autobiographical manuscript that was incomplete at the time of her death.

    Mary Darby Robinson died in poverty at Englefield Cottage, Englefield Green, Surrey, on 26th December 1800, aged 44, having survived several years of ill health.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherPortable Poetry
    Release dateJan 20, 2019
    ISBN9781787803985
    The Progress of Liberty: 'Hail, Liberty! legitimate of Heaven!''
    Author

    Mary Robinson

    Mary Robinson is the President of Realizing Rights: The Ethical Globalization Initiative, former President of Ireland, and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (1997-2002).

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      Book preview

      The Progress of Liberty - Mary Robinson

      The Progress of Liberty by Mary Robinson

      Mary Robinson was born in Bristol, England on 27th November 1757.

      Her father, Nicholas Darby, a naval captain, deserted her mother, Hester, for his mistress when Mary was still a child. Without the support of her husband, Hester Darby supported her five children by opening a school for young girls in Little Chelsea, London, (where Mary was teaching by her 14th birthday). On a short return to the family, Captain Darby had the school closed which under English law he was entitled to do.

      Mary, who at one point attended a school run by the social reformer and poet Hannah More, came to the attention of actor David Garrick.  Acting was to her way into the arts, although in those times it was also a chaotic and difficult time for any actress.

      A marriage at 15 to a clerk who claimed a large inheritance proved troublesome. After the marriage Mary discovered that her husband had no inheritance but he did have a taste for living way beyond his means and for multiple affairs that he made no effort to hide.  Her husband though was now arrested and imprisoned for debt in Fleet Prison.  Mary and their six-month old child accompanied him.

      However it was here that she discovered she could publish poetry and earn money, as well as be distracted from the harsh reality around her.  The result was ‘Poems by Mrs. Robinson’, published in 1775.

      After their release from prison Mary returned to the theatre. Her first performance was playing Juliet, at Drury Lane Theatre in December 1776. Playing Perdita ‘A Winter’s Tale’ at 21 in 1779 attracted the attention of the young Prince of Wales and the offer of twenty thousand pounds to become his mistress. 

      However, the Prince ended the affair in 1781 and refused to pay the promised sum.

      From the late 1780s, Mary’s poetry distinguished her so much that she was referred to as ‘the English Sappho’. In addition she authored eight novels, three plays, feminist treatises, and an autobiographical manuscript that was incomplete at the time of her death.

      Mary Darby Robinson died in poverty at Englefield Cottage, Englefield Green, Surrey, on 26th December 1800, aged 44, having survived several years of ill health.

      Index of Contents

      THE PROGRESS OF LIBERTY

      Book First

      Book Second

      Mary Robinson – A Short Biography

      Mary Robinson – A Concise Bibliography

      PROGRESS OF LIBERTY

      BOOK FIRST

      Hail, Liberty sublime! hail godlike power,

      Coeval with the skies, to earth new born;

      Thou parent of delight, thou source refined

      Of human energy! Thou fountain vast

      From whose immortal stream the soul of man

      Imbibes celestial fervour! But for thee,

      O! best and noblest attribute of God!

      Who would the coil endure of mortal wo,

      The frowns of fortune, or the taunts of pride;

      Float with the gale, or buffet with the storm;

      Who labour through the busy dream of time,

      War with oppression, or resist the base!

      Opposing ever, and by each opposed,

      To count succeeding conflicts; and to die?

      Hail, Liberty! legitimate of Heaven!

      Who, on a mountain's solitary brow

      First started into life; thy sire, old Time;

      Thy mother, blooming, innocent and gay,

      The genius of the scene! Thy beauteous form

      She gave to nature; on whose fragrant lap,

      Nursed by the breath of morn, each glowing vein

      Soon throbb’d with healthful streams. Thy sparkling eyes 

      Snatch'd radiance from the sun! while every limb,

      By custom unrestrain'd, grew firm and strong.

      Thy midnight cradle, rock'd by howling winds,

      Lull'd thee to wholesome rest. Thy beverage pure,

      The wild brook gushing from the rocky steep,

      And foaming, unimpeded, down the vale.

      For thee no victim bled; no groan of death

      Stole on the sighing gale to pitying Heaven!

      Thy food

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