leman she had one son, who died in his
infancy, and one daughter, married to a gentleman of Pembrokeshire.
She proved an excellent wife, not only in the conjugal duties, and
tender offices of love, but was highly serviceable to her husband in
affairs, in which few wives are thought capable of being useful; for
his fortune being much encumbered, she exerted her interest with Sir
Charles Cotterel, and other persons of distinction, who admired her
understanding (for she had few graces of person) in her husband's
favour, who soon extricated him from the difficulties under which he
laboured. It no where appears that the husband of Mrs. Philips was a
man of any abilities, and if he met with respect in the world, it was
probably reflected from his wife. This lady had too much piety and
good sense to suffer her superior understanding to make her insolent;
on the other hand, she always speaks of her husband with the utmost
respect, under the name of Antenor. In a letter to Sir Charles
Cotterel, after having mentioned her husband in the most respectful
terms, and of his willingness to forward her journey to London, in
order to settle his perplexed affairs, she adds

"And I hope God will enable me to answer his expectations, by making
me an instrument of doing some handsome service, which is the only
ambition I have in the world, and which I would purchase with the
hazard of my life. I am extreamly obliged to my lady Cork for
remembering me with so much indulgence; for her great desire to be
troubled with my company; but above all for her readiness to assist my
endeavours for Antenor, which is the most generous kindness can be
done me."

As this lady was born with a genius for poetry, so she began early in
life to improve it, and composed many poems on various occasions for
her amusement, in her recess at Cardigan, and retirement elsewhere.
These being dispersed among her friends and acquaintance, were by an
unknown hand collected together, and published in 8vo. 1663, without
her knowledge or consent. This accident is said to have proved so
oppressive to our poetess, as to throw her into a fit of illness, and
she pours out her complaints in a letter to Sir Charles Cotterel, in
which she laments, in the most affecting manner, the misfortune and
the injuries which had been done to her by this surreptitious edition
of her Poems.

That Mrs. Philips might be displeased that her Poems were published
without her consent, is extremely