20/3/07 - English Literature - Royalism and Romance: Re-Politicising the 'Lives' of Anne, Lady Halkett

Little critical material has been written about the meditations of Lady Anne Halkett. The little material there is tends to focus on the romantic elements of her work. There is general agreement that her style anticipated Jane Austen, yet this notion is a way of patronising Halkett, as if she were subservient to the novelist. Halkett wrote over twenty volumes of meditations. In these, she is seen as spirited but misguided. She is best known as a collaborator of Bamfield and for her part in James' escape.

"I had desered him [C.B.] to take a ribban with him & bring mee the bignese of the Dukes wast & his lengh to haue cloaths made fitt for him[.] In the meanetime C B was to prouide Mony for all nesesary expence wch was furnished by an honest Cittisen. When I gaue the measure to my Tailor to inquire how much Mohaire would Serue to make a Petticoate & wastcoate to a young Gentlewoman of that bignese & stature hee Considered itt a Long time & said[,] hee had made many Gownes & Suites butt hee had neuer made any to Such a person in his Life. I thought hee was in the right[,] butt his Meaning was hee had neuer Seene any woman of so Low a stature haue so big a Wast."
[B.L. Add. Ms. 32, 376: 28]

Halkett had an affair with Bamfield, although she was to some degree innocent for she did not know that his wife was still alive. She was constantly in fear of her reputation because of the affair. It is unknown to us what kind of relationship she and Bamfield had. She was also a widow, and the window of remarriage was technically closed to her consequently, despite her hopes to eventually marry Bamfield.

Most critics, with the exception of Wiseman, tend ot overlook the political content of Halkett's work. There are three crucial elements to her writing:

The Nicholls incident - more of a cautionary tale of inconstancy than a romance.

Halkett and Scotland - took up approximately half of her memoirs. They relate how her political activities led her to meet her future husband; how she had direct access to Charles II in Scotland; how she became the Florence Nightingale to soldiers of the Civil Wars and was rewarded by the king with 50 pieces of gold.

"that Iudgement reduced[,] yett found itt imposible because itt was Confirmed by the Act of Indempnity made by the King when his Matie first Came home wch was much outt of my way as well iniurious to many others. Butt that was my Misfortune, wch I had felt the weight of more heauily if[,] att the same time[,] The King had nott beene graciously pleased to grant mee 500 pound outt of ye Exchequer[.] Butt of this I shall haue more occation to Speake hereafter."
[BL. Add. MS. 32,376: 123]

"[t]hough itt bee Long Since I left off, what is hitherto writt here yett the occation of itt may bee of some aduantage to mee if ye Lord sees fitt to giue a Seasonable opertunity to devulge itt. [B]y representing my vnparaleld misfortunes & the wonderfull power and mercy of God in Suporting mee vnder them; wch beeing an euidence of the Lords Compasion may incline others to the greater Charity whose Seueare Censare of mee occationed an interruption to ye Conclusion of this booke to relate a True accountt of my life. What effects itt may produce I Leaue to him to whom I resigne the intire disposall of all that Concernes mee."
[NLS Ms. 6494: 294]

The 'missing' pages - these have caused much critical speculation. Halkett does not conclude her narrative with her marriage; instead the last events she relates are that they survive a coach accident and travel to Edinburgh. It ends with political discussion and a hint that she meant to continue her narrative.

The memoirs begin and end mid-sentence. The beginning is thought to relate her dedications and intentions for writing.

"Some yeares since Looking ouer ye Bookes[,] which by the assistance of God I had beene inabled to writte[, a]nd neuer intending they should bee seene to any as Long as I Liued Butt fearing when I was dead if vndisposed of, they might fall into such hands as might make ill vse of them. Therfore I writt ye Contents of euery one of them & inclosed them in a Sheet of paper Sealed vp & derected them to Mr Cooper & Mr Græme with a letter aquainting them{,} that as I had formerly aquainted them with the Account of my Life & the occation yt made mee putt itt in writing{,} [s]o now I thought none so fitt as themselues to make knowne the effects wch my misfortunes through the blesing of God had wrought in mee. That[,] if affter I was dead[,] if they thought fitt then to make them knowne perhaps itt might excite some to haue Charity to my Memory. And others of greater capacity imploy them to the honor of God[,] when they see what an vnworthy person like my selfe hath indeauered [264] from most of the sadd dispensations of my life to ariue att the setting forth the praise of my neuer enough to bee admired who is the God of my Saluation. Something to this purpose I writt them desiring That[,] if my Deare Child Robin Halkett Liued to Come home (who Was then abroad)[,] they would aduise with him before they devulged any of them. Affter itt pleased God to bring him home (affter much hardship & imprisonment) Mr Cooper gaue mee backe the Paper Sealed as I deliuered itt. [B]utt itt seemes kept the Letter. [W]hich comming accedentally Lately to his hands hee came to mee & very earnestly desired mee that I would continue my former resolutions of letting him & Mr Græme haue those bookes & papers bookes I had written comitted to there trust[.] And that Mr Marshall might be ioyned with them to Looke ym ouer <& said> they beeing both outt of imployment[, t]hey would haue the more Leisure to consider them. Though I willingly condescended that Mr Marshall should bee intrusted with them. And that I had fully resolued to send the Sealed paper (hauing opened one end and inserted what I writt since I had first sent itt)[.] (For since my Deare Childs Death xx none butt themselues could I thinke fitt to Comunicate itt to[.]) And Resolued to seale itt vp againe & send itt with all the Bookes butt nott to bee opened as Long as I was aliue … [265] these beeing the Motiues yt were very perswasiue with mee[,] hauing for seuerall days before beeing very sinceare in seeking derection from the Allmighty to determine mee in itt. Yesterday Mr Cooper comming in[, w]ithoutt his speaking to mee farther in itt I began the discourse to him. And offered to send the Trunke to him with as many of them as would hold. [B]utt hee was against that; only desired one Booke att a time And promising Secresy. I deliuered him The Parchment booke with Pincke & Ashe riban where the most considerable of my troubles are [266] registred"
[NLS. Ms. 6502: 263-6]

Note that she defines her text as "a true account of my life," and note also "severe censure" of her which may allude to rumours about her relationship with Bamfield, but possibly another gentleman from a small town with whom she also had an affair.

While Halkett describes herself as "a widow indeed," the reality of her feelings for her dead husband are questioned. She meditates on the death of her husband every day, year, etc.

"[139] There is two examples of Widows wch I desire to folow one of Anna: … The other widow is what St Paul Calls a widow Indeed (Oh to be such a one) desolate (wch I vnderstand to bee alone & retired) trusting in God & Continuing in suplications & prayers night & day. blamelese, well reported of for Good workes brought vp chilldren Lodged strangers washed the Saints feet releeued the afflicated dilligently followed euery good worke this Lord I desire to doe therfore I beseech thee admitt mee into the Number of them that are Widows indeed & then I shall with the more Confidence claime an interest in the promises made to them"
[NLS. Ms. 6492: 139]

"As I desire euery Weeke to Comemorate my Widowhood, so more particularly when itt falls to bee the Same day both the of the weeke & Month (though nott the same Month) for as none Liuing had greter obligations nor a better husband so none hath more reason to Celebrate his memory with all the Gratitude that may Consist with faith & holynese. And if I am sometimes att a Nonplus to know how to exprese the Caracter his worth hath impressed vpon my hart. Oh how much more should I bee extasied in admiring the infinite Mercy and Condescendency of God, who hath Vouchsafed to giue mee Leaue to say My Maker is Now my husband"
[NLS Ms. 6493: 267]

Regarding piety and politics, Halkett was essentially a Jacobite and disapproved of William of Orange.

"that none presume to own or acknowledge the Late King James the Seventh, for their King, nor obey, accept, or assist any Commissions or Orders, that may be emitted by him, or any way to Correspond with him; and that none presume upon their highest peril, by Word, Writing, in Sermons, or any other manner of Way, to impugn, or Disown the Royal Authority of William and Mary"
[A Proclamation, Against the owning of the Late King James, 13 April 1689. My emphasis]

"[s]o when all the high attributes was giuen that Princess when itt is added shee vsurped her Fathers Throne and wore the Royall Didadem on her owne head what a dimnese doth that cast vp on the lustre of the brightest actions of her life: Butt it is to be hoped that repentance for her great transgression{,} & beleefe in the meritorious death & suffering of the Lord Iesus whose blood cleanseth from all sin hath purchased pardon for her[.] And I pray God that hee whose example & authority shee was insnared, may in time bee humbled for all his offences and bring forth fruit meet for repentance that so iniquity may nott bee his raine"
[NLS MS. 6500: 178]

So Halkett was concerned with Scottish affairs, politics and religion. She describes herself as a stranger due to her Englishness. We can imply from this that she placed most importance on place of birth, rather than place of habitation. She does mention that her son was born in Scotland, therefore he is Scottish. Note that her work is perceived as 'English literature'.

Halkett lived a precarious life: she was financially dependent, she was an Englishwoman living in Scotland, she had a tarnished reputation and she came up against much political opposition. So her work should not be considered as romance, but we must take all of the above into account. Her work is much closer to political memoirs than to romantic storytelling.