From the Honourable Lady Isobel Wren, unto the goodly populace of the Knowne World, salutations.
My mother told me that she gave birth to me in terror. Queen Mary was on the throne of England, and all good Protestants lived in fear of the stake. I do not remember this, I was only a babe when Queen Mary died and was succeeded by her sister, Elizabeth (long live the Queen).
Perhaps because fate loves irony, it was at this time that my father died of the pox, and my mother married his business partner, Lord Robert, and left our home in Warwickshire for Edinboro. My stepfather was a shrewd man. Seeing his rents dwindle, and his inheritance taxed away, he decided to go into the wool trade, and eventually established a partnership with my father, who was not titled but who had been blessed with wealth. My mother inherited that wealth, because I had been the only surviving issue of the union and no sons stood to inherit - so by marrying my mother, he gave my mother his title and gave himself a nice purse, as well as a goodly bit of land. Maybe he eventually came to love my mother for her self, and she him. I do not know. at any rate, theirs was at least an amiable marriage, and I soon had several brothers to look after.
All but one died of the summer fever or the winter cough. My younger brother, Hamish, closest to me in age, made it to adulthood and married a nice lady - and died in battle, fighting for the wrong side in an effort to get Mary on the throne of England as well as Scotland. Father was livid. Commerce comes before patriotism. Our business partners were all from the south and midlands of England, and stood solidly behind Queen Bess.
So I was by far the favourite of the household, despite my inferior sex.
I had been indulged as a child, taught to read languages and calculate sums (ostensibly to help Father with the books, but really because he hated to see my clever mind wasted when there were plenty of servants to help my mother with the chores; so long as I learned to order my household, said he, I had no need of doing the actual dirty work. I was most spoilt!) and given tutelage in music, drawing, philosophy, horseback riding, hunting, even fencing and other bellicose arts. Had I been allowed, I think I would have lopped off my long locks and run around in manly clothing, but Father did at least balk at this. Hoydens do not marry well, and it was his will that I marry very well indeed. When I was of an age, he married me off to Lord Arthur Wren, of Oxfordshire, distant cousin to the Earl of Oxford. Lord Arthur was the father of a business partner, who was already married and was therefore not available for me. My new husband had buried three wives and would soon join them. Within two months, I saw my white-haired husband in the grave, and I had inherited his lands, and been given some of Father's estates as well, along with an interest in the wool business. Father had married me very well, indeed.
I live on my estate just north of Oxford, and I spend most of my time at my books and my music. It is true that I am no real scholar, barred as I am from study at the university or even at the inns of court, but those who attend my salons and feasts say that I am a most marvelous conversationalist and a fine poet, a woman of letters. And I am a passably fair singer and I foot it reasonably well to music, which is also good. I doubt that any lords will sue for my hand, as old as I am (I am still of childbearing age, but I am certainly past my youth) - however, I wear a blue plume in my cap and I am a woman of means, so I cannot say that I seek hard for a husband anyway...
MUNDANELY
I have been a member of the Society for Creative Anachronism for fourteen years, and have lived in both the Middle Kingdom and in Drachenwald. Currently I am the Herald and Pursuivant for the Barony of the Fenix (Cincinnati, OH).
Mostly I created this page to display my period poetry. I've had to keep it buried, because most of it is horribly indiscreet, but many years have passed since the affair ended between me and the person who inspired the vast majority of these poems, so I guess it's safe to publish them now. Darn it, I'm proud of those poems. Some of them were quite good.
I published the above poem by Henry VIII because it's one of my favourite songs; the lyrics also sum up a large part of my own attitude toward life. I would describe myself as moderately libertine. (Moderately. All things in moderation! That's important. It's debatable how well Henry VIII managed to walk the "middle path" he preached. Hopefully, when I am dead, if I am remembered at all, I will be remembered as a person of at least a wee bit of moderation.) I fell in love with this song the first time I heard it, which was on a Jethro Tull album. It keeps following me around. I can never seem to get away from it. The other song I can't seem to get away from is "Hotel California" by The Eagles, but that, of course, isn't period.
Below are links to the households that I am affiliated with, as well as a photo of the "real me" and some other miscellaneous links. Included, of course, are links to my poetry pages. Enjoy.
Are you a poet, or a lover of good poetry? I am trying to start a guild in the SCA for poets. The list can be found on Yahoo! Groups. To join the group, click on the link above.
Would you consider yourself to be Melancholick? A creature of the Night? (mundanely, this could cover anything from being goth to being a self-identified vampire or therianthrope) Would you seek to express yourself and yet still strive for Authenticity? Click the link above to join the Saturnine list.
I also moderate an e-list for SCA-dians who are of a, shall we say, Rocky Road persuasion (not that there's anything wrong with vanilla). To read more, click on the link.
PHOTO SCANS (LOOK AT ME, LOOK AT ME)
MY POETRY
LINKS (SCA, TUDOR, LESBIAN)
My adopted family
Clan Blue Feather, my other clan
House Sunrise, of which I am a member
The Barony of the Fenix, for whom I am Herald and Pursuivant
The Ohio Renaissance Festival, in which I perform (yes, really)
My Personal Webpages
Another one of my websites (this one's a vampire site)
More of my writing (mundane stuff, this time) can be found here
people have visited this site since October 12, 2000
Click here to ask me a question
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PRAY ASSIST ME, GOOD GENTLES!
I know not who created the graphics on this page, but they are not mine. I would like to give credit where credit is due. Is there aught who can give me aid?