On-line Resources on Margaret Cavendish (1623?-1673)

General Overview:

There are a few on-line resources beyond the elementary level for Margaret (Lucas) Cavendish. I confess that this surprised me, but, in retrospect, it shouldn't have. Cavendish is of interest on three fronts: philosophy, literature, and history of science, and the juncture of the three interests leads to a slight preponderance on-line of Cavendish over (e.g.) other women philosophers in this period.

Little Bits:

Cavendish portraits at the National Portrait Gallery

Margaret Lucas Cavendish: a timeline of her life

Margaret Cavendish: a fairly good introductory page

Somewhat More Substantive:

"The Construction of Female Relationships in the Works of Margaret Cavendish" (Lora Davies): an essay on the lack of female friendships in Cavendish's literary works

Margaret (Lucas) Cavendish: a good website with a brief biography, links to on-line works, and essays on her literary works.

Margaret Cavendish Society Resources Page

Margaret Cavendish Bibliography

Producing Petty Gods: Margaret Cavendish's Critique of Experimental Science (Eve Keller)

Margaret Cavendish issue of Early Modern Literary Studies

Substantive:

Margaret Cavendish and Scientific Discourse in Seventeenth-Century England (Alisa Curtis Bolander): PDF, a Master's thesis.

Margaret Cavendish issue of Women's Writing : The most interesting article for philosophical purposes is In Dialogue with Thomas Hobbes: Margaret Cavendish’s natural philosophy (Sarah Hutton): PDF. The abstract:

It is well documented that Margaret Cavendish came into close contact with many of the great thinkers of mid-seventeenth-century Europe. When read in the context of the work of Thomas Hobbes, in particular his De Corpore of 1655, Cavendish’s own natural philosophy may be better understood not merely as a product of, but also as a valid contribution to, this wider intellectual context. Understanding her Philosophical Letters (1664), her Blazing World (1666), and her Grounds of Natural Philosophy (1668) in such a light may go some way towards redeeming her philosophical reputation from those contemporary, and modern, critics, who have sought to demean it.

Actual Works:

The Atomic Poems (with some biography and essay resources): at the Women Writers Resource Project

A brief selection from Philosophical and Physical Opinions is here.

"Of the Breeding of Children"

A True Relation of My Birth, Breeding, and Life: Cavendish's 1656 memoir

Nature's Pictures at Renaissance Women Online

If you have placed on-line any resources on Margaret Cavendish, especially articles or papers on her work, or selections from her original works, or if you have come across such resources, please contact me at bwatson{at}chass{dot}utoronto{dot}ca.