A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Klopstock, Margaret, or Meta

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4120672A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography — Klopstock, Margaret, or Meta

KLOPSTOCK, MARGARET, or META,

Whose maiden name was Moller, was born in Hamburg, March 19th., 1728. In 1751, the famous Frederic Gottleib Klopstock became acquainted with this enthusiastic German maiden. The story of their courtship and marriage has been told by the lady herself, in some charming letters addressed to Richardson the novelist, author of "Sir Charies Grandison."

Mrs. Klopstock died in childbirth, and the poor bereaved husband and father was left desolate! In a letter to a friend, Klopstock describes the manner of her death and their last parting. After having prayed with her for a long time, he said, as he bent over her, "Be my guardian angel, if God permits." "You have ever been mine," she replied. And when with stifled voice he again repeated, "If God permits, be my guardian angel!" she fixed her eyes upon him full of love, and said, "Ah, who tffould not be your guardian angel!"

Just before she died, she said, with the serene smile of an angel, "My love, you will follow me!"

Some time after her decease, Klopstock published her writings, which are, "Letters from the Dead to the Living;" "The Death of Abel," a tragedy; and several small poems. Her husband says that these were written entirely for her own amusement, and that she always blushed and was very much embarrassed whenever he found her writing, and expressed a wish to see what she had done. He says, too, "that her taste was correct, and highly cultivated, and that her criticisms upon his poetry were always extremely apt and judicious; he knew instantly by her countenance, whether his thoughts pleased her; and so perfect was their sympathy, that their souls could hold delightful communion almost without the aid of language,"