She had destroyed many of her pieces; her mother says, at least one-third—yet those remaining amount to two hundred and seventy-eight pieces. There are among them five regular poems of several cantos each, twenty-four school exercises, three unfinished romances, a complete tragedy, written at thirteen years of age, and about forty letters to her mother. Her poetry is marked by strong imaginative powers, and the sentiment of sad forebodings. These dark visions, though they tinged all her earthly horizon, were not permitted to cloud her hope of heaven. She died calmly, relying on the merits of our Lord and Saviour for salvation. The last word she spoke was the name of the gentleman who had so kindly assisted her. And if his name were known, often would it be spoken; for, his generosity to this humble, but highly-gifted daughter of song will make his deed of charity a sacred remembrance of all who love genius, and sympathize with the suffering.
Her poems, with a biographical sketch, were published in 1829, under the title "Amir Khan, and other poems, the remains of L. M. Davidson." This work was reviewed in the London Quarterly of the same year; and the writer says, "In our own language, except in the cases of Chatterton and Kirke White, we can call to mind no instance of so early, so ardent, and so fatal a pursuit of intellectual advancement."
DAVIDSON, MARGARET MILLER,
Sister of Lucretia, was also the daughter of Dr. Davidson, of Plattsburg, New York. She was born in 1823, and though her health was always extremely delicate, she early devoted herself to study and literary pursuits. In 1838, her father removed to Saratoga, where she died on the 25th. of November of the same year, in her sixteenth year. She was distinguished, as well as her sister, for remarkable precocity of genius, and her poems would he creditable to much more experienced writers. In personal appearance and character she was lovely and estimable. The particular bias of her mind towards poetry was, probably, induced, certainly fostered, by the example of her sister. Margaret was but two years old when Lucretia died, yet the sad event was never effaced from her mind. This impression was deepened as she grew older and listened to the story of her lovely and gifted sister, who had been a star of hope in her humble home. Often, when Mrs. Davidson, the mother, was relating what Lucretia had said and done, little Margaret would exclaim, "Oh, I Mill try to fill her place; teach me to be like her!" And she was like her, both in the precocity of her genius and in her early death.
DAVIES, LADY ELEANOR,
Was the fifth daughter of Lord George Audley, Earl of Castle-leaven, and born about 1603. She received a learned education, and married, first, Sir John Davies, who died in 1644; three months after his death, she married Sir Archibald Douglas. Neither of these marriages was happy, the lady's pretension to the spirit of prophecy seeming to have disgusted her husbands. She fancied that the spirit of the prophet Daniel had been infused into her body, and this she founded on an anagram she had made of her own name.
