# A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Gore, Mrs. Catharine Grace

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GORE, MRS. CATHARINE GRACE,
Is one of the most popular of the living female novelists of this country; the number of her works would give her celebrity, had she no other claim. She is, however, a powerful and brilliant writer, and it seems almost a parody to assert, that her surprising fertility of imagination should be an obstacle to her attaining the high literary reputation she merits. But her works are so unfailingly presented to the public, so constantly poured out, that they are received like the flowers and fruits, acceptable and delightful, but not to be sought for and praised, as some rare occasional production. We revel in our showers of roses, but they are commonplace, while we make a wonder of some prickly production of a foreign bed. We are led to these thoughts while looking over a notice of Mrs. Gore's writings, which appeared in Chambers's Cyclopædia: the critic says,—"This lady is a clever and prolific writer of tales and fashionable novels. Her first work (published anonymously) was, we believe, a small volume containing two tales, 'The Lettre de Cachet,' and 'The Reign of Terror,' 1827. One of these relates to the times of Louis the Fourteenth, and the other to the French Revolution. They are both interesting, graceful tales—superior, we think, to some of the more elaborate and extensive fictions of the authoress. In 1830, appeared 'Women as they Are; or. The Manners of the Day,' three volumes—an easy sparkling narrative, with correct pictures of modern society—much lady-like writing on dress and fashion, and some rather misplaced derision or contempt for 'excellent wives,' and 'good sort of men.' This novel soon went through a second edition, and Mrs. Gore continued the same style of fashionable portraiture. In 1831, she issued 'Mothers and Daughters, a Tale of the Year,' 1830. Here the manners of gay life—balls, dinners, and fetes—with clever sketches of character, and amusing dialogues, make up the customary three volumes. The same year, we find Mrs. Gore compiling a series of narratives for youth, entitled 'The Historical Traveller.' In 1832, she came forward with 'The Fair of May Fair,' a series of fashionable tales that were not so well received. The critics hinted that Mrs. Gore had exhausted her stock of observation, and we believe she went to reside in France, where she continued some years. Her next tale was entitled 'Mrs. Armitage.' In 1838, she published 'The Book of Roses, or the Rose-Fancier's Manual,' a delightful little work on the history of the rose, its propagation and culture. France is celebrated for its rich varieties of the queen of flowers, and Mrs. Gore availed herself of the taste and experience of the French floriculturists. A few months afterwards came out 'The Heir of Selwood, or Three Epochs of a Life,' a novel in which were exhibited sketches of Parisian as well as English society, and an interesting though somewhat confused plot. The year 1839 witnessed three more works of fiction from this indefatigable lady, ​The Cabinet Minister,' the scene of which is laid during the regency of George the Fourth, and includes among its characters the great name of Sheridan; 'Preferment, or my Uncle, the Earl,' containing some good sketches of drawing-room society, but no plot; and the 'Courtier of the Days of Charles the Second,' and other tales. Next year we have the 'Dowager, or the New School for Scandal;' and in 1841 'Greville, or a Season in Paris;' 'Dacre of the South, or, the Olden Time' (a drama;) and 'The Lover and her Husband,' etc., the latter a free translation of M. Bertrand's Gerfaut. In 1842, Mrs. Gore published 'The Banker's Wife, or Court and City,' in which the efforts of a family in the middle rank to outshine a nobleman, and the consequences resulting from this silly vanity and ambition, are truly and powerfully painted. The value of Mrs. Gore's novels consists in their lively caustic pictures of fashionable and high society.
"Besides the works we have mentioned, Mrs. Gore has published 'The Desennuy,' 'The Peeress,' 'The Woman of the World,' 'The Woman of Business,' 'The Ambassador's Wife,' and other novels. She contributes tales to the periodicals, and is perhaps unparalleled for fertility. Her works are all of the same class—all pictures of existing life and manners; but the want of genuine feeling, of passion and simplicity, in her living models, and the endless frivolities of their occupations and pursuits, make us sometimes take leave of Mrs. Gore's fashionable triflers in the temper with which Goldsmith parted from Beau Tibbs—'The company of fools may at first make us smile, but at last never fails of rendering us melancholy.'"
Besides these narrative fictions, Mrs. Gore has made some contributions to the stage—"The Maid of Croissy," "The Sledge-Driver,"—little dramas from the French,—"The School for Coquettes," and other comedies. Sir Walter Scott showed, by the examples of Le Sage and Fielding, that a successful novelist could scarcely be fitted for dramatic compositions; his own attempt in that way came afterwards to support his theory. The plays of Mrs. Gore may, then, without disparaging her abilities, be acknowledged but mediocre achievements.
Respecting this lady's domestic life, it may just be observed that the date of her birth must be looked for somewhere about the close of the last century; that she married, in 1823, Mr. Charles Gore, who at the time held a commission in the British army; this gentleman, who had long been a confirmed invalid, died some years since; by him our gifted authoress bad two children, a son and a daughter, the latter of whom married, quite recently, the Hon. and Rev. Lord John Thynne. For many years Mrs. Gore has resided chiefly in France.