Pakington, Dorothy

Pakington, Dorothy a learned English authoress, who wrote much on practical religious topics, flourished near the middle of the 17th century. She was the daughter of lord Coventry and wife of Sir John Pakington. She died in 1679. She was highly esteemed by her contemporaries for her piety and virtues. She wrote, The Gentleman's Calling: — The Lady's Calling (Oxf. 1675, 8vo): — The Government of the Tongue:— The Christian's Birthright: — The Causes of the Decay of Christian Piety: — The Art of Contentment (edited by Pridden, 1841, fcp. 8vo). At the time of her death she was employed on a work entitled The Government of the Thoughts. This lady is one of the many to whom has been ascribed also the authorship of The Whole Duty of Man. Dr. Hicks, in the dedication of his Anglo Saxon Grammar to Sir John Pakington, favors this impression, and Sir James Mackintosh (Edinb. Rev. 14, 4, n.) adopts this theory. The subject is treated at some length in the article "Hawkins, W. B." in Allibone, Dict. of Brit. and Amer. Authors, 2, 803.