The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001-07.
Pembroke, Mary Herbert, countess of
1561–1621; sister of Sir Philip Sidney. His Arcadia was written for her, and after his death she prepared it and his other works for publication. Patron of a number of poets, including Daniel, Spenser, and Jonson, she formed with them a literary coterie—the Pembroke circle—dedicated to continuing the literary ideals of Sidney.
