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The shame is that there were not more bits by mary benson herself theres nothing really to support the description of her as being as clever as the devil testimonials by other people certainly but nothing by herself but the subtitle the impossible life of mary benson oh yes i can agree with that wholeheartedly. As good as god as clever as the devil brings the late victorian and early edwardian period to vivid life through the telling of the remarkable true story of the life of mary benson she is as good as god and as clever as the devil dame ethel smyth english composer and leader of the womens suffrage movement. Young minnie sidgwick was just 12 years old when her cousin 23 year old edward benson proposed to her in 1853 edward went on to become archbishop of canterbury and little minnie as mary benson to preside over lambeth palace and a social world that ranged from tennyson and browning to foreign royalty and queen victoria herself prime minister william gladstone called her the cleverest . As good as god as clever as the devil the impossible life of mary benson when edward white benson archbishop of canterbury died on his knees in church in 1896 his wife mary whom prime minister gladstone had called the cleverest woman in europe assumed the name ben took her friend lucy tait into her bed and set up home in a rambling 17th century house in sussex. As good as god as clever as the devil the impossible life of mary benson when edward white benson archbishop of canterbury died on his knees in church in 1896 his wife mary whom prime minister gladstone had called the cleverest woman in europe assumed the name ben took her friend lucy tait into her bed and set up home in a rambling 17th century house in sussex