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DESCARTES--EDGEWORTH.

long life, she became the centre of a literary coterie, which included some of the greatest geniuses of the age. Among the females, remarkable for their wit and talents, in the eighteenth century, she claims a distinguished place, though she left no monument of her abilities, except her epistolary correspondence, which has been highly praised by her friend D'Alembert, as affording a model of style in that species of composition. She died in 1780, having reached the age of eighty-four, during the last thirty years of which she had been afflicted with blindness. Her letters to Horace Walpole, marquis D'Argens, D'Alembert, Montesquieu, le president Hainault, Mesdames de Choiseul, de Stael, &c. have been published in four volumes, octavo.

DESCARTES.

CATHARINE DESCARTES, the niece of the celebrated philosopher, who worthily sustained the glory of her uncle, by her taste and learning. A wit said of this lady, "Que l'esprit du grand Réné etoit tombé en quenouille." She wrote well in prose and verse, and she published "L'Ombre de Descartes," and "Relation de la mort de Descartes:" the last of which is a melange of prose and verse. She died at Rennes, in 1706.

EDGEWORTH.

MARIA EDGEWORTH, daughter of Richard Lovel Edgeworth, has for a long time been known and respected in

the literary world. She has devoted a large portion of her time to literary pursuits, and contributed, in no small degree, to the improvement of the rising age. She stands, indeed, without a rival. One of her chief objects has been to bring to greater perfection the system of female education, and has succeeded in that particular to a considerable degree. As a novel writer, she ranks among the most eminent, and the Irish character has never been drawn with equal truth and spirit by any other writer. The following is a list of her numerous, interesting, and valuable publications, viz. "The Parent's Assistant;""Practical Education;" one of the best on that subject; "Belinda;""Early Lessons;" "Castle of Rackrent;"" Moral Tales;" "Essay on Irish Bulls;""Popular Tales;" "The Modern Griselda;" "Leonora;" "Adelaide;" "Tales of Fashionable Life;" "Essays on Professional Education;" "The Wife;" Patronage;" Readings on Poetry;" " Harrington and Ormond;" "Comic Dramas;" "Letters for Literary Ladies." A uniform edition of her writings are now publishing in Boston, in twelve volumes, octavo.

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FAYETTE.

MARIE MADELEINE PIOCHE DE LA VERGE FAYETTE, one of the most illustrious females that ornamented the court of Lewis the fourteenth, was intimately acquainted with the literati of that age, many of whom experienced her benevolence and generosity. When Segrais quitted his residence with Mademoiselle Montpensier, he domesticated at her house, and was the chief director of

her pursuits. It was in his name that her two celebrated romances of "Zaide" and the "Princess of Cleves," were published; but he has himself testified that, with the exception of a little assistance in the plan or outline, the merits of them were due to her. Voltaire describes them as the first romances in which the manners of persons of condition were truly painted, and natural adventures described with ease and grace. Superseding as they did the tedious and voluminous productions of Scudery and others, they still retain a spice of the chivalry and ceremonious gallantry of the court of Anne of Austria, which, being united to much delicacy of sentiment, and lively and graceful description, is not without its attraction. It was on the appearance of "Zaide,” that Huet wrote his "Origin of Romances," and exposed himself to some censure, by the importance which he attached to them. Madame de la Fayette, who was esteemed as much for the solidity as the brilliancy of her parts, died in 1693. Besides the works already mentioned, she wrote the "Princess of Montpensier;"" Memoirs of the Court of France, in the years 1688, and 1689;" "The History of Henriette of England," and "Divers Portraits of Persons about the Court."

FIDELIS.

CASSANDRA FIDELIS, a very learned lady, of a family originally of Milan, is supposed to have been born about 1465. She was early instructed in the Greek and Latin languages, elocution, and the Aristotelian philosophy, to which she was partial, and maintained a correspon

dence with many of the literati of her age. She is said to have been of unblemished morals, great frankness of disposition, and occasional gaiety. Politian considered her as no less a prodigy among her sex, than Picus was among his, and was so struck with her character, that he visited Venice almost solely with a view to converse with her, while crowned heads invited her by large offers to visit and settle in their courts.

In 1487, she delivered a public oration before the university of Padua, "pro Alberto Lamberto Canonico Concordiensi," a philosophical relation of hers, which is still extant. She had once the honour of addressing a complimentary oration to Bona Fortia, queen of Sarmatia, when visiting Venice, which was delivered in the Bucentauro, sent out with a suitable train to meet and escort her into the Venetian port; on which occasion the queen presented her with a magnificent gold chain; but Cassandra, with that philosophical indifference which she had always evinced for this precious metal, gave it next day into the hands of the doge. In her nineteenth year she was appointed to preside over a religious society of her own sex at Venice, and died in 1558. She composed a work "De Scientiarum Ordine," but it was never published. Thomasinus wrote her life, prefixed to her "Epistolæ et Orationes Posthuma, Padua", 1636.

FIELDING.

SARAH FIELDING, the sister of the celebrated Henry Fielding whose writings have afforded so much pleasure

and delight, was born in the year 1714. This lady seems to have partaken of the brilliancy of her brother's genius, without participating in any of his faults; for she was no less admired for her literary talents, than for the genuine purity of her life. She was the author of David Simple;" ;""The Cry, a Dramatic Fable;" "The Countess of Delwyn;" "The History of Ophelia;" "The Lives of Cleopatra and Octavia." Also an elegant translation from the Greek of "Xenophon's Memoirs of Socrates."

GENLIS.

MADAME DE GENLIS, a French lady of great literary attainments, was born near Autun, Burgundy, on the 25th of January, 1746. She inherited no fortune, but as she grew up she distinguished herself for her taste and talents for music. With these qualifications and a handsome figure, she married Count de Genlis, a young nobleman of considerable fortune. By this means she had access to the family of the duke of Orleans, whose son, then Duc de Chartres, had a rising family which he placed under the care of Madame de Genlis, for their instruction. About this period she commenced her career as an author, by works on education. "The Theatre of Education;" "Adela and Theodore;" "The Evenings of the Castle," "Compte Renda," and the "Annals of Virtue," were the most popular, as they are now esteemed among the best of her productions. She also published about this time a book to prove that religion is the basis of happiness as well as of philosophy. In