A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country/Arragon, (Tullia of)
ARRAGON, (TULLIA OF) a Neapolitan Lady, celebrated for her erudition, understanding, and poetical talents. Flourished about 1550.
Was born at Naples, but carried to Rome in her infancy, and brought up in that city with the greatest care. When very young, the study of polite literature, and exercising a happy talent for poetry, which she possessed, formed her highest enjoyments. She soon became known, and was early classed with the most illustrious of the learned. She afterwards passed several years at Venice, where her society was much courted by all people of merit or science. She wrote many miscellaneous poems, which appeared at first scattered in several different collections, but were collected and published at Venice, in 1547. They carry marks of genius and a sprightly imagination, and are much praised for purity of stile.
She was persuaded by some of her literary acquaintance, to write a treatise on the infinity of love, Dell Infinita d'Amor, which was printed at Venice. She there also composed a poetical romance, called the Unfortunate, Il Meschino, which perhaps may be called an epic poem. The hero wanders, like Telemachus, from place to place, in search of his father. This work, of which the stile was much praised, had not much success. It was said to be translated from a Spanish Romance; but is now belieed to be an old Italian poem, new written and better versified. Honourable mention of Tullia is made by many Italian writers, but more particularly by the famous Girolamo Muzio, who was deeply in love with her, and esteemed her highly. In the third book of his letters, he speaks much of the good qualities and virtues of this ingenious lady; and his most beautiful poems are written in her praise, under the fictitious names of Tyrrhenia and Thalia.