NOVELLA,

Daughter of John Andreas, a famous canonist of the fourteenth century, was born in Bologna, where her father was professor. He loved his daughter Novella extremely, and instructed her so well in all parts of learning, that when he was engaged in any affair that hindered him from reading lectures to his scholars, he sent his daughter in his stead; but lest her beauty should prevent the attention of her hearers, she had a little curtain drawn before her. She was married to John Caldesimus, a learned canonist, and did not long survive her marriage. To perpetuate her memory, her father, Andreas, entitled his commentary on the Decretals of Gregory the Tenth, "The Novellæ."