Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/123

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OF CELEBRATED WOMEN.
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BAYNARD, (ANNE) Daughter of Dr. E. Baynard, a Gentleman of good Family and Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in London. Born at Preston, in Lancashire, in 1672; died at Barnes, in Surry, 1697, aged 25.

Her father, observing her genius and natural propensity to learning, gave her a very liberal education, of which she made the best use.

"As for learning," says the Rev. J. Prude, in his funeral sermon, "whether it be to know and understand natural causes and events, the courses of the sun, moon, and stars, the qualities of herbs and plants; to be acquainted with the demonstrable varieties of the mathematics; the study of philosophy, the writings of the ancients, and that in their own proper language, without the help of an interpreter; these, and the like, are the most noble accomplishments of the human mind, and accordingly do bring great delight and satisfaction along with them; these things she was not only conversant in, but mistress of; and that to such a degree that very few of her sex did ever arrive at."

She took the greatest pains to perfect her knowledge in the Greek tongue, that she might with greater pleasure read St. Chrysostom in his own language. She was not satisfied with reading only; but composed, many things in the Latin tongue. She would often say, "It was a sin to be contented with a little knowledge." She was skilled in reasoning, and eager to maintain the pure principles of Christianity, against innovators and deists.

She used to say, "Human learning is worth nothing, unless as a hand-maid it leads us to the knowledge

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