on the poet. Encouraged by him, she devoted herself entirely to this art. Her originality, fervid imagination, and the truth and harmony of her expressions, soon gained for her great celebrity. In 1789, she married Pietro Landucci, by whose persuasion she abandoned the stage, travelled through Italy, and was chosen a member of several academies. One of her most celebrated poems was an impromptu, delivered in 1794, before prince Lambertini, at Bologna, on the death of Marie Antoinette of France. In 1813, she returned to Lucca, where she lived retired on her small property. She published Ode tre, or Three Odes; of which the first celebrates Nelson's victory at Aboukir, the second, Suwarroff's victories in Italy, and the third, the victories of the arch-duke Charles in Germany. She also published, under the name of Cimarilli Etrusca, Saggio di Versi Estemporanci, among which the poem on Petrarch's interview with Laura, in the church, is especially celebrated. She also wrote a tragedy called "Polidoro," which obtained great success at Milan; and an epic poem, "La Deseide." She was an excellent classic scholar, and made many translations from the Latin and Greek. Nor were the qualities of her heart surpassed by these mental advantages. She was beloved by all around her for her amiable, benevolent character, and a piety sincere and cheerful, while it regulated her in the most brilliant part of her career—brought comfort, resignation, and tranquillity to her death-bed. She expired in 1837,
BARBARA,
Wife of the emperor Sigismond, was the daughter of Herman, Count of Cilia, in Hungary. Sigismond had been taken by the Hungarians, and placed under the guard of two young gentlemen, whose father he had put to death. While they had him in custody, he persuaded their mother to let him escape. This favour was not granted without a great many excuses for the death of her husband, and numerous promises. He promised, among other things, to marry the daughter of the Count of Cilia, a near relation of the widow; which promise he performed. He had the most extraordinary wife in her that ever was seen. She had no manner of shame for her abandoned life. This is not the thing in which her great singularity consisted; for there are but too many princesses who are above being concerned at any imputations on account of their lewdness. What was extraordinary in her was Atheism, a thing which there is scarce any instance of amongst women. The Bohemians, notwithstanding, gave her a magnificent funeral at Prague, and buried her in the tomb of their kings, as we are assured by Bonfinius in the VII. Book of the III. Decade. Prateolus has not omitted her in his alphabetical catalogue of heretics.
BARBAULD, ANNA LETITIA.
To whom the cause of rational education is much indebted, was the eldest child, and only daughter of the Rev. John Aiken, D. D. She was born on the 20th. of June, 1743, at Kibworth Harcourt, in Leicestershire, where her father was at that time master of a boys' school. From her childhood, she manifested great quickness of intellect, and her education was conducted with much care by her parents. In 1773, she was induced to publish a volume of her
