Her courage and decision were extraordinary. Although her exertions in Catharine's favour had been repaid by ingratitude, coldness, and neglect, yet the empress did not hesitate, when a conspiracy was formed to dethrone her, of which she thought the Princess must be cognizant, to write her a long and flattering letter, in which she conjured her, in the name of their friendship, to reveal the projects against her, promising the Princess full pardon for all concerned. The indignant Princess replied to the four pages she had received in four lines "Madam, I have heard nothing: but, if I had, I should beware of what I spoke. What do you require of me? That I should expire on the scaffold? I am ready to ascend it."
DASHKOVA, EKATERINA ROMANOVNA,
A Russian Princess, was born in 1754. She wrote comedies and novels, such as the authors of that country prepare, containing about fifty pages per volume. She also made some valuable translations from French and Italian literature.
DASH, MADAME LA COMTESSE,
Born and residing in Paris, is considered, by that large class of novel-readers who love romantic incident and sentimental characters, as a charming writer. Her works are numerous, comprising over thirty volumes, usually found in the "Circulating Libraries" of Paris; but we believe none of her novels have been translated into English, nor republished in America. The best we have read, is entitled "Madame Louise de France," a work of considerable merit; among the others may be named, "Arabelle," "Les Bals Masques," "Les Chateaux en Afrique," "La Chaine d'Or," "Le Jeu de la Reine," "Madame de la Sabliére," "Maurice Robert," etc. etc. We know nothing of the private history of Comtesse Dash; but, judging from her writings, should rank her among those who seek to promote good morals through the medium of what they consider innocent amusements. Like "The Children of the Abbey," and other fictions of the sentimental, romantic kind, the works of this writer are read, at first, with interest, but leave little impression on the mind.
DAVIDSON, LUCRETIA MARIA,
Second daughter of Dr. Oliver and Margaret Davidson, was born at Plattsburg, on Lake Champlain, September 27th., 1808. Her parents were then in indigent circumstances, and, to add to their troubles, her mother was often sickly. Under such circumstances, the little Lucretia would not be likely to owe her precocity to a forced education. The manifestations of intellectual activity were apparent in the infant, we may say; for at four years old she would retire by herself to pore over her books, and draw pictures of animals, and soon illustrated those rude drawings by poetry. Her first specimens of writing were imitations of printed letters; but she was very much distressed when these were discovered, and immediately destroyed them.
The first poem of hers which has been preserved, was written when she was nine years old. It was an elegy on a Robin, killed in the attempt to rear it. This piece was not inserted in her works. The earliest of her poems which has been printed, was written at
