century, was the natural daughter of Peter Tagliava d'Arragon, archbishop of Palermo and a cardinal, himself an illegitimate descendant of the royal house of Arragon. She was a woman of great beauty, genuis, and education, so that the first scholars of the age celebrated her praises with enthusiastic admiration. Girolamo Muzio, by whom she was passionately beloved, expatiates, in the third book of his letters, on her talents and virtues; her perfections are the constant theme of his poems, in which she is sometimes spoken of under the name of Thalia and Syrrhenie.
One of her most celebrated productions was a poem entitled "Dell 'Infinita d'Amor." She also wrote "Il Meschino," or "The Unfortunate One," a poetical Romance. In her early years, she resided at Ferrara, Rome and Venice; but the latter part of her life she spent at Florence, where she died about 1650.
ARRIA,
Wife of Caecinna Pætus, a consul under Claudius, emperor of Rome in 41 is immortalized for her heroism and conjugal affection. Her son and husband were both dangerously ill at the same time; the former died; and she, thinking that in his weak state, Pætus could not survive a knowledge of the fatal event, fulfilled every mournful duty to her child in secret; but when she entered the chamber of her husband, concealed so effectually her anguish, that till his recovery Pætus had no suspicion of his loss.
Soon after, Pætus joined with Scribonius in exciting a revolt against Claudius in Illyria. They were unsuccessful, and Pætus was carried a prisoner to Rome, by sea. Arria, not being allowed to accompany him, hired a small bark, and followed him. On her arrival at Rome, she was met by the widow of Scribonius who wished to speak to her.
"I speak to thee!" replied Arria indignantly; "to thee, who hast been witness of thy husband's death, and yet survivest!"
She had herself determined that, if all her endeavours to save Pætus failed, she would die with him. Thraseus, her son-in-law, in vain combated her resolution. "Were I," said he, "in the situation of Pætus, would you have your daughter die with me?"
"Certainly," answered she, "had she lived with you as long and as happily as I with Pætus."
Her husband was at length condemned to die, whether by his own hands or not is uncertain; if it were not so, he wished to avoid the punishment allotted to him, by a voluntary death; but at the moment wanted courage. Seeing his hesitation, Arria seized the dagger, plunged it first into her own breast, and then presenting it to her husband, said, with a smile, "It is not painful, Pætus."
ARSINOE I,
Daughter of Ptolemy the First, son of Lagus, king of Egypt, and of Berenice, was married to Lysimachus, king of Thrace. Lysimachus fell in battle in Asia, and his kingdom of Macedonia was taken possession of by Seleucus. Seven months afterwards, Seleucus was assassinated by Ptolemy Ceraunus, elder brother of Ptolemy Philadelphus, who also put to death the two children of his half-sister Arsinoe, after he had inveigled her into a marriage with him. Their mother he then banished to the island of Sam-
