A.

ANGELA de Nugarolis, an Italian Lady, the Daughter of Antonius de Nugarolis, of a very universal knowledge; but most especially accomplisht in Grammar, Rhe∣toric, and Poetry.

Anne Askew, the Daughter of Sir Wil•iam Askew, of Lincoln-shire: she is is remember'd among the English wri∣ters as well in Verse as Prose, for a Wo∣man of singular beutie, Vertue and in∣genuity; Page  254 but above all for her constant assertion of the Protestant Faith she had embrac't, even to the death, which she undauntedly suffer'd with many others, who upon the same occasion, in Queen Mary's Reign, were brought to the stake.

Anne Broadstreet, a New-England Po∣tess, no less in title, viz. before her Po∣ems, printed in Old-England anno 1650; then The tenth Muse sprung up in Ameri∣ca, the memory of which Poems consist∣ing chiefly of Descriptions of the four Elements, the four Humours, the four Ages, the four Seasons, and the four Monarchies, is not yet wholly extinct.

Anna Maria Shurman, an Hollandish Lady, of the most celebrated Fame for Learning of any of her Sex that I have heard of in Europe, at this day, by her Epistles to many of the most Eminent•y Learned Men of this Age, and other extant and generally known works, whereof part in Verse, both in Latin, Greec and Hebrew.

Arabella, an English Lady, in the time of King James, whose near Kins∣woman she was, and who upon her se∣cret Page  255 Marriage with Mr. William Sey∣mour, afterwards Earl and Marquess of Hertford, was with her Husband com∣mitted to the Tower, where she died: she was a Lady of no less Eminence for Learning and ingenuous parts, then for her Quality; and as saith an English w•i∣ter, who makes mention of her, She had a great facility in Poetry, and was elaborately conversant among the Muses. What correspondence Andrew Melvin, the Witty Scotchman, had with her in the Tower, being Prisoner there at the same time, hath been already mention'd.

Astrea Behn a Dramatic writer, so much the more considerable as being a Woman, to the present English Stage, to which she hath contributed 2 Come∣dies, the Dutch Lady, and the Amo∣rous Princess, the Forc't Marriage, a Tra∣gy-Comedy, and the Fatal Jealousy, a Tragedy.

B.

Lady 〈◊〉 one of the four Daugh∣ters of Sir Antony Cook, the other three were the Lady Burleigh; the Lady Rus∣sel; and Mis Killigrew▪ of whose Ge∣nius in Poetry, whatever hath been known extant, there is the testimony of a Grand Author, viz. Sir John Harringtor, who in his Allegory upon the 37^th Book of Ariosto's O•lando Fu•ioso▪ gives them all a very large Character for Learning, and particularly for Poetry; and of one of them he cite; the Latin Verses sent from Cornwall, to her Sister the Lady Burleigh, being then at Court, to use her utmost interest, that her Lover might not be sent abroad upon an Em∣ba••y, which was intended.

C.

Cassandra Fedele, a Venetian Lady, born in the year 1465, the Daughter of Angelo Fedele and Barbara Leonia: she was for her excellence in the Latine & Greec Tongues, History, Philosophy, Page  257 and the Arts, very much esteem'd by An∣gelus Politianus, & remember'd by Ful∣gosus lib. 1. c. 3. Rerum Morabilium, for a Volume of Latin Poems of various subject and kind.

Catherine Philips, the most applauded, at this time, Poetess of our Nation, either of the present or former Ages, and not without reason, since both her Fame is of a fresh and lively date from the but late publisht Volume of her Poe•ical works, and those also of a style suitable to the humour and Genius of these times.

E.

Lady Elizabeth Carew, wrote the Tragedy of Mariam.

Elizabetha Joanna Westoni•, an En∣glish Poetess of some repute in the esteem of Farnabie, who ranks her with Sir Th. More, Alabaster, Drurie, and other English writers of Latin Poetry.

H.

Hildegardis, an Abbess of the Benedi∣ction Order, of the Monastery of St. Rupert, in the Earldom of Spanheim, in Germany: who besides the several Vo∣lumes she wrote in Prose, both in Theo∣logy and Medicine, is said to have writ∣ten also a Book of Latin Poems of va∣rious argument and Vers.

I.

Lady Jane Grey, the Daughter of the Duke of Suffolk, far more happy in her Learning, wherein she took won∣derful delight, and her sine Vein in Po∣etry, for which she is by many highly commended, then in her being proclai∣med Queen of England; which honour after a very short time of enjoyment, brought her to an untimely end.

K.

Mis. Killigrew; see the Lady Bacon.

L.

Lucretia Marinella, an Italian Lady; who wrote a Poem of the Dignity and Preheminence of Women.

M.

Magdalena Acciniola, a Lyric Poe∣tess, after the manner of the Italians in Sonnet, Canzon, and Madrigal.

Margaret, Dutchess of New-Castle, lately deceas't, a very obliging Lady to the World; and withall not regard∣less of her own future Fame, by so lar∣gely and copiously imparting to public view her studious Endeavours in the Arts and Ingenuities, there being three ample Volumes of hers in Print; one of Orations, the other of Philosophi∣cal Notions and Discourses, the third of Dramatic and other kinds of Poetry.

Mary Morpeth, a Scotch Poetess, and a friend of the Poet Drummond, of whom, besides many other things in Poetry, she hath a large Encomium in Verse.

Page  260Mary, Countess of Pembroke, the Sister of the Incomparable Sir Philip Sidney, whose Arcadia was consecrated to her vertuous inclination to Poetry, and other Ingenuities, there is extant of his writing the Tr. of Antonius and Al∣bions Triumph, besides what other things she probably may be imagin'd to have writ, though now not known.

Lady Mary Wroth, the Wife of Sir Robert Wroth, an Emulatress perhaps of Philip Sidny's Arcadia, by her Vrania, a Poetical History of the same nature; but much inferiour in Fame.

Mildred•, one of the fo•e me•tion'd four Daughters of Sir Anthony Cook and Wife to the Lord 〈◊〉 who with the rest of her Sisters is equally com∣mended by Sir John Harrington, and others, both for Learning in general and in particular for her Vein in Po∣etry.

O.

Olympi• Clara, an Italian Lady no less famous then her Name imports▪ for what she hath writ in Verse.

R.

Lady Russell, one of the four Daugh∣ters of Sir Anthony Cook, already men∣tion'd.

S.

Madam 〈◊〉, the Sister of that most Famous of French Romancer• Monsieur Scudery; whose assistant she is said to have been in many of his works, and of Clelia to have had the principal share: she also writ a Book of Poems, which have the commendation of a more than feminine wit and Fancy.

U.

Valeria Miaina, an Italian Dramatic Poetess, whose Amorosa Speranza, I find peculiarly mentioned and com∣mended.