advantages of her education, and became a proficient in various branches of learning and knowledge.

Sir Richard Steele, addressing this lady in an epistle dedicatory, prefixed to the second volume of the Ladies' Library, 1714, observes-That, instead of assemblies, books and solitude were her choice; and, that she had gone on the study of what she should be, rather than attend to the celebration of what she was. "Thus," says he, "with the charms of the fairest of your own sex, and knowledge not inferior to the more learned of ours, a closet, a bower, or some beauteous scene of rural nature, has constantly robbed the world of a lady's appearance, who never was beheld but with gladness to her visitants, nor ever admired but with pain to herself. But a constant distribution of large charities, a search for objects of new bounty, and a skilful choice of modest merit or suffering virtue, touch the souls of those who partake your goodness too deeply to be borne, without enquiring for, or celebrating, their benefactress. I should be loth to offend your delicacy in this particular; but I know, when I say this, the fatherless and the widow, the neglected man of merit, the wretch on the sick bed, in a word, the distressed in all forms, will from this hint

learn to trace the kind hand which has so often, as from heaven, conveyed to them what they have asked in the anguish of their souls, when none could hear but he who has blessed you with so ample a fortune, and given you a soul to employ it in his service."

The merits of this lady are also celebrated by Dr. Hickes, in the preface to a learned and elaborate work, "Linguarum Septentrionalium Thesaurus." An honorary marble monument, on which her perfections are enumerated in an inscription, is erected to the memory of Mrs. Bovey, in the abbey church at Westminster. By this incription we are informed, that “she died January 21st, 1726, in the 57th year of her age, at Haxley, her seat in Gloucestershire, and was buried there, where her name will be long remembered; and where several of her benefactions at that place, as well as others, are particu larly recorded." This monument was erected by her executrix, Mrs. Mary Pope, who resided with her near forty years, in perfect and uninterrupted friendship.

There is also an inscription on her monument at Haxley, in which her hospitality and her charities are mentioned; her distributions to the poor, to decayed families, to free-schools, to the

prisons, to her poor neighbours, the instruction of whose children she herself superintended; also her bounties to the church, and bequeathments at her death, namely: Towards founding a college in the island of Bermuda, 500l. To the grey-coat hospital, in St. Margaret's, Westminster, 500%. To the blue-coat hospital in Westminster, 2001. To the charity-school of Christ's-Church parish, in Southwark, 400l. To augment the living of the same place, 1200/. To put out poor children of this parish apprentices, the interest of 400/. for ever; of which sum 160/. had been given by Mr. Clarke and Mr. Bovey. To be distributed as her executrix should think fit, among those whom she had apprenticed out during her life-time, 400/. Lastly, she designed the re-building of this chapel, which design was executed by Mrs. Mary Pope.

Ballard's British Ladies-Biographium Fæmineum.

CLEMENCE DE BOURGES.

CLEMENCE DE BOURGES, the descendant of a respectable family at Lyons, was born in the sixteenth century. The contemporary of Louise Labe (La belle Cordiere), she was no less distin

guished for her talents and acquirements. She added to an irreproachable life, the charms of genius, and the graces of her sex. Celebrated for her poetical compositions, and her skill in music, a congenial taste for the fine arts united Clémence in strict friendship with Louise, whose conduct at length relaxed the bond, and compelled her more exemplary friend, with whatever reluctance, to dissolve the connection. To the affectionate heart of Clémence, whom a severer trial yet' awaited, this separation gave the most poignant regret.

Jean de Peyrat, son of a lieutenant-general at Lyons, a brave and gallant officer, had won the affections of Clémence de Bourges. The lovers were betrothed, when Jean, a captain in the light horse, was called to the siege of Beaurepaire in Dauphiné, and, on the 30th of September, 1561, received, in combating against the Huguenots, a mortal wound. Clémence, in the ensuing year, fell a martyr to grief, and followed her lover to the grave. Honoured and esteemed in the place of her birth, her funeral, celebrated with extraordinary pomp, was attended by a numerous train of the most distinguished Lyonese, who, with their heads crowned with flowers, followed the corpse. The memory of her talents

and virtues was consecrated in the writings of the first poets of the age. Her compositions, smooth and harmonious, are esteemed for their chasteness and poetical taste.

A. Thicknesses's Sketches of the Lives and Writings of the Ladies of France-Dictionnaire Historique,

ANTOINETTE BOURIGNON.

ANTOINETTE BOURIGNON, a singular enthusiast of the seventeenth century, was born at Lisle in Flanders, January 13th, 1616. She appeared so much deformed at her birth, that it was debated for some days, in the family, whether the infant ought to be permitted to live: but, as she grew older, her figure improved. She gave early indications of an extraordinary character; at four years of age she was disturbed by the immorality of the people of Lisle, and desired to be carried into a country of Christians, for she could not be persuaded, that persons, whose conduct was so opposite to the precepts of Jesus Christ, had a title to be called by his name.

Her father and mother had frequent domestic disagreements; the little Antoinette, on these occasions, took the part of her mother, and endeavoured to soften her father, whose temper was