Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/296

232 were but too faithfully repeated; and the youngest of her sons instantly murdered his two elder nephews; the youngest escaped, became a monk, and was afterwards invoked by the name of St. Cloud. . her seventeenth year produced a tragedy, called Agnes de Castro, which was acted in 1695. This performance, and some verses addressed to Mr. Congreve, upon his Mourning Bride, in 1697, laid the foundation of her acquaintance with that writer. In 1698, she brought a second tragedy upon the stage, and, in 1701, a third tragedy and a comedy. She also joined about the same time, with several other ladies, in paying a tribute to Mr. Dryden, then lately dead, and their poems were published together, under the title of The Nine Muses.

BntBut [sic] poetry and dramatic writings were the least of this lady's talents. She had a great and philosophic turn of mind, and began to project a defence of Mr. Locke's Essay on the Human Understanding, against some remarks which had been made upon it at several times, by Dr. Burnet, of the Charter-house. This Defence was finished as early as the beginning of December, 1701, when she was but twenty-two, and drawn up in so masterly a way, and so much to the satisfaction of Mr. Locke, that he desired Mr. King, (afterwards lord high chancellor) to make her a visit and a present of books. Though born a protestant, she had, when very young, an