Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/305

Rh princes paid her the most flattering distinctions; and the principal poets of Italy made her the object of their verse. Nor in extempore poetry alone was she famous; but printed a little poem at Bologna, in praise of the empress queen, and a great number of sonnets and little songs are yet in manuscript.

She came to Rome in the year of Clement XIV.'s death, and began to rehearse in public, upon any subject, either philosophical, poetical, or historical, that was proposed to her, with such select elegance of phrases, such variety of metre, sublime flights of fancy, and surprising celerity, that the instrument could hardly accompany the various sweet modulations of her clear loud voice. She was honoured with a crown by the Arcadian society, and gifted with the name of Corilla.

She returned to Rome in the autumn of the same year, after a summer's sojourn in Florence: when the same motive which had moved the Arcadians to crown her, induced the governors, at that time, to grant her a patent of Roman nobility.

The pope, in 1776, was requested in special audience, to decorate her with the Capitoline crown, and he granted the request, provided the same experiments were made with her as with Perfetto. They were reduced to twelve themes, to be proposed by twelve Arcadians. The most learned men were fixed upon to examine her in the presence of a crowd of nobility: and she was at first apprehensive. The violins began to accompany her; and whilst every one expected some exordium before thought of, she looked around terrified and bewildered, till seeing one of the society, a friend, enter, she began her song, imploring his aid. Then, as reflecting and disdaining human, she invoked divine