Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/525

Rh Yucatan language, and thereby proved a check upon the other interpreters. Besides, she soon acquired the Spanish tongue, and indeed manifested an admirable talent for attaining languages. By her address she found out a conspiracy to destroy the Spaniards on a certain day, and discovered it to Cortez. Bernando Diaz calls her the excellent Donna Marina. Modern Universal History.

lady of great wit and beauty, who wrote many popular works in prose and verse; amongst which is one to prove the superiority of women, in courage, address, virtue, and prudence, &c. called La Nobilita delle Donne, printed at Venice 1601, 8vo.; the Lives of St. Francis and the Virgin Mary, &c. F. C. &c

to the great duke of Marlborough in 1681. She was then about twenty-one, and universally esteemed one of the finest women in England in her person, and of great parts and wit; she had much influence over the mind of the princess Anne, in her conduct afterwards, insomuch that she is supposed to have advised the latter to insist on the provision of 50,000 per annum, which did not please king William. In the mean time, some infamous persons plotted the ruin of the duke, and insinuated, that through his wife the  cils