Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/818

804  she feels from being exempt from vanity, manifestly indicates she is not without it. She has spent her life in serious reflections and occupations, rather to fortify her reason than to ornament her mind, in which she has made but little progress. The love of liberty is her predominant passion; an unfortunate passion indeed, for one who has passed the greatest part of her time in servitude. Her condition therefore, has always been insupportable to her, notwithstanding all the unexpected advantages she has found."

Some have ventured to say, she was not so amiable as she appears in her writings; that she was negligent in her dress, capricious and pedantic; but add, that nothing ever equalled the gaiety and vivacity of her wit, when she was in good humour with herself, and with those about her: but this praise they lower, by saying she was satirical. . wrote a book of Hymns, and Odes upon all the holy days, which was translated into French, and set to music by Mauduit.

charmed the tediousness and indolence of a cloister, by learning, and was known by her works all over Europe. . scarce eight days old at his death, which was