Page:A Biographical Dictionary of the Celebrated Women of Every Age and Country (1804).djvu/856

840842 [sic]  with great spirit, though not in the most elegant stile; but they contain a great number of curious anecdotes and entertaining observations, on the customs and manners of the Spanish court. Mademoiselle de Sévigné, in one of her letters to her daughter, says; "Madame de Villars has written a thousand agreeable things to Madame de Coulange. The Duke de Rochefoucault (who you know is very curious), Madame de Vins, and myself, are for ever at Madame de Coulange's elbow, to learn all we can." .

one was ever more esteemed or admired than this illustrious lady. She had a singular taste for the sciences, and was well versed in the Latin, Greek and Hebrew languages. To her literary talents, and extensive knowledge, she united every amiable virtue that can adorn a woman. We are ignorant as to the time of either her birth or death; but, we believe, she was living about the year 1615. .

of great literary abilities, and of a lively turn of wit, but who unfortunately gave herself up to the government of her passions. She was born at Alençon, in 1640; her father (Monsieur des Jardins) was provost of the Marechaussée in that town, and her mother had been waiting-woman to the Duchess de Rohan; she had therefore what is called a good education enough, one