Page:A new and general biographical dictionary; containing an historical and critical account of the lives and writings of the most eminent persons in every nation v1.djvu/269

 ANDREAS. language of Arragon, the whole law of the Moors ; and after having finifhcd this undertaking, he compok-d his famous work of *' The Confufion of the Seel of Mahumcd :" it con- tains twelve chapters, wherein he has collected the fabulous (lories, impoftures, forgeries, brutalities, follies, obfcenitics, abfurditics, impoflibilitics, lies, and contradictions, which Mahumed, in order to deceive the fimplc people, has dii'pcrkd in the writings of that ktSr, and efpecially in the Alcoran. Andreas tells us, he wrote this work, that not only the learned amont',ft Chriftians, but even the common people might know the different belief and doctrine of the Moors ; and on the one hand might laugh at and ridicule fuch infolent and brutal notions ; and on the other mi^ht lament their blindnefs and dangerous condition. This book, which was publifhed at fuft in Spanifli, has been tranflated into feveral languages ; all thole who write againft the Mahometans quote it very much. ANDREINI (ISABELLA), a native of Padua, and moft celebrated a&refs towards the beginning of the feventeenth century. This was not her only perfection, for {he was alfo an excellent poetefs ; as appears from the eulogiums many learned men and great wits have beftowed upon her, and from the works fhe publifhed. The Intenti of Pavia (fo the academifls of this city are ttyled) were of opinion, they did their fociety an honour by admitting her a member of ir ; and (he, in acknowledgement of this honour, never forgot to mention among!* her titles that of " Acr.demica Infanta;" her titles were thefc, " Ifabclla Andrcini, comica gclofa, aca- which is not frequent amongft the moft excellent a&rclTcs, which was an extraordinary beauty ; and which, added to A fine voice, made her charm both the eyes and ears of the au- dience. Under her piclure the following infcription is writ- ten : " Hoc hiftricas eloquentia: caput leclor admiraris, quid theatre, when you onfy fee her, what would you do if you heard her ? Cardinal Cinthio AlcJobrandini, nephew to Clement VIIF. had a great elleem for her, as appears by feveral of her poem-. When fhe went to France, fhe was kindly received by their majffties, and by the higheft perfons at court : fhe wrote fe- veral fonnets in their praile, which are to be feen in the fe- .cond part of her poems. She
 * ' demica infanta, detta FacceHa." She had one advantage
 * ' li auditor fcies ?" If you admire, reader, this glory of the