of taxes in Dieppe, who died soon after the marriage, leaving her a youthful widow. She concealed her talents, however, till the charms of youth were past, and first published her productions in 1746, The first was a poem "On the Mutual Influence of the Fine Arts and Sciences." This gained the prize from the Academy of Rouen. She next attempted an imitation of "Paradise Lost," in six cantos; then of the "Death of Abel;" next a tragedy, the "Amazons;" and a poem in ten cantos, called "The Columbiad." Madame du Boccage was praised by her contemporaries with an extravagance, for which only her sex and the charms of her person can account. Forma Venus arte Minerva, was the motto of her admirers, among whom were Voltaire, Fontenelle, and Clairaut. She was always surrounded by distinguished men, and extolled in a multitude of poems, which, if collected, would fill several volumes. There is a great deal of entertaining matter in the letters which she wrote on her travels in England and Holland, and in which one may plainly see the impression she made upon her contemporaries. Her works have been translated into English, Spanish, German, and Italian
BOIS DE LA PIERRE, LOUISE MARIE,
A lady of Normandy, who possessed some poetical merit, and wrote memoirs for the history of Normandy, etc. She died September 14th, 1730, aged sixty-seven.
BONAPARTE, RAMOLINA MARIE LETITIA,
Was born at Ajaccio, in the island of Corsica, in 1748. The family of Ramolini is of noble origin, and is derived from the Counts of Colatto. The founder of the Corsican branch had married the daughter of a doge of Genoa, and had received from that republic great ad honourable distinctions. The mother of Madame Letitia married a second time a Swiss named Fesch, whose family was from Basle. He was a Protestant, but was proselyted by his wife, and entered the Catholic church. From this second marriage was born the Cardinal Fesch, half-brother of Madame Bonaparte, Letitia was one of the most beautiful girls of Corsica. She married Charles Bonaparte in 1766, in the midst of the midst of civil discords and wars; through every vicissitude she followed her husband, and as few persons have been placed in more difficult conjunctures, few have exhibited such strength of ming, courage, fortitude, and equanimity, The most unexampled prosperity, and most unlooked-for adversity have found her equal to the difficulties of each. Her eight children who lived to maturity were the following:—Joseph, King of Naples, and afterwards of Spain; Napoleon; Eliza, grand-duchess of Tuscany; Lucien; Pauline, princess Borghese; Louis, King of Holland; Caroline, Queen of Naples; and Jerome, King of Westphalia.
In 1785 Charles Bonaparte being sent to France as a deputy from the Corsican nobility, was seized with a cancer of the stomach, and died at Montpelier in the arms of his son Joseph. He left a widow with eight children, and no fortune. Two of the family were educated at the expense of the government—Napoleon at Brienne, and Eliza at St. Cyr—while the others found their mother an instructress capable and energetic. Hers was a character that displayed its resources in difficulties; and she always managed to maintain her children in the position to which they were naturally entitled
