realise the expectations which her power of moving the passions in the "Recess" had created. In the succeeding year, Miss Harriet Lee published the first five volumes of her "Canterbury Tales," three stories in which were from the pen of her sister, and of these, one called "Krutzmar" was selected for the subject of a tragedy by Lord Byron. In 1803, having secured a handsome competence, she retired . from teaching; soon after which appeared her "Life of a Lover," a novel written early in life. In 1807, a comedy by Miss Lee, termed the "Assignation," was unsuccessfully produced at Drury Lane, which drama terminated her literary career. She died at Clifton, near Bristol, March 13th., 1824.
LEELA,
Of Granada, a Moorish-Spaniard, who was celebrated for her learning. She died in the early part of the thirteenth century.
LEGGE, ELIZABETH,
Eldest daughter of Edward Legge, an ancestor of the Earl of Dartmouth, was born in 1580. She was particularly noted for her faculty of acquiring languages, having studied thoroughly the Latin, French, Spanish, and Irish tongues, besides cultivating her poetical genius. Unfortunately, these acquisitions soon proved nearly useless, as she lost her sight, indeed became totally blind, in consequence of severe study and midnight readings. She was never married, lived chiefly in Ireland, and died at the great age of 105.
LEIVA, MARIA VIRGINIA DI.
Horace remarks, in an often-quoted sally, that many heroes worthy of renown have existed, acted, and been forgotten, because there was no bard to cast his sacred light around their deeds. The interest awakened by the poet, is indeed universal and far-spreading. Who, for instance, does not feel more alive to the identity of Agamemnon—the very king noted by Homer—or of Andromache, or of Helen, than to the well-authenticated existence of many an actual prince or pretty woman, who, wanting the bard, is made known to us merely by chronological tablets? It is that sort of interest, inspired by being the subject of the pen of genius, that renders the Signora Di Leiva worthy a place in these sketches. Manzoni, in the best romance Italy has ever produced—we may say, one of the best romances to be found in any language—has given importance to the memory of an otherwise obscure gentlewoman. Those versed in Italian literature, need not be reminded of the interesting and strongly depicted account of the lady of Monza; but little is to be added to the episode of the "Promessi Sposi."
It must be stated, that the circumstances detailed in that work did not really happen at Monza, but in some obscure bourg, whose name cannot now be ascertained; the real name of the lady was Maria Virginia di Leiva. Her father, Antonio di Leiva, from an unjust ambition to endow his son with an excessive wealth, immured this unfortunate daughter in a convent, where she was forced to take the veil, without the smallest vocation or sentiment of religion. To recompense her for this sacrifice, uncommon privileges were extended to her; she was accountable to nobody for her time or actions, and this led to her ruin. A young nobleman, of dissolute
