Vittoria Colonna died at Rome, in 1547. She was suspected of favouring in secret the reformed doctrines; but I do not know on what authority Roscoe mentions this. Her noble birth, her admirable beauty, her illustrious marriage, her splendid genius, (which made her the worship of genius--and the theme of poets,) have rendered her one of the most remarkable of women;--as her sorrows, her conjugal virtues, her innocence of heart, and elegance of mind, have rendered her one of the most interesting. Where could she fix on mortal ground Those tender thoughts and high? Now peace, the woman's heart hath found, And joy, the poet's eye![38] Antiquity may boast its heroines; but it required virtues of a higher order to be a Vittoria Colonna, or a Lady Russel, than to be a Portia or an Arria. How much more graceful, and even more sublime, is the moral strength, the silent enduring heroism of the Christian, than the stern, impatient defiance of destiny, which showed so imposing in the heathen! How much more difficult is it sometimes to live than to die! Piu val d' ogni vittoria un bel soffirire. Or as Campbell has expressed nearly the same sentiment, To bear, is to conquer our fate! FOOTNOTES: [28] Orlando Furioso, canto 37. [29] "Never less idle than when idle." [30] "Non desidero d'esser moglie d'un re; bensi di quel gran capitano, il quale non solamente in guerra con valor, ma ancora in pace con la magnanimita ha saputo vincere i re piu grande." (Vita di Vittoria Colonna, da Giambattista Rota.) [31] See in Robertson's Charles V. an account of the generous conduct of Pescara to the Chevalier Bayard. [32] Che il suo sole, quantunque dagli altri fosse riputato morte, appresso di lei sempre vivea. (Vita.) [33] Ischia. [34] Sonnet 74. [35] Componimenti Lirici, vol. i. 144. [36] L'honneur d'avoir ete, entre toutes les poetes, la premiere a composer un recueil de poesies sacrees, appartient, toute entiere, a Vittoria Colonna. (See Ginguene.) Her masterpieces, in this style, are said to be the sonnet on the death of our Saviour.-- "Gli Angeli eletti al gran bene infinito;" and the hymn "Padre Eterno del cielo!" which is sublime: it may be found in Mathias's Collection, vol. iii. [37] Died 1535. [38] Mrs. Hemans. CHAPTER VI. CONJUGAL POETRY CONTINUED. VERONICA GAMBARA. Vittoria Colonna, and her famed friend and contemporary, Veronica, Countess of Correggio, are inseparable names in the history of Italian literature, as living at the same time, and equally ornaments of their sex. They resembled each other in poetical talent, in their domestic sorrows and conjugal virtues: in every other respect the contrast is striking. Vittoria, with all her genius, seems to have been as lovely, gentle, and feminine a creature as ever wore the form of woman. No lily--no--nor fragrant hyacinth, Had half such softness, sweetness, blessedness. Veronica, on the contrary, was one,