MRS GRANT, _Professor Craik_, 256 ELIZABETH INCHBALD, _Cunningham_, 260 ELIZABETH HAMILTON, _Professor Craik_, 263 COUNTESS DE VEMIEIRO, _Sismondi_, 267 JOANNA BAILLIE, _Professor Spalding_ 269 JOSEPHINE, _Alison_, 271 ANNE RADCLIFFE, _Edinburgh Review_, 273 MISS EDGEWORTH, _Jeffrey_, 276 CHARLOTTE CORDAY, _Carlyle_, 279 MADAME DE STAEL, _Jeffrey_, 283 MADAME DE LA ROCHEJAQUELEIN, _Jeffrey_, 286 MADAME RECAMIER, _Davenport Adams_, 290 MARY BRUNTON, _Dr Brunton_, 293 FELICIA HEMANS, _Jeffrey_, 297 AUGUSTINA SARAGOZA, _Alison_, 299 CHARLOTTE BRONTE, _Mrs Gaskell_, 301 WOMEN OF HISTORY. LUCRETIA. [B.C. 500.] BAYLE. A Roman dame, illustrious for her beauty and the nobleness of her birth, and more for her virtue. She was married to one Collatinus, a relative of Tarquin, king of Rome. Her tragic story runs thus: Tarquin, not having been able to render himself master of the town of Ardea so promptly as he had calculated, besieged it in form, and the languidness of the operation comported very well with the inclination of the princes to amuse themselves in the way princes are in the habit of doing. At one of the suppers given by Sextus to his two brothers, and to Collatinus their kinsman, a question was raised, not as to the beauty of their mistresses, as is the custom in our day, but as to that of their respective wives. Each maintained that his wife was fairer than those of his companions; and the dispute rising high, Collatinus suggested a means of terminating it. "What is the use of so many words," said he, "we can in a very short time have the proof of the superiority of my Lucretia. Let us mount our horses; let us surprise our wives; and the decision of our question will be the more easy that they are not prepared for us." Inflamed by wine, the princes accepted the proposal, and they rode to Rome at the top of their horses' speed. They there found sitting at table the fair daughters of Tarquin, who were engaged in pleasure with companions of their own age. They next went to Collatium; and though it was now late at night, they found Lucretia in the midst of her servants, engaged in needlework. They all agreed that she carried off the palm, and thereupon returned to the camp; but Sextus, without uttering a word of his purpose, found his way secretly back to Collatium, and was received by Lucretia with that attention and