558 THE INFLUENCE OF WOMEN. 



I scarcely knew what to do with Leo, and had entered so extensively 

 in the way of research on the suhject, as to wander even to " the land of 

 Nod ;" where having satisfied myself that Cain's wife was the lion of 

 the place (being the mother of the first poet, forsooth,) I suddenly 

 returned by reason of the terror which I felt on an imaginary sight of 

 the murderer's bloody hand. On recovering my self-possession, I remarked 

 that she alone is a lion among women, who is of a noble and passionate, 

 but yet forgiving nature ; she whose love for him that is worthy of 

 her remains 



'* Unqueched by floods, and uneonsumed by fire j" 



She who is a lover of her country and her children she who is just and 

 merciful she who is chaste and honourable she who is righteous in 

 anger, but easily restrained, and of whom it might be said, 



Tempore pcenorum compescitur jra leonum, 

 Nee fentas animo, quse fuit ante, manet. 



She, in fine, who, in whatever sphere she is placed, acts with a manly 

 resolution, and who, without divesting herself of any the least of those 

 peculiar charms which concentrate in British females, carries every thing 

 before her,* 



-ft 



* "The following epigram," says Bayle, u was in every body's hands about the 

 year 1561, having been occasioned by the greatest part of the kingdoms of Europe 

 being then governed by women, or at least under their administration." It may 

 not unsuitably follow the above article. 



Vulva regit Scotos,(a) hceres() tenet ilia Bntannos,, 



Flandros et Batavos nunc notha vulva(c) regit. 

 Vulva regit populos quos signal Gallia portu,(f) 



Et fortes Gallos Itala vulva regit. (e) 

 His furiam furiis, vulvam conjungite vulvis, 



Sic natura capax omnia regna capit. 

 Ad Medicam artem insertam, Gallia saucia tend is. 



Non uti Medicis est medicina tibi. 

 Non credas Medicis, vena qui sanguinis hausta, 



Conantur vires debilitare tuas. 

 Ut regi, matrique suce, sis fida Deoque, 



Utere concilio Gallia docta meo. 

 Et pacem tu inter proceres non panito bellum, 



Hospitafy^ lis. Artus rodit agitque tuos. 

 (a) Mary Stuart. (b) Queen Elizabeth, 



(c) Margaret, Duchess of Parma, natural daughter of Charles V. 



(d} Catherine of Austria, sister to Charles V. widow of John III. King of Por- 

 tugal, and Regent during the minority of Sebastian, her son 



(e) Catherine de Medicis. 



(/) An allusion is here meant to the name of the Chancellor De 1'Hospital, ta 

 whom Catherine de Medicis chiefly owed the Regency. 



