Of the Abbe de S A D E. * 159 



terms, mulier and foemina are indifcriminately applied to un- 

 married and to married women. In the 17th law of the Codex 

 de donat. ante nuptias, the title bears ; " Donatio ante nuptias 

 " faSia mulier i in minori at ate, noti itidiget injinuatione,'^ l^c. Fa- 

 BER, in his The/aunts, obferves, on the word mulier ; " Varie 

 " accipitur vox ; aliquando enim communiter de fexu dicitur, et 

 " omnem atatem ac conditionem ejus ampleSlitiir j itaque et de 

 " puellis ufurpatur,'' l^c. 



In the fame manner, donna and madonna are ufed by the 

 Italians, when fpeaking either of unmarried or of married wo- 

 men. Every Italian poet terms his miftrefs donna and madonna. 

 Thus, Ariosto, in the beginning of the 35th canto of the Or- 

 lando Furiofo, fays, 



Chefalira per nw. Madonna, in cielo ; 



and in his ift elegy, 



Non e affai Madonna meji e anni 

 La fra fpeme e timor Jin qui fofpefa ? 



Thus GuARiNi, in the Pajlor Fido, att. i. 



Lafede in cor di donna, fe pttrfede 



In donna alcana (ch^io noHJo)Ji trova, &c. 



and again, 



Bella donna e gentil, foUecitata 



Da numerofu Jluol di degni amanti, 



Se d^unfolo e contenta, e gli altnfprezza 



non e donna, fe pur donna, e fciocca. 



Thus too, BocCACio, in the Introdudlion to the Decamerone : 



Gratiofe e nobili donne, meco penfando, &c. 



X2 A 



