WOMAN'S LONG STRUGGLE 77 



of Naples, who was famed for her profound knowledge of 

 physics and the higher mathematics and who gave an Ital- 

 ian version of Stephen Hales* Vegetable Statics. Then 

 there was Clelia Grillo Borromeo, of Genoa, who was so 

 distinguished in science, mathematics, mechanics and lan- 

 guages that a medal was struck in her honor bearing the 

 inscription, Gloria Genuensium glory of the Genoese ; and 

 the still more famous Elena Cornaro Piscopia, of Venice, 

 who was truly a prodigy of learning as well as a paragon 

 of virtue. In addition to a knowledge of many modern, 

 classical and oriental tongues, she exhibited remarkable 

 proficiency in astronomy, mathematics, music, philosophy 

 and theology. After a course of study in the University of 

 Padua and after the usual examination and discourse in 

 classic Latin on some of the questions of Aristotelian phi- 

 losophy, she had the doctorate of philosophy conferred on 

 her in the cathedral of Padua, in the presence of thousands 

 of learned men and applauding students from all parts of 

 Europe. But not content with conferring on this extraor- 

 dinary woman the ring, wreath of laurel and the ermine 

 mozetta the usual insignia of the doctorate the Univer- 

 sity, as a special mark of distinction, had a medal coined in 

 honor of the illustrious graduate bearing her effigy, with 

 the words, as the decree of the University expressed it, 

 ad perpetuam rei memoriam. That there was nothing 

 superficial about this young woman's knowledge of lan- 

 guages, it suffices to state that she was able to speak Latin 

 and Greek as fluently as her own Italian, and that so pro- 

 found was her knowledge of divinity that there were many 

 distinguished ecclesiastics in both Italy and France who 

 favored conferring on her the doctorate in theology. 



Among other young women who obtained the doctorate 

 in various universities were Maddalena Canedi-Noe and 

 Maria Vittoria Dosi who, after the usual course of study 

 in the university of Bologna, obtained the degree of doctor 

 of civil law, and Maria Pellegrina Amoretti, who received 



