marked, and distinguished his characters; he
was generally happy in the choice of his fables, and he has found a way
of drawing tears, which many a superior poet has tried in vain.

* * * * *

LADY CHUDLEIGH

Was born in the year 1656, and was daughter of Richard Lee of Winslade,
in the county of Devon, esq; She had an education in which literature
seemed but little regarded, being taught no other language than her
native tongue; but her love of books, incessant industry in the reading
of them, and her great capacity to improve by them, enabled her to make
a very considerable figure in literature.

She was married to Sir George Chudleigh of Ashton in the county of
Devon, Bart, by whom she had issue Eliza Maria, who died in the bloom of
life, (much lamented by her mother, who poured out her griefs on that
occasion, in a Poem entitled a Dialogue between Lucinda and Marissa) and
George, who succeeded to the title and estate, Thomas, and others.

She was a lady of great virtue, as well as understanding, and she made
the latter of these subservient to the promotion of the former, which
was much improved by study; but though she was enamoured of the charms
of poetry, yet she dedicated some part of her time to the severer study
of philosophy, as appears from her excellent essays, which discover an
uncommon degree of piety, and knowledge, and a noble contempt of those
vanities which the unthinking part of her sex so much regard, and so
eagerly pursue.

The works which this lady produced, are,

The Ladies Defence, or the Bride-Woman's Counsellor answered, a Poem; in
a Dialogue between Sir John Brute, Sir William Loveall, Melissa, and a
Parson. This piece has been several times printed; the writing it was
occasioned by an angry sermon preached against the fair sex, of which
her ladyship gives the following account; 'Mr. Lintot, says she, some
time since, intending to reprint my poems, desired me to permit him
to add to them a Dialogue I had written in the year 1700, on a Sermon
preached by Mr. Sprint, a Nonconformist, at Sherbourne in Dorsetshire;
I refusing, for several reasons, to grant his request, he, without my
knowledge, bought the copy of the Bookseller who formerly printed it,
and, without my consent, or once acquainting me with his resolution,
added to it the second edition of my poems; and that which makes the
injury the greater, is, his having omitted the Epistle Dedicatory, and