the province that gave her birth, her family name, nor the reasons of
her going to England. As she appears, however, to have resided in that
country at the commencement of the 13th century, we may reasonably
conclude that she was a native of Normandy. Philip Augustus having made
himself master of that province in 1204, many Norman families, whether
from regard to affinity, from motive of adventure, or from attachment to
the English government, went over to Great Britain, and there
established themselves. If this opinion be not adopted, it will be
impossible to fix upon any other province of France under the dominion
of the English, as her birth-place, because her language is neither that
of Gascony, nor of Poitou, &c. She appears, however, to have been
acquainted with the _Bas-Breton_, or Armoric tongue; whence it may be
inferred that she was born in Bretayne. The Duke of that province was
then Earl of Richmond in England; many of his subjects were in
possession of knight's fees in that honour, and Mary might have belonged
to one of these families. She was, besides, extremely well versed in the
literature of this province; and we shall have occasion to remark, that
she frequently borrowed much from the works of its writers in the
composition of her own. If, however, a preference should be given to the
first opinion, we must suppose that Mary got her knowledge, both of the
Armoric and English languages, in Great Britain. She was, at the same
time, equally mistress of the Latin; and from her application to three
several languages, we must take it for granted that she possessed a
readiness, a capacity, and even a certain rank in life, that afforded
time and means to attain them. It should seem that she was solicitous to
be personally known only at the time she lived in. Hence we find in her
works those general denominations, those vague expressions, which
discourage the curious antiquary, or compel him to enter into dry and
laborious discussions, the result of which, often turns out to be little
more than conjecture. In short, the silence or the modesty of this
lady, has contributed, in a great degree, to conceal from us the names
of those illustrious persons whose patronage her talents obtained.

The first poems of Mary are a collection of Lays, in French verse;
forming various histories and gallant adventures of our valiant knights:
and, according to the usage of those times, they are generally
remarkable for some singula