Madame Roland:
P. 314 – Brings Dacier’s Plutarch to church instead of the bible
P. 323/4 quoted from the Memoirs – “To suspect that there are two sorts of reason; one for the closet, another for the world; a morality of principle, and a morality of practice; from the contradiction of which resulted many absurdities which did not escape my observation. In short it appeared to me, that persons of the gay world call everyone insane who is not affected with the common madness. Thus did materials for reflection gradually accumulate in my active brain.”
P. 324 middle – “while her sensibility, which powerfully contributed to develop her mind, gave to every object, and to every situation, a more striking and vivid hue.”
P. 326 from a larger section on doubting religion after learning history – “When an enthusiast begins to reason, emancipation is not far distant.”
P. 327/8 Roland renounces everything but philosophy
P. 329/330 Full description of Roland’s Moral Philosophies
P. 331 from the Memoir — “Philosophy, in calling forth the powers of my soul and giving firmness to my mind, did not diminish the scruples of sentiment or the susceptibility of my imagination…”
P. 336 – “Happily placed out of the vortex of dissipation ans at a distance from temptation, with her mind busily employed, her principles took deep root and her virtue acquired habitual firmness.”
P. 336/7 Roland says NO marriage offers by wealthy suitors. She argues with her father…
337 – “Tell me also, why in bringing me up, you taught me to think, and suffered me to contract habits of study. I know not what kind of a man I shall marry, I kow, only, it must be one who can share my sentiments and to whom I can communicate my thoughts.”
“I am no judge of the happiness of other people; but my own affections are not fixed upon riches. I conceive that the strictest union of hearts is necessary conjugal felicity; nor can I connect myself to a man that does not resemble me.”
Madame Dacier
P. 2 – As her mind strengthened, and acquired a wider range, she emancipated herself from the trammels of authority, and laid down plans of study, which she pursued with perseverance; she now read and thought for herself, and frequently, though with the utmost modesty and deference, presumed to differ, on subjects of literature and criticism from her respectable father.”
P. 20 – “Her virtue, her firmness, her benevolence, and her equanimity, had, during her life procured her still more respect and esteem that her eminent learning and talents.”
Livia Drusilla
P. 41 bottom – “To dignity of birth, brilliant talents and high cultivation of mind, Livia added the charm of beauty. Lively, penetrating, sagacious, subtle, she read with facility the characters of those who approached her and rendered them subservient to her purposes.”
Elizabeth R
P. 293 – “Next to her desire of personal admiration was her vanity of authorship.’
P. 294 – “No one of her counselors could tell her what she knew not, and when her council said all they could, she could find out a wise counsel beyond theirs…”
Pgs. 116, 139 – Notes her refusal to marry, contentions with Parliament.
Mary De Agreda
Wrote highly controversial Biography of the Virgin Mary.
P. 9 MH anecdotes an opinion on the history of Philosophy and Enlightenment – “While the philosopher regards with contempt this solemn trifling, let it not be forgotten, that to the subtilties of theological controversy the human mind owes much of its acuteness: in the wrangling and dissensions of the schools, a foundation was laid for that critical sagacity, discrimination, and research, to which we are indebted for the overthrow of authority in matters of speculation, and for the emancipation of our reasoning powers. BY the extravagance and vehemence of polemic combatants, the curious, whom they supllied with with arms, were led to philosophise respecting the origins of their disputes.”
Agrippina
The female Ceasar and example of the “bad” woman, yet no less illustrious.
Sister of Caligula (who corrupted her as a girl) mother of Nero
P. 14 – “The daughter, the sister, the niece, the wife, the mother of emperors her station, her misfortunes, her qualities, and her crimes, alike ore a character of greatness. Checked by no impediment in her career of ambition, absolute power, and magnanimous in defeat, we are compelled to mingle admiration with our abhorrence of her guilt, and a portion of respect with our detestation.”
P.20 – “A woman governed the empire, whose vices were subservient to her ambition, and who was great alike in talent and in guilt.”
Jane D’Albert
Queen of Navarre, “protectoress of the reformed religion”, despite the efforts of her husband.
P. 59 – “Jane became the protectoress of Calvinism, which her husband not merely renounced, but actually persecuted.”
P. 61 – “The foundation of the Reformation, it was said, was laid in Bearn, by means of a woman, a bishop, and a child.”
P. 64 Upon hearing of the death of her King, — “The queen, informed of this catastrophe, sought consolation in the offices of religion, and, on the following Christmas –day, made a public confession of her faith, At the same time, with heroic firmness, she fortified Bearn, and prepared against the approach of the Spaniards, who, it was reported, were plotting to surprise the city. Having established protestantism throughout her dominions, she abolished popery, seized the effects of the ecclesiastics, and applied them to the support of the ministers and schools. She had not only resisted, with constancy, the injurious treatment of her husband, on his apostacym but the solicitation of the queen regent of France, Catherine of Medicis, while she every-where afforded protection of the Huguenots.”
Her story continues as she goes to lengths to secure religious freedom to her protestant constituency. Finally, Charles IX and Catherine of Medicis massacre her people on the night of St. Bartholomew.
P. 73 – “On her death bed, she was exhorted by her [new] husband [King of Scotland] and his father to think of her salvation, and to be received into the bosom of the true church. To which she replied’ ‘As she had lived, so she was resolved to die.’ Inflexible in her principles, she had resisted alike importunity temptation and menace.”
Isabella Andreina
An Actress
P. 91 – “To these advantages she added a sensibility and judgment, which enabled her to conceive and express, with exquisite taste and propriety, the varieties of dramatic character.”
“She excelled in vocal and instrumental music, was conversant with the French and Spanish, nor was she acquainted with philosophy and the sciences. She was a votary of the muses, and cultivates poetry with ardour and success.”
P. 92 – “Isabella Andreina composed sonnets, madrigals, songs, eclogues, and a pastoral, entitled Myrtilla. Several of her letters were printed in Venice, 1610.”
Anne of Austria
P. 111 – “Anne of Austria appears to have been estimable for the goodness and kindness of her heart, rather than for extraordinary capacity; for the attractions of woman, rather that the virtues of the queen: a propensity to personal attachments, and an amiable and forgiving temper, were her distinguishing characteristics.
Anne of Beaujeu
P. 116 MH quotes another historian – “’Equal to her father in genius,’ says an historian of the French monarchy, [footnote: History of France from the Commencement of the Monarchy to the Revolution] speaking of the lady of Beaujeu, ‘but more uniform in her conduct, and more magnanimous in her disposition; her judgment was sound without any mixture of perfidious duplicity which debased the understanding of Lewis: though vindictive, not cruel; though tenacious of her dignity, neither violent nor imperious. Led aside by no inferior passions, she felt her capacity for administration, and sacrificed entirely to that object. Mistress of an eloquence and address the most refined, she knew how to retain her delegated authority.’”
Joan D’Arc
What is most fascinating about MH’s take on Joan is her insistence that Joan was not informed by God, that hers was a time of ignorance and un-enlightenment, and that as a result, much of the story is inaccurate due to mythologizing. This version is almost a demystifying of Joan D’Arc, perhaps in order to give her more authority over her actions.
P147 – “Joan, eagerly listening to the daily and varying tale, became interested in political affairs, and caught the spirit of the times: the misfortunes of the dauphin, and his gentle and amiable character, and the perils which threatened him, awakened in her heart a sentiment of loyal and generous attachment: she meditated on the means of his deliverance, and on the calamities of her bleeding country, till her imagination became inflamed, the delusions of which she mistook for an impulse from heaven. Visions floated in her disordered fancy; angelic forms appeared to hove before her sight; while supernatural voices, sounding in her ears, seemed to exhort her to expel the enemy, and to re-establish on the throne of France its native sovereign. The enthusiasm of her purpose, her hardy habits and fearless temper, joined to her inexperienced youth, led her to overlook the difficulties which opposed themselves to her enterprise, and to cherish that sanguine ardor, which so frequently ensures, while it presages, success.”
Lady Mary Armyne
A well-educated and pious catholic who converted to Protestantism later in life. Her biography is short but lists several acts of great charity including aid to the non conformist ministers ejected on the Day of St. Bartholomew.
P.178 – “Her conversation was animated and interesting, and her life exemplary. She possessed a devotional turn of mind, and was zealous in promoting the knowledge of those principles which she conceived to be true and important.”
Anne Askew
P.201 – “Though educated in the Roman-catholic religion, by which perusal of the Scriptures is withheld from the laity, Anne, from attending to the questions respecting the Reformation, at that time violently agitated, became curious to examine the record from which both parties affected to derive their faith, and to which they mutually appealed. In this pursuit, doubts suggested themselves to her mind, her adherence to her ancestors became daily weaker, till at length she adopted the principles of the reformers. Her presumption of making use of her own judgment, disgusted and incensed her husband, who, at the suggestion of the priests, drove her with ignominy from his house.”
P. 202 “The sex and age of the heretic aggravated, rather than softened, the malice of her adversaries, who could not pardon a woman the presumption of opposing arguments and reason to their assertions and dogmas.”
P.208 After the conclusion of Anne Askew’s terrible execution MH concludes with her own though on the right to private judgment – “Such are the triumphs and monuments of fanaticism; –triumphs and monuments which are peculiar to no sect: all who have attached important consequences to speculative theology, have, in proportion to the spirit of the times, and to the power allowed to them by civil governments, employed it for the extirpation or annoyance of those, who, doubting the propriety of a standard mind, have presumed to exercise their own judgments.”
Henrietta of Bourbon
After successfully leading an alliance of French and Spanish troops during the wars of the Fronde perhaps the most difficult feat of her life was the survival of a relationship with a very ungenerous and ungrateful lover, who, she ultimately kicked out of her abode. What is most interesting, both about Henrietta as well as MH’s bio of her, is the inclusion of a long passage of a Memoir she composed late in her life. Henrietta left a six volume memoir of her life and times.
P.232 – “Her portrait and character are drawn, in the fashion of the times, by her own pen, with apparent truth and modesty:– ‘I could wish,’ said she, ‘that I had been more indebted to nature and less to art: I am sensible that my defects are not few, and I purpose to speak of myself with a sincerity which, I trust, with my friends will in some degree palliate them. It would hurt me to be pitied, therefore I ask it not: raillery would be more agreeable to me, of which envy is often the source, and which is seldom used by or against persons of merit.”
She goes on to describe herself physically. Many things “not fine” but “far from bad” or well proportioned”. Then to her character, which is fascinating.
P. 235 – “My resolutions are suddenly taken and firmly kept. I feel so much indifference for some things in the world, so much contempt for others, and entertain so good an opinion of myself, that I would choose rather to pass the remainder of my life in solitude, than impose the least constraint upon my humour, however advantageous it might be to my fortune.”
P. 236 – “I am at all times self possessed. The vexations and chagrin which I have suffered, would have killed any other than myself; but God has been merciful and good in endowing me with sufficient strength to sustain the misery which he has allotted me.”
P. 237 –Finally, MH reassures us, “This lady’s confessions, though not free from contradiction, have an air of ingenuousness. Her love of ‘pomp and magnificence; was probably her real character; her indifference and contempt for the world the offspring of disappointment.”