guages
made her almost deserving of the encomium which was passed upon Anna
Maria van Schurman, a Dutch contemporary, of whom it was said: "If all
the languages of the earth should cease to exist, she herself would
give them birth anew." The conversance of the literary ladies of the
sixteenth century with the languages of the East, as well as with
philosophy and theology, and the really marvellous attainments of some
of them in these subjects, indicate a sound education, even though an
unserviceable one.

Erasmus warmly commended the Princess Mary for her proficiency in
Latin, and in later years she translated Erasmus's _Paraphrase of the
Gospel of Saint John_. Udall, Master of Eton, who wrote the preface to
this work, complimented her for her "over-painful study and labour of
writing," by which she had "cast her weak body in a grievous and long
sickness." The literary attainments and linguistic versatility of
Elizabeth herself, which made her a criterion for her times, are well
enough known to need no especial notice here. She had the benefit of
instruction from Roger Ascham, with whom she read the classics, and
from Grindal, under whom she studied theology, which was a favorite
subject with her. In Italian, Castiglione was her master, and Lady
Champernon was her first tutor in modern languages. She became
familiar with the works of the Greek and Latin authors by hearing them
read to her by Sir Henry Savil and Sir John Fortescue. In this way she
became intimately acquainted with Plato, Aristotle, and Xenophon,
and herself translated one of the dialogues of the latter, besides
rendering two orations of Isocrates from Greek into Latin.

Among other studious and accomplished women of the times, Sir Thomas
More's daughters held a high place. All of them were clever and
applied themselves to abstruse subjects; but Margaret, wife of William
Roper, the daughter who clung passionately to her father's neck when
he was being led off to execution, was the most brilliant of this
family of accomplished women. Sir Anthony Coke, whose scholarship gave
him the position of preceptor to Edward VI., had the gratification of
seeing his daughters attract the attention of the most celebrated men
of the nation. One of them married Lord Burleigh, the treasurer of
the realm; another wedded Sir Nicholas Bacon, lord keeper of the Great
Seal, becoming in time the mother of the famous Francis Bacon, the
celebrated philosopher; and as her second