as so renowned for her linguistic attainments that she
was called, familiarly, the "walking polyglot." When she was fifteen,
her father began to invite the most learned men of Bologna to assemble
at his house and listen to her essays and discussions upon the most
difficult philosophical problems; in spite of the fact that this
display of her learning was known to be distasteful to the young girl,
it was not until she reached her twentieth year that she was allowed to
withdraw from society. In welcome seclusion, she devoted herself to the
study of mathematics, and published several mathematical works whose
value is still recognized. In 1752 her father fell ill, and, by Pope
Benedict XIV., Gaetana was appointed to occupy his professorial chair,
which she did with distinction. At her father's death, two years later,
she withdrew from this active career; and after a most careful study of
theology, she satisfied a long-cherished wish and entered a convent,
joining the Order of Blue Nuns, at Milan. She was most actively
interested in hospital work and charities of all kinds, and, as her
death did not occur until 1799, lived a long life of usefulness.

Chapter XI

Italian Women in the Nineteenth Century

After the torpor and stagnation of the last two centuries, after the
self-abasement of the people, and the apparent extinction of all spirit
of national pride, the French invasion and domination, under the stern
rule of Bonaparte, was a rude awakening. Old boundaries were swept
aside, old traditions were disregarded, old rulers were dethroned;
everywhere were the French, with their Republican banners, mouthing the
great words Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity, ravaging and plundering
in the most shameless fashion, and extorting the most exorbitant taxes.
But the contagion spread--the Italians were impressed with the wonderful
exploits of the one-time Corsican corporal, and they, in turn, began to
wag their heads in serious discussion of the "rights of man," as the
French had done a decade before. For the dissemination of the new ideas,
political clubs were organized throughout Italy as they had existed in
France, and the whole country was in ferment. Add to that the fact that
Napoleon began to levy troops in Italy as soon as his position warranted
this action, and that soon Italian soldiers were in all parts of Europe
fighting under the French flag, and one can perhaps have some picture of
the complete way in which F