Boccage, MARIE ANNE FIQUET DU

Boccage, MARIE ANNE FIQUET DU (née Le Page), a French poetess, once famous, now almost forgotten, born at Rouen, 22d October 1710. She published a small volume of verse in 1746; next an imitation of Milton, Paradis Terrestre, in 1748; and in 1756, her most important work, La Colombiade. Her letters to her sister, written while travelling through England, Holland, and Italy, are her most interesting work. During her lifetime she was excessively bepraised by men so great as Voltaire and Fontenelle; but modern readers cannot help thinking that her beauty must have recommended her verses. She was elected member of many learned academies, and died 8th August 1802.