MARY, an Anglo-Norman Poetefs. 37

If this opinion be not adopted, it will be impoffible to fix upon any other province of France, under the dominion of the Englifh, as the birth-place of Mary, becaufe her language is neither that of Gafcony nor Poitou, &c. ; fhe appears, however, to have been ac- quainted with the Bas Breton, or Armoric tongue, whence it may be inferred that fhe was born in Bretagne. The duke of that pro- vince was then earl of Richmond in England; many of his fubjecls were in poffeffion of knights fees in that honour ; and Mary might have belonged to one of thefe families. She was, befides, extremely well verfed in the literature of this province, and we iliall have oc- cafion to remark that me borrowed much from the works of the writers of that country in the compofition of her own. If, however, a preference mould be given to the firft opinion, we muft fuppofe that Mary got her knowledge both of the Armoric and Englifh languages in Great Britain. She was, at the fame time, equally miftrefs of Latin, and from her application to thefe feveral languages, we mufl take it for granted that fhe pofTefTed a readinefs, a capacity, and even a certain rank in life, that afforded time and means to attain them. But fhe has faid nothing that will throw any light upon her private life, and has even concealed her family name. The kingdom in which me was born, and her chriflian name, form the total of what fhe has left relating to her. I am ignorant if this lady had much fclf-love, but I doubt very much whether, in taking up her pen, me ferioufly thought about pofterity ; it mould rather feem that fhe was felicitous to be perfonally known only at the time fhe lived in. Hence we find in her works thofc general denominations, thofe vague expreffions, which difcourage the curious antiquary, or compel him to enter into dry and labo- rious difcuffions, the refult of which often turns out to be little more than conjecture. In fliort, the filence or the modefty of the lady has contributed, in a great degree, to conceal from us the names