MOLSA (Tarquinia), daughter of Camillo Molsa,
knight of the order of St James of Spain, and granddaughter of Francis Maria Molsa, was one of the most accomplished ladies that ever appeared in the world; wit, learning, beauty, and virtue, all uniting in her in a most extraordinary degree. Her father observing, while she was yet very young, the goodness and excellence of her genius, procured her the best masters in every branch of literature and science. Lazaro Labadini, a celebrated grammarian of those times, taught her polite literature; and her Latin compositions in prose and verse show that she attained the art of writing well, and composing correctly. She became learned in Aristotle under Camillo Corcapani; Anthony Guarini the mathematician taught her the doctrine of the sphere; she learned poetry under Francis Patricius the famous philosopher; and logic and philosophy under P. Latoni, who also instructed her thoroughly in the Greek tongue. The rabbi Abraham taught her the principles of the Hebrew language; and John Marier Barbier formed her in the politeness of the Tuscan tongue; in which she has not only written a great number of easy and elegant verses, but likewise several letters and other pieces which are in high esteem with the polite and learned in Italy. Besides her original works, she has translated several things from Greek and Latin in a manner which shows her to have understood those languages as well as her own. Afterwards she learned music, as a relaxation and diversion from her more serious studies; and in this art she attained the highest degree of perfection. She used to play upon the violin as well as upon the lute, and sing to it at the same time in so exquisite a taste as charmed every hearer; and she instituted at length a choir of ladies, over which she herself used to preside. This lady was in high reputation at the court of Alphonso II. duke of Ferrara, a prince of great judgment, and a passionate lover of every thing that was elegant; and we are told, that he stood ravished with admiration upon finding so many more accomplishments than he had been taught to expect in her. But the most authentic testimony and declaration of her high merit and character, was that which she received from the city of Rome; which, by a decree of the senate, in which all her excellences and qualifications are set forth, honoured her with the title of Singular, and bestowed the rights of a Roman citizen upon her and the whole family of Molsa. Molsa was married; but losing her husband without having any children, would never consent to be married again, although she was very young. She gave such lively tokens of her grief, that Patricius compares her to another Artemisia.