(Francis Maria), an eminent poet of the 16th century, was born at Modena. He gained so prodigious a reputation by his Latin and Italian poetry, that, as Paul Jovius tells us, "for 30 years together the patrons of wit at Rome strove to promote him." If he had behaved with the least prudence, he might easily have raised himself to considerable preferments and fortunes in the world; but he managed so ill that it was not possible to serve him.—He was entirely debauched, and at the same time devoid of all prudence and decency in the management of his pleasures. Hence he destroyed his reputation, and put an absolute stop to the progress of his fortunes. He died, in 1544, of the French disease. Molsa was a great orator as well as a great poet. He met once with a favourable opportunity of displaying his talent this way; for having seen the people of Rome highly incensed against Lorenzo de Medici, who had struck off the heads of a great number of ancient statues, he accused him of that action, and (according to Paul Jovius) made so lively an oration upon it, that he perfectly overwhelmed him with confusion and despair; and it was generally believed that Lorenzo de Medici was so confounded at the infamy with which he was branded in that oration, that, in order to efface it, he resolved to restore the city of Florence to its liberty, by afflaming Alexander de Medici his near relation, which he did in 1537.

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; the 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.

MOLUCILLA, in botany: A genus of the gymnoperma order, belonging to the didynamia class of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 42d order, Verticillate. The calyx is campanulated, gradually widening larger than the corolla, and spinous.