freedom of speech which was the prerogative of an honest woman in those days, and rejoins with a second pamphlet:  “Woman’s Superior Excellence over Man” Her first thrust is to regret, in behalf of the other sex, that neither Achilles nor Hector appears as their champion, but Thersites.  Either her adversary was silenced, or the publishers considered that what he said was not worthy of preservation, for no further words of his appear, so that in any case she had the best of it.  Her first pamphlet had a second edition in the following year.  Its memory was still alive in this century, for it was quoted with respect by the Retrospective Review for 1824 in a learned article on the “Privileges of Woman,” which deserves the attention of those interested in the subject.

S.B.W.

THE TOMB OF LORENZO DE’ MEDICI.

I wish to chronicle in the pages of Lippincott’s Magazine the record of a scene that took place this spring in the Medicean chapel attached to the church of San Lorenzo in Florence.  It was in itself a remarkable and memorable scene enough, but it was yet more important as regards certain interesting points of history on which it throws a very curious light, if it does not, as many persons will be inclined to think, settle them definitively.

The little square marble chapel itself, which no visitor to Florence will have forgotten, is admired as an architectural gem of Michael Angelo, and is yet more celebrated as the shrine of some of his finest works, especially the sitting statue of Lorenzo and the recumbent statues of Twilight and Dawn on the tomb of Lorenzo.  These two grand figures, it will be remembered, repose on the arched canopy over the tomb in such a position that, if not retained in their places by some means adapted for that purpose, they would slide off the rounded arch by their own weight.  Now, it had been lately observed that the statue of Twilight was moving, and it was very reasonably judged to be necessary that this should be looked to.  The statue was therefore carefully raised, and it was discovered that when the tomb of Lorenzo had been opened to place in it the body of the murdered Alexander, his (putative) son, the metal stanchion or peg by means of which Michael Angelo had secured his statue in its place had been replaced by a wooden one.  This, in the course of the centuries which have since elapsed had become decayed, and the statue might have fallen any day.  This being the case, it was thought well to raise the other statue, that of the Dawn also.  But that was found to be as secure in its place as the great artist had left it.  But these superincumbent statues having been thus lifted from off the sepulchre, it was suggested that the opportunity should be taken to examine the contents of the tomb.