# A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Bassi, Laura Maria Catherine

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BASSI, LAURA MARIA CATHERINE,
By marriage Veratti, a learned Italian lady, was born at Bologna, in 1711. She was placed in that happy mediocrity of condition equally removed from poverty and riches, where neither the sordid cares of living, nor the futile toys of grandeur, absorb the leisure for intellectual improvement The first person who noticed Laura's extraordinary talents, was priest Don Lorenzo Stregani, who visited familiarly at the house. He amused himself with teaching the little girl Latin and French. He did not confine himself to what is ​usual—simply, the power of translating and understanding the Latin authors,—but he urged her to so thorough a knowledge of the language, that she spoke and wrote it with the utmost fluency.
Another man of learning, a professor in the college of medicine, Dr. Graetano Tacconi, was a friend of the Bassi family; he was so struck with the amazing progress of Laura in the languages, that he prevailed upon her parents, though not without much discussion and delay, to let her abandon household and feminine occupations, and devote herself to a learned education. After having exercised her in logic, he carried her on to metaphysics and natural philosophy, the master's knowledge on these subjects was limited to what was taught in the schools; but the penetrating genius of the pupil was not to be confined to these limits; her scientific studies, and even discoveries, left the faculty of Bologna far behind her in the career of knowledge. The gentlemen who had taken pleasure in cultivating this rare mind, began to feel desirous of surprising the public by a display; but they determined that, as a preparation, some unprejudiced and nice judging scholars should examine the little damsel, certain of their sanction for presenting her to any trial. For this purpose the abbe Giovanni Trombelli and Dr. Zanotti, were selected. They termed the young person a prodigy, and urgently advised her appearing in public, to manifest to the world her wonderful acquirements.
The result (tally justified this advice; after holding a public dispute in philosophy with complete success, and passing her examination for the university degree of doctor, her brow was encircled by a silver crown, ornamented with laurel leaves, which was offered in the name of the faculty; she was invested with the gown which was the ensign of her degree, and addressed with a Latin oration; to which she made a most elegant extemporaneous reply in the same language. A dinner was given the next day, at the request of the cardinal de Polignac, when all the men of eminent ability were confronted with Laura, and every effort was made to sound her depths; but it was found that not one of these illustrious personages could compete with, or meet her at all points, so various were her acquirements, so subtle her wit, and so solid her understanding.
The highest honours were, after this, bestowed upon her; and the senate, considering that she reflected honours upon the city, settled a pension on her, to enable her to continue her studies without anxiety. She formed an attachment for Dr. Veratti, a celebrated physican, and professor of the institute; this ended in a marriage, when she shone as a wife and mother with admirable domestic qualities, equalling her scholastic ones.
The life of Laura Bassi offers a valuable lesson to literary women. She was mother of a numerous offspring, all of whom were most carefully attended to; as a wife, she was a model of tenderness. Mistress of a household, her frugality, and, at the same time, generous hospitality was remarkable; in fine, her abode was a scene of domestic comfort and happiness. But these essential occupations did by no means interfere with her scientific pursuits. Not only did she keep up with the other professors, but it was conceded that not a man in the university could read and speculate to the extent she manifested, by her experiments in natural philosophy, and her treatises on logical subjects. Besides this, for twenty-eight years, she carried on in her own house a course of experimental philosophy; until ​the senate selected her to give public lectures on the subject in the university, as professor of this science. It is a great pity that the pedantic custom of using the Latin language for scientific and literary purposes still held sway at Bologna. Had Laura written in Italian, her writings would have been more extensively known, and would not be buried, as they now are, in classic dust. Her Latin style is peculiarly excellent.
She was modest and unaffected; her memory was very great, her understanding strong, and her conversation enlivened by sallies of wit. She died in 1778, of a disease of the lungs.
Her mortal remains were interred with solemn obsequies. She was buried with the doctors gown, and silver laurel. Her works remaining are:—An epic poem in manuscript; some poems published by Gobbi; "Le problemate quodam Mecanico," and published by the institute; "Some experiments and discoveries on the compression of air.