, the second daughter of sir Anthony Cooke, was born about the year
, the second daughter of sir Anthony Cooke, was born about the year 1528. She was
liberally educated by her father, and having added much
acquired knowledge to her natural endowments, she became highly distinguished among the learned personages
of the time, and, it is even said, was constituted governess
to king Edward VI. She was, however, eminent for piety,
virtue, and learning, and well versed in the Greek, Latin,
and Italian tongues. She gave an early specimen of her
industry, piety, and learning, by translating out of Italian
into English twenty-five sermons, written by Barnardine
Ochine, concerning “The Predestination and Election of
God;
” this was published about the year Apology for
the Church of England,
” which had a considerable effect
in quieting the clamours of the Roman Catholic writers
against the reformed religion, this lady undertook to translate it from the Latin into English, that it might be accessible to the common people, and considering the style of
the age, her translation is both faithful and elegant. Mr.
Strype informs us that after she had finished the translation
she sent the copy to the author, accompanied with an
epistle to him in Greek, which he answered in the same
language, and was so satisfied with her transjation that he
did not alter a single word. The archbishop Parker, to
whom she had likewise submitted her work, bestowed the
highest praise on it, which he confirmed by a compliment
of much elegance. Pie returned it to her printed, Ci knowing,“as he said in his letter to her,
” that he had thereby
done for the best, and in this point used a reasonable policy that is, to prevent such excuses as her modesty would
have made in stay of publishing it.“It was printed in
1564, 4 to, and in 1600, 12mo. That her literary reputation extended beyond her own country is evident from
Beza’s dedication to her of his Meditations. In Birch’s
” Memoirs of the reign of queen Elizabeth," her name
frequently occurs, and he has given some of her letters at
full length, and extracts from others, which confirm her
character for learning. Her temper in her latter years
Appears to have been affected by ill health. At what time
she was married to sir Nicholas Bacon cannot be ascertained. It is a more important record, however, that sbe
was mother of the illustrious sir Francis Bacon, lord-Verulam. The time of her death, too, has escaped the
researches of her biographers. She appears to have been
living in 1596, and Ballard conjectures that she died about
the beginning of the reign of James I. at Gorhambury,
near St. Alban’s, and, according to Dr. Rawley, was buried
at St. Michael’s church in that town, but neither monument nor inscription have been discovered.