Elizabeth Danvers.
[716]His[CY] mother, an Italian, prodigious parts for a woman. I have heard my father's mother say that she had Chaucer at her fingers' ends.
A great politician; great witt and spirit, but revengefull[717].
Knew how to manage her estate as well as any man; understood jewells as well as any jeweller.
Very beautifull, but only short-sighted. To obtain pardons for her sonnes[718] she maryed Sir Edmund Carey, cosen-german to queen Elizabeth, but kept him to hard meate.
Smyth of Smythcotes—Naboth's vineyard—digitus Dei[CZ].
The arcanum—'traditio lampadis' in the family of Latimer[DA] of poysoning king Henry 8—from my lady Purbec.
Notes.
[CY] i.e. Henry, earl of Danby's. She was Elizabeth, daughter of John Nevill, the last lord Latimer. 'An Italian' may mean that she knew that language, among her other accomplishments. I can make nothing of a note added by Aubrey here, which seems to read '... Cowley, crop-ear'd.'