Katharyne Lescailje

Katharyne Lescailje or Catharina Lescaille (September 26, 1649 in Amsterdam – June 8, 1711) was a Dutch poet, translator and Publisher.

Along with Catharina Questiers and Cornelia van der Veer she was the most successful female Dutch poet of the second half of the 17th century.

She was the daughter of the Amsterdam publisher Jacob Lescailje [nl], who married Aeltje Verwou and moved from Dordrecht to Amsterdam to start printing books in 1645 in a house on Dam Square called "Huis onder het zeil" (House under sail).

Katharina's parents were friends with the writers Jan Vos, Joost van den Vondel and Gerard Brandt.

She started publishing her own translations of French plays (Kassandra in 1684, Genserik in 1685, and Herodes en Marianne in 1685) and also wrote and exchanged poems among friends.

Titlepage of Katharina Lescailje's 3-part collection of poetry, called "Toneel- en mengelpoëzy", 1731.