Behn, Aphra, 1640-1689 (Library of Congress Name Authority)—

Poet, novelist, playwright, pamphleteer, translator, and even spy, Behn is one of the most significant and interesting figures in early women's writing and is considered to be the first woman to live by her pen. Her most important novel, Oroonoko; Or, The Royal Slave (1688) was adapted by Thomas Southerne as his play Oroonoko (1695). Behn was a prolific playwright, with The Rover. Or, The Banish't Cavaliers (1677) her most successful play. A number of her play prefaces constitute noteworthy literary criticism, especially the preface to The Dutch Lover (1673).

Bedmar, Alfonso de la Cueva, marqués de, 1572-1655 (Library of Congress Name Authority)—

Spanish diplomat who is believed to have been responsible for the "conspiracy of Venice" in 1618. De la Cueva was the Spanish ambassador to Venice before being made marqués de Bedmar in 1614. He used his diplomatic authority to advance the schemes of the Spanish viceroys of Milan and Naples to increase Spanish influence in Italy. In retaliation, the Venetian government manufactured a conspiracy to take control of the republic to have grounds to expel de la Cueva.