* M’Dermot, Prince of Coolavin, never suffered his wife to sit at table with him; although his daughter-in-law was permitted to that honour, as she was the descendant from the royal family of the O’Connor. “And do you think the son of Lord M-------- would have no chance of obtaining an audience from the Prince?” “What the young gentleman that they say is come to M-------- house? why about as much chance as his father, but by my conscience, that’s a bad one.” “And your young Princess, is she as implacable as her father?” “Why, faith! I cannot well tell you what the Lady Glorvina is, for she is like nothing upon the face of God’s creation but herself. I do not know how it comes to pass, that every mother’s soul of us loves her better nor the Prince; ay, by my conscience, and fear her too; for well may they fear her, on the score of her great learning, being brought up by Father John, the chaplain, and spouting Latin faster nor the priest of the parish: and we may well love her, for she is a saint upon earth, and a great _physicianer_ to boot; curing all the sick and maimed for twenty miles round. Then she is so proud, that divil a one soul of the quality will she visit in the whole barony, though she will sit in a smoky cabin for hours together, to talk to the poor: besides all this, she will sit for hours at her Latin and Greek, after the family are gone to bed, and yet you will see her up with the dawn, running like a doe about the rocks; her fine yellow hair streaming in the wind, for all the world like a mermaid. “Och! my blessing light on her every day she sees the light, for she is the jewel of a child.” “A child! say you!” “Why, to be sure I think her one; for many a time I carried her in these arms, and taught her to bless herself in Irish; but she is no child either, for as one of our old Irish songs says, ‘Upon her cheek we see love’s letter sealed with a damask rose.’ * But if your Honour has any curiosity you may judge for yourself; for matins and vespers are celebrated every day in the year, in the old chapel belonging to the castle, and the whole family attend.” * This is a line of a song of one Dignum, who composed in his native language, but could neither read nor write nor spoke any language but his own. “I have seen,” said the celebrated Edmund Burke (who in his boyish days had known him) “some of his effusions translated into English, but was assured, by judges, that they fell far short of the originals; yet they contained some graces, ‘snatched beyond the reach of ark’ “--Vide Life of Burke. “And are strangers also permitted?” “Faith and it’s themselves that are; but few indeed trouble them, though none are denied. I used to get to mass myself sometimes, but it is now too far to walk for me.”