Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1853-05-20
Don't Talk of Old Women,

The London Quarterly Review forA April contains an
interesting article, respecting the old Countess of Des
mond, who died in the reign of James the First and
who IS said TO have pronounced Richard the Third as
handsome man as she ever danced with. By many
persons the tale of this venerable maron is regarded
as fiction. But the evidence adduced in the review
proves concusvely that such person really existed
that she appeared at Court when nearly century and
half old; and that she finally died, not from the ex-
hauston OF age, but IN consequence of falling from
cherry tree and inurng her thigh that she caught
fever, which carried her off,
lhls tough old dowager seems 10 have been born in
1464 in the midst of the famous War of the Roses,
which SO long ravaged England She came of good
Irish family, that is of originally English, but
long naturaZed in Ireland Early in life she visited
the Court of London, where her beauty attracted some
attention. for at one of Edward The Fouhs balls she
danced with the Duke of Gloster, subsequently Rich
ard the Third. Soon after she married the third son
of Thomas, eighth earl of Desmond, powerful fam
lily of Irish mobiles. In 529 her husband then in his
seventy fifth year, succeeded to the title, as twelfth
earl of her name. In 1884 he died His countess re-
ceved for her jonure the lands and castle of Inchi.
quln. which she held up TO within few years of her
death. more than seventy years subsequently, Wasn't
she trump?
The generations in which she lived were stirring
times all through and Ireland particularly was con
slant scene of turmoil. What fund of tradition her
gossip must have been Her youth was almost co.
temporary with the last crusade while her old age
saw the settlement of Virginia. She could remember
the murder of the princes in the Tower the discovery
of America the first preaching of Luther the burning
of Cranmer, the defeat of the Armada and the
spiracy of Guy Fawkes She had already reached
the allotted term of human existence when the fatal
battle of Flodden field fought; yet she survived
TO behold king of Scotland mount the throne of Eng
land nearly century later. Eight ears of Desmond
ruled, with almost princely sway, in Ireland during
her long term OF existence She many a rebellion
in her native island, and no less than two dynastc
revolutions in England itself. In her old age she
IL, sc
the entire Desmond estates in consequence of the
son of the sixteenth earl and being thus reduced TO
poverty, repaired to London for redress, walking all
the way from Bristol TO the capital on foot por-
trait of her, painted during this VISIT survives, and is
we'll authenticated What a woman!
The article in the QuarteIy gives striking picture
of the wild life LED in Ireland during her day We
must go to the hills of Kurdisan to find anything cor
responding to it in our time Of these troubles the
Countess appears TO have had her share At one Pc
Rod she living in nearly royal state with her hus-
band at another she poor that she had TO walk
to market, five miles distant, having no servant
Annnants, dowagers and life-enants are proverbal.
" said TO be long lived but this medieval old Coun-
tess takes the palm of all her class, she held her
iointure for seventy years Sir Walter Raleigh, who
knew her, and is one of those whose testimony proves
, her great age, may be said, in sense. 10 have
had hand in her death, for he that first intro
duced cherry into Ireland. Had the luscious
fruit been kept of the island or had it been long
enough there 10 become common, this ancient lady
: would probably not have given in till she had seen
Charles the First beheahed, James the Second SEM
into exile. Don't talk of old women, after specimen
like this
1t was the age, however, for old folk. Parr, and
several Others about that time, appear to have been
, engaged in conspiracy against death; and, though
d they were all caught last. they generally held ou
till they century and half old In these days
of progress cannot pretend to rival such dongs-
n What with steamboats, blowing up, and railroad trains
e going down what with alopa,hy, homeopathy, ant
other pathies, he is lucky who survive til
y seventy, much less to twice seventy, like the OLE
If Countess of Desmond Philadelphia Bulletin.