LIFE IN IRELAND 241 



These things were of some importance to Lady 

 Dfmiquaver, as she had an eye to everything — 

 inexpressible. Her Ladyship had been all her life a 

 demirep ; and although shining in the first societies, it 

 was well understood that she was no saint, nor did she 

 pretend to the claim of Virtue. Like the Marchioness 



of H , and of C , and of B , she did that 



which all men know, and yet will not name. 



There was once upon a time, not a hundred years 

 ago, three ladies in Dublin of gallant celebrity; I shall 

 not mention their names, but merely give a witty idea 

 that was put forth upon^ and about them. It was a 

 caricature of ' a race for the breeches ' ; the Duke of 

 Ormond was holding them up on a pole, and a five- 

 barred gate beneath them. 



The boldest leaper 

 Shall be the keeper, 



was the motto, and the ladies were depicted at full 

 speed, in order to gain the prize. The first horse- 

 woman exclaimed, ' I Deny no one to cope with me ' \ 

 the second, ' I Care for nobody in this daring attempt'; 

 and the third said, 'By Jasus, I'll Clare all,' which 

 in truth she did, but did not wear the breeches long. 

 Of this lady I can relate an anecdote, which shows 

 what Female Life in Ireland really was^ and is at 

 present, — wit without affectation, good humour with- 

 out pride, and decency without being ashamed of it. — 

 A fellow who is now a member of parliament and a 

 placeman, travelled in Ireland ; he was everywhere 

 received with the greatest hospitality and friendship. 

 In return for which he wrote his travels, and libelled 

 the country, abusing the females like a woman-hater. 

 Q 



