born, a.d. 1707. died, a.d.1733

IN a humbler rank of life than the subject of the foregoing memoir, but superior in the ranks of genius, the name of Constantia Grierson is one of the brightest and most illustrious upon the bead-roll of Irish female biography. She was born in the city of Kilkenny, in the year 1707. Her parents were respectable people, evidently with ideas somewhat in advance of their age; for seeing their little daughter early evince an aptitude for study, they furthered her desires by every means that lay in their power. Her father sought for advice in the matter, and, although his circumstances were narrow, he endeavoured to supply her with books suited, as he had been told, to the capacity of such a child. But he soon found that her abilities were not to be meted by her years; they flew beyond them. It was observed that her genius and inclination, aided by that commonplace but indispensable quality—industry—surmounted all difficulties, and, without the aid of a master, did not alone taste, but drink deep draughts of the Pierian spring.

At a very early age, Constantia Grierson was pronounced by competent judges to be a perfect mistress of the Greek and Roman tongues. This knowledge she acquired entirely through her own extraordinary perseverance, never having had any tuition up to that time in any of the branches of learning in which she excelled.