Thursday, June 11, 2009

Georgiana on Irish Women

In a letter to her mother Georgiana brought up the difference between wild Irish roses and English roses:
"I do not mean that Irish ladies are less virtuous, but their educations are coarser, and in language and manner an Irishwoman even of good essential conduct will allow herself what wd frighten an English fille. Swearing is common, and if angry they will not only write but publish against each other, and go into any lengths, which we are too well bred to think of. Long ago an Irish lady, in telling a friend of mine a story which really did her honor, enterlarded it with so many 'upon my souls' and 'the devil would have it' that the English woman was quite frightened."

When Lady Spencer wrote back, she and her Irish daughter-in-law, Lavinia, were together and she wrote to say that they both agreed with Georgiana's observations and that they weren't exaggerated.
I now have a new excuse for my sailor's mouth!

1 comment:

  1. Ha! That's also the difference between people from Ontario and people from Atlantic Canada (which is apparently a lot like Ireland, without the nice scenery).

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