Note 27 — PREFACE.

The most noted beauties of the Court of Charles the Second, Lady Barbara Villars, (Duchess of Cleveland,) the Countess of Chesterfield, (a Butler,) the Lady Kildare, introduced by St. Evremont into his pleasant little poem of “The Basset Table,”[28] the Countess de Grammont, and many others, were Irish women. The delightful author of “Mémoires de Grammont,” Anthony Hamilton, was himself an Irishman,[29] and a branch of the illustrious house of Hamilton, which obtained from James the First such princely possessions in the North of Ireland, and which is still represented by the Marquis of Abercorn. The Fitzmaurices, (Muskerry,) the O’Briens, the Butlers, the Talbots, are names noted in the fasti of Whitehall at this period. With respect to the Talbots, however, it is but fair to observe that the elder branch of this ancient and patriotic family always remained permanently resident in their splendid castle and domain of Malahide, as their worthy representative the Member for the county of Dublin continues to do in the present day; though the younger branch, the Lords of Carton (now the seat of the Duke of Leinster) were prime favourites at Whitehall, and boon companions of both Charles and James. “The Dick Talbot” of that day, whom Charles would fain have set at odds with the Duke of Ormonde, brought no additional rays to the original splendour, when he added a ducal coronet to its less perishable honours. This Colonel Richard Talbot (afterwards Duke of Tirconnel) was sent to the Tower for having challenged the Duke of Ormonde with duplicity of conduct with respect to the Irish Catholics, whose agent Colonel Talbot then was. Ormonde, believing the better part of valour to be discretion, fought shy, instead of fighting Talbot; and when rallied on this circumstance by the King, petulantly demanded, “Is it then your Majesty’s pleasure that at this time of day I should put off my doublet to fight duels with Dick Talbot?”