A Cyclopaedia of Female Biography/Grierson, Constantia
GRIERSON, CONSTANTIA,
Was born in the county of Kilkenny, in Ireland She was considered an excellent scholar, not only in Greek and Roman literature, but in history, divinity, philosophy, and mathematics. She gave a proof of her knowledge of Latin by her dedication of the Dublin edition of Tacitus to Lord Carteret, and that of Terence to his son, to whom she also wrote a Greek epigram. She also composed several fine poems, in English; and was a woman of exemplary piety and virtue. What made these extraordinary talents yet more surprising, was, that her parents were poor, illiterate, country people, and she had no instruction but the little the minister of the parish gave her, when she found time from her needle-work, to which she was closely kept by her mother.
When Lord Carteret was Lord-lieutenant of Ireland, he obtained a patent for Mr. Grierson, her husband, to be the king's printer; and, to distinguish and reward her uncommon merit, had her life inserted in it. Whether owing to her own desire, or the envy of those around her, very few of her various and beautiful writings were ever published. She died in 1733, at the early age of twenty-seven.