The Old Woman

Although Candide meets the old woman for the first time in Lisbon, she has had a very long and exiting, but also frightening and dangerous life. She has seen a huge the world, the good parts as well as the bad ones. She is filled with wisdom of age and very smart because of her developments. They first meet in Lisbon. After Candide kills both of Cunégonde’s owners, the Old Woman thinks fast and helps Candide and Cunégonde escape to a country inn. That is another example for her intelligence. Together, they depart for Buenos Aires. 
Aboard the ship, the Old Woman tells her life story, like that she is the daughter of Pope Urban X and of the Princess of Palestrina and was very beautiful as a young woman. After being briefly married, her husband died and she and her mother set sail for a vacation. On the way, black soldiers captured their boat, when they finally arrive in Morocco, the country was embroiled in conflict. She alone remained after she and her mother were fought over. After passing out, she woke up she heard people speaking Italian. A man, who she recounted her misfortunes to, promises to take her to Italy, but instead, he sold her to an Algerian governor and was employed in his harem.
The old woman caught the plague in Algiers. She was one of the only ones to survive, most of the others died. She as sold several times until she ended up at the captain of the Sultan's guard. She was kept in his harem until the Russians, who the Sultan fought, decided to starve them out. The guards ate not only two of the people, but also one buttock of each woman. Later sold to a Russain nobleman, the old woman was mistreated badly. There, she worked as a gardener. Finally, she was able to escape and was employed as a servant since then. 
Although she was very poor and unfortunate in some parts of her life, she loves life, what is in my opinion very admirable. She states her wisdom often, especially when she advises Cunegonde to marry the Governor for financial reasons or encourages Candide to leave in order to evade prosecution for killing the grand Inquisitor. She seems like a very optimistic person that had to feel all bad and evil in the world but is still a good person. 
Like the old woman, Cunegonde was born to royal parents in the castle of the Baron Thunder-ten-tronckh. When she was older, she shared an innocent kiss with Candide. After Candide had to leave her, Cunegonde's family was killed and she was raped by Bulgar soldiers, she was sold to a Jewish businessman by the Bulgar captain who saved her. This businessman shares her services as a servant with the same Inquisitor in Lisbonwho ordered Pangloss' execution. The Old Woman reunites Cunegonde with Candide, who thought she would be dead. Those three escape to an Inn after Candide killed Isaachar and the Baron. When their riches are stolen, they are forced to flee to Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Cunegonde might have had a sad and violent life, but it is in my opinion hadly comparable to the Old Woman's life. The endurment the Old Woman had live in was way worse than Cunegonde's life, also a lot longer. Cunegonde laughs at the Old Woman when she says that her live was worse than the one of the young princess, but that only shows her naivety.