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pair, he lived according to the style of the country with more hospitality than elegance: whilst his table groaned with abundance, the order and good taste of its arrangement were little thought of the slaughtered ox was hung up whole, and the hungry servitor supplied himself with his dole of flesh, sliced from off the carcass. His lordship's day was so apportioned as to give the afternoon by much the larger share of it, during which, from an early dinner to the hour of rest, he never left his chair, nor did the claret ever quit the table. This did not produce inebriety, for it was sipping rather than drinking that filled up the time, and this mechanical process of gradually moistening the human clay was carried on with very little aid from conversation, for his lordship's companions were not very communicative, and fortunately he was not very curious. He lived in an enviable independence as to reading, and of course he had no books. Not one of the windows of his castle was made to open, but luckily he had no liking for fresh air, and the consequence may be better conceived than described.

He had a large and handsome pleasure-boat on the Shannon, and men to row it. I was of two or three parties with him on that noble water as far as to Pertumna, the then deserted castle of the Lord Clanrickarde; upon one of these excursions, we were hailed by a person from the bank, who somewhat rudely called us to take him over to the other side. The company in the boat making no reply, I inadvertently called out: 'Ay, ay, sir! Stay there till we come.' Immediately, I heard a murmur in the company, and Lord Eyre said to me: 'You'll hear from that gentleman again, or I am mistaken. You don't know perhaps that you have been answering one of the most irritable men alive, and the likeliest to interpret what you have said as an affront.' He predicted truly, for the very next morning the gentleman rode over to Lord Eyre, and demanded of him to give up my name; this his lordship did, but informed him withal that I was a stranger in the country, the son of Bishop Cumberland, at Clonfert, where I might be found if he had any commands for me. He instantly replied, that he should have received it as an affront from any other man; but Bishop Cumberland's was a character he respected, and no son of his could be guilty of an intention to insult him. Thus, this valiant gentleman permitted me to live, and only helped me to another feature in my sketch of Major O'Flaherty.

A short time after this, Lord Eyre, who had a great passion for cock-fighting, and whose cocks were the crack of all Ireland, engaged me in a main at Eyre Court. I was a perfect novice in that elegant sport; but the gentlemen from all parts sent me

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in their contributions, and, having a good feeder, I won every battle in the main but one. At this meeting, I fell in with my hero from the Shannon bank. Both parties dined together; but when I found that mine, which was the more numerous, and infinitely the most obstreperous and disposed to quarrel, could no longer be left in peace with our antagonists, I quitted my seat by Lord Eyre, and went to the gentleman above alluded to, who was presiding at the second table, and, seating myself familiarly on the arm of his chair, proposed to him to adjourn our party, and assemble them in another house, for the sake of harmony and good fellowship. With the best grace in life, he instantly assented; and when I added that I should put them under his care, and expect from him, as a man of honor and my friend, that every mother's son of them should be found forthcoming and alive the next morning, 'Then, by the soul of me,' he replied, and they shall, provided only that no man in company shall dare to give the glorious and immortal memory for his toast, which no gentleman who feels as I do will put up with.' To this, I pledged myself, and we removed to a whiskey-house, attended by half a score pipers, playing different, tunes; here we went on very joyously and lovingly for a time, till a well-dressed gentleman entered the room, and, civilly accosting me,requested to partake of our festivity, and join the company, if nobody had an objection. 'Ah, now, don't be too sure of that!' a voice was instantly heard to reply; 'I believe you will find plenty of objection in this company to your being one amongst us.' What had he done, the gentleman demanded. What have you done?' rejoined the first speaker. 'Don't I know you for the miscreant that ravished the poor wench against her will in presence of her mother? And didn't your Pagans that held her down ravish the mother afterwards in presence of her daughter? And do you think we will admit you into our company? Make yourself sure that we shall not; therefore, get out of this as speedily as you can, and away wid you! Upon this, the whole company rose; and in their rising the civil gentleman made his exit, and was off. I relate this incident exactly as it happened, suppressing the name of the gentleman, who was a man of property and some consequence. When my surprise had subsided, and the punch began to circulate with a rapidity the greater for this gentleman's having troubled the waters, I took my departure, having first cautioned a friend who sat by me (and the only Protestant in the company) to keep his head cool, and beware of the glorious memory. This gallant young officer, son to a man who held lands of my father, promised faithfully to be sober and discreet, as well knowing the company he was in; but my friend, having

forgot the first part of his promise, and getting very tipsy, let the second part slip out of his memory, and became very mad, for stepping aside for his pistols, he re-entered the room, and, laying them on the table, took the cockade from his hat and dashed it into the punch-bowl, demanding of the company to drink the glorious and immortal memory of King William in a bumper, or abide the consequences. I was not there; and if I had been present I could neither have stayed the tumult nor described it. I only know he turned out the next morning merely for honor's sake; but as it was one against a host, the magnanimity of his opponents let him off with a shot or two that did no execution. I returned to the peaceful family at Clonfert, and fought no more cocks.

The fairies were extremely prevalent at Clonfert. Visions of burials, attended by long processions of mourners, were seen to circle the churchyard by night; and there was no lack of oaths and attestations to enforce the truth of it. My mother suffered a loss by them of a large brood of fine turkeys, who were every one burnt to ashes, bones and feathers, and their dust scattered in the air by their provident nurse and feeder to appease those mischievous little beings, and prevent worse consequences. The good dame credited herself very highly for this act of atonement; but my mother did not see it quite in so meritorious a light.

A few days after, as my father and I were riding in the grounds, we crossed upon the Catholic priest of the parish. My father began a conversation with him, and expressed a wish that he would caution his flock against this idle superstition of the fairies; the good man assured the bishop that in the first place he could not do it if he would, and in the next place confessed that he himself was far from being an unbeliever in their existence. My father thereupon turned the subject, and observed to him with concern that his steed was a very sorry one, and in very wretched condition. Truly, my good lord,' he replied, 'the beast himself is but an ugly garron, and, whereby I have no provender to spare him, mightily out of heart, as I may truly say; but your lordship must think a poor priest like me has a mighty deal of work, and very little pay.' Why, then, brother,' said my good father, whilst benevolence beamed in his countenance, 'tis fit that I, who have the advantage of you in both respects, should mount you on a better horse, and furnish you with provender to maintain him.' This parley with the priest passed in the very hayfield where the bishop's people were at work. Orders were instantly given for a stack of hay to be made at the priest's cabin; and in a few days after a steady horse was purchased and presented to him. Surely, they could

THOMAS O'ROURKE.

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not be true born Irish fairies that would spite my father, or even his turkeys after this.

Amongst the laborers in my father's garden there were three brothers of the name of O'Rourke, regularly descended from the kings of Connaught, if they were exactly to be credited for the correctness of their genealogy. There was also an elder brother of these, Thomas O'Rourke, who filled the superior station of hind, or headman; it was his wife that burnt the bewitched turkeys, whilst Tom burnt his wig for joy of my victory at the cock-match, and threw a proper parcel of oatmeal into the air as a votive offering for my glorious success. One of the younger brothers was upon crutches in consequence of a contusion on his hip, which he literally acquired as follows: When my father came down to Clonfert from Dublin, it was announced to him that the bishop was arrived: the poor fellow was then in the act of lopping a tree in the garden; transported at the tidings, he exclaimed: 'Is my lord come? Then I'll throw myself out of this same tree for joy.' He exactly fulfilled his word, and laid himself up for some months.

When I accompanied my mother from Clonfert to Dublin, my father having gone before, we passed the night at Killbeggan, where Sir Thomas Cuffee (knighted in a frolic by Lord Townshend) kept the inn. A certain Mr. Geoghegan was extremely drunk, noisy and brutally troublesome to Lady Cuffee the hostess: Thomas O'Rourke was with us, and being much scandalized with the behavior of Geoghegan, took me aside, and in a whisper said: 'Squire, will I quiet this same Mr. Geoghegan?' When I replied by all means, but how was it to be done?-Tom produced a knife of formidable length and demanded-' Haven't I got this? And won't this do the job, and hasn't he wounded the woman of the inn with a chopping knife, and what is this but a knife, and wouldn't it be a good deed to put him to death like a mad dog? Therefore, Squire, do you see, if it will pleasure you and my lady there above stairs, who is ill enough, God he knows, I'll put this knife into that same Mr. Geoghegan's ribs, and be off the next moment on the gray mare; and isn't she in the stable? Therefore only say the word, and I'll do it.' This was the true and exact proposal of Thomas O'Rourke, and, as nearly as I can remember, I have stated it in his very words.

We arrived safe in Dublin, leaving Mr. Geoghegan to get sober at his leisure, and dismissing O'Rourke to his quarters at Clonfert. When we had passed a few days in Kildare Street, I well remember the surprise it occasioned us one afternoon, when, without any notice, we saw a great gigantic dirty fellow

walk into the room and march straight up to my father, for what purpose we could not devise. My mother uttered a scream, whilst my father with perfect composure addressed him by the name of Stephen, demanding what he wanted with him, and what brought him to Dublin-Nay, my good lord,' replied the man, 'I have no other business in Dublin itself but to take a bit of a walk up from Clonfert to see your sweet face, long life to it, and to beg a blessing upon me from your lordship; that is all.' So saying, he flounced down on his knees, and, in a most piteous kind of howl, closing his hands at the same time, cried out-'Pray, my lord, pray to God to bless Stephen Costello.' The scene was sufficiently ludicrous to have spoiled the solemnity, yet my father kept his countenance, and gravely gave his blessing, saying, as he laid his hands on his head-'God bless you, Stephen Costello, and make you a good boy!' The giant sung out a loud amen, and arose, declaring he should immediately set out and return to his home. He would accept no refreshment, but with many thanks and a thousand blessings in recompense for the one he had received, walked out of the house, and I can well believe, resumed his pilgrimage to the westward without stop or stay. I should not have considered this and the preceding anecdotes as worth recording, but that they are in some degree characteristic of a very curious and peculiar people, who are not often understood by those who profess to mimic them, and who are too apt to set them forth as objects for ridicule only, when oftentimes even their oddities, if candidly examined, would entitle them to our respect.

I will here mention a very extraordinary honor, which the city of Dublin was pleased to confer upon my father in presenting him with his freedom in a gold box; a form of such high respect as they had never before observed towards any person below the rank of their chief governor: I state this last-mentioned circumstance from authorities that ought not to be mistaken; if the fact is otherwise, I have been misinformed, and the honor conferred upon the Bishop of Clonfert was not without a precedent. The motives assigned in the deed which accompanied the box, are in general for the great respectability of his character, and in particular for his disinterested protection of the Irish clergy. Under this head it was supposed they alluded to the benefice, which he had bestowed upon a most deserving clergyman, his own particular friend and chaplain, the Reverend Dixie Blondel, who happened also to be at that time chaplain to the Lord Mayor of Dublin. I have the box at this time in my possession.

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