The Merry Past 



on a bit of toast," or, " Come here, my tight fillow, yu 

 must sup with me to-night " — were almost certain 

 death-warrants. 



As he hunted and shot, so did he tell many a good 

 anecdote, and his powers as a conversationalist were 

 well known all over the countryside. One story of 

 his, describing a treble duel in which he had taken 

 part, was especially characteristic of his fire-eating 

 youth. 



As this sanguinary combat was an absolute fact, 

 and highly illustrative of a certain phase of Irish 

 life in the past, it may be of interest to give it in the 

 Squire's own words. 



" Feth (faith), sir, I was a jolly young cornet in 

 his present Majestee's (George the Fourth, then Prince 

 of Wales), God bless him, fincible cavalry, and quar- 

 tered at Kilkenny. It happened, sir, that I had bin, 

 and alone, at the thaatre, and returning to 'the bar- 

 racks, I lucked (looked) in at the ' Hole in the Wall ' — 

 it was a tavern, sir, noted in those days for mutton 

 kidneys and raspberry whisky-punch. I was taking 



my tumber (tumbler) when Lard , Colonel , 



and Captain , interred — all afficers in the Kil- 

 kenny militia. Feth, sir, I percaved they were 

 flustered, and quarrels were plinty as swords thin. 

 So I only bowed ; on which his Lardship asked me if 

 I was too drunk to spake. I wished to take this in 

 jist, but he repated it, and gitting angry I tould him, 

 though he had the title of a Lard, he wanted the 

 manners of a jintlemon. On this they all three 

 threw their glasses (they had got a battle of claret) 



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