10 PREFACE. 



Cagliostro, Psalmanazer, seem but botches in 

 comparison."* 



Let an Irishman do all that, if he is satisfied 

 to do so. He believes, rightly or wrongly, that 

 man for man he is better than the Englishman. 

 In 1014, George Carew, Lord President of 

 Munster and Earl of Totnes, wrote, " The Irish 

 do conceive that their men are better than ours, 

 they have the same bodies they ever had, and 

 therein they had and have the advantage of 

 us." And in 1899 they have the same conceit. 

 According to The Westminster Gazette, of 

 January 26, 1899, "When a sub-inspector was 

 hearing a class of London-Irish boys repeat 

 Macaulay's ' Hofatius,' he inquired whether 

 three soldiers would be likely nowadays to hold 

 a bridge against a whole army. ' Would three 

 Englishmen, for example ? ' he said. ' Xo, 

 sir ! ' said the class. ' Would three Scotch- 

 men ? ' They again dissented. ' Would three 

 Irishmen ? ' ' Please, sir,' shouted an excit- 

 able little fellow, ' one Irishman would do it !' ' 



This " Irish idea " finds utterance in a speech 

 made by the Marquis of Dufferin and Ava, on 



* Carlyle on the sinking of the Vengeur. 



