THEIR HEIGHT, FORM, AND STRENGTH. 85 



Barry's old description of the Irish, as ' strong, bold, 

 martial, prodigal in war, nimble, stout, haughty of 

 heart, careless of life, but greedy of glory,' is one in 

 which it is easy to recognise the salient character- 

 istics of the present race. We feel, as we read it, 

 that the author is dealing with no mean order of 

 men ; and we trust him on this point the more 

 readily, because we are able to test his account of 

 the country itself." 



84. In 1852, the Rev. E. Marcus Dill, M.A., M.D., 

 Missionary agent of the Irish Presbyterian Church, 

 in a book, On the Cause and Cure of Ireland's 

 Miseries, attributes to Popery " the wreck of the 

 finest people the Creator ever formed. If you look 

 at his body, where will you find a hardier? One 

 cannot see without wondering how nature can manu- 

 facture such bone and sinew out of food so wretched ; 

 and within that robust frame dwells a spirit whose 

 buoyant vivacity years of sorrow have not de- 

 stroyed." 



85. In 1852, Frederick Lucas, an Englishman, 

 in a private letter to Mr. Riethmuller, says : " The 

 Irish are the most ill-treated, and, in all the essential 

 qualities of heart and character, the noblest popula- 

 tion that ever existed on the earth." 



86. In 1854, De Lasteyrie, in Revue des Deux 

 Mondes, December 15th, says: "The Irish race 



