xii PREFACE. 



of tenants paying money into the Bank to keep for 

 paying it. It was quite clear our tenants were all, 

 or nearly all, more than ready to pay their rent as 

 usual ; and as there is not at this moment one shilling 

 of arrears due in the rent-book, there can be no doubt, 

 in such a year as this, that there were very few or 

 none unable to do so. From first to last the whole 

 thing was intimidation practised by the Land League, 

 and fear on the part of the tenants. Of course, besides 

 the emblematical grave, I have constant threats of 

 being shot. It is only in Ireland that in the nine- 

 teenth century any one can really enter into the 

 meaning of Job's comforters. From a certain vein 

 of the Old Woman, that is very common here, every- 

 body comes with a kindness it is impossible not to 

 value, to condole with one in one's troubles, and 

 everybody repeats all the rumours that are afloat 

 with different exaggerations and circumstances, real 

 or imagined ; so that, if one did not know the coun- 

 try, one's life would be a bad one. 



But, further, I am threatened that I shall be Boy- 

 cotted. As I have a large number of sheep and 

 cattle fattening, it is known it would bother me much 

 if they could frighten away my labourers. My 

 bailiff sent three carts of oats to be sold in Bandon 

 market in ordinary course. The carts were followed 



