56 A LIFE'S WORK IN IRELAND. 



an Englishman for twenty-six years, and I knew it 

 for some years before. During that time there have 

 been hardly any serious agrarian crimes of any sort. 

 Landlords and their families have gone in and out by 

 day and by night with the most absolute fearless- 

 ness, and without precautions of any kind. Eoman 

 Catholic judges, consistent Liberals, who, besides long 

 experience of all Ireland as judges, having been pre- 

 viously law officers of the Crown, have had specially 

 to attend to such subjects, have repeatedly compli- 

 mented the county on its state, and attributed it to 

 the way the resident proprietors discharge theii 

 duties. Since the famine the whole state of the rural 

 population, both farmers and labourers, has com- 

 pletely changed. They are so improved, they are not 

 like the same people. There are few estates on which 

 there are not now ten well-to-do farmers for one 

 there was before the famine. The fortunes these 

 peasant farmers give their daughters are increasing 

 year by year. 100, 150, 200 are common. I 

 actually saw a settlement on a marriage two years 

 ago, where 300 was paid; and such fortunes are 

 given when there are three or four children to be 

 provided for on the same scale. I do not know of 

 there having been even a suspicion of a proposed 

 clearance in the county for twenty years past. The 

 main products of the county (those its soil best 

 suits), butter, pigs, stock of all sorts, fat and store, 

 cattle and sheep, have doubled in price and greatly 



