14 LIFE IN IRELAND 



was noticed by all the rich, who did not fail to quiz 

 him on his public entrance into the town with Peg 

 O'Shambles for a pilot, w^ho, the Reverend Phelim 

 O'Guffimo, with his usual wit and elegance, remarked, 

 ' was a sweet nut for the Devil to crack.' 



Here Brian for the first time had a transient peep 

 behind the scenes of High Life, by being introduced 

 to the Most noble the Marquis of Done- 'em-all. This 

 man in early life dissipated an immense sum of money, 

 besides a handsome annual allowance from an indulgent 

 father ; he was a fiat among sharps. They stagged him 

 in every corner, stuck to him like fogle-himters^ eased 

 him of the jingling Georgfs, and lodged him in the 

 College of Insolvents. There he was boarded by a 

 land-shark, a sort of May-d?iy lawyer, who contrived to 

 compromise with his creditors, and cheat them in doing 

 so, and also cheat him by whom he was employed. The 

 young Lord paid the price of his person to gain his 

 liberty, and made himself a slave for life — he married 

 the lawyer's daughter. This method of doing business, 

 so common in high and low life, was novel to Brian 

 BoRU, who thought all debts were paid with ready 

 money ; he had yet to learn how gentlemen and 

 ladies paid their debts of honour in kind, and 

 in a kindly manner, as his cabin tenants did their 

 tithes. 



From Newmarket to the Curragh the fame of Lord 

 Sheepy was known; he was down upon everything and 

 up to nothing, till at last he was so completely do?ie up 

 himself that he fled to Ireland to recruit his health and 

 estates. Executions of what are called a civil nature 

 (though the rudest things in law) pursued him, and he 



