20 LIFE IN IRELAND 



CHAPTER III 



Stanzas to my Country and King — Irish ceremony : or no 

 waiting breakfast when you have an echo in your stomach — 

 Capt. Grammachree's Family, and their characters — Bad 

 puns — Brian Boru new rigged-out, and Grammachree's 

 remarks thereon — The 'Living God' of Sir Shawn O'Dog- 

 HERTY — Excuses for swearing — Irish blessings conveyed in 

 curses — A death-bed oath — Paddy pawns his breeches to drink 

 with a friend — An Irish ditty in Alerion Square, by Capt. 

 Grammachree. 



HAIL to thee ! Friendship's land, Hibernia dear, 

 Cloth'd in the blessings of a smiling year; 

 O'er thy wild mountains and dark-bosom'd woods, 

 Thy long-extended plains and rushing floods, 

 In robes of green, with brows by shamrock twin'd, 

 And scarf of purple waving in the wind. 

 The heavenly harp, wild warbling in his hand. 

 Strung by the saint who guards this blessed land, 

 The bow and quiver o'er his shoulders flung. 

 With face commanding, firm, serene, and young, 

 Green sandals glistening with the morning dew. 

 Stern Independence flashes on thy view : 

 Freedom, his light- wing'd herald, flies before, 

 (Who bliss convey'd to Afric's blood-stain'd shore) 

 The form benign breathes peace to all below, 

 And Rapture's tear-drops unresisted flow. 



Pride of the world, and glory of this isle, 

 Pure Independence I millions woo thy smile ; 



