308 MORAL CONDITION OF THE WEST, 



to powder, till, happily for society, the f adeems passed into 

 other hands, and the name and place ceased to be remem- 

 bered. The ivied walls, and numerous and slender chim- 

 neys one sees in passing through this country, will, in nine 

 out of ten cases, point a moral of this sort. 



In times like those of forty years ago, this extinct tribe 

 were from the peculiar temper and formation of society, 

 occasionally a sad nuisance. The lord of a fodecin, like 

 Captain Mac Turk, was ' ' precisely that sort of person who 

 is ready to fight with any one ; whom no one can find an 

 apology for declining to fight with ; in fighting with whom 

 considerable danger is incurred; and, lastly, through fight- 

 ing with whom no eclat or credit could redound to the an- 

 tagonist. 3 ' Hence, generally, the larger proprietors saw this 

 class sink by degrees, without an attempt to uphold them, 

 and ihefodeein, to the great joy of the unhappy devils who 

 farmed it, was appended by general consent to the next 

 estate. 



Many examples of dangerous and illegal authority, as 

 usurped and exercised by the aristocracy within the last 

 half-century, are on record, that would appear mere ro- 

 mance to a stranger. One of the Fitzgerald family was 

 probably more remarkable than any person of his times. 

 He was the terror of the upper classes and to such as 

 arrogated the privileges of the aristocracy, without, as he 

 opined, a prescriptive right, he was the very devil. If a 

 man aspired to become a duellist, or even joined the 

 hounds, without being the proper caste, George Robert 

 would flog him from the field without ceremony. He 

 actually for years maintained an armed banditti, imprisoned 

 his own father, took off persons who were obnoxious and 

 when he was hanged and fortunately for society this 

 eventually occurred it required a grand cavalry and artil- 

 lery movement from Athlone to effect it. 



Denis Browne was an autocrat of another description^ 

 a useful blundering bear, who did all as religiously in the 

 king's name as ever Mussulman in that of the prophet. 

 He did much good and some mischief imprisoned and 

 transported as he pleased ; and the peasantry to this day 

 will tell you, that he could hang any one whom he disliked. 

 Yet both these men were favourites with their tenantry, 



