Reflections on the Irish Character. 165 



interference with his desire to be at rest, he will 

 be as happy as any human being can be sup- 

 posed to be under such humiliating circum- 

 stances. Hence the Irish character has under- 

 gone little change, while the industry of the 

 Scottish peasantry has highly contributed to 

 the respectability of their order, and worked 

 wonders on the face of their country. 



Many among the former, as in ages past, may 

 now feel the irksomeness of time : on some 

 future occasion this may lead to the congre- 

 gating of irresistible multitudes. Like the an- 

 cient hordes, they may resort to the same expe- 

 dients to escape from the oppressive weight of 

 this lassitude, and the present ignoble appro- 

 priation of their time. 



The northern nations employed no small 

 portion of their vacant hours in listening to, 

 and learning, the legendary tales of their bards 

 and minstrels, who became welcome guests 

 under every roof: while they succeeded in 

 rivetting the attention by their well-dressed 

 tales of hapless lovers, or of well-fought fields 

 in days of yore, they did not fail to create a 

 powerful influence on the hopes and fears of 

 their hearers, by being the known and accre* 

 dited dispensers of praise or censure. 



