314 



LETTER XXVI. 



Castlebar, Sept. 4, 1813. 



ON our quitting Belleek, the concourse of beg- 

 gars was as great as those who used to assail 

 the travellers in France thirty years ago. A 

 great similarity was observable in their man- 

 ners. Importunate on the subject of their own 

 misfortunes and misery, they vociferously urged 

 the claims of charity; but while they profusely 

 implored blessings on us, their brethren in ad- 

 versity were, by the same parties, treated with 

 brutal repulsion. The imposssibility of decid- 

 ing on claims urged with equal importunity, 

 and the incapacity of relieving one tenth of the 

 number, suspended for a moment the usual 

 donation, for the purpose of considering in 

 what way best to act ; the crowd in this short 

 interval became impatient, and supposing there 

 would be nothing given, their blessings were 

 instantaneously converted into curses and ex- 

 ecrations, with which we were most liberally 

 treated. There was something so despicable 

 and humiliating in this conduct, that every 



