STAGE IRISHMEN AND OTHERS 253 



value is the power (that would seem to be aeeounted 

 for only on the hypothesis of what is psyehieally known 

 as possession) that has enabled a rigidly, frigidly 

 brought up spinster gentlewoman to view, with the 

 tolerant eyes of Thady Quirk, the blaekguardisms of 

 Sir Kit, the excesses of Sir Condy; to describe their 

 drinking bouts, their matrimonial barbarisms, with 

 just the admixture of indulgence and reprobation 

 that such as Honest Thady would feel, and has 

 inspired her to the supreme artistry of chronicling 

 these tragical matters in precisely the jog-trot, 

 unambitious, gossiping recital that realises for the 

 reader Honest Thady, his pipe under his tooth, and 

 his brogues in the turf ashes, as he sits in the corner 

 of the big fireplace in the servants'-hall at Castle 

 Rackrent. We can hear his pawky, peaceable brogue, 

 as he tells of Sir Patrick O'Shaughlin, who, on coming 

 into the Rackrent Estate, gave " the finest enter- 

 tainment ever was heard of in the country; not a 

 man could stand after supper but Sir Patrick himself, 

 who could sit out the best man in Ireland, let alone 

 the three kingdoms itself." Sir Murtagh, whose 

 father's coffin, on its way to the graveyard, was seized 

 for debt. " But," says Thady, *' it was whispered 

 (but none but the enemies of the family would believe 

 it) tliat this was all a sham seizure to get quit of the 

 debts, which Sir Murtagh had bound himself to pay in 

 lionour." Sir Kit, " who came amongst us, before I 

 knew for the life of me whereabouts I was, in a gig 

 or some of them things, with another spark along with 

 him, and led horses, and servants, and dogs, and scarce 

 a place to put any Christian of them into." And Sir 

 Condy, who was ever Thady's white-headed boy, 

 unfortunate Sir Condy, who, after his downfall, wishes 

 to test the regard of his friends, and arranges a false 

 funeral for himself, and a wake — " the heat and smoke 



