364 I R E L 
many parts of the country fpeak two languages, idioma¬ 
tically and effentially different, which by the way is far 
from being generally the cafe in Wales; and, if there be 
found much fewer evidences of fimplicity and ignorance 
of human nature among the Irifli peafants, than among 
the peafantry of other countries, which cannot eafily be 
controverted ; if the former, when in flrange countries, 
profecute their bufinefs with greater intelligence and fuc- 
cefs, and extricate themfelves from accidental difficulties 
with much greater facility and addrefs, than the latter, 
.which is a fatt;—there furely is not quite fufficicnt ground 
for pronouncing them comparatively illiterate and igno- 
-rant. And, if the unendowed fchools in at lead three- 
fourths of Ireland, be, with very few exceptions, under 
the fuperintendence of Roman-catholic matters, is it not 
-evident, either that the Roman-catholic clergy take no 
•pains to keep the lower clafs of their laity in a date of 
-ignorance, or that their influence docs not extend fuffi- 
ciently far to do fo; and confequently that, in either cale, 
what is received as fact is the oppofite to truth ? 
The manners of the fuperior claffes in Ireland nearly 
■approach to the Englifli dandard, except that excels in 
wine continues to prevail in a much greater degree. It is 
,a!fo obferved that the Irifli gentry are feldom addicted to 
literature or the arts. The general negleft of letters is 
r.ot however a hopelefs deficiency, for no people have na¬ 
turally brighter intellects than the Irifli, nor better difpo- 
•fitions. It proceeds not from dullnefs or infallibility, 
-but from inattention. Hunting and other robufl exercifes 
-are more in fafliion; hence an overflow of health and l'pi- 
rits ; and the remark of an able writer, that Ireland pro¬ 
duces the flouted men and the fined women in Europe. 
The hojpitality of the Irilh in general, wiiofe circumflances 
will permit them to difplay that virtue, is remarkable. It 
• has been thus beautifully defcribed by the eloquent Cur- 
ran : “ The liofpitality of other countries is a matter of 
'r.eceflity or convention; in lavage nations, of the fil’d ; in 
. polifhed, of the latter ; but the liofpitality of an Irifhman 
is not the running account of pofed and Icgercd courtefies 
.as in other countries—it fprings like all his other quali¬ 
ties, his faults, his virtues, direBly from the heart. The 
heart of an Irifliman is by nature bold, and he confides ; 
it is tender, and he loves ; it is generous, and he gives ; 
it is focial, and he is hofpitable.” 
The manners of the middle clafs, which differ conli- 
derably from thole of the Englifli, are well defcribed by 
Dr. Crumpe in his Effay on the. bed means of providing 
employment for the people. “ This clafs,” faj's that wri¬ 
ter, is principally compofed of men of fmall edates, who 
generally live beyond their income; and thofe land-holders 
known by the name of middle-men, who take large didrifts 
of the country from thofe poffelled of extenfive edates, 
and either cover them with black cattle and flieep, or re-let 
them at extravagant rents to wretched and indigent cot¬ 
tagers. The general charafteridics of this clafs are difli- 
pation, idlenels, and vanity. Every man with a few acres 
of land and a moderate revenue is dignified as a matter of 
courfe, with the title of efquire ; and, be his family ever 
fo numerous, the encumbrances on his little property ever 
fo confiderable, he mud fupport a pack of hounds, enter¬ 
tain with claret, or, if not able, with whifkey ; keep a 
pofl-chaife and livery-fervants ; and ape, in fliort, his fu- 
periorsin every refpeft. Meanwhile his debts are increaf- 
ing, his creditors growing clamorous, and every induflri- 
ous occupation which might relieve his diltreffes ne- 
glefted, as utterly beneath the dignity of a gentleman. 
To the fame fource are we to afcribe thofe nuilances to 
every rank of fociety denominated bucks and buckeens. 
Such in general are the elded fons of gentlemen of fmall 
property, or the younger children of thofe of larger, who 
have received their fcanty pittance, of which the augmen¬ 
tation by indudrious means is never once attempted, and 
the final diflipation, one would imagine, deemed itnpofli- 
ble. To dand behind a counter, fuperintend a farm, or 
.calculate- in a compting-houfe, would be beneath the dig- 
A N D. 
nity of fuch exalted beings, and difgrace the memory of 
their gentlemen ancedors. To the fame general averfion to 
indudry, and tendency to diflipation, and to a ccnfidera- 
ble (hare of family-vanity, are we to afcribe the filly but 
more excufable propenfity of gentlemen to educate their 
children in gentlemanly profeflions. Hence arife the 
daily-increafing number of curates with fcanty falaries, or 
none ; attorneys preying on the pnblic ; enfigns without 
the means of riling higher ; phyiicians without patients, 
and lawyers without briefs.” However applicable thefe 
obfervations might be to the period at which they were 
written, they mud be received with fome limitations in 
reference to the prefent time, fince the intervening years 
of almofl inceffant war have afforded an eligible and am¬ 
ple fource of employment to the defcription of perfons to 
whom they allude. 
With refpeft to the mercantile and trading part of the 
community, we are told that they do not poffefs fuch 
a fpirit of indudry and application to bufinefs as perfons 
of the fame clafs in England ; and that they are too.apt 
to retire from bufinefs when their capitals begin to be 
fuch as to enable them to profecute it to the greatefl ad¬ 
vantage. Though not participating in the unthinking 
fpirit of extravagance which ruins many Irifli gentlemen, 
they often live up to their profits, or even beyond them, 
and bankruptcy is more frequently the effeft of this mode 
of living than of hazardous fpeculations. 
In addition to Mr. Newenham’s remarks on the cha- 
rafter of the lower orders of the Irifh, we fubjoin Dr. 
Crumpe’s obfervations on the fame fubjeft. “ Two lead¬ 
ing and naturally-allied features,” (ays he, “ in the cha¬ 
racters of the lower Irifli, are idlenefs and inquifitivenefs, 
efnecially when hired to perform the work of others. 
The moment an overfeer quits them, they inevitably' drop 
their work, take fnuff, and fall into chat as to the news 
of the day; no traveller can pafs them without diverting 
their attention from the bufinefs in hand, and giving rile 
to numerous furmifes as to his perfon, errand, and defli- 
nation. The mod trivial occurrence, efpecially in the 
fporting-line, will hurry them, unlefs redrained, from 
their occupations. A tendency to pilfering and theft is 
very predominant among them, and connected with this 
is the prevalence of low cunning and lying; and, as their 
accompaniment may be mentioned, a fawning flattery. 
The blunt honefly, the bold independence, of the Englifli 
yeoman, are wanting; and in their place are fubflituted 
the petty diihonedy of the vaffal, and the fervility and 
artifice of the (lave. Drunkennefs is an evil of confi¬ 
derable magnitude in the catalogue of national vices: it 
is one to which the lower Irifli are particularly addicted, 
and from which the molt fepous obflruftions arife to 
their indudry and employment. The vile beverage whil- 
key, fo cheaply purchafed and fo generally diffufed, 
affords them an eafy opportunity of gratifying this de- 
flruftive paffion. As one confeqnence of the general pre¬ 
valence of inebriety, the lower Irifli are remarkably riotous. 
Their fairs are frequently the fcenes of confufion, dis¬ 
turbance, and bloodflied. Combinations, rifings, and 
outrage, among tradefrnen, are far from unufual, and on 
pretexts that are truly ridiculous. They are alfo to a 
remarkable degree lawlefsly inclined. Indead of being 
anxious to apprehend offenders, or to aflifl tne execution 
of the law, they are in general ready to give the former 
every afliflance to ffcape, and to relid the latter, unlefs 
awed by fuperior force.” This catalogue of defefts may 
be in fome inflances overcharged; but its general accu¬ 
racy is borne out by fafts. Intelligent writers afcribe 
the national vices of the Irifli to oppreflion, and main¬ 
tain that they are capable of being rendered as ufeful ci¬ 
tizens, and as valuable fubjefts, as any on earth. This is 
to be accoinplillied by patient culture, a prudent mixture 
of coercion and conciliation, an uniformly-impartial ,ad- 
minjflration of juflice, an improved fyflem of education, 
promoting habits of indudry, and involving the mterefls 
of the people in thofe of the empire. To counterbalance 
