castle rackrent-第21部分

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'Sir　Patrick's　horn！'　said　his　honour；　'hand　it　to　me：　I'll　hold　you　your　own　bet　over　again　I'll　swallow　it。'

'Done；'　says　the　gauger；　'I'll　lay　ye　anything　at　all　you　do　no　such　thing。'

'A　hundred　guineas　to　sixpence　I　do；'　says　he；　'bring　me　the　handkerchief。'　I　was　loth；　knowing　he　meant　the　handkerchief　with　the　gold　in　it；　to　bring　it　out　in　such　company；　and　his　honour　not　very　able　to　reckon　it。　　'Bring　me　the　handkerchief；　then；　Thady；'　says　he；　and　stamps　with　his　foot；　so　with　that　I　pulls　it　out　of　my　greatcoat　pocket；　where　I　had　put　it　for　safety。　Oh；　how　it　grieved　me　to　see　the　guineas　counting　upon　the　table；　and　they　the　last　my　master　had！　　Says　Sir　Condy　to　me；　'Your　hand　is　steadier　than　mine　to…night；　old　Thady；　and　that's　a　wonder；　fill　you　the　horn　for　me。'　　And　so；　wishing　his　honour　success；　I　did；　but　I　filled　it；　little　thinking　of　what　would　befall　him。　　He　swallows　it　down；　and　drops　like　one　shot。　　We　lifts　him　up；　and　he　was　speechless；　and　quite　black　in　the　face。　We　put　him　to　bed；　and　in　a　short　time　he　wakened；　raving　with　a　fever　on　his　brain。　　He　was　shocking　either　to　see　or　hear。

'Judy！　　Judy！　　have　you　no　touch　of　feeling？　　Won't　you　stay　to　help　us　nurse　him？'　says　I　to　her；　and　she　putting　on　her　shawl　to　go　out　of　the　house。

'I'm　frightened　to　see　him；'　says　she；　'and　wouldn't　nor　couldn't　stay　in　it；　and　what　use？　　He　can't　last　till　the　morning。'　　With　that　she　ran　off。　　There　was　none　but　my　shister　and　myself　left　near　him　of　all　the　many　friends　he　had。

The　fever　came　and　went；　and　came　and　went；　and　lasted　five　days；　and　the　sixth　he　was　sensible　for　a　few　minutes；　and　said　to　me；　knowing　me　very　well；　'I'm　in　a　burning　pain　all　withinside　of　me；　Thady。'　　I　could　not　speak；　but　my　shister　asked　him　would　he　have　this　thing　or　t'other　to　do　him　good？　　'No；'　says　he；　'nothing　will　do　me　good　no　more；'　and　he　gave　a　terrible　screech　with　the　torture　he　was　in；　then　again　a　minute's　ease'brought　to　this　by　drink；'　says　he。　　'Where　are　all　the　friends？where's　Judy？　　Gone；　hey？　　Ay；　Sir　Condy　has　been　a　fool　all　his　days；'　said　he；　and　there　was　the　last　word　he　spoke；　and　died。　　He　had　but　a　very　poor　funeral　after　all。

If　you　want　to　know　any　more；　I'm　not　very　well　able　to　tell　you；　but　my　Lady　Rackrent　did　not　die；　as　was　expected　of　her；　but　was　only　disfigured　in　the　face　ever　after　by　the　fall　and　bruises　she　got；　and　she　and　Jason；　immediately　after　my　poor　master's　death；　set　about　going　to　law　about　that　jointure；　the　memorandum　not　being　on　stamped　paper；　some　say　it　is　worth　nothing；　others　again　it　may　do；　others　say　Jason　won't　have　the　lands　at　any　rate；　many　wishes　it　so。　　For　my　part；　I'm　tired　wishing　for　anything　in　this　world；　after　all　I've　seen　in　it；　but　I'll　say　nothingit　would　be　a　folly　to　he　getting　myself　ill…will　in　my　old　age。　　Jason　did　not　marry；　nor　think　of　marrying　Judy；　as　I　prophesied；　and　I　am　not　sorry　for　it：　　who　is？　　As　for　all　I　have　here　set　down　from　memory　and　hearsay　of　the　family；　there's　nothing　but　truth　in　it　from　beginning　to　end。　　That　you　may　depend　upon；　for　where's　the　use　of　telling　lies　about　the　things　which　everybody　knows　as　well　as　I　do？

The　Editor　could　have　readily　made　the　catastrophe　of　Sir　Condy's　history　more　dramatic　and　more　pathetic；　if　he　thought　it　allowable　to　varnish　the　plain　round　tale　of　faithful　Thady。　　He　lays　it　before　the　English　reader　as　a　specimen　of　manners　and　characters　which　are　perhaps　unknown　in　England。　　Indeed；　the　domestic　habits　of　no　nation　in　Europe　were　less　known　to　the　English　than　those　of　their　sister　country；　till　within　these　few　years。

Mr。　Young's　picture　of　Ireland；　in　his　tour　through　that　country；　was　the　first　faithful　portrait　of　its　inhabitants。　　All　the　features　in　the　foregoing　sketch　were　taken　from　the　life；　and　they　are　characteristic　of　that　mixture　of　quickness；　simplicity；　cunning；　carelessness；　dissipation；　disinterestedness；　shrewdness；　and　blunder；　which；　in　different　forms　and　with　various　success；　has　been　brought　upon　the　stage　or　delineated　in　novels。

It　is　a　problem　of　difficult　solution　to　determine　whether　a　union　will　hasten　or　retard　the　amelioration　of　this　country。　The　few　gentlemen　of　education　who　now　reside　in　this　country　will　resort　to　England。　　They　are　few；　but　they　are　in　nothing　inferior　to　men　of　the　same　rank　in　Great　Britain。　　The　best　that　can　happen　will　be　the　introduction　of　British　manufacturers　in　their　places。

Did　the　Warwickshire　militia；　who　were　chiefly　artisans；　teach　the　Irish　to　drink　beer？　　or　did　they　learn　from　the　Irish　to　drink　whisky？


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GLOSSARY

SOME　FRIENDS；　WHO　HAVE　SEEN　THADY'S　HISTORY　SINCE　IT　HAS　BEEN　PRINTED　HAVE　SUGGESTED　TO　THE　EDITOR；　THAT　MANY　OF　THE　TERMS　AND　IDIOMATIC　PHRASES；　WITH　WHICH　IT　ABOUNDS；　COULD　NOT　BE　INTELLIGIBLE　TO　THE　ENGLISH　READER　WITHOUT　FURTHER　EXPLANATION。　THE　EDITOR　HAS　THEREFORE　FURNISHED　THE　FOLLOWING　GLOSSARY。

GLOSSARY　1。　MONDAY　MORNINGThady　begins　his　memoirs　of　the　Rackrent　Family　by　dating　MONDAY　MORNING；　because　no　great　undertaking　can　be　auspiciously　commenced　in　Ireland　on　any　morning　but　MONDAY　MORNING。　　'Oh；　please　God　we　live　till　Monday　morning；　we'll　set　the　slater　to　mend　the　roof　of　the　house。　　On　Monday　morning　we'll　fall　to；　and　cut　the　turf。　　On　Monday　morning　we'll　see　and　begin　mowing。　　On　Monday　morning；　please　your　honour；　we'll　begin　and　dig　the　potatoes；'　etc。

All　the　intermediate　days；　between　the　making　of　such　speeches　and　the　ensuing　Monday；　are　wasted：　and　when　Monday　morning　comes；　it　is　ten　to　one　that　the　business　is　deferred　to　THE　NEXT　Monday　morning。　The　Editor　knew　a　gentleman；　who；　to　counteract　this　prejudice；　made　his　workmen　and　labourers　begin　all　new　pieces　of　work　upon　a　Saturday。

GLOSSARY　2。　LET　ALONE　THE　THREE　KINGDOMS　ITSELF。LET　ALONE；　in　this　sentence；　means　put　out　of　consideration。　　The　phrase；　let　alone；　which　is　now　used　as　the　imperative　of　a　verb；　may　in　time　become　a　conjunction；　and　may　exercise　the　ingenuity　of　some　future　etymologist。　The　celebrated　Horne　Tooke　has　proved　most　satisfactorily；　that　the　conjunction　but　comes　from　the　imperative　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　verb　（BEOUTAN）　TO　BE　OUT；　also；　that　IF　comes　from　GIF；　the　imperative　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　verb　which　signifies　TO　GIVE；　etc。

GLOSSARY　3。　WHILLALUH。Ullaloo；　Gol；　or　lamentation　over　the　dead

Magnoque　ululante　tumultu。VIRGIL；

Ululatibus　omne　Implevere　nemus。OVID。

A　full　account　of　the　Irish　Gol；　or　Ullaloo；　and　of　the　Caoinan　or　Irish　funeral　song；　with　its　first　semichorus；　second　semichorus；　full　chorus　of　sighs　and　groans；　together　with　the　Irish　words　and　music；　may　be　found　in　the　fourth　volume　of　the　TRANSACTIONS　OF　THE　ROYAL　IRISH　ACADEMY。　For　the　advantage　of　LAZY　readers；　who　would　rather　read　a　page　than　walk　a　yard；　and　from　compassion；　not　to　say　sympathy；　with　their　infirmity；　the　Editor　transcribes　the　following　passages：…

'The　Irish　have　been　always　remarkable　for　their　funeral　lamentations；　and　this　peculiarity　has　been　noticed　by　almost　every　traveller　who　visited　them；　and　it　seems　derived　from　their　Celtic　ancestors；　the　primaeval　inhabitants　of　this　isle。　。　。　。

'It　has　been　affirmed　of　the　Irish；　that　to　cry　was　more　natural　to　them　than　to　any　other　nation；　and　at　length　the　Irish　cry　became　proverbial。　。　。　。　。

'Cambrensis　in　the　twelfth　century　says；　the　Irish　then　musically　expressed　their　griefs；　that　is；　they　applied　the　musical　art；　in　which　they　excelled　all　others；　to　the　orderly　celebration　of　funeral　obsequies；　by　dividing　the　mourners　into　two　bodies；　each　alternately　singing　their　part；　and　the　whole　at　times　joining　in　full　chorus。　。　。　。　The　body　of　the　deceased；　dressed　in　grave　clothes；　and　ornamented　with　flowers；　was　placed　on　a　bier；　or　some　elevated　spot。　　The　relations　and　keepers　（SINGING　MOURNERS）　ranged　themselves　in　two　divisions；　one　at　the　head；　and　the　other　at　the　feet　of　the　corpse。　The　bards　and　croteries　had　before　prepared　the　funeral　Caoinan。　　The　chief　bard　of　the　head　chorus　began　by　singing　the　first　stanza；　in　a　low；　doleful　tone；　which　was　softly　accompanied　by　the　harp：　at　the　conclusion；　the　foot　semichorus　began　the　lamentation；　or　Ullaloo；　from　the　final　note　of　the　preceding　stanza；　in　which　they　were　answered　by　the　head　semichorus；　then　both　united　in　one　general　chorus。　　The　chorus　of　the　first　stanza　being　ended；　the　chief　bard　of　the　foot　semichorus　began　the　second　Gol　or　lamentation；　in　which　he　was　answered　by　that　of　the　head；　and　then；　as　before；　both　united　in　the　general　full　chorus。　　Thus　alternately　were　the　song　and　choruses　performed　during　the　night。　　The　genealogy；　rank；　possessions；　the　virtues　and　vices　of　the　dead　were　rehearsed；　and　a　number　of　interrogations　were　addressed　to　the　deceased；　as；　Why　did　he　die？　　If　married；　whether　his　wife　was　faithful　to　him；　his　sons　dutiful；　or　good　hunters　or　warriors？　If　a　woman；　whether　her　daughters　were　fair　or　chaste？　　If　a　young　man；　whether　he　had　been　crossed　in　love；　or　if　the　blue…　eyed　maids　of　Erin　treated　him　with　scorn？'

We　are　told；　that　formerly　the　feet　（the　metrical　feet）　of　the　Caoinan　were　much　attended　to；　but　on　the　decline　of　the　Irish　bards　these　feet　were　gradually　neglected；　and　the　Caoinan　fell　into　a　sort　of　slipshod　metre　amongst　women。　　Each　province　had　different　Caoinans；　or　at　least　different　imitations　of　the　original。　　There　was　the　Munster　cry；　the　Ulster　cry；　etc。　It　became　an　extempore　performance；　and　every　set　of　keepers　varied　the　melody　according　to　their　own　fancy。

It　is　curious　to　observe　how　customs　and　ceremonies　degenerate。　The　present　Irish　cry；　or　howl；　cannot　boast　of　such　melody；　nor　is　the　funeral　procession　conducted　with　much　dignity。　　The　crowd　of　people　who　assemble　at　these　funerals　sometimes　amounts　to　a　thousand；　often　to　four　or　five　hundred。　　They　gather　as　the　bearers　of　the　hearse　proceed　on　their　way；　and　when　they　pass　through　any　village；　or　when　they　come　near　any　houses；　they　begin　to　cryOh！　Oh！　Oh！　Oh！　Oh！　Agh！　Agh！　raising　their　notes　from　the　first　OH！　to　the　last　AGH！　in　a　kind　of　mournful　howl。　This　gives　notice　to　the　inhabitants　of　the　village　that　a　FUNERAL　IS　PASSING　and　immediately　they　flock　out　to　follow　it。　In　the